It’s about time you met this broccoli cheddar soup recipe. It’s rich and indulgent, but not so much that it weighs me down.
My husband declared it the best he’s ever had, and started throwing out one-liners in between spoonfuls:
- “It’s the velvet of the soup world.”
- “All the sin without any of the guilt.”
- “This may be the universe’s best delivery system for broccoli.”
- “It’s like a warm blanket after being outside on a long winter day.”
I tried to make a great broccoli soup six months ago. I gave up after several failed attempts, and recently tried again after discovering Sarah Jampel’s method in Bon Appétit. Thank you for showing me the way, Sarah.
I have high standards for broccoli cheese soup. I wanted soup that met the following qualifications:
- Sufficiently green and full of fresh flavor
- Cheesy!
- Luxuriously smooth but with some texture from tender florets
- Preferably free of flour and heavy cream
I wanted all that, and I didn’t want to feel like I was eating a bowl of queso (don’t get me wrong, sometimes that’s exactly what I want to eat). This recipe checks all the boxes!
Watch How to Make Broccoli Cheese Soup
Perhaps the coolest feature of this soup is that it makes use of the broccoli stems that we usually toss. Less waste, more nutrients, can’t lose.
In fact, I feel good after I eat this soup, similar to how I feel after enjoying a big kale salad. Cruciferous veggies work miracles, I tell you, and did you know that broccoli contains loads of vitamin C? We could all use some extra right now.
Fresh & Healthy Broccoli Cheese Soup Ingredients
This flavorful soup is made without heavy cream, milk or flour—or even vegetable broth. You’ll just need a few basic ingredients to make it:
- Butter contributes to the irresistible flavor and silky texture. Technically, you could replace it with two tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil, but I like butter better here.
- Onion and garlic form a savory base layer. Since we’re blending them all up later, we don’t need to chop them finely. In fact, you can just smash the garlic with the side of your chef’s knife (be careful), peel off the skin and throw it into the pot. So easy!
- Russet potato, peeled and cooked until tender, lends a luxuriously creamy texture once blended. This is a trick I’ve used in my vegan mac and cheese and vegan queso recipes—it really works.
- Lots of broccoli, of course. The stems contribute body and extra broccoli flavor. We’ll purée half of the broccoli florets, and cook the rest in the pot for texture.
- Water brings it all together. I’ve been experimenting with using water instead of vegetable broth in soups lately, and so far I’ve been impressed. Store-bought vegetable broths can contribute unwanted color, off-putting flavors and excess salt. Water has none of these issues. Plus, it saves you a few bucks.
- Sharp cheddar cheese offers maximal cheddar flavor and a creamy texture. You can start with four ounces (half of a block) and add more to suit your preferences. Hand-grated cheese is best, since pre-shredded cheeses are coated in powders that can cause the cheese to glop together once melted. Buy white cheddar if you can. Yellow cheddar might turn this soup an unfortunate color, but I haven’t tried to be sure.
This soup is vegetarian and gluten free as written. You can even make it dairy free/vegan with substitutions (really!). See the recipe notes for details.
Equipment Notes & Suggestions
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This recipe yields a substantial amount of soup (around 10 cups). If you are serving two people or don’t want a lot of leftovers, you could easily cut the ingredients in half. Here’s what you’ll need to make it:
- I swear that soups always taste better when they’re cooked in a Dutch oven. I used my 5.5-quart Le Creuset for this recipe. A large, heavy-bottomed soup pot will also work well.
- You’ll need a lid for the pot. In a pinch, you could use a metal baking sheet.
- If you are making the full batch, you’ll need to blend it in batches in your stand blender. I could not blend the full batch at once in my Vitamix. Transfer the blended portion to a heat-proof pitcher or container as you blend the rest, then combine it all in the soup pot.
- Or, you could use an immersion blender. The trouble with immersion blenders is that they never yield soup as creamy as you could accomplish in your stand blender. I wish it weren’t true!
Safety note: Never fill a stand blender past the maximum fill line, or you could end up with a giant mess (and a hot one, if you’re making soup). You need to know how your blender works. My lid’s design allows for steam to escape, but if yours doesn’t, you’ll want to remove the center piece so the contents don’t build pressure as they blend. Cover the hole with a tea towel, but don’t place your hand over it because the steam is hot.
What to Serve with Broccoli Soup
This soup is a light meal on its own, or would make a proper meal with a sandwich or crisp salad. Here are a few options that are deliberately not very cheesy, for the sake of balance.
