Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Cheesy, creamy & loaded with vegetables, this Broccoli Cheddar Soup adds extra spices for depth of flavor.  Perfect as a one dish meal!  Cheesy, creamy & loaded with vegetables, this Broccoli Cheddar Soup adds extra spices for depth of flavor.  Perfect as a one dish meal! 

Broccoli Cheddar Soup is all over the internet.  Many people have been inspired by Panera’s Broccoli Cheese soup, but mine was inspired by my CSA.  They sell soup all winter–made from their wonderful harvest.  It brings in a little extra cash for them and keeps members like me well-fed all year. 

Yes, when I spooned into the tasty soup back in 2017,  I knew I needed to learn to make it myself. And this week, blessed with an abundance of broccoli, it was time to reprise my post.  I guess I can freeze some of my own for winter now! Cheesy, creamy & loaded with vegetables, this Broccoli Cheddar Soup adds extra spices for depth of flavor.  Perfect as a one dish meal! 

Step by Step Directions

This Broccoli Cheddar Soup recipe is quite easy and the only time consuming activity is is the chopping.  I was feeling obsessive and hand-chopped everything, but feel free to buy pre-cut, or pull out your food processor.

To start, you melt butter in a large saucepan. Add onion and garlic and sauté until tender. cook onions & garlic

Stir in mustard, cayenne and turmeric, then add flour and stir until completely combined. add flour and spicesAdd broth slowly, a half cup to a cup at a time, whisking to keep lumps from forming. When incorporated bring back to a boil and stir until thickened.

Add carrots and broccoli and simmer until tender, 10-15 minutes.

continue heating soup

Stir in half and half, then add cheese in handfuls, stirring to melt.  Heat, still stirring, until combined.

Add cheese

How to serve

For a lighter eater, Broccoli Cheddar Soup is easily a complete meal by itself. Don’t you love a full entree soup!  For a nice presentation, just garnish with croutons and herbs or grated carrots and parsley or whatever inspires you!

For a hearty eater, a simple add would be a nice crusty bread with butter or olive oil. And in my best “add a veggie” mode, a side salad is also a nice complement.

Cheesy, creamy & loaded with vegetables, this Broccoli Cheddar Soup adds extra spices for depth of flavor.  Perfect as a one dish meal! 

The Cheese

Cheese is critical to this dish and you have a few decisions to make. 

White vs Yellow Cheddar. The color of the soup will change slightly depending on the color of your cheese. But the sunny yellow color of the turmeric in this recipe will give your soup a “cheesy” look no matter which you pick. Yellow/orange cheddar will look slightly more vibrant, but I used white since that’s what I had. 

Did you know that white versus yellow cheddar is a regional distinction, not one based on quality or fat content? Yellow predominates in the Midwest –though Wisconsin has some lovely white Wisconsin cheddars too. The yellow color is created naturally (usually) with a seed called annatto that’s been used for ages. In general I ignore the color and pick my cheese based on flavor.

grated cheese

This was not always the case however. According to NPR, adding color to cheese has a long and checkered past. 17th century cheesemakers sometimes skimmed off part of the valuable cream and disguised the change with additional yellow coloring. Today however, you will find excellent (or mediocre) cheeses in both colors.

Sharp vs Mild The final question is whether to go with sharp or mild cheddar. Of course, this Wisconsin girl expects her cheese soup to have serious cheese flavor!  So unless you really, really, really hate stronger cheese, go with a sharp cheddar.

The flavor of the cheese will already be diluted by the broth, vegetables and cream and it really can use the boost!

The Spices

While the spices are not dominant, they really help pull the soup together!  The cayenne gives the soup the slightest bit of a kick, but it doesn’t make it hot.  My husband orders everything “mild” and there are times mild is too hot for him, but this soup is no problem.

My most unusual addition is turmeric. I learned that from my mother who used to add it to soups way before it was “in!”  Turmeric has health benefits though probably not in these quantities.  But it does add flavor and according to Plant Prosperous, it “has an earthy bitterness… which adds depth to the flavor profile.” Of course the color is a plus too especially if you use a white cheddar.Cheesy, creamy & loaded with vegetables, this Broccoli Cheddar Soup adds extra spices for depth of flavor.  Perfect as a one dish meal! 

Leftovers

Store leftovers in the refrigerator and eat within a few days. I try to reheat, stirring regularly, until just hot to minimize any risk of the cheese separating. To microwave, I heat briefly, then stir, heat, stir, etc., until hot.

Should you have leftovers, contrary to many recommendations, I have successfully frozen this soup. As when you reheat from refrigerated, try to stir while it reheats and stop before it boils. Previously frozen soup may be slightly thinner when thawed but is still lovely.

