Broccoli cheddar soup is one of my favorite soups of all time. I have fond memories of spooning it out of a Panera bread bowl—I’m betting many of you do, too. The unfortunate thing about living abroad is that these memories have to remain just as they are, and when I’m craving a bowl of broccoli cheddar soup, I have to make it myself.
When you break it down, broccoli cheddar soup is very simple. However, there are a surprising number of recipes out there leaning on more complicated methods and ingredients. Some call for blanching the broccoli first, others add cream to thicken it, and many blend the soup into a smooth and velvety oblivion.
When I was developing this recipe, I had my favorite version of broccoli cheddar soup (still looking at you, Panera!) in mind. I wanted to keep it easy, with just a handful of ingredients that still pull out maximum flavor and a really nice texture. This one-pot recipe checks all of the boxes.
Simply Recipes / Photo by Rachel Vanni / Food Styling by Tiffany Schleigh
Tips and Tricks
Making this soup at home is easy, but here are some tips and tricks to keep in mind to make it even better.
- Use freshly grated cheddar cheese: Pre-shredded cheese is often coated in anti-caking additives that prevent the pieces from sticking to each other in the bag, but this can cause clumping and separation in your soup. Buy a block of cheddar and grate it coarsely on a box grater or with a food processor.
- Use starchy potatoes: This soup is creamy but has no cream, and that’s thanks in part to russet potatoes, which have lots of starch. Once blended, they give the soup body and depth more satisfying than a splash of cream. Plus, more veggies are never a bad thing!
- Avoid splitting the soup: Once you add the cheese, it’s important not to bring the soup back up to a boil. This could cause the fat in the cheese to split or separate, which looks rather unappetizing but is otherwise harmless. This is especially important when reheating leftovers.
No Blender? No Problem!
This soup calls for an immersion or standard blender to smooth it out and create a creamy dimension before adding in finely chopped broccoli florets for texture. If you don’t have a blender, don’t worry! You can also keep things more rustic and use a potato masher or even the back of a wooden spoon to mash the vegetables as much as you can in step 3. The result will still be incredibly delicious, just a bit chunkier.
Simply Recipes / Photo by Rachel Vanni / Food Styling by Tiffany Schleigh
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1 large head broccoli (1/2 pound)
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4 tablespoons unsalted butter
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1 medium white or yellow onion, roughly chopped (about 1 cup)
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1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
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1 small to medium russet potato, peeled and roughly chopped (9 ounces or about 1 1/2 cups)
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2 cups vegetable broth
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2 cups whole milk
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2 cups freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese (8 ounces)
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1/2 teaspoon freshly ground ground black pepper, plus more to taste
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Bread or toast for dipping, optional
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Prep the broccoli:
Slice the florets off of the stem, getting as close to the base of each floret as possible. Set the florets aside, then trim off the base of the stem and discard. If the stem is really woody and the skin is thick, you might want to peel it and slice away more of the base. Slice the stem in half lengthwise, then roughly chop the pieces and remove from the cutting board.
Add the florets to the cutting board and finely dice them.
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Cook the vegetables:
Add the butter to a large pot over medium heat. Once melted, add the onions and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the potatoes, chopped broccoli stems, and about two-thirds of the finely chopped broccoli florets. Cook until the broccoli is mostly tender, about 5 minutes.
Add the vegetable broth and milk and bring everything to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to medium and cook until the broccoli stems and potatoes are very fork tender, 5 to 7 minutes.
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Blend:
Blend the soup with an immersion blender or carefully transfer to a standard blender (you may have to do so in two batches) and blend until very smooth. If using a standard blender, leave the lid cracked open and cover it loosely with a kitchen towel to let steam escape during blending.
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Add cheese and serve:
Once the soup is blended and smooth, add it and the remaining broccoli florets back to the pot and set over medium-high heat. Cook until it just starts to bubble, then remove from the heat. Let sit for a few minutes to cool slightly, then stir in most of the shredded cheddar cheese (I like to keep back a few tablespoons for topping the soup) and the black pepper. Stir well to combine and melt the cheese
Once the cheese is completely melted through the soup, taste and season with more salt and pepper as desired. Serve immediately topped with a little more shredded cheddar (if desired) and bread or toast for dipping.
Keep any leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days. To reheat, warm a bowl covered in the microwave or add it to a pot over low heat on the stove until hot all the way through. Don’t let the soup come up to a full boil when reheating, otherwise it may split.
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| Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 348 | Calories |
| 23g | Fat |
| 21g | Carbs |
| 15g | Protein |
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| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 4 to 6 |
|
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 348 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| 23g | 30% |
| Saturated Fat 14g | 68% |
| 66mg | 22% |
| 734mg | 32% |
| 21g | 8% |
| Dietary Fiber 3g | 10% |
| Total Sugars 7g | |
| 15g | |
| Vitamin C 30mg | 152% |
| Calcium 397mg | 31% |
| Iron 1mg | 5% |
| Potassium 562mg | 12% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.
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