Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup is total comfort food. A vegetable base with a creamy roux and plenty of cheese, makes this soup a stretchy-waistband, Netflix-and-chill kind of cozy day meal!

I’m pretty sure I could live on soups and salads. Soup in the cooler months, salads in the warmer months (aka six months of Texas summer). Soup is just so dang comforting. It makes my tummy happy.

This Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup is made in one pot. No roasting veggies or cooking part of it in another pan. Just slicing, dicing, stirring, and seasoning.

A bowl of comfort made in less than an hour. Can’t beat that.

Confession. My first try at making this soup was fed to the garbage. I tried to make it “lighter” by using far less butter and cheese. I used 1% milk and too much chicken broth. So W R O N G. The soup was watery, tasteless, and NOT creamy.

Once I realized that creamy was the objective (duh!), I went ahead with extra butter and cheese, added some half and half, and cut out some of the broth. I think if you eat a smaller bowl of my Creamy Broccoli Soup, and a BIG salad to go with it, you will be satisfied. My guys were MUCH happier with my creamy version over my watered down catastrophe.

All the veggies below went into the soup. TONS of nutrition and good-for-you ingredients.

The veggies.

• broccoli
• carrots
• celery
• onion
• leek
• garlic

Making a roux is the key to creaminess in soups and other dishes. Skip the canned “cream of whatever” and make it with real ingredients.

How to make a roux.

• start with fats (like butter and oils) and heat until melted
• add flour and whisk to absorb and smoothen
• then add liquids, and simmer until thickened

The longer you whisk the fats and flour, the thinner the thickening agent becomes, and the darker it gets. For this soup, I whisked for just a couple of minutes.

I’m thinking of all the occasions that would be perfect to enjoy my Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup.

• Game Day
• First Course for a dinner party
• During a winter snow storm (there was that one time…)
• Netflix and Chillin

A couple fat slices of my mom’s Chewy French Bread are almost a required accompaniment to this meal. Don’t have any clean spoons? Perfect, use the bread. 🙂

1. Dip
2. Scoop
3. Shovel

Make this soup recipe next: Creamy Wild Rice Soup with Mushrooms

Please let know if you try this recipe. Be sure to comment and leave a review on the blog so I can see what you think. You can also like my Facebook Page, follow me on Pinterest, and catch me on Instagram.

xoxo ~Sue

Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup

A vegetable base with a creamy roux and plenty of cheese, makes this creamy broccoli cheddar soup a stretchy-waistband, Netflix-and-chill kind of cozy day meal!

5 from 3 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: broccoli cheddar soup, creamy soup, dinner

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Servings: 6 cups

Calories: 332kcal

Author: Sue Ringsdorf

Ingredients

• 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup onion – diced
• 1/2 cup celery – chopped
• 1/2 cup leek – chopped
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes – optional
• 3 cloves garlic – minced
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup half and half
• 1 cup milk – anything except skim
• 4-5 cups broccoli florets – bite sized
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

• Prepare by chopping all vegetables. Set aside.
• Heat a stock pan over medium heat. Add butter and when melted, add onion, celery, leek, and carrots. Sauté until soft, approximately 5-6 minutes. 
• Add salt and pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, and garlic. Stir for 30 seconds. 
  
• Create a roux by adding flour. Stir constantly for 2-3 minutes to get veggies to absorb flour. It may seem a little dry.
• Add chicken broth, half and half, and milk. Stir well, and bring to a rolling simmer. This will thicken the soup. Continue to let simmer, and stir, for approximately 10 – 15 minutes, or until thickened.
• Pour broccoli florets into soup, add a little more salt and pepper, and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until broccoli is softened.
• Remove pot from heat, and add shredded cheddar cheese. Stir until melted. 
• Serve with some nice crusty bread.

Notes

How to make a roux.

• start with fats (like butter and oils) and heat until melted
• add flour and whisk to absorb and smoothen
• then add liquids, and simmer until thickened

Leftovers are great for up to 4-5 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 332kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 68mg | Sodium: 619mg | Potassium: 558mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 4925IU | Vitamin C: 66.2mg | Calcium: 352mg | Iron: 1.4mg