Broccoli Cheddar Soup (Thick, Velvety and Ready in 40 Minutes)

Broccoli cheddar soup is the one that gets people to eat a whole head of broccoli without noticing. It is thick, velvety, sharp with cheese and ready in about 40 minutes on the stovetop.

The version here is built the right way. A proper roux for body, broccoli that is cooked until tender but still green, and cheese that is stirred in off the heat so it melts smooth instead of turning grainy.

Half the broccoli gets blended into the base and half stays in small florets, so every spoonful is creamy with something to bite. Serve it in a bowl or, if you are feeling ambitious, in a hollowed out bread bowl.

Why this recipe works

• A butter and flour roux thickens the soup so it clings to the spoon without tasting starchy.
• Shredding a block of sharp cheddar yourself means no anti caking starches, which is the main cause of gritty cheese soup.
• Adding the cheese off the heat keeps the proteins from tightening and separating.
• Grated carrot adds sweetness and the classic orange flecks without any extra work.
• Blending half the soup gives a creamy base while leaving real broccoli texture in every bowl.
• A pinch of nutmeg and a little Dijon mustard sharpen the cheese flavor without tasting like either one.

Ingredients you’ll need

Broccoli. About 1 1/2 pounds, or two medium heads. Use the stems too. Peel the tough outer layer and dice the tender core, which is sweeter than the florets.

Sharp cheddar. Eight ounces of a good block of sharp or extra sharp cheddar, shredded at home. The flavor of the soup depends almost entirely on this choice.

Butter, onion and garlic. Four tablespoons of butter, one medium onion finely diced and two cloves of garlic. The onion should cook until soft and sweet before the flour goes in.

Flour. A quarter cup of all purpose flour makes the roux. Cook it for a full 2 minutes to get rid of the raw taste.

Chicken or vegetable broth. Three cups of low sodium broth. The cheese is salty, so start with low sodium and season at the end.

Half and half. Two cups. It gives richness without the heaviness of all cream. Whole milk plus a splash of cream works too.

Carrot and seasonings. One large carrot, grated, plus a teaspoon of Dijon mustard, a pinch of nutmeg and a pinch of cayenne.

Ingredient notes and smart substitutions

Broccoli

Frozen broccoli florets work well here. Use a 24 ounce bag, add it straight from the freezer and simmer about 5 minutes longer. Frozen broccoli is a bit softer, so the soup ends up slightly smoother. Broccoli crowns alone work if you prefer no stems, but you will need about 1 1/4 pounds of florets.

Cheddar

White cheddar gives a paler soup with the same flavor. Half cheddar and half Gruyere is a wonderful upgrade. Half cheddar and half Monterey Jack melts even smoother for a milder soup. Avoid pre shredded cheese, which contains cellulose and potato starch that keep it from melting cleanly.

Half and half

Use 1 1/2 cups of whole milk plus 1/2 cup of heavy cream. Two cups of whole milk alone works but the soup is thinner. Evaporated milk is a good pantry substitute and resists curdling.

Flour

For a gluten free soup, skip the roux. Cook the onion in the butter, add the broth, and thicken at the end with a slurry of 3 tablespoons of cornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoons of cold water, simmered for 2 minutes.

Broth

Vegetable broth makes the soup vegetarian with no other changes. Water plus 1 1/2 teaspoons of bouillon paste stands in fine since the cheese carries most of the flavor.

Dijon and nutmeg

A teaspoon of yellow mustard or 1/2 teaspoon of dry mustard powder replaces the Dijon. Skip the nutmeg if you do not have it. Neither is essential, but together they make the cheese taste more like itself.

How to make it

1. Prep the broccoli

Cut the florets into small, bite size pieces, about 1/2 inch. Peel the stems and dice them small. Keep the florets and diced stems together. Small pieces cook quickly and fit on a spoon.

2. Cook the onion and make the roux

Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 to 6 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute. Sprinkle in the flour and stir constantly for 2 minutes. The mixture will look like wet sand and smell faintly nutty.

