The Best Broccoli Cheddar Soup
This easy Broccoli Cheddar Soup recipe is chock full of colorful, chunky vegetables in a rich and cheesy broth for a totally meal-worthy soup. Step-by-step videos can be seen below the recipe card.
Servings: 4 servings (2 cups each)
Calories: 434kcal
Equipment
- Dutch Oven or Soup Pot
- Grater
Ingredients
- 1 yellow onion $0.70
- 1 lb. broccoli $1.97 (1 lb. before trimming off stalk)*
- 2 carrots $0.23
- 4 Tbsp butter $0.40
- 4 Tbsp all-purpose flour $0.04
- 2 cups chicken broth $0.26**
- 2 cups whole milk $0.36
- ½ tsp smoked paprika $0.05
- ¼ tsp garlic powder $0.02
- ¼ tsp black pepper freshly cracked, $0.02
- ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper $0.02
- 6 oz. sharp cheddar cheese shredded, $1.27
Instructions
- Gather all of your ingredients.
- Dice the onion and chop the broccoli into very small pieces. Peel and slice the carrots.
- Add the butter and onion to a large soup pot and sauté over medium until the onions are soft and translucent. Add the flour and sauté for 2 minutes more, or until the flour is coating the bottom of the pot and is a light golden brown color.
- Pour in chicken broth and whisk to dissolve the flour. Turn the heat up to medium-high and, while stirring often, bring the broth to a simmer. When it reaches a simmer it will thicken to a gravy consistency.
- Turn the heat down to medium and whisk in the whole milk, smoked paprika, garlic powder, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Allow the broth to come back to a simmer.
- Add the chopped broccoli and carrots and continue to simmer the vegetables, stirring often, for 15 minutes or until the carrots are tender.
- Test a piece of carrot or broccoli to make sure it's to your desired tenderness. If not, simmer a bit longer.
- Turn the heat to medium-low and stir the shredded cheese into the soup, one handful at a time, until it is fully melted. ***
- Taste the soup and add salt if needed (this will depend on the salt content of your broth—I did not add any).
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Video
Notes
*1 lb. broccoli before trimming off the stalk. 1 lb. florets will result in too much broccoli. Either fresh or frozen broccoli is fine. I suggest letting frozen broccoli thaw completely before adding it to the soup, and you'll probably still want to chop it into much smaller pieces (think bite-sized, fits-on-a-spoon small). Side note: I think I'll dice my broccoli even smaller than I've shown in the photos next time!
**Both store-bought and homemade chicken broth will work here. I like the Better Than Bouillon brand for a store-bought broth option. Use low-sodium broth if you're watching your salt intake.
***Reducing the heat helps the cheese melt and incorporate into the soup. Cheese sauces can break and clump if they're boiled too hard. Be sure to reduce the heat before adding the cheese to your soup!
Nutrition
Serving: 2cups | Calories: 434kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 31g | Sodium: 909mg | Fiber: 4g