- Chickpea Salad with Carrots and Dill or French Carrot Salad
- Green Goddess Hummus Sandwich or Hummus Quesadillas
- Honey Mustard Brussels Sprout Slaw or Simple Seedy Slaw
Craving more creamy soups?
- Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
- Roasted Carrot Soup
- Roasted Cauliflower Soup
- Roasted Pumpkin Soup
- Lightened-Up Tomato Soup
Please let me know how your soup turns out in the comments! I love hearing from you.
Broccoli Cheese Soup
- Author:
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 6 bowls 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Blended
- Cuisine: American
This broccoli cheddar soup recipe is so satisfying! It’s loaded with fresh broccoli, and creamy thanks to a potato and cheddar cheese (no cream, no flour!). Recipe yields about 10 cups (quite a bit) and is easily halved.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 medium yellow onions, coarsely chopped
- 6 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (reduce or omit if sensitive to spice)
- 1 ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, divided, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 pounds broccoli with stalks (3 large or 4 medium)
- 1 large (about 12 ounces) russet potato, peeled and cut into 1 to 2-inch chunks
- 6 cups water
- 4 to 8 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese, depending on your mood
- Thinly sliced chives or green onions, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, ¼ teaspoon of the salt, and about 10 twists of black pepper.
- Stir to combine, then cover the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions have softened and are just starting to turn golden, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, slice off and discard the rough bottom ends of broccoli stalks. Use a vegetable peeler to peel off the tough outer skin on the stalks, then discard those bits. Slice the stalks off and cut them into pieces about 1 to 2-inches big. Set aside.
- Working with the broccoli tops now, cut as closely to the base of the florets as you can. Slice any remaining stalks into chunks to match to the rest. Reserve the broccoli florets—we’ll use them in a bit.
- Add the chunks of broccoli stalk and potato to the pot and stir. Pour in 6 cups water and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Raise the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cover the pot.
- Simmer until the broccoli stalks and potatoes are tender throughout and easily split apart when pierced with a fork, about 20-25 minutes. Meanwhile, chop the reserved florets into small pieces (I chop them all in one direction, then turn the cutting board and chop again).
- Once the potato and stalks are tender, add half of the florets to pot, stir, cover, and cook until they’re bright green, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat. Working in a couple of batches (never fill your blender past the maximum fill line or it could explode!), carefully transfer several cups of the mixture—both the liquid and solids—to your stand blender. Blend until completely smooth, then transfer the mixture to a heat-proof vessel temporarily as you blend the rest. Alternatively, use an immersion blender (it just won’t be as lusciously creamy). Return the purée to the pot.
- Return the pot to medium heat and add the remaining florets. Cover the pot and cook until they’re bright green and easily pierced through by a fork, another 4 to 7 minutes. Add almost all 4 ounces of the grated cheddar cheese (reserve a small handful for garnish) and stir until smooth. Carefully taste (it’s hot) and stir in more cheese if you’d like more indulgent flavor/creamy texture, more salt for more overall flavor, and/or more black pepper for kick.
- Divide the soup into bowls and top with a sprinkle of cheese, plus some thinly sliced chives and/or red pepper flakes, if desired. Leftover soup keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 4 days (though the color darkens a bit with time). I haven’t tried freezing this soup but suspect it will work fine—please let us know in the comments if you do.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Bon Appétit’s broccoli cheddar soup by Sarah Jampel.
Make it dairy free/vegan: Replace the butter with 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil. When blending the soup, add ½ cup raw cashews (soaked for 4 hours if not using a high-powered blender, such as a Vitamix, then rinsed and drained), 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar, and a scant ¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard. Omit the cheese.
Vegetable enthusiast. Dog lover. I'm probably making a big mess in my Kansas City kitchen right now. 
Christine
I really like that this tastes like Broccoli soup with some cheese, as opposed to a heavy cheese concoction with some broccoli for colour.
I have a daughter who doesn’t eat meat (the rest of the family does) this recipe has a high concentration of iron which is fantastic and keeps everyone else satisfied as well.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m happy you enjoyed it, Christine! Thank you for your review.
Natalie
Due to allergies, my family is off dairy, gluten, all grains, soy, and egg- I’ve made dozens of recipes from this blog and I have a cookbook. I keep expecting a recipe to not work out one of these days but every one I try is amazing! I so appreciate all of the sub options. You’re a life saver, Kate!
