I made some Perfect Broccoli Cheddar Soup for your soul (and your soul, and your soul, and your soul!) Sorry, having an Oprah moment here.
I feel like I can call this Broccoli Cheddar Soup perfect because I know what un-perfect Broccoli Cheddar Soup tastes like. My first attempt at making this creamy, cozy soup was when I was 13 years old. I stood at the stove with my perm, big bangs, glasses and stretchy pants (just painting you a picture here,) rubbed my hands together in anticipation and exclaimed, let’s do this!Â
I don’t remember where the recipe came from but IÂ DOÂ remember that it didn’t even call for milk or cream. (The more likely explanation is that my novice-chef-self glossed over that important part of the ingredient list but I digress.) I boiled my broth, added my broccoli, then dumped in a truckload of cheese. What could go wrong?
Uh, everything.
Instead of morphing into a thick and luxurious soup, the cheese turned into a previously unknown substance, wrapping its stringy tentacles around the broccoli crowns before descending to the bottom of the pot aka its final resting place as an inedible, broccoli-studded orange blob. I’ll never forget it.
Two decades and some change later I stepped back up to the proverbial plate and, after a few tries, achieved the perfect batch of Broccoli Cheddar Soup. Redemption is mine!
The key to perfect Broccoli Cheddar Soup is timing and temperature – I’ll show you how. Oh and freshly grated cheese, and milk, not cream. That’s right, heavy cream is not necessary for the most cozy, creamy bowl of Broccoli Cheddar Soup you’ve ever made at home. Pinky swear!
Tips for Making Perfect Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- Use whatever milk you’ve got on hand but know that I achieved thick and creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup perfection with skim milk. Yes, you heard that right. No heavy cream needed.
- You MUST use freshly grated cheddar cheese to get creamy broccoli cheese soup. Pre-grated cheese is coated in anti-caking agents which means it won’t melt as smoothly.
- When it’s time to add the cheese into the soup, sprinkle it in in batches, stirring until each batch is melted before adding the next batch vs dumping it all in at once. This will ensure there are no clumps in the final soup.
- The temperature you cook Broccoli Cheese Soup at is key to making sure it doesn’t end up grainy or curdled. Medium heat is best for dairy-based soups so it doesn’t boil and curdle.
How to Make This Recipe
Start by melting butter in a large soup pot or Dutch Oven over medium heat then add grated carrot and chopped shallot. Season with salt and pepper then saute until the carrots are tender, 3-5 minutes.
Sprinkle in gluten free flour (or AP flour if you don’t need to eat GF) then whisk to form a paste and cook for 1 minute.
Next, slowly pour in chicken broth while whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Once everything is nice and smooth, add milk. Again, use whatever you’ve got on hand – I like skim milk, or 2% milk for a bit of a richer flavor.
Turn the heat up just slightly to bring the broth to a simmer – NOT BOIL – stirring occasionally, then turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, dice fresh broccoli florets into small, bite-sized pieces.
Add the broccoli to the soup then simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the broccoli is tender.
Remove the pot from the heat then add freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese in three batches, stirring until completely smooth before adding the next batch. Let each batch slowly melt before adding the next to make sure there’s no clumping whatsoever.
Now, I happen to like bigger hunks of broccoli bobbing in my Broccoli Cheese Soup but if you like yours a little more smooth, take a potato masher to the soup and mash until you get the texture you like. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if necessary. I like TONS of fresh cracked black pepper in my Perfect Broccoli Cheese Soup!
Ladle the Broccoli Cheese Soup into bowls then top with a bit more shredded cheddar cheese and dig in. Like I said…perfect! Thick, creamy – total comfort food – enjoy!
Similar Recipes
- Healthy Cheeseburger Soup
- Cheesy Cauliflower Soup
- Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
- Cheesy Ham and Potato Soup
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Perfect Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Description
Perfect Broccoli Cheddar Soup is hearty, cheesy, comfort food! I'll show you the correct timing and temperature to get the PERFECT outcome.
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons butter
- 1 large carrot, shredded
- 1 large shallot, chopped
- salt and pepper
- 3 Tablespoons gluten-free flour blend
- 3 cups gluten-free vegetable or chicken broth
- 2 cups milk (I used skim)
- 3 cups small-chopped fresh broccoli florets
- 8oz freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese, plus more for serving
Directions
- Melt butter in a large soup pot or Dutch Oven over medium heat then add carrots and shallot, season with salt and pepper, and then saute until carrots are tender, 3-5 minutes.
