Easy Broccoli Cheddar Soup

This Easy Broccoli Cheddar Soup is the ultimate comfort food. It takes less than 30 minutes to prepare and is a great recipe to satisfy the entire family, including picky eaters! I love to serve it with some crusty bread for dipping.

Course Main Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Total Time 30

Servings

Calories 435

Author Ashlyn Edwards | Belle of the Kitchen

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion chopped
2-3 cloves garlic minced
4 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3 cups fresh broccoli florets
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven or large soup pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and saute until soft and translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and saute until fragrant, about one additional minute.
Add the chicken stock, heavy cream, and broccoli florets. Season the soup with the salt, black pepper, and paprika. Increase the heat and bring to a boil, then reduce to medium-low heat and simmer for 15 minutes until the broccoli is tender.
Use a slotted spoon to remove about half of the broccoli from the pot. Set aside. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup with the remaining broccoli florets. Add the shredded cheddar cheese, stirring constantly until melted.
Return the reserved broccoli florets to the pot. Serve your broccoli cheddar soup hot with additional shredded cheddar cheese over the soup, if desired.

Notes

Slow Cooker instructions: For crockpot broccoli cheddar soