February 25, 2023

Broccoli Cheese Soup

This broccoli and cheese soup is easy, flavorful, and perfectly comforting. A silky soup base, tiny pieces of perfectly cooked broccoli, carrots, and a sharp, creamy cheddar cheese topping make this dish awesome.

This is the Best + Awesome broccoli cheese soup recipe which is a cozy staple that’s very *easy to make* in no-time. With the FRESH broccoli and carrots, and the glorious cheddar cheese taste, there is no comparison with any other soups. So much filling that it can be eaten either as an appetizer or as a whole meal. Enjoy the rich and savory taste with an extra rich and cheesy texture.

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Why this Soup is SO Special!!

Perfectly green and full of fresh flavor
Cheeeeeeeeesy!
Incredibly silky, but with a hint of texture from delicate florets.
Best without flour or heavy cream
Ready in 60 minutes! Creamy comfort in a bowl with tender broccoli, cheddar cheese, and so much flavor! oh so yumm!!

This recipe checks all the boxes!

Perhaps the best part of this soup is that it uses our favorite broccoli.

Fresh & Healthy Broccoli Cheese Soup Ingredients

This flavorful soup is made without heavy cream, milk or flour. You’ll just need a few basic ingredients to make it:

Butter contributes to the irresistible flavor and silky texture. Technically, you could replace it with two tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil, but I like butter better here.

Onion and garlic form a savory base layer. Since we’re blending them all up later, we don’t need to chop them finely, just smash the garlic with the side of your chef’s knife, peel off the skin and throw them into the pot. So easy!

Russet potato, peeled and cooked until tender, lends a luxuriously creamy texture once blended. This is a trick to make this soup smooth, silky and thick, as we are not using any kind of flour (it really works!)

Lots of broccoli, of course. The stems contribute body and extra broccoli flavor. We’ll purée half of the broccoli florets and cook the rest in the pot for texture.

Vegetable Broth/Water brings it all together. But I’ve been experimenting with using water instead of vegetable broth in soups, and so far, I’ve been impressed. Be careful with store-bought vegetable broths, they can contribute unwanted color, off-putting flavors and excess salt. If you don’t have the broth in hand use water instead. Water has none of these issues. Plus, it saves you a few bucks.

Sharp cheddar cheese offers maximal cheddar flavor and a creamy texture. You can start with four ounces (half of a block) and add more to suit your preferences. Hand-grated cheese is best, since pre-shredded cheeses are coated in powders that can cause the cheese to glop together once melted.

** This soup is vegetarian and gluten free as written. You can even make it dairy free/vegan with substitutions. See the recipe notes for details.

” This broccoli cheddar soup recipe is so satisfying and creamy, loaded with fresh broccoli, thanks to a potato and cheddar cheese (no cream, no flour!)
Chef Sam❤️

What to Serve with Broccoli Soup

This soup is a light meal on its own or would make a proper meal with a sandwich or crisp salad. Here are a few options that are deliberately not very cheesy, for the sake of balance.

Chickpea Salad
Hummus Quesadillas
Simple Healthy Rainbow Coleslaw

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Rocking Recipes

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1 10

Total Time 1 25

Course Appetizer, Side Dish, Soups

Cuisine American

Servings 6 servings

Calories 2.43 kcal

Ingredients

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium yellow onions coarsely chopped
6 garlic cloves smashed and peeled
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt divided, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 pounds broccoli with stalks 3 large or 4 medium
1 large russet potato , peeled and cut into 1 to 2-inch chunks
6 cups water or vegetable broth
4 to 8 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese depending on your mood
Thinly sliced chives or green onions for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, ¼ teaspoon of the salt, and black pepper.
Stir to combine, then cover the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions have softened and are just starting to turn golden, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, slice off and discard the rough bottom ends of broccoli stalks. Use a vegetable peeler to peel off the tough outer skin on the stalks, then discard those bits. Slice the stalks off and cut them into pieces about 1 to 2-inches big. Set aside.
Working with the broccoli tops now, cut as closely to the base of the florets as you can. Slice any remaining stalks into chunks to match to the rest. Reserve the broccoli florets—we’ll use them in a bit.
Add the chunks of broccoli stalk and potato to the pot and stir. Pour in 6 cups water and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Raise the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cover the pot.
Simmer until the broccoli stalks and potatoes are tender throughout and easily split apart when pierced with a fork, about 20-25 minutes. Meanwhile, chop the reserved florets into small pieces (I chop them all in one direction, then turn the cutting board and chop again).
Once the potato and stalks are tender, add half of the florets to pot, stir, cover, and cook until they’re bright green, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat.
Carefully transfer the soup mixture—both the liquid and solids—to your stand blender. DO NOT fill your blender past the maximum fill line or it could explode!
Blend until completely smooth, then transfer the mixture to a heat-proof vessel temporarily as you blend the rest. (WORK IN COUPLE OF BATCHES)
Return the purée to the pot to medium heat and add the remaining florets. Cover the pot and cook until they’re tender and soft and easily pierced through by a fork, another 4 to 7 minutes.
Now add almost all 4 ounces of the grated cheddar cheese (reserve a small handful for garnish) and stir until smooth.
Adjust the seasoning and amount of cheese according to your taste.
Divide the soup into bowls and top with a sprinkle of cheese, plus some thinly sliced chives or parsley and red pepper flakes, if desired.

Please Note: Leftover soup keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 4 days (though the color darkens a bit with time.)

Notes

Make it DAIRY FREE/VEGAN: Replace the butter with 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil. When blending the soup, add ½ cup raw cashews (soaked for 4 hours if not using a high-powered blender, such as a Vitamix, then rinsed and drained), 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar, and a scant ¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard. Omit the cheese.

Does this work with frozen broccoli? Yes, but I will not recommend it. Use the fresh green broccoli instead of frozen.

Can you freeze this soup? Yes, the soup can be frozen and reheated in both the microwave and on the stovetop. Both reheating methods work well! Just give the soup a good stir before serving.

Keyword broccoli cheddar, broccoli cheddar soup, broccoli cheese soup, soup,

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NUTRITION INFORMATION

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. Please contact your dietician or nutritionist for further help.