How to make Easy Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Name: Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 70 min
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 2 yellow onions (chopped (about 2 cups)); ¾ teaspoon kosher salt; 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 2 cloves garlic (minced (about 1 ½ teaspoons)); ½ teaspoon fresh thyme (or ¼ teaspoon dried thyme); 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 4 cups vegetable stock; 2 heads broccoli (roughly chopped (about 5 cups)); 1 cup whole milk; 2 cups extra sharp white cheddar cheese (* or your favorite cheddar cheese)

Easy Broccoli Cheddar Soup is the perfect comfort food for a chilly evening! This creamy vegetarian soup involves fresh broccoli and has great flavor. Makes 6 servings.

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Love a comforting soup in the wintertime? You absolutely must make Instant Pot Gumbo, Spicy Tomato Soup or Vegan Potato Leek Soup!

White bowls on pottery plates hold broccoli soup, garnished with extra cheese, on top of gray striped towels and next to a purple Dutch oven

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2021 Update: This post was originally published on December 4, 2013. It was updated with new photos and extra tips and tricks when it was republished in January 2021.

I originally made this soup years ago as we were preparing for a winter storm here in Dallas.

As a native Memphian, I have a deep skepticism for weather reports because oftentimes, we’d be told there was an ice storm coming across Arkansas. Panic would ensue… and then predicted horrible ice storm would pass north or south of the city or simply disappear.

And inevitably, the, leaving us with crushed hopes and an abundance of milk and bread.

I made this recipe just in case the weather got bad. And what do you know? It did, and this creamy broccoli soup was wonderfully comforting as we bundled up together indoors.

Why I love this recipe:

This creamy broccoli soup with cheddar is pretty traditional, in terms of soup, but it’s more heavy on the broccoli than the dairy. And I really like it that way.

This is not a knockoff of Panera’s classic soup because it’s more broccoli-centric. It’s also a bit thicker and looks a lot different.

I, obviously, am OK with this, and my kids also adored this broccoli soup with cheese.

This recipe is also excellent as leftovers, and it freezes well, in case you make a giant batch for yourself (and your people.)

Ingredients for broccoli cheddar soup on a marble countertop in bowls

What you need to make this recipe:

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Let’s talk ingredients!

In addition to the tools above, you’re going to need some ingredients to make this recipe, too! Chances are, you might already have some of them in your fridge or pantry. Scroll down to the recipe card for the full measurements and instructions.

Here’s what you need to grab at the grocery store:

Extra virgin olive oil — or another lightly flavored oil, like avocado oil
Yellow onions — these serve as a flavor base for our soup. White onions also work. I do not recommend using purple onions, as they will change the overall look of the soup with their color.
Kosher salt — medium grain kosher salt is my go-to in all my recipes. (Diamond Crystal is my favorite brand.) You can use a similarly sized sea salt.
Black pepper — freshly cracked is my favorite!
Garlic cloves —
Fresh thyme — my favorite herb! You can use dried thyme in a pinch if you don’t have fresh.
All-purpose flour — I always have unbleached AP flour on hand, but you can use whatever is in your pantry. I have not tried this with a gluten-free flour, though.
Vegetable stock — this is the liquid used in our soup. If you’re not vegetarian, you could swap this with chicken stock or broth.
Broccoli — I used fresh for this recipe, but frozen works, too.
Whole milk — to give us a nice creaminess at the end! You can use a lower fat milk if necessary, though your soup will not be as creamy as the one shown in the photos here.
Extra sharp cheddar cheese — I used white cheddar because that’s what we keep in the house, but you can certainly use the orange cheddar, too. The color of cheddar you use will change the color of the soup, so prepare yourself for that.

A collage of eight images showing how vegetables are sauted and spices are added before the vegetable stock

How to make Creamy Broccoli Soup

Mise en place! Chop all the vegetables, and measure out all the ingredients before you get started on the cooking. This way, you won’t have to leave the stovetop.

Once all your veggies are ready, warm the olive oil in a Dutch oven on the stovetop over medium-high heat.

Cook the chopped onions. Add them to the pot, and season with salt and pepper. Cook until soft, about 5-7 minutes, stirring constantly so that they do not brown.

Add the aromatics. Measure in the garlic and thyme. Cook until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Please do not step away from the stove or the garlic could burn.

Add the flour. Gently stir it into the onion mixture, and cook for 2-3 minutes. We do this because the flour will taste raw if we don’t cook it for a few minutes. It’ll also thicken up and blend better with the veggies if we let it cook for a few, too.

Next, slowly pour in the vegetable stock. Stir constantly as you’re doing this to avoid lumps. You can take some breaks while pouring to scrape the bottom of the Dutch oven to pull up any browned bits left behind from the onion.

Bring to the soup to boil, then reduce the heat to the lowest setting, and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes.

A collage of eight images showing how the Easy Broccoli Cheddar Soup is blended together and made creamy

Add the broccoli and cover the pot. Cook until tender, about 10 minutes, while opening the lid to stir occasionally.

When the broccoli is tender, remove the pot from the heat and puree the soup. You can do this with a hand-held immersion blender or a regular high-speed blender.

Measure in the milk and cheese after the soup is smooth. Stir until incorporated and melted. This might take a few minutes, depending on how hot your mixture still is. We add these ingredients when the pot is off the heat so they don’t curdle.

Serve warm, and enjoy!

Storage and Reheating Instructions:

How to store: Transfer the cooled soup to an airtight container, and store in the fridge for 3-4 days.
How to reheat: Reheat in the microwave or gently on the stovetop over low heat. Be prepared to add a splash of veggie broth to the soup to thin it out when reheating.

A metal ladle holds a scoop of Easy Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you thicken cream of broccoli soup?

We use flour in this creamy broccoli soup to thicken it. I’m sure you could use the same amount of cornstarch to thicken it if you’re gluten free, though I have not tried this.

What goes with broccoli cheddar soup?

Close up of a white bowl holding a serving of Easy Broccoli Cheddar Soup garnished with additional cheese

What to serve with this soup:

I love bread when paired with soup, and this creamy broccoli soup is no different.

If you love classics, try Cheddar and Herb Beer Bread, Homemade French Bread or Sourdough Ciabatta.

Looking for a bite-sized recipe? Bake Hatch Chile Mini Cornbread Muffins or Quick Rosemary Drop Biscuits to pair with this recipe.

Here’s how you can make it at home…

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Servings: servings

Erin Parker, The Speckled Palate

4.67 from 3 votes

Easy Broccoli Cheddar Soup is the perfect comfort food for a chilly evening! This creamy broccoli soup involves fresh broccoli and has great flavor.

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 10

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