3. Build the base

Pour in the broth about a cup at a time, whisking after each addition until smooth. Once all the broth is in, whisk in the half and half. Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring often so the bottom does not catch.

4. Simmer the vegetables

Add the broccoli, grated carrot, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, the Dijon, nutmeg and cayenne. Simmer gently, uncovered, for 12 to 15 minutes until the broccoli is tender and the soup has thickened. Do not boil hard. Dairy based soups scorch and curdle at high heat.

5. Blend part of the soup

Turn off the heat. Use an immersion blender to pulse the soup 5 or 6 times, just enough to break down about half the broccoli and give the base body. Or transfer 3 cups to a blender, blend smooth and stir it back in. If you like a fully smooth soup, blend it all.

6. Add the cheese off the heat

With the burner off, add the shredded cheddar a handful at a time, stirring until each addition melts before adding the next. The residual heat is plenty. Taste, then add salt and pepper. Cheese soups often need less salt than you expect, so go slowly.

Common mistakes and how to fix them

The soup is grainy. Either the cheese was pre shredded, or it was added while the soup was boiling. Blend the soup briefly with an immersion blender, which smooths most of it out. Next time, shred a block and add it off the heat.

The soup is too thin. It was not simmered long enough after adding the liquid, or too much broth was used. Simmer another 5 minutes, or whisk in a slurry of 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of water and simmer 2 minutes.

The soup is too thick. Stir in warm broth or milk a splash at a time until it flows off the spoon. It thickens more as it cools, so leave it a little looser than you want it in the bowl.

The broccoli is gray and mushy. It cooked too long. Pull the pot the moment the florets are tender. If you plan to reheat, undercook the broccoli slightly.

It tastes flat. Add a pinch more salt, a squeeze of lemon or a few drops of hot sauce. Acid and heat sharpen cheese flavor in a way more cheese does not.

Timing and make ahead plan

Chop the broccoli, dice the onion, grate the carrot and shred the cheese up to 2 days ahead. Store the cheese in a sealed container. With prep done, the soup takes 30 minutes.

The soup can be fully made a day ahead. Cool it quickly, refrigerate, and reheat gently over low heat, stirring often. It will be thicker the next day, so add a splash of milk.

For a dinner party, make the soup base through step 5, hold it warm on the lowest burner setting, and stir in the cheese right before serving.

Bread bowls should be hollowed out no more than an hour ahead so they do not dry out. Toast the insides lightly at 350°F for 8 minutes so they hold up to the soup.

Tips for the best broccoli cheddar soup

Buy the best cheddar you can find. A well aged, sharp cheddar makes a dramatically better soup than a mild block, and the difference in cost is small for 8 ounces.

Keep the heat gentle once the dairy goes in. A bare simmer is all you need. Bubbles should break the surface lazily, not roll.

Cut the broccoli small. Big florets are awkward on a spoon and cook unevenly.

Grate the carrot on the small holes of a box grater. It disappears into the soup and adds sweetness and color without chunks.

Warm the bowls before serving. Cheese soup cools and thickens fast in a cold bowl.

Variations

Loaded broccoli cheddar. Top with crumbled bacon, sliced scallions and a spoonful of sour cream, the way you would a baked potato.

Broccoli potato cheddar. Add 2 cups of diced Yukon Gold potatoes with the broth and simmer 10 minutes before adding the broccoli. The potatoes thicken the soup and stretch it to serve eight. It borrows the best ideas from our slow cooker loaded potato soup.

Spicy pepper jack. Replace half the cheddar with pepper jack and add a diced jalapeno with the onion.

Broccoli and cauliflower. Use half broccoli and half cauliflower for a milder, slightly sweeter soup that blends extra smooth.

Slow cooker version. Cook the onion, roux and broth on the stove, then transfer to a slow cooker with the broccoli and carrot. Cook on LOW for 3 hours or HIGH for 1 1/2 hours, then add the half and half and cheese during the last 15 minutes with the heat off.

