Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Ingredients

• 5 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 large onion, finely chopped (~1.5 cups)
• 2 medium carrots, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 5 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2.5 cups half-and-half
• 1 tsp kosher salt to start
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 5 cups chopped broccoli florets
• 10 oz sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated

Start the Soup Base

Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat.

Add the chopped onion and carrots and cook them for ~5-8 minutes, until they start to soften up.

Stir in the minced garlic and cook for another minute until you can smell it.

Thicken the Soup

Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir it around for about a minute. This step cooks out the raw flour taste.

Slowly whisk in the chicken broth, making sure there are no lumps. Then, stir in the half-and-half, kosher salt, and black pepper. Bring it all to a gentle simmer.

Add Broccoli and Cheese

Add the chopped broccoli florets to the pot. Turn the heat down to low and let the soup cook for ~10-15 minutes, stirring it often so it doesn’t stick. The broccoli is done when it’s tender.

Turn off the heat completely. Stir in the freshly grated cheddar cheese until it’s all melted and the soup is smooth. Give it a taste and add more salt or pepper if it needs it.

Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Don’t use pre-shredded cheese; the anti-caking agents will make your soup grainy. Grating it yourself from a block is the only way to get a smooth texture. Also, kill the heat before you stir in the cheese to keep it from getting greasy.

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 5 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 large onion ~1.5 cups, finely chopped
• 2 medium carrots chopped
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 5 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2.5 cups half-and-half
• 1 tsp kosher salt to start
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 5 cups chopped broccoli florets
• 10 oz sharp cheddar cheese freshly grated

Instructions

• Melt butter in large Dutch oven over medium heat.
• Cook onion and carrots 5-8 minutes until softened.
• Add garlic, cook 1 minute until fragrant.
• Sprinkle flour over vegetables, stir 1 minute.
• Gradually whisk in chicken broth until smooth, then stir in half-and-half, salt, and pepper.
• Bring to gentle simmer.
• Add broccoli, reduce heat to low, cook 10-15 minutes until tender, stirring frequently.
• Remove from heat, stir in cheddar until melted and smooth.
• Season to taste with additional salt and pepper.

Notes

Use freshly grated cheese for best melting. Avoid boiling after adding dairy.