- Sprinkle in flour then whisk to combine and cook while whisking for 1 minute. Slowly stream in chicken broth while whisking constantly to avoid lumps then add milk and whisk to combine. Season with salt and pepper then turn heat up to medium-high to bring soup to a simmer. Turn heat down to medium-low then simmer - NOT BOIL - for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add broccoli florets to pot then simmer for 20 more minutes, or until broccoli is tender. Remove pot from heat then add cheese in three batches, stirring until completely smooth before adding the next batch. Mash florets slightly with a potato masher to reach desired texture – this is optional. Taste soup then add salt and pepper if necessary. Ladle into bowls then serve with extra shredded cheese on top.
Notes
- I do not recommend freezing > thawing dairy-based soups such as this one as they have the tendency to break and/or curdle when reheated.
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
Gilliane 09.23.2014
Absolutely delicious! Made this tonight and it turned out perfect. The step by step directions were very helpful.
Kristin 09.23.2014
So glad to hear you liked it, and the directions were easy to follow!
Hannah 09.23.2014
I made this tonight, it was super easy and absolutely delicious! I have finally found a broccoli cheddar soup recipe I am in love with!
Kristin 09.23.2014
Hooray! Glad you enjoyed the recipe, Hannah!
Lindsey 09.23.2014
Just finished making this recipe and can’t wait to try it!!!!!! Perfect for early fall!
Alexa 09.23.2014
Can I ask why you don’t recommend freezing it??
Kristin 09.23.2014
Dairy-based soups can sometimes separate when frozen/reheated. I tried it and it was a touch watery. The flavor was still good but the texture wasn’t the same as fresh!
Bridget Montgomery 09.23.2014
I just made this! Amazing!
Kristin 09.23.2014
Glad you liked the soup, Bridget!
Julie 09.23.2014
Great way to start soup season which I am SO ready for. I still need to go buy that whisk.
cheri 09.22.2014
Love this soup, broccoli is one of my favorites!
Jenn 09.22.2014
Hi IGE,
Do you think freezing this soup would work? I’ve had great luck freezing soups, but the dairy in this one makes me second guess it. I hope the answer is yes – I would love to have this on hand to grab in the morning for a quick lunch and defrost at work!
Thanks,
Jenn
Kristin 09.23.2014
Hey Jenn! As you mentioned, dairy-based soups can sometimes separate when frozen/reheated. I tried it and it was a touch watery. The flavor was still good but the texture wasn’t quite the same as fresh!
Jenn 09.22.2014
I LOVE broccoli cheddar soup–it’s my all time favorite! I’m definitely going to try this as soon as the temperatures drop!
Sarah 09.22.2014
The only thing this is missing is a bread bowl. Then it would be complete and total HEAVEN.
And I need to get me one of those whisks. Gotta love IKEA.
ps. Do you have to eat this when Lincoln’s not around? Eating it in front of him would be sheer torture!
Janet 09.22.2014
Soup looks soooo good. Since I’m in braces – broccoli is not my friend. Think I’ll make it with cauliflower instead, also love cauliflower cheese soup!
Jamie 09.22.2014
I love broccoli, hubs loves cauliflower. Since I’m positive this will adapt to cauliflower, too, we’re both going to be happy campers! = )
Alison 09.22.2014
This looks amazing! My favorite broccoli cheddar soup has fine egg noodles in it, so I might have to add them into this. I think I’ll have to try making this for lunch this week!
Jenny 09.22.2014
This looks so amazing. It’s lunch time here in Kentucky and I’m sipping my pathetic V8 juice whilst reading this. Not the best idea I’ve ever had. I’ll be saving this recipe for a later date :)
http://www.mishmoshmakeup.com
Katie M 09.22.2014
You read my mind! I have broccoli cheese soup on the menu this week, but the recipe I’ve used in the past is time consuming. This is the perfect replacement!
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Dena 09.22.2014
My daughter’s favorite meal! I’m sure this will beat her favorite “Rockne’s” brocc/cheddar soup! P.S. My 13yr old self came home from school EVERY.DAY and made a box of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese and watched my VCR-taped Days of Our Lives. #bigbangsclub
Lindsey 09.22.2014
I just made Broccoli cheese soup yesterday too! Not the exact recipe, but very similar! Can’t wait to have leftovers for lunch today! :)
Britt@MyOwnBalance 09.22.2014
This is the perfect recipe for the first day of fall! It looks amazing. I love the story about your 13 year old self. When I was 13 I was making packaged pasta and pasta sauce!
Kelly Mitchem 09.22.2014
broccoli cheddar soup is a class, one of my favorites!