Ann Jean Campbell
made vegan minus nutritional yeast and cashews and enjoyed
★★★★★
Nuthi Ganesh
Should all the water boil out before I blend the mixture in step 7?
★★★★★
Kate
Hi! You don’t want the water to boil off, just the broccoli stems and potatoes to be tender. I hope that helps!
Mary
Another great recipe! I usually don’t enjoy broccoli and cheese as it is too heavy. This was a hit for me and my family. Thank you.
★★★★★
Kate
Wonderful to hear, Mary! Thank you for your review.
Alexia B
This was amazing, I subbed the red pepper flakes with Piment d’Espelette and used smoked cheddar. It turned out to be amazing! Thank you for this recipe.
★★★★★
Win
I just finished making this soup about 45 minutes ago (3/16/21). It is not difficult to make. I used olive oil and it was delicious. My daughter likes it as well. The next time I have guests over for dinner (someday), I will serve this soup.
Thanks.
★★★★★
Nathalie LeBlanc
I’ve loved every recipe on this website, this one however I was super disappointed in. Totally my fault, I chucked my cheese in and it CURDLED! I wish there would have been a note to reduce heat before adding the cheese. Supper bummed. It’s so gross.
★★
Kate
Hi Nathalie, I’m sorry to hear that. I’m surprised it did that. Was it boiling?
Angela
This is amazing recipe, thank you. I usually make a version of broccoli stem soup. Great tips on peeling the stems and using a blender in place of immersion blender made all the difference. I had some celery and handful for butternut squash and a Serrano pepper I added as well. Love how your recipe uses water in place of broth. Yumm!
Marika
So why only 2 stars when it’s totally your fault, Nathalie?!
★★★★★
Del
Exactly, so many people leave poor reviews with zero justification:(
Christine
Finally, a broccoli soup that is delicious and satisfying that isn’t full of cream, flour, etc. And you’d never know based on the taste or texture ;). I was nervous to just use water in this (thought I should maybe use broth instead), but do not fear. This is loaded with flavor. I used vegan cheddar (Earth Island brand) for my hubby and you honestly couldn’t tell the difference. The spice from the chili flakes was more than anticipated, but I honestly think it’s the brand I bought recently (very potent), so probably just me. Not docking a star for that. Will make this again!
★★★★★
Kate
Great to hear! Thank you for your review, Christine.
Stacy
My son loves broccoli soup! He used to order one near his dentist’s office that had no cream and was on the thinner side for broccoli soup, which was perfect for after a visit to the dentist (no solid food for an hour or two). I’ve been meaning to make broccoli soup at home and came across your recipe. I made it tonight and it was a hit! We loved that it tasted like broccoli soup with a little cheese and not cheese soup with a little broccoli. I only used 4 oz of cheddar at the end and it was enough. Thank you for this great recipe, Kate! I look forward to trying some of your other recipes.
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Stacy! Thank you for your review.
Vicki
Thanks to you, two baked potatoes, and my Vitamix, I saved my tragically over-cooked broccoli from being tossed in the trash! I used the broccoli cooking liquid and white cheddar cheese, salt and pepper.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you loved it, Vicki!
Lena
I cooked til Step 7 and simply saved 1/2 the florets and kept to steam. I sprinkled a little bit of shredded cheese…..The soup was very creamy and delicious!
★★★★★
Heidi
Can this soup be made without potatoes?
Kate
The potatoes help with the creamy taste and texture.
Sanya
Wonderful recipe! My kids love it, especially with some crunchy bacon bits added.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m happy to hear it! Thank you for your review, Sanya.
Kiley
This has become my FAVOURITE broccoli soup recipe!! The potato makes this recipe stand out compared to other broccoli soup recipes, as it makes the soup creamy, but not heavy.
★★★★★
Kate
I love it! Thank you for your review, Kiley.
Rita
The best recipe for Broccoli soup. I have made it several times now. This time I used Leak instead of onion and it came out very delicious.
Thank you Kate , from Australia.
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Rita! Thank you for your review.
Amy
Hi Kate! Any good subs for those of us without a Yukon Gold on hand? Thanks!
Kate
Russet will work here!
Darlene
Can I use a sweet potato
Kate
It won’t have the same flavor and impact, sorry!
Ingrid
I always make a very large pot of this soup as it is soooo yummy (just double the ingredients!) and then I freeze half. When defrosted is tastes just as delicious as when eaten “fresh”.
