This easy to make Creamy Broccoli Cheese Soup has all the tasty, rich and creamy decadence you want to satisfy your comfort food need!
Creamy Broccoli Cheese Soup
When I decided to make Broccoli Cheese Soup, I have to say that I was a bit naïve to the fact that there are 10 bazilliion recipes for this soup. There are many “copycat” Panera recipes and also “better than Panera” recipes. There are even healthy ones and skinny ones and gluten-free ones.
Obviously, this is a popular recipe!
So since I was looking at all of them , I thought “am I another copycat too?” Good question, right?
But really, I just wanted to make some creamy comfort food soup using fresh broccoli and sharp cheddar cheese!
So why did I make this soup?
My original motivation for making this soup, was this big beautiful head of organic broccoli that I got. I love broccoli, btw, ever since I was little and my neighbor grew some in her garden and had me over for dinner. I immediately fell in love and it became my favorite vegetable. Still is…
This recipe is not a skinny one for sure. It’s rich and creamy, broccoliey and cheddary.
Once in a while you just need to go all in and make a decadently rich and creamy soup, right? Well, at least that’s my reasoning.
But after you thoroughly enjoy your delicious bowl of decadence, you realize that this is a once in a while soup and not an everyday indulgence!
For this creamy broccoli cheese soup you’ll need
- Broccoli
- Carrots
- Onions
- Garlic
- 8 oz. block of extra sharp cheddar cheese
- Half and half
- Butter
- Flour
- Vegetable broth
- Dijon mustard
- Salt & pepper
How to make creamy broccoli cheese soup
To make this easy soup:
- First sauté the onions and carrots in butter, salting lightly, until onions are translucent and the carrots are cooked but still a little firm
- Add the minced garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds longer
- Sprinkle the flour over the onions, carrots and garlic and stirring – cook for about 1 minute
- Whisk the broth in until blended and then stir in the half and half, broccoli, Dijon mustard, salt & pepper – Bring to a simmer stirring regularly
- Reduce the heat to medium and cook 6 -8 minutes until broccoli is tender, stirring regularly
- Turn heat to low and SPRINKLE the grated cheddar cheese over the top and stir in to mix and melt.
Believe it or not
I don’t recall ever having Panera Broccoli Cheese Soup but it must be over-the-top delicious because everyone seems to want to duplicate it.
This recipe is inspired by a simple, unpretentious Broccoli Cheese Soup recipe. No famous restaurant version or exact taste as Panera, but it sure is good!
Here is the recipe:
Creamy Broccoli Cheese Soup
Ingredients
- 4 Tbsp butter
- 1/2 medium onion, diced
- 2 cups carrots, julienned
- 1/4 cup flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour)
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups half and half
- 3 cups broccoli florets, chopped in bite size pieces
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 8 oz. extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated, (from a block of cheese not the packaged pre-shredded type)
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a heavy bottom soup pot or Dutch oven.
- Add the onions and carrots, salting lightly, and saute for about 4 - 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent and the carrots are cooked but still a little firm.
- Next add in the minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds, stirring
- Sprinkle the flour over the sauteed carrots, onions and garlic and stir. Saute for about 1 minute.
- Whisk in the broth until blended and stir in the half and half, broccoli, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper and bring to a simmer stirring regularly.
- Reduce the heat to medium and cook for about 6 to 8 minutes stirring occasionally until the broccoli is tender.
- Turn heat to low and "SPRINKLE" (NOT one big clump) the freshly grated cheddar cheese into the soup and stir until melted and mixed in the soup.
- When serving, grate a little extra cheddar cheese on top to garnish.
Nutrition
*Please note that the nutrition information provided is just a close estimate using an online nutrition calculator.*
Inspired by: Gimme Some Oven
I hope you’ll give this recipe a try. It’s delicious, if I do say so myself!
More popular soup recipes on vegelicious kitchen:
Craving more soup recipes?
Check out all the soup and stew recipes here on Vegelicious Kitchen.
And I’d like to know –
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how this Creamy Broccoli Cheese Soup recipe turned out for you or if you’d like to try it. A comment and a rating below would be greatly appreciated. I’d love to hear from you!
Thanks friends,
Leave a Reply