Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup

A bowl of Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup is peak comfort food vibes. With an extra cheesy sharp cheddar flavor, tender broccoli, and a rich base made with evaporated milk, this soup will hit the spot on a chilly evening. The soup starts with a mirepoix of celery, carrots, and onions and builds more flavor with minced garlic. The broccoli is cooked along with the other vegetables before you stir in a smooth cheese sauce to finish the soup. It's a classic soup that you'll come back to over and over again, perfect for weeknight dinners.

This easy broccoli cheddar soup is a kid approved favorite! If you're looking for a few more family meal ideas try these cheeseburger subs, salsa chicken, or a basil stir fry next!

Ingredients

I include ingredient notes here when I think they'll be helpful, including ways to source, any preparation tips, or why I've chosen a particular ingredient. Be sure to check out the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and their quantities!

• Broccoli - Use a fresh head of broccoli or frozen broccoli for this recipe. If you choose frozen broccoli, thaw it in the microwave and drain it of excess water before chopping it.
• Celery, Onion, and Carrots (Mirepoix) - A mirepoix is a common base for many recipes and includes onions, carrots, and celery. Dice these vegetables evenly into ¼-inch pieces.
• Sharp Cheddar - Sharp cheddar delivers the classic flavor profile you want  in this broccoli cheddar soup. Because it is aged longer than a mild cheddar, it has a bolder, richer cheddar flavor. Choose sharp cheddar if you can find it or swap it for a medium cheddar. 
• Salted Butter - The recipe was tested using salted butter. If you only have unsalted butter, use it! You can adjust the seasoning in the soup right before serving.
• Chicken Stock or Broth - I use chicken stock for the soup because it's what we commonly have on hand. To make this soup vegetarian, you can swap it for vegetable stock or even water.
• All Purpose Flour - All purpose flour is used in making the roux, which helps thicken the cheese sauce and keep it silky smooth.
• Evaporated Milk - Evaporated milk is cow's milk that has a reduced water content. It is shelf stable and makes a great swap for heavy cream in soup and sauce recipes.

Cook the Vegetables

Dice the carrots, celery, and onions (also known as the mirepoix) into a ¼-inch dice.

Shred the sharp cheddar on the large holes of a box grater. Finely chop the broccoli. Peel, trim, and finally mince the garlic.

Heat a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Melt one tablespoon of butter in the bottom of the pot.

Add the mirepoix, salt, pepper, and garlic to the butter. Sauté this mixture for about 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes, the veggies will be softened but not browned.

Add the broth or water and deglaze the pot by scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon. Reduce the heat to medium and place a lid on the pot. Allow this to simmer for 3 minutes.

Add the broccoli to the pot, give things a stir, and replace the lid. Allow the broccoli to cook for about 7 minutes.

Prepare the Cheese Sauce

While the vegetables cook, start the cheese sauce. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt two tablespoons of butter.

Add the flour to the melted butter and stir it in.

Cook this flour and butter mixture, also known as a roux, for one minute. It should be smooth and glossy and a pale golden blonde color.

Slowly stream in the evaporated milk while constantly stirring the mixture. Use a whisk if you are afraid of getting lumps in your sauce.

Cook the sauce until you see bubbles forming in the center. The mixture should be thick enough to hold a line if you swipe your finger across the back of the spoon.

Remove the pot from the heat and add the cheese one handful at a time. Stir each handful in before adding more cheese.

Once all of the cheese has been added, your sauce should be thick and smooth.

Finish the Soup

After the broccoli is cooked, it will be tender and a vibrant green.

Turn the heat off of the soup pot and add the cheese sauce to the pot.

Stir the soup well until the vegetables and cheese sauce have been well mixed. Taste the soup and adjust seasoning as needed before serving.

Mornay Sauce Technique

Making the creamy cheese sauce is actually practice in making a mornay sauce from béchamel. A béchamel is one of the "mother" sauces in French cuisine. These sauces, including a hollandaise and a béchamel (like in this sun dried tomato sauce) are the basics used to make all kinds of daughter sauces (like mornay sauce, marinara, and gravies). A mornay sauce is a béchamel with cheese!