★★★★★
Mel M
Thank you for sharing about your success with freezing, very helpful.
James
Noting your comment about water over stock? Could not agree more and if one wants some added flavour? Use a TBSP of Fish stock like Patis. While we are vegetarian I have little compunction over fish and fish stock made from anchovies. Love this particular recipe and have my own twists for it…
★★★★★
Mary M
Thanks
Amy Christine
The husband and I enjoyed this. Took me an hour a half to make as my broccoli just wouldn’t seem to get done, but it was hearty and a good full meal when coupled with a salad. I thought it needed a bit of acid so I added a dash of sherry vinegar for brightness. I love heavy cream, but glad to avoid it in this soup! Thanks for the recipe!
★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Amy! I’m happy you enjoyed the recipe without the cream.
BarbaraRP
Hey, Kate! Love your recipes! Have made so many, but have never commented until today. Last night, I used your Broccoli Cheese Soup as a template to use up some roasted broccoli and leftover mashed potatoes. I made 1/2 of the recipe. Used chicken broth instead of water. Offered shredded Mexican cheese, green onions and bacon as garnish. It was delicious! There wasn’t a drop left! Can’t wait to try out the recipe as written. Thank you so much, Kate!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m happy you finally commented! Thank you for sharing your modifications and I’m happy you loved it.
Wendy Fencl
Delicious! And so simple to make. I’d cut the garlic a bit in the future- a little too much for my taste. (I did up the pepper flakes!) They say necessity is the mother of invention, and so it is. I didn’t have a potato, so I used a can of water chestnuts. I kept about 1/4 can out to add at the end for crunch. It thickened beautifully and added texture. I’ll make this over & over!
★★★★★
Sasha
O.My.Gosh…
That was the best broccoli soup I’ve ever tried. So simple. SO GOOD. Filling and very satisfying. My children are already asking to make more tomorrow now that we’ve polished the pot . Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m excited you think so, Sasha! I appreciate your review.
Chrisanne
Making this for the third time. One of our family favorites: healthy and tasty and full of vegetables. I’ve tried perhaps a half-dozen of your recipes. I’ve made them all more than once because they’re reliably delicious and satisfying for the vegetarian and the non-vegetarian in our household. Just wanted to thank you.
★★★★★
Kate
That’s great, Chrisanne! Thank you for your review.
Anne Mulligan
I used your method but I added a carrot in the beginning, dried oregano, 2 teaspoons of chicken stock powder, a can of cannellini beans for added nutrition while it was simmering, and two tablespoons of full cream milk powder in the end and the picky eaters in the house liked it. I’ll definitely make it again.
★★★★★
Kate
That’s great to hear, Anne! I’m delighted you enjoyed it.
Guin
Excellent flavor but came out quite thin before the cheese was added. I would only use 4 cups of liquid next time rather than six, or else start with a roux. I simmered it for a few hours to reduce. I used an immersion blender and it came out perfectly smooth.
★★★
Donna
Could I use 1 can of evaporated milk and 2 cups of water?
Kate
Hi Donna, I haven’t tired it so I can’t say for sure. Sorry to disappoint.
Lori
Made this tonight sadly to not enjoy tonight but in the days to come. Can I say … delish!! As I was adding the cheese I thought to myself, does it really doesn’t need it — it was so flavorful and stunning without it but the cheese is also a fab addition. Thanks for this. Hope it’s just as good in the days to come as it was as I was tasting tonight.
Always like to follow the recipe exactly as written without my personal interjection and most times I find…the chef writing it has it down.
Yum!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome! I’m happy you enjoyed it, Lori.
Batsheva
Loved the broccoli soup! I omitted the red pepper flakes as i dont like strong spice
So good! Love your recipes
Thanks for sharing
Stay safe
★★★★★
Kate
I’m happy you enjoyed it! Thank you for your review.
Nicky
Really tasty soup – loved that the recipe used the stalk too x
★★★★★
Amanda
Taste delicious I added some whole grain mustard to give it a bit of a kick too! Thank you for the recipe.
Kaitlyn
You really are the soup whisperer Kate! I really love the taste & texture of this soup and was happy to see that the colour was a beautiful bright green at the end. I used about 5 oz of cheese and that was just right. If you’re looking for sides, I had this soup with Kate’s Crispy Sweet Potato Fries and a hard boiled egg to make it a very satisfying lunch.
