Broccoli Cheddar Soup Recipe: Thick, Cheesy, Made From Scratch
To make broccoli cheddar soup, sauté aromatics in butter, whisk in flour and broth, add broccoli and cream, then melt in freshly shredded sharp cheddar. The whole process takes about 45 minutes and yields a thick, velvety soup.
I ordered broccoli cheddar soup at a chain restaurant on a bad Tuesday and finished it and then sat there trying to figure out what I had just eaten. It was yellow. It was creamy. It was vaguely cheesy. The broccoli was technically present. But it did not really taste like broccoli or like cheddar — it tasted like warm, thick salt cream that had heard a rumor about vegetables.
I ordered it a second time a few weeks later to make sure I wasn't being unfair. Same experience. Warm beige with florets.
Made it from scratch at home after that, mostly out of spite. The difference was significant enough to be slightly embarrassing in retrospect — not because the restaurant version was bad exactly, but because a soup that took me 45 minutes on a weeknight was sharper, thicker, and tasted more like its actual ingredients than the version I'd been paying $8 for on bad days.
The key things: freshly shredded cheddar melts into the soup cleanly, pre-shredded has starches that make it seize up and go grainy. The broccoli should be added in two stages — some early to cook into the base, some late to keep a little texture. And there's more black pepper in there than feels right, which ends up being exactly right.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 4 cups fresh broccoli florets, chopped into small pieces (about 1 large head)
- 1 large carrot, shredded or finely diced
- 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded from the block
- 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
Instructions
- 1Melt the butter in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
- 2Sprinkle the flour over the onion and garlic. Stir constantly for 1 to 2 minutes until the flour smells slightly nutty and there are no raw white streaks visible. This is your roux —? don't rush it.
- 3Slowly pour in the chicken broth, about 1/2 cup at a time, whisking constantly after each addition to keep the mixture smooth. Once all the broth is incorporated, whisk in the milk and heavy cream.
- 4Add the broccoli florets, shredded carrot, dry mustard, smoked paprika, black pepper, salt, and cayenne if using. Stir to combine.
- 5Bring the soup to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Cook uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the broccoli is completely tender and the soup has thickened slightly.
- 6Reduce heat to low. If you prefer a smoother soup, use an immersion blender to blend part or all of the soup. For classic texture, leave most of the broccoli pieces intact and just blend briefly to thicken the base.
- 7Add the shredded cheddar a small handful at a time, stirring after each addition until fully melted before adding the next handful. Never add all the cheese at once —? it will seize and clump. Patience here.
- 8Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Serve immediately in bowls, topped with extra shredded cheddar, cracked black pepper, or croutons.
Pro Tips
- Shred your own cheese from a block every single time. The cellulose coating on pre-shredded cheese prevents clean melting and will give your soup a grainy texture that no amount of stirring can fix.
- Add the cheese over low heat, never while the soup is boiling. High heat breaks the cheese proteins and makes it greasy. Low and slow is how you get that smooth, glossy finish.
- If your soup is thicker than you want, add a splash of broth and stir. If it's thinner than you want —? and this is a problem I have never personally had —? simmer it uncovered for a few more minutes. The soup will tell you what it needs, and unlike most things in my life, it is honest about it.
Substitutions
Storage Instructions
Store leftover broccoli cheddar soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop over low-medium heat, stirring frequently. Add a splash of broth or milk if the soup has thickened too much in the fridge. Do not boil when reheating —? the cheese will break. Freezing is not recommended as the cream and cheese base tends to separate when thawed.
Make Ahead
You can make the soup base (everything up to adding the cheese) up to 2 days in advance and refrigerate it. When ready to serve, reheat the base gently until warm, then add the freshly shredded cheese over low heat and finish as directed. The cheese melts best when added fresh.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my broccoli cheddar soup grainy or gritty?
Grainy texture almost always comes from one of two things: pre-shredded cheese or adding cheese over too-high heat. Pre-shredded cheese has a starch coating that prevents smooth melting. Block cheese shredded fresh melts cleanly. Always add cheese over low heat after you've pulled the soup back from a simmer. Once you see graininess, lowering the heat and stirring steadily can sometimes smooth it back out.
Can I use frozen broccoli instead of fresh?
Yes, frozen broccoli works fine here. Thaw it first and pat it as dry as you can —? frozen broccoli holds a lot of water, and dumping it in wet will thin your soup more than you want. Chop it smaller than you would fresh florets since it softens faster. The flavor is slightly less bright than fresh but entirely decent, especially on a weeknight when decent is exactly what you need.
How do I make broccoli cheddar soup thicker?
The soup thickens naturally as it simmers. For more body, let it cook uncovered an extra 5 to 10 minutes. You can also partially blend it —? a 30-second pass with an immersion blender breaks down enough broccoli to make the base noticeably thicker without losing all the texture. Another option: stir in a tablespoon of cream cheese at the end. It melts in quietly and adds creaminess and body at the same time.
Can I make broccoli cheddar soup in a slow cooker?
You can, with a caveat. Sauté your onion, garlic, and flour on the stovetop first to build the roux properly —? don't skip this step. Then add everything except the cheese and dairy to the slow cooker and cook on low 4 to 5 hours or high 2 to 3 hours. In the last 20 minutes, stir in the milk, cream, and cheese over the low setting. Adding dairy too early in a slow cooker can cause it to break.
How long does broccoli cheddar soup last in the fridge?
Stored in an airtight container, it keeps well for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. The soup will thicken considerably as it sits —? this is normal. Reheat it slowly on the stovetop with a splash of broth or milk stirred in to loosen it back up. Do not microwave on high or the texture will suffer. Low and slow on the stove takes an extra four minutes and tastes ten times better.
Can I make this broccoli soup without cream?
Yes. You can replace the heavy cream with additional whole milk, or use half-and-half as a middle-ground option. The soup will be lighter in body and richness but still very good. For a fully dairy-free version, use unsweetened full-fat oat milk or coconut milk in place of both the milk and cream, and use a plant-based cheddar-style cheese. Coconut milk adds a very faint sweetness that pairs surprisingly well with the sharp cheese flavor.
What should I serve with broccoli cheddar soup?
Crusty bread is the classic move —? sourdough, French bread, or a sturdy dinner roll that can hold up to dunking. Hollow out a round sourdough boule for a bread bowl if you want to make it an occasion. A simple green salad with a sharp vinaigrette cuts through the richness well. Grilled cheese on the side is not subtle, but it is correct. You can also serve it as a starter before a simple roasted chicken dinner.
Can I add other vegetables to this soup?
Absolutely. Diced celery added with the onion builds a good savory base. Cauliflower florets work beautifully alongside the broccoli and don't compete with the flavor. Some people add diced potato, which thickens the soup further as it breaks down —? use about one medium russet, peeled and diced small, added at the same time as the broccoli. Spinach stirred in at the very end wilts quickly and adds color without affecting the taste much.