Many mother sauces, like the béchamel, start with a roux: a combination of fats and flour cooked to varying degrees. The fat is melted and then flour is added and cooked until the desired shade of blonde, tan, or brown. This cooks out the raw flour flavor and can add deep, caramelized notes. Milk or other liquids are added in a slow steam, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Once all of the milk is incorporated, the sauce has to come to a boil to thicken completely.

Substitutions and Variations

The substitutions listed below have been tested in this recipe and work well. If you successfully make any other ingredient substitutions, let us know in the comments!

• Add Potatoes -To add another hearty element to this soup, dice up russet potatoes to yield about 12 ounces of ½-inch cubes. Add them to the soup along with an extra cup of stock or water after sauteeing the mirepoix. Cook the potatoes and vegetables for 8 minutes in the stock before adding the broccoli and proceed with the rest of the recipe as written. A broccoli cheddar potato soup will make an additional two servings.
• Blend the Soup - If you want a smoother soup, blend a portion of it using an immersion blender. You can also transfer a few ladles full of soup to a standard blender. 
• Use a Supermarket Shortcut - If your market sells pre-chopped mirepoix mix in the produce section, use it for a prep shortcut! Add about 2 cups of the mix to your pot to start the soup.

Equipment

Here are the basic kitchen tools we use to make this creamy soup with minimal fuss:

• Chef's Knife - An 8- or 10-inch chef's knife is an essential tool in any kitchen.  I use it for chopping the carrots, celery, and onion, of course, but also for crushing garlic cloves on the broad side of the blade, preparing fruit, finely chopping herbs, and more.
• Box Grater - If you have a food processor with a shredding blade, you can absolutely pull it out for grating the sharp cheddar. For this amount of cheese I'm much more likely to apply some elbow grease and use a box grater. A box grater is also a great tool to have for shredding carrots, zucchini, or onions for both sweet and savory recipes.
• Dutch Oven - An enameled cast iron Dutch oven is a great pot to have in your kitchen for all sorts of recipes. It's perfect for this soup, the heavy lid traps the steam and cooks the vegetables quickly. With a large capacity, you can use a Dutch oven for deep frying, stews, braises, and soups.

Serving Suggestions

Serve this creamy broccoli cheddar soup with a green salad or bread for a simple meal. Pair it with a turkey sandwich for a more substantial meal or stretch the recipe to feed 6 or 8 by serving all three together. A simple salad, cup of soup, and half a sandwich is a great weeknight dinner! My kids always insist on some crusty bread f dipping into their soup.

Make This Recipe Kid Friendly

Creamy broccoli cheddar soup is in constant rotation during the cooler months because my kids actually request it! With plenty of cheese and tender vegetables, it's got a lot going for it to make it a kid-friendly choice. If your kids aren't a fan of the vegetable texture, try blending the soup completely into a smooth puree. They may enjoy the flavors without the visible pieces of carrots or broccoli.

Storage

Store any leftover soup in single-serve airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to three days. This soup reheats well in the microwave and makes a great lunch for work. This soup also freezes well. Thaw it completely in the refrigerator overnight before reheating it.

Make-Ahead Options

You can do a lot of the prep work for this creamy broccoli cheddar soup ahead of time and save yourself at dinner. Chop the carrots, celery, and onion, mince the garlic, and chop the broccoli. Store these in zip bags or airtight glass containers in the refrigerator. You can also shred your sharp cheddar and store it in a zip bag in the refrigerator. When it's time to cook, you've saved yourself all the chopping time and can get dinner on the table that much faster!

FAQ

More Broccoli Recipes

Broccoli is a vegetable our whole family can agree on, so we have lots of ways to enjoy it. Check out any of the tasty recipes below:

Cozy and Warming Recipes

A bowl of creamy broccoli cheddar soup is perfect in winter when you need to warm up from the inside. Here are plenty of other warming winter recipes to try:

Try It and Share

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