★★★★★
Kate
Wonderful! I love that combination, Kaitlyn. Thank you for your review.
Simon
Generally like your recipes a lot but this one was not good. Didn’t like the texture and it’s a bit bland. I ended up blending the whole soup for a long time in order to get it smooth. Perhaps the cheese will give it some flavour?
★
Kate
Hi, I’m sorry you didn’t like this one. Did you use fresh spices? Did you measure your broccoli to get the exact amount listed in the recipe?
Max
This soup rocks! The kick from the red pepper flakes is perfect. Not to mention this tastes WAY better than traditional cheesy/broccoli soup that is just too heavy. Definitely a go-to recipe for me!
Heather
Delicious! I made a ‘what’s in the fridge’ variant (1 pound broccoli, peas, a green apple & less cheese). Surprisingly cheesy and really filled the spot on a cold day.
★★★★★
Patricia Pearsell
HI Kate!
Just wondering, I can’t eat onion at all. Would this recipe still work without the onion?
I hope you have a wonderful day!
Patricia.
Kate
The onion really helps to give this one flavor. I don’t know if the results would be that delicious without it. Do you have a good replacement maybe you could try that here? Carrots, celery, etc something to give some of that type of flavor.
Dale
This soup is creamy and luscious with just the right texture from the chopped florets added at the end. Made it without the cheese second time and still delicious. Will try the dairy free/vegan suggestions next time. Thank you for the recipe. This is the first time I have ever reviewed a recipe.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m happy you enjoyed it dairy free! Thank you for taking the time to review, Dale.
SathyaKasirajan
I was looking for a simple broccoli soup without any broth /cream and finally landed in this page.I prepared this soup as it is mentioned and we loved .I just sequenced lemon at the end and added some croutons .Its such a simple, flavorful and tasty soup.Its a keeper for me.
Thanks Kate for this recipe.
Kate
You’re welcome!
LM
My second time making the soup this year. Easy, well-organized recipe that makes a surprisingly rich and delicious water-based soup! I’ve frozen this in individual servings and have been very happy with it after reheating. Thanks for the comforting soup recipe!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, LM!
James Paige
Kate, what can I sub. for salt when making the broccoli cheese soup
Kate
Hi James, I don’t know if I have a great substitute other than omitting it.
Lily
Whole family loved it! I halved the cheese and added a half cup of nutritional yeast for something different! I’ll be making this one time and time again.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad it was a hit! Thank you for your review, Lily.
Lyn Hertz
Cant wait to try this recipe. I don’t have enough broccoli, but I do have cauliflower I could add. Has anyone tried that?
Kate
Hi, I would suggest Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Soup instead.
Ellen
Is there a reason why you use a “stand blender”, rather than a cuisinart (food processor)?
BTW, my broc. Cheese soup is similar to yours, but uses feta and dill.
Fabulous!
Kate
Hi Ellen, I find it gets is creamier.
Marlene Ellis
I combined broccolli and cauliflower and doubled the potatoe. Absolutely delicious and freezes well.
★★★★
Meg
This was delicious, thank you for the great healthy recipe!! Next on my list to try, is your recipe for “better broccoli casserole.
★★★★★
Kate
I hope you love that one too, Meg! Thank you for your review.
Bettina SG
It’s winter in Sydney and I am really looking forward to making this recipe tonight!
Anna
It was the first time ever that I’ve made broccoli soup. And it was amazingly delicious and so healthy! Thanks for sharing this recipe! Hope you are having a great day!
★★★★★
Deana Sharp
I made it with vegan butter and cheez…I also replaced the potatoes with rutabaga as I’m trying to eat low carb…YUM
★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Deana!
Haifa
love this! a new family favorite. i made big batch and save some in the freezer. perfect for easy lunch. Thanks for the recipe!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome! Thank you for your review.
Paul Martindale
I made your recipe, it was great. I changed it up with milk and sweet basil.
Shelly Redden
This was a great light dinner that tasted like broccoli soup rather than cheese soup. You are right – it checked all of the boxes and I loved using white sharp cheddar vs. yellow. This is a keeper!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you loved it! Thank you for your review, Shelly.
Nadine
I’ve been making your recipes for years (thank you!!) and this soup now ranks up there with my favourite go-to recipes. Just made it for a second time!
★★★★★
Kate
I love it! Thank you for sharing, Nadine.
