Cream of Broccoli Soup with Cheddar
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Rich but not heavy, this cheesy cream of broccoli soup will get you through the fall and winter.
This cream of broccoli soup boasts a lovely green color and fresh broccoli flavor. This sets it apart from my popular broccoli cheddar soup, which is more about the cheese than the broccoli. While the soup is rich, it’s not heavy. That said, feel free to replace the heavy cream with half-and-half or cut back on the cheese if you’d like to make it lighter. Enjoy the soup with crusty bread as an appetizer or light meal, or pair it with a sandwich or salad for lunch or dinner. The recipe is modestly adapted from Cook’s Country.
Table of Contents
“The best version of cream of broccoli soup I’ve ever made – delicious!!!”
What You’ll Need To Make Cream of Broccoli Soup with Cheddar
Step-by-Step Instructions
Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, and add the onion and garlic. (Note that the garlic need only be smashed and peeled, rather than minced, as leaving it in large pieces prevents it from burning, and it all gets puréed in the end anyway.)
Cook until soft, 4 to 5 minutes; do not brown.
Add the broccoli stems, broth, water, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil and cook over medium-high heat until the stems are partially cooked, about 10 minutes.
Stir in florets, cream, and nutmeg.
Continue cooking until the florets are tender, about 5 minutes.
Using a hand-held immersion blender, purée the soup until completely smooth. (Alternatively, cool the soup slightly and use a blender to purée in batches. Be sure to remove the center knob on the blender and cover with a dishtowel to avoid splatters.) Add 1-1/2 cups of the cheese.
Stir until melted. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. (The soup can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Reheat gently over medium heat until hot.)
How To Freeze Cream of Broccoli Soup with Cheddar
Although soups made with dairy products are more likely to have flavor and texture changes when frozen, this cream of broccoli soup freezes well. For best results, allow the soup to cool completely, then pour into plastic containers, leaving an inch or two of space at the top to give the soup room to expand as it freezes. Seal the containers and freeze for up to 2 months. When ready to serve, thaw the soup overnight in the refrigerator and reheat in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until warmed through.
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Cream of Broccoli Soup with Cheddar
Rich but not heavy, this cheesy cream of broccoli soup will get you through the fall and winter.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled (see note)
- 1¾ pounds broccoli, stems cut into ½-inch pieces/florets cut into 1-inch pieces, separated
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 cups shredded good-quality medium or sharp Cheddar cheese, such as Cabot (from one 8-oz block)
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft, 4 to 5 minutes; do not brown. Add the broccoli stems, broth, water, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil and cook over medium-high heat until the stems are partially cooked, about 10 minutes. Stir in the broccoli florets, cream, and nutmeg, and continue cooking until the florets are tender, about 5 minutes.
- Using a hand-held immersion blender, purée the soup until completely smooth. (Alternatively, cool the soup slightly and use a blender to purée in batches. Be sure to remove the center knob on the blender and cover with a dishtowel to avoid splatters.) Add 1½ cups of the cheese and stir until melted. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
- Note: The garlic need only be smashed and peeled, rather than minced, as leaving it in large pieces prevents it from burning, and it all gets puréed in the end anyway. To smash and peel a clove of garlic, place the unpeeled clove on a cutting board. Take a chef's knife and place the blade flat on the clove (sharp side facing away from you). Use the heel of your hand to press the blade down on the clove. The garlic should be smashed and the peel should slip right off. It is not necessary to chop the garlic further.
- Make-Ahead Instructions: The soup can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 3 days. Reheat gently over medium heat until hot.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: Although soups made with dairy products are more likely to have flavor and texture changes when frozen, this soup freezes well. For best results, allow the soup to cool completely, then pour into plastic containers, leaving an inch or two of space at the top to give the soup room to expand as it freezes. Seal the containers and freeze for up to 2 months. When ready to serve, thaw the soup overnight in the refrigerator and reheat in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until warmed through.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 456
- Fat: 36 g
- Saturated fat: 21 g
- Carbohydrates: 19 g
- Sugar: 7 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Sodium: 921 mg
- Cholesterol: 113 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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I had a lot of broccoli that I wanted to use, the weather was cold, so I made this soup yesterday, followed your directions exactly, and my husband and I LOVED it! I especially appreciate that I can use the whole broccoli, including the stems. We’re having leftovers for dinner tonight! Yummy!
Dear Jen,
We love ALL your recipes- so many favourites to list (the blueberry muffin is on repeat every few days ❤️).
I have made this recipe without the heavy cream rather using potatoes in place of the cream. It turned out amazing.
I love this soup. I chose it because it uses cream and I did not have milk or half and half. I’m cooking for nutrition, so I used about 6 cups of chicken bone broth rather than 4 cups broth plus a cup of water. I like that you use all the broccoli instead of only the florets. I did not add cheddar to my first cup of soup. It was very subtle but terrific. I added some cheddar to my 2nd cup. Fabulous. Then added cheddar to the third. Mmmm good. Thank you.
This was so good. I modified slightly- I held back a cup of bite size florets and added them along with some julienned carrots after I blended the soup to give it more texture and continued to simmer until the carrots were done.
Another delicious recipe! I omitted the cup of water and used Coastal Sharp Cheddar from Costco and got rave reviews. I will definitely be making this again.
Great recipe. My husband and I loved it. Your recipes are always good. Regards from Copenhagen
Sooooo good! I made this soup for my husband and he loved it!! I typically try to stay away from cream based soups (counting calories) but I tasted it and it left me wanting a full bowl….or two 🙂 So happy to know it freezes well as I now have some frozen for a few cool Autumn nights! Thank you Jenn, your recipes never disappoint!
This soup is absolutely delicious. Made as instructed.
Let me just preface by saying that I have both of Jenn’s cookbooks, I use them all the time and give them as gifts to the cooks I know. I love how simple and delicious her recipes are to follow and to serve, they are used on a weekly basis in our home. That being said, this is probably the only recipe that I will not make again. 🙁 I love to cook different soups in the winter and so made this on a cold rainy day, followed it just as written, but not matter it just came away lacking a depth of flavor for us. I ended up adding more seasonings and cheese along the way, but unfortunately it just failed to satisfy my hungry group.
I used 1/2 1/2 ; added chopped celery and leaves and a couple teaspoons of Dijon mustard. I just needed a little more umph to the overall flavor. Still loved it.