Broccoli Cheese Soup – a warm, comforting, and easy soup you can have on the table in about 30 minutes. Perfect for chilly evenings.
When soup season arrives, I’m always excited — there’s something about a hot bowl of soup that brightens the day. We eat a lot of soup during the colder months, so I like to switch things up. Since we enjoy Copycat Panera Macaroni and Cheese, I decided to recreate Panera’s Broccoli Cheese Soup at home. It’s simple, satisfying, and pairs beautifully with bread.
Serving suggestions: warm biscuits, a sliced baguette, or any crusty bread you enjoy. For me, soup is the perfect excuse to indulge in good bread.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- This Broccoli Cheese Soup is made on the stovetop and is ready in about 30 minutes — ideal for weeknight dinners.
- It’s easy to adapt for a slow cooker: combine the ingredients, cook low all day, then make a butter-flour thickener on the stove and whisk it in before adding the cheese.
- You can serve the soup as-is for a chunky texture or blend part of it for a thicker, creamier result. I often blend about half the soup and stir it back in to balance smoothness with broccoli pieces.
- Blending helps picky eaters enjoy the soup more since the broccoli is less noticeable. Serve with their favorite rolls and they’ll be happy.
What You’ll Need
- Butter
- Onion
- Carrots
- Garlic
- Flour
- Chicken broth or stock
- Half and half (or milk/cream of your choice)
- Broccoli florets
- Salt & pepper
- Nutmeg
- Sharp cheddar cheese
I prefer half and half to keep the soup a bit lighter, but whole milk or cream work fine depending on how rich you want it.
How to make Broccoli Cheese Soup
- Melt butter in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté about 5 minutes until soft but not browned.
- Add the shredded carrots and minced garlic; cook 2 minutes until fragrant.
- Stir in the flour and cook 2–3 minutes to remove the raw flour taste.
- Whisk in the chicken broth and half and half, breaking up any flour lumps until smooth.
- Add the broccoli, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Bring to a simmer and cook about 10 minutes until the broccoli is tender.
- Optional: remove about half the soup, blend until smooth, and return it to the pot to create a creamier texture while keeping some broccoli pieces.
- Stir in the shredded sharp cheddar until melted. Serve immediately.
Storage
This soup stores well in the refrigerator for 4–5 days in an airtight container. Reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave. Because there are no pasta noodles to absorb liquid, leftovers reheat and freeze nicely.
Freezing: Portion into meal-sized containers and freeze. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating on the stovetop or in the microwave.
What Goes With Broccoli Cheese Soup
- French bread or dinner rolls
- Breadsticks
- Simple tossed salad
- Baked potato
More Comforting Soup Recipes
- Instant Pot Wild Rice Soup
- Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup
- Cheeseburger Soup
- Lasagna Soup
- Chicken Gnocchi Soup
- Hot & Sour Soup
- Clam Chowder
- Indian Lentil Soup
Broccoli Cheese Soup
Ingredients
- 4 Tablespoons butter
- 1 cup onion, finely chopped
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups half and half
- 4 cups broccoli florets, chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar, shredded
Instructions
- Melt butter in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add onion and sauté 5 minutes until soft.
- Add carrots and garlic; cook 2 minutes until fragrant.
- Stir in flour and cook 2–3 minutes.
- Whisk in broth and half and half until smooth.
- Add broccoli, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Simmer 10 minutes until broccoli is tender.
- Optional: blend about half the soup until smooth and return to the pot for a creamier texture.
- Stir in cheese until melted. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an approximation.
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