Anna
Very delicious! I’ll definitely make this again. It is not too heavy yet it is filling. I used a sweet potato instead of a russet.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Anna! I’m glad you loved it.
Roz
Delicious soup! Thanks for sharing this recipe. Its creamy and fresh tasting without all the cream.
We like to add croutons to our creamy soups! Delish!
★★★★★
Kate
Sounds like a great compliment, Roz! Thank you for your review.
Eva
So good !!!
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for your review, Eva!
Jaclyn
Hi Kate! I love your soups- curious if this one might work with frozen broccoli if stems/florets separated as indicated in the recipe?
Kate
Hi Jaclyn!I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure. However, it would likely not need as much cooking time since it is already soft when it thaws. Let me know if you try it!
Lauri H.
This is a wonderful recipe–the best broccoli cheddar I have had. I love the beautiful bright green color of it too. Also the little “kick” that the crushed red pepper adds. Thank you Cookie and Kate!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Lauri! Thank you for your review.
Erin
Just made this soup and was pleasantly surprised! Like many I was concerned with the flavor with only water and so few ingredients. Throughout the process my hopes kept getting lower and then once it was done and time for cheese, I added 4oz and some salt and found it bland, I added the other 4oz and more salt to taste and it got much better and more flavorful! Super pretty color, cheap ingredients, a but messy prep but worth the result!
Miranda
This is delicious. My husband is not usually a soup fan but also had some one liners for this one, “this is the best broccoli soup I’ve had in a long time,” and “it’s delicious!” Thank you!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Miranda! I appreciate your review.
Louise
This is the best soup base recipe I’ve tried. I substituted the broccoli and potato for a cauliflower that needed to be used up, and also added chicken stock to my cooking water. Once the cauli was nice and soft, I drained off the stock, reserved it, then added around half a cup of cream to the pot. I reduced the cream down a little, then added the stock back in till it was the right consistency for me – blending with an immersion stick as I went. I used a little cheese to garnish. It was a huge hit.
★★★★★
Kate
That’s great, Louise! Thank you for sharing.
Susan Elizabeth Murray
Amazing. We started making this recipe when we had too much broccoli in the fridge and needed to use it. My fav part is that you use the entire broccoli including stems and that it is just water with the amazing flavour from the veggies. We don’t add a ton of cheese to cut back on calories and it is still so yummy. This is one of the recipes that my daughter consistently asks me to make to give in Tupperware containers for deserving friends. It is by far her favourite. The prep work can take time but it is so worth it.
We double the recipe and freeze it. It loses colour but still tastes great.
★★★★★
Judith
This recipe x1 serves how many people please?
Kate
HI Judith, the serving suggestion is in the recipe card above the ingredients list and nutrition information.
Lisa
This was delicious! My 18 month old and I loved it! I stopped right before adding the cheese, and scooped out half the recipe to freeze. When I reheated it and added cheese, it was just as good the second time!
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Lisa!
Roxy S
This recipe is excellent! Love the use of broccoli stalks, I’ve only ever used florets, so good to know it can be incorporated in a soup :) I made the following modification to the recipe and it turned out fantastic: Added a carrot in place of 1 broccoli stalk and incorporated cashew cream that included a simple blended mix of 3/4 cashews and 1 cup of water (powerful high-speed blender works best.) Delicious! :)
Tdee
First of all–I love this site! You have so many good recipes for vegetarians. I made this dish strictly according to recipe the first time (welllll, maybe a little more garlic, because GARLIC) but the second time I was a little low on broccoli and cheese so I added about 4 cups of kale in the last 5 minutes of cooking before blending, and about 1/4 cup of nutritional yeast, and it was equally delicious! Thanks for all the great recipes!
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing! I’m glad it still turned out.
Nancy
I made as directed for a full pot of soup and it is divine! I would not change anything other than prepping the veggies (except for the potato) in advance as I found it rather tedious work. That’s just my laziness but when I want to cook the soup, BAM, it’s pretty quick. I love how healthy the soup is too.
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Nancy!
Andrew Geggie
Searching online for ideas for a broccoli and cheese soup, I found your site and, on reading through the recipe (and anticipating what I suspected would be a perfect result) I ran out to stock up for the recipe. An hour later I served my wife a bowl of absolutely delicious creamy soup for a cold day. We have both been raving about how good it was and I have set aside a serving that I will feed my 97 year-old mother tomorrow for lunch. Brava Kate! We love you for having created such beautiful, savoury recipes! Andrew Geggie and Amanda Baikie, Canada
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for trying it and leaving a review, Andrew.
