Welcome to the oh-so-yummy world of Easy Broccoli Cheese Soup! It’s the BEST soup recipe, and I know you’re going to want to make it 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.
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Light Cheesy Broccoli Soup
In just 30 minutes and with only 8 simple ingredients (plus salt and pepper), you can have a comforting bowl of Broccoli Cheese Soup ready to devour. This recipe is perfect for busy weeknights, particularly when you’re looking for a satisfying meal after a long, chilly day. The best part is that all the ingredients can be easily found at your local grocery store.
If you’re looking for more delicious recipe ideas, I’ve got plenty more soups for you to choose from. How about a creamy Vegan Cauliflower Soup, Curried Chickpea and Roasted Pumpkin Soup, or a satisfying spiced Roasted Butternut and Carrot Soup?
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 Ingredients
- Broccoli
- Sharp Cheddar Cheese
- Parmesan Cheese
- Chicken Stock
- Cream
- Brown Onion
- Garlic
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper
How to Make 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.
Find the recipe card with exact ingredients and full recipe instructions at the bottom of this page. ⇩
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!
Recipe Tips
- Use 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.
- Use 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.
- Use chicken stock or vegetable stock or broth: To make this soup you can use either chicken or vegetable broth.
- Season 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Let the soup cool down slightly (about 5-10 minutes) before you blend it in the food processor to avoid any messy accidents.
More Delicious Soup Recipes
If you like the look of this Easy Broccoli Cheese Soup recipe, check out more DELICIOUS soup ideas.
- Roasted Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup
- Homemade Tomato Soup with Basil
- Curried Chickpea and Roasted Pumpkin Soup
- Vegan Cauliflower Soup
Thinking of making this recipe? Please drop me a note in the comment section and provide a star rating! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I ALWAYS LOVE hearing from you.
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Full Printable Recipe Card
📖 Recipe
Easy Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe
If you love this recipe, rate it with 5 stars below!
PRINT PIN RATEEquipment
- Cast Iron Casserole Pan
Ingredients
- ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, small dice
- 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 6 cups (500 g) chopped broccoli, roughly chopped, including stem
- 4 cups (950 ml) chicken stock , or vegetable stock
- ½ teaspoons sea salt flakes
- 1 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper*
- ⅓ cup (40 g) grated sharp (mature) cheddar cheese , avoid pre-shredded cheese**
- ¼ cup (25 g) grated parmesan cheese , avoid pre-shredded cheese**
- ½ 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
Nutrition Information (Per Serving)
Nutrition Disclaimer: Nutritional information is estimated using an online nutrition calculator. For accuracy, we recommend you calculate using the exact ingredients and brands you used.
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