Equipment that makes this easier

A heavy 5 or 6 quart pot or Dutch oven. Heavy bottoms spread heat evenly and protect the dairy from scorching.

A whisk for the roux and a wooden spoon for stirring the finished soup, which is thick enough to strain a whisk.

A box grater for the cheese and carrot. An immersion blender for the partial blend. If you only have a countertop blender, remove the center cap and cover with a towel to let steam escape.

Scaling up or down

To halve the recipe, use a 3 quart saucepan and cut everything in half. The timing stays the same.

Doubling works in an 8 quart pot. Cook the roux a minute longer since the larger amount of flour takes more time to lose its raw taste. Add the broth more slowly so it stays smooth. Simmering time stretches by about 5 minutes.

As written, the soup makes about 8 cups, or six 1 1/3 cup servings. That is a satisfying main with bread or eight appetizer portions.

What to serve with it

Crusty bread is essential, whether a sliced baguette, a sourdough bread bowl or garlic toast. A crisp apple and walnut salad cuts the richness.

For soup and sandwich night, a turkey and cranberry sandwich or a ham and Swiss melt is a natural partner. For a heartier meal, serve smaller cups before a plate of sheet pan chicken thighs with root vegetables.

Our fall side dishes post has a honey butter cornbread and a simple roasted beet salad that both round this out nicely.

How to store, freeze and reheat

Refrigerator. Cool within 2 hours and store in airtight containers for up to 4 days. The soup thickens considerably when cold.

Freezer. Cheese and dairy soups can separate when frozen, so this is not the best candidate. If you must, freeze for up to 2 months and blend with an immersion blender while reheating to bring it back together. Freezing the base before adding the cheese works much better. Add fresh cheese after reheating.

Reheating. Warm gently over low heat, stirring often, with a splash of milk or broth until it reaches 165°F. Do not microwave on full power. Use 50 percent power in 90 second bursts, stirring between each, to keep the cheese from breaking.

Leftover ideas

Spoon leftover soup over a baked potato and finish with scallions for the easiest second dinner.

Thin a cup of soup slightly and toss it with cooked pasta shells for a broccoli cheddar mac. Top with breadcrumbs and broil 3 minutes.

Use thick, cold soup as a sauce for a grilled cheese filling with a few extra florets, then griddle the sandwich until crisp.

Stir a cup into cooked rice with a little extra cheese, spoon into a baking dish and bake at 375°F for 20 minutes for a quick broccoli rice casserole, a shortcut to our cheesy chicken broccoli rice casserole.

Nutrition notes

A 1 1/3 cup serving lands roughly in the 340 to 400 calorie range with 15 to 17 grams of protein, 24 to 28 grams of fat and 16 to 20 grams of carbohydrates. Most of the fat comes from the cheese and half and half. These are estimates and vary with your cheddar, dairy and broth.

Using whole milk instead of half and half saves roughly 60 calories per serving. Cutting the cheese to 6 ounces saves another 60 and still gives a clearly cheesy soup.

Frequently asked questions

Why is my broccoli cheddar soup grainy?

Grainy soup almost always comes from pre shredded cheese or from adding cheese while the soup is boiling. Shred a block of cheddar yourself and stir it in with the heat off. A quick pass with an immersion blender smooths out a soup that has already turned grainy.

Can I use frozen broccoli for broccoli cheddar soup?

Yes. Add a 24 ounce bag of frozen florets straight from the freezer and simmer about 5 minutes longer. The soup will be slightly smoother since frozen broccoli is softer.

How do I thicken broccoli cheddar soup?

Simmer it a few minutes longer, blend more of the broccoli into the base, or whisk in a slurry of 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of cold water and simmer 2 minutes.

Can I freeze broccoli cheddar soup?

It can be frozen for up to 2 months but dairy and cheese may separate. For the best texture, freeze the soup before adding the cheese, then stir in fresh cheese after reheating.

What cheese is best for broccoli cheddar soup?

Sharp or extra sharp cheddar from a block gives the best flavor. Mixing in some Gruyere adds nuttiness and Monterey Jack makes it melt even smoother.