Joanne
Made the broccoli cheese soup. It really is delicious.
Thank you!
Becky butero
I love using your recipes. And I always read the stuff you write before I get to the recipe. Things I didn’t know. Like grading your own cheese. Didn’t know that about already graded cheese. It was my first time making this soup. Turned out great. I was so proud of myself. I love making soup and do pretty good. I am 71 yr old. And live cooking. Thx again
★★★★★
Julie T
This is the best soup recipe!!! The ONLY mod I made was I used half a bag of the shredded broccoli,carrots, kale which is made from the stalks. Then used what I had of broccoli. It makes a lot so you *might* have some leftover.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you love it, Julie!
Naomi
I tried this soup tonight even though I had somewhat subpar ingredients (frozen broccoli, no cheddar cheese so I used mozzarella) and it still turned out very good. My husband, 4 year old and 2 year old all ate and liked it. Thats a win for me! I will definitely make it again- hopefully with the right ingredients. Thanks Kate!
★★★★
Meg
This is definitely my go to recipe for broccoli cheese soup, healthy with ingredients that I always have on hand. And above all it’s delicious
Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Meg! Thank you for your review.
Ann
So good, and easy. I had about a pound of leftover (and a bit overcooked) broccoli in the fridge, so I did half the recipe, adjusting so the broccoli went in just long enough to warm up. I didn’t have enough cheddar so I added a bit of Parmesan as well, along with a generous grinding of nutmeg because I like it with this sort of dish. A very tasty and economical way to use up the extra broccoli.
★★★★★
Donna
Hello Cookie and Kate! I am a huge fan and love all of the recipes that I have tried :) Has anyone made this with frozen broccoli? I am trying to utilize everything I have in my fridge and freezer.
Kate
Hi Donna, I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure. However, it would likely not need as much cooking time since it is already soft when it thaws. Let me know if you try it!
Natalie
I love this! But the stalk part is kind of confusing to me-approximately how many cups of chopped stalks should there be?
Kate
I don’t have the cup measurements, sorry!
Anne
Hi Kate! This was SO good thank you for sharing. Question- mine came out not as creamy as your pics and more grainy. Did I perhaps not use enough potato, or not blend long enough? It was still absolutely delicious. :) Thank you!
★★★★★
Kate
Hi! You make need to blend more and be sure your vegetables are cooked enough. I’m glad you were still able to enjoy it though.
Fereshteh
I made the broccoli and cheese soup, I found it delicious. The tips for cooking was very helpful
★★★★★
Cheryl
Velvet is the word that comes to mind. A wonderful soup. I left out
the salt and combined some baby Swiss with cheddar.
Thank you. Cheryl
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Cheryl! I appreciate your review.
Judy
Delicious & easy to make – thanks!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Judy!
Abby
I’ve made this two times in a row because of how fantastic it is! The first time I made it exactly per the recipe, and the second time I added some mustard powder and smoked paprika to the onions and garlic stage, and threw in two chopped big carrots and a head of cauliflower that needed to get used up in addition to the broccoli and potatoes (I used golden yukons, and didn’t bother peeling). I used an immersion blender both times and purposefully left some chunks of veg in because I like having a variety of texture in soup. Absolutely going to be making this all winter.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Abby!
Margaret McCutcheon
I will make this broccoli soup again. It was delicious and super easy to make. I love that it was creamy without using cream and did not feel heavy. Thank you Kate.
From Margaret, in Toronto
Elisabeth
So delicious! I actually blended the whole soup because I was craving a pureed green soup. I made it one with the original recipe and the second time I didn’t have enough broccoli so I threw in a bunch of lacinato kale. Both were awesome. My kids even liked it :) It was good both with and without the cheese.
★★★★★
Kate
I like how you got creative! I appreciate your review.
Sherab
Quick. Healthy. Tasty. Delightful!
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for your review!
Beth
I LOVE this recipe!! Great, detailed instructions. I made it for the first time and used my food processor because I don’t have a blender, but the taste was phenomenal. It wasn’t as creamy as I would like (and you mentioned this is your instructions). If you make this with a food processor, use a little heavy cream.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m happy you enjoyed it, Beth!
Nancy
I love this soup!! I work away from home for a week at a time so when I leave I like to take my own food with me… I make the soup and freeze it in individual containers .. it is excellent.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Nancy!