Finally remember that if you let your leftovers sit for 3 days, then freeze, you’re “keeping” time is up and you need to finish it the day you thaw.

Cheesy, creamy & loaded with vegetables, this Broccoli Cheddar Soup adds extra spices for depth of flavor.  Perfect as a one dish meal! 

More Tips & FAQs

In cutting up the broccoli, I didn’t use the woodiest piece (the bottom) of the broccoli stem but I did use the thinner stem pieces. I chopped these smaller than the florets to make sure they’d get tender. If you are short on broccoli, you can peel and chop the bottom piece that I discarded (composted).

Frozen broccoli would be good in this too. It will have a softer texture so check for tenderness earlier, perhaps as early as 5 minutes.chop broccoli

Can I make this keto?I haven’t run the carbs on this, but it’s a great candidate for a keto or low carb diet. The most problematic ingredients are the flour and carrots—and to a lessor extend the half and half. So if you are trying to lower the carbs, omit the carrots, use an additional half cup of cheese for more thickening and omit the flour. Finally consider using cream or a dairy substitute that is low carb and thick(e.g. pea milk) instead of the half & half.

Can I puree a portion of the vegetables for extra thickness?  Some cooks will puree a portion of the vegetables to give the soup added thickness, but there is a story as to why I don’t do this. Years ago, I pureed a spinach soup which my kids promptly re-dubbed “Cream of Pond Scum Soup.”  They were pretty dead-on with the description and after that even I couldn’t eat it.

The emotional scars may never heal.  Puree if you want, but you’re on your own…

More Cheesy Soup Recipes

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Cheesy, creamy & loaded with vegetables, this Broccoli Cheddar Soup adds extra spices for depth of flavor.  Perfect as a one dish meal! 
Author: Inger
5 from 4 votes
Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 25 mins
Total Time 30 mins
Course Soup
Servings 6
Calories 316 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 Tablespoon butter
  • 1 small onion chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne powder
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1/3 cup flour
  • 5 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
  • 4 cups broccoli coarsely chopped
  • 1 cup matchstick-cut carrots
  • 1 cup half & half or half any milk, half cream
  • 2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
  • salt if needed

Instructions
 

  • Melt butter in large saucepan. Add onion and garlic and sauté until tender. Stir in mustard, cayenne and turmeric.
  • Add flour and stir until completely combined. Add broth slowly, a half cup to a cup at a time, whisking to keep flour lumps from forming. When incorporated bring back to a boil and stir until thickened.
  • Add carrots and broccoli and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes.
  • Stir in half and half, then add cheese in handfuls, stirring to melt. Taste and adjust salt.
  • Serve warm, with croutons if you would like.

Nutrition

Calories: 316kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 14gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 13gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 66mgSodium: 1068mgPotassium: 422mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 4583IUVitamin C: 57mgCalcium: 362mgIron: 1mg
I am not a health professional and nutrition data is calculated programatically. Accuracy may vary with product selection, calculator accuracy, etc. Consult a professional for the best information.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

 

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24 thoughts on “Broccoli Cheddar Soup

  1. Radha

    5 stars
    This soup is very delicious one and is our favorite. I love the addition of turmeric. I add the spice to anything possible.

  2. Kathleen Pope

    5 stars
    Love the run down on various cheeses, I’m a west coast girl that grew up on yellow/orange cheese, but no prefer white in most of my cooking, this was light and deliciously flavored!

    1. Inger Post author

      Thanks. The turmeric really helps with the color on the white cheese–and adds flavor of course!

  3. Rebecca

    I’ve been looking for a really good soup recipe. Looks like this is a favorite by so many!

    1. Inger Post author

      I just made another batch for the freezer. Though I’m hoping that soup weather holds off a little longer (though I love it when it’s here)!

  4. Pingback: Cheesy Cauliflower Confetti Soup - Art of Natural Living

  5. grace

    i suffer from analysis paralysis too, but i never realized my affliction had a name until now! 🙂
    great recipe–it fills all the needs!

  6. David

    Great soup, and I like the lighter version. As I get older, I still love the full fat flavor but my body isn’t entirely happy with it!

    1. Inger Post author

      Yes, the body really demands more healthful food doesn’t it! When I think about what I used to eat…

  7. Barbara

    I like that recipe, Inger. I really don’t make too many soups (although I have some beef barley in the freezer right now) but this one not only makes a pretty presentation, but looks delicious!

    1. Inger Post author

      Guessing that Wisconsin is really more soup country than Florida, Barbara (as we go into another cold spell)…

    1. Inger Post author

      Lol., I thought about your comment as I was reading dozens of flavored sea salt posts for my next recipe 😉 Must be an occupational hazard for a blogger!

    1. Inger Post author

      I was surprised how much we enjoyed this Gloria–so very glad I was able to cut the calories down!

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