Broccoli Cheddar Soup (2024)

This creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup is made with broccoli, carrots, and plenty of cheese! This version uses real, grated cheddar for lots of cheesy flavor.

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Give me a warm bowl of soup and a fresh roll, and I’ll be a happy girl! And it’s even more of a bonus if the soup is filled with veggies, like this one!

This time of year, it’s not unusual for us to have soup for dinner more than once a week. I love soup so much, and there are just so many different kinds, it’s almost a rule that you have to make them all soup season long!

This Broccoli Cheddar Soup has been a favorite for years. I have a favorite Broccoli Cheese Soup, but it is different from this one because it gets its cheesiness from Velveeta. If you are looking for a soup made with real, shredded cheddar cheese, this is the one you need.

There are a lot of versions of this soup out there, but one thing that I think sets this one apart from the others is that you use cream cheese to give it some thickness and richness.

Keep this Broccoli Cheddar Soup recipe on hand for next time you are in the mood for soup!

Ingredients

Butter The butter is to cook your onion and carrots. I use unsalted, because that’s what I keep on hand, but salted would work as well. I like the flavor that you get from the butter, but you could always use olive oil, as well.

Onion – I like to use a white or yellow onion, but any onion should work here.

Carrots – This has a lot of carrots. If you aren’t a fan of carrots, or just want to cut back, you certainly can. It would still even be delicious if you cut the amount of carrots by half.

Flour – The flour is what will thicken your soup slightly. You’ll want to make sure you cook it for that 1-2 minutes so that you don’t have a raw flour flavor.

Chicken or Vegetable Stock – I like to use chicken stock for more flavor, but for a vegetarian version, vegetable stock is totally fine. Broth will work as well, but the stock is a bit richer and more flavorful.

Milk – I use 2% milk.

Broccoli – The trick with the broccoli is to cut it into fairly small pieces. They will cook faster and will be easier to eat.

Cream – The cream brings in some extra richness and thickness. I used heavy whipping cream.

Cream Cheese – The cream cheese is what will give this soup it’s creamy texture.

Cheddar Cheese – I like to use sharp cheddar cheese because it has more flavor, but medium or mild will work.

Salt and Pepper – Once your soup is finished, taste and season to taste with salt and pepper.

How to Make Broccoli Cheddar Soup

SAUTE: Melt the butter, then saute the onions. Then add the carrot and cook a couple more minutes.

SPRINKLE: Sprinkle in the flour, and stir and cook for another couple minutes.

WHISK: Slowly whisk in the stock, then cook until it starts to thicken.

COOK: Whisk in the milk, then add the broccoli. Cover and cook until the broccoli is tender.

STIR: Add in the cream, cream cheese, and cheddar and stir until it is all melted and smooth.

SEASON: Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve!

Tips and Tricks

• For a lighter soup, you can use milk instead of cream and light cream cheese instead of regular cream cheese. The soup won’t be as rich or thick, but will still be delicious!
• If your cream cheese is clumping, use a whisk to smooth out the soup.
• Use freshly grated cheese. Pre-packaged grated cheese is coated so that it won’t clump together, but this also makes it so it won’t melt and smoothly.
• I don’t recommend freezing this soup because of how much dairy is in it. It tends to be grainy when it is thawed and reheated.
• This soup would be easy to cut in half if you don’t need 6 servings, although I always love the leftovers!
• You could also double it for a crowd, if desired. Just make sure you have a soup pot that is big enough!

Storing

Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. Reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave.

More Soup Recipes

Homemade Beef Stew
Butternut Squash Soup
Ham and Potato Soup
French Onion Soup
Zuppa Toscana
Clam Chowder