Alina
Recipe is so easy to follow and the end result is absolutely amazing! Whole family loved it! Definitely saving this recipe for the future. Thank you for this wonderful recipe. Simple ingredients and steps. Looking forward to trying out your other recipes.
★★★★★
Kate
That’s great, Alina!
Kerrin
Made this last night and it is delicious. Healthy, yummy soup for a cold winter night. This is a keeper! Thank you.
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Kerrin! I’m happy you enjoyed it.
Diana
Hi! can I substitute the potatoes with something? Or can I eliminate them all together? If so, do I need to change how much water or the quanity of anything else in this recipe?
Kate
Hi Diana, I tried this without potatoes. To get the creamy texture and taste, it does really need the potatoes.
Lisa
I thought this was quite good! Next time I’m going to throw all the brocolli florets in at once instead of holding back half. I only have an immersion blender so cooking all the florets at once would make it blend a bit easier. The red pepper flakes really gave it a nice zip!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Lisa!
Tammy
Absolutely delicious! I used half chicken broth, half water and sweet potato instead of a white potato (just because that’s what I had on hand). I love that I could use all the broccoli in my fridge. Two of my kids loved it and asked for seconds!
Thanks for a new (healthier) take on an old favorite.
★★★★★
Nancy
This soup is amazing. Just made it today. The ingredients made me think it was going to be a thin soup, without the creamy texture of a commercial broccoli cheddar soup. I was completely wrong, it is creamy, which makes you think there is more cheddar in the soup than there is. So, it is actually pretty healthy. I did use chicken broth & better than boullion to amp up the flavor (and so used less salt, since it is in the broth & boullion mixture). Also, only used 4 oz pre-shredded, orange cheddar. Really good..
J
This was a great recipe to use up some broccoli that was heading towards yellow. I only had the one head of broccoli, so adjusted accordingly. It’s a lovely recipe and I really enjoyed the taste.
Dee
Just made this soup and it was absolutely delicious , husband loved the chilli bite to it from the pepper flakes. Going to make more to have in the freezer. Thank you so yummy
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Dee!
Gay
The best broccoli soup I’ve ever tasted! I used russet potatoes and no pepper flakes. I’ve never commented on a recipe before, which should speak volumes!!
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing! I’m glad you enjoyed it, Gay.
Lisa
This is wonderful, and so much better than the broccoli soup in most restaurants I’ve tried. I had some broccoli in my fridge and, at 7 months pregnant, I am having a hard time with my normal raw veggies.This soup is a wonderful way to get in a lot of my green veggie needs. Even my husband, who is very picky about soup, really loves this. Great recipe and easy to adapt if needed. Thanks so much!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Lisa! Thank you for your review.
Suzanne B Beko
Loved the recipe….made it exactly same as yours first time, camer out perfect. Second time, I add celery, cilantro, kale and came out just as good. You cannot taste all of those extras…
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Suzanne!
Linne
This soup was a big hit! I had some broccoli that was a little soft, but once it’s blended you would never know. The 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes gave it a pretty good kick; if I were making it for other family members who are more sensitive to spiciness, I would reduce or eliminate that but we enjoyed it! I didn’t have quite enough broccoli but I still used the full amount of the other ingredients and just put fewer of the florets at the end. The consistency was just perfect. I used an immersion blender and it worked quite well. (I can’t understand how other reviewers thought it was too thin – maybe they didn’t put the potato?) You mentioned that you didn’t know whether the color would be affected by using yellow cheddar instead of white – I used yellow and the soup was still a lovely green.
★★★★★
Kate
I appreciate all your detail, Linne! I’m delighted you were able to enjoy it.
Jessie
Wow, this soup is delicious. Used a fresh chilli instead of chilli flakes. Also all 8oz of mature cheddar-yum!
Richard
Hi Kate: I made this soup last night, and we loved it. I have decided however to blend the second half of the brocolli florettes to make a creamier version. I did add another ingredient to bring out some interesting flavour. I stirred in a tsp of dijon mustard!
★★★★★
Kate
Great to hear, Richard!
Tess Marie
INCREDIBLE!
★★★★★
Danielle Mangnus
Very delicious soup, thank you! I will definitely make this again!
★★★★★
Kate
Great to hear, Danielle!
Michelle
Hi! Can this be frozen? Thanks
Kate
Hi Michelle, I haven’t tried it. I don’t always find soups with dairy freeze the best. If you try it, let me know!