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Welcome to the oh-so-yummy world of broccoli cheese soup! THE BEST soup recipe I know you’ll want to make again and again. It’s a comforting bowl of goodness with a super-smooth and creamy texture. Ideal for lunch or dinner served with warm crusty sourdough.
Page Contents
Ingredients You’ll Need
You can whip up the best Broccoli Cheese Soup recipe with just 30 minutes and 8 (+ salt and pepper) simple ingredients. All of these are readily available from your local grocery store. In my book, this is a great recipe for busy weeknights, especially after a long chilly day. It’s the perfect comfort food.
- Broccoli
- Sharp Cheddar Cheese
- Parmesan Cheese
- Chicken Stock
- Cream
- Brown Onion
- Garlic
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Salt & Pepper
How to Make This Easy Broccoli Cheese Soup ~ Step-By-Step
- Fry
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions to the pan and fry until they soften and turn translucent – about 6 minutes.
- Add Garlic
Now add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
- Bring to A Boil
Add the broccoli, chicken stock, salt, and pepper, and bring to a boil.
- Simmer
Then, turn the heat down and gently simmer for 15 minutes or until the broccoli is tender.
- Blend
Remove the pan from the heat, and blend the soup with an immersion blender until it’s smooth.
- Melt Cheese
Put the pan back on the heat, and add the cheddar, parmesan, and heavy cream, holding back a little cream to drizzle on the top of the soup if desired. Stir until the cheese has melted and the soup is piping hot – about 2-3 minutes. And there’s your cheesy broccoli soup!
- To Serve
Ladle the soup into bowls, and drizzle with cream. Delicious and served with a hunk of brown seeded crusty bread.
Full recipe and ingredients list in the recipe card below.
Why You’ll Love This Broccoli Cheese Soup
It’s Creamy and Comforting
This broccoli soup is uber-creamy and super comforting. The best way to enjoy a big bowlful is curled up on the sofa on a cold winter day. And, thanks to the abundance of broccoli, it’s packed with nutrients and antioxidants, so you can feel good about eating it.
It has a Kick Of Peppery Heat
This soup has a bit of a kick, thanks to the addition of black pepper. You can always leave it out or reduce the amount if you’re not a pepper fan. But it really adds to the flavor of the soup.
It’s Easy to Make
This soup is super easy to make. You don’t need any fancy ingredients or cooking skills to make it.
Recipe Variations
- Chunky Broccoli Soup: If you’d prefer small pieces of broccoli in your soup, follow the recipe up to point two of the recipe card. Then, remove half of the broccoli florets with a slotted spoon and set aside. Don’t remove all the broccoli, as some will be needed to thicken the soup. Blend the remaining broccoli as per point three. Then, put the broccoli florets back into the soup and continue with point four.
- Cauliflower Cheese Soup: You can use cauliflower instead of broccoli to make this recipe a cauliflower cheese soup.
- Cheese: One way to change up this recipe is to use different types of cheese. Instead of cheddar cheese and Parmesan, try mixing cheddar and Gruyere or cheddar and mozzarella for more subtle cheesy flavors.
- Add Some Spice: If you like your soup with a little kick, try adding a little bit of spice to the recipe. You could add a pinch of cayenne pepper or some chopped jalapeños. If you really want to turn up the heat, try adding some hot sauce to the soup.
- Toppings: Is it me, or are toppings one of the best things about soup? I love to make my own wholemeal croutons and add a drizzle of cream. But extra shredded cheese, crumbled bacon, chopped green onions, or pumpkin seeds are all delicious options. And what about a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt? Yum!
Tips For Making This Easy Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe
1Use a Good Quality Cheese
If you want an extra cheesy soup with bucketloads of cheesy flavor, use a good quality extra sharp cheddar cheese. I like to use a combination of my favorite extra-sharp cheddar + parmesan for more intense cheesiness. Ultimately, just make sure it’s a cheese you usually enjoy eating because it will taste better in the soup.
2Use Fresh Broccoli
If you can, use fresh broccoli in this soup. It will make a big difference in the flavor. If you can’t find fresh broccoli, you can use frozen broccoli, but it doesn’t taste quite as good.
3Use Chicken or Vegetable Stock or Broth
To make this soup, you can use either chicken or vegetable broth. I prefer chicken broth because of its depth of flavor to the soup, but either is fine.
4Season the Soup to Taste
Before you serve this soup, be sure to check the seasoning. As cheese can be pretty salty, I have only incorporated a small dash of salt in the recipe instructions. However, if your cheese is not that salty, you may need to add more.
More Soup Recipes
If you like the look of this Easy Broccoli Cheese Soup recipe, check out more of my DELICIOUS soups.
How to Make This Easy Broccoli Cheese Soup ~ Full Recipe
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Easy Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 5
Description
Welcome to the oh-so-yummy world of broccoli cheese soup! THE BEST soup recipe I know you’ll want to make again and again. It’s a comforting bowl of goodness with a super-smooth and creamy texture. Ideal for lunch or dinner served with warm crusty sourdough.
Ingredients
1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, small dice
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
6 cups (500 g) chopped broccoli, including stalk
4 cups (950 ml) chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
1/2 tsp sea salt flakes
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper*
1/3 cup (40 g) grated sharp (mature) cheddar cheese (avoid pre-shredded cheese)*
1/4 cup (25 g) grated parmesan cheese (avoid pre-shredded cheese)*
1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream (double cream)
Instructions
- Fry: Heat the olive oil in a large casserole pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion to the pan and fry until they soften and turn translucent – about 6 minutes.
- Simmer: Add the broccoli, chicken stock, salt, and pepper, and bring to a boil. Then, turn the heat down and gently simmer for 15 minutes or until the broccoli is tender. Remove the pan from the heat, and blend the soup with an immersion blender until it’s smooth.
- Blend: Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until it has a smooth consistency.
- Heat: Put the pan back on the heat, and add the cheddar, parmesan, and heavy cream, holding back a little cream to drizzle on the top of the soup if desired. Stir until the cheese has melted and the soup is piping hot – about 2-3 minutes.
- To Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls, and drizzle with cream.
Notes
*Avoid Pre-Shredded Cheese: Pre-shredded or pre-grated cheese often contains anti-caking agents that affect how the cheese melts, and how it tastes. For best results, shred (grate) the cheese yourself at home.
Pepper: This soup is purposely peppery. If you’d like less pepper in your soup, reduce the amount to 1/2 a teaspoon.
Leftover Soup: Broccoli Cheese Soup will last in the refrigerator for up to 3 days when stored in an airtight container.
Food Safety: Once cooked, refrigerate within 2 hours of being left at room temperature to avoid bacteria growth.
Reheating Instructions: Pour the soup into a microwave-safe dish and cover it loosely with a microwave-safe lid. Heat on high for 3-5 minutes, stirring once halfway through. Serve piping hot. Please note: all microwaves may vary. Alternatively, pour the soup into a saucepan and heat gently until hot, stirring occasionally.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Hob
- Cuisine: British
Keywords: homemade broccoli cheddar soup recipe, broccoli soup recipe, delicious soup, creamy soup, easy soup recipes, easy recipe, ultimate comfort food, hearty soup, keto broccoli cheese soup, delicious broccoli cheddar soup
Easy Broccoli Soup ~ FAQs
Yes! Let the soup cool down slightly (about 5-10 minutes) before you blend it in the food processor to avoid any messy accidents.
Thinking of making Easy Broccoli Cheese Soup? I’d love to know how it turns out. Leave a star rating and get in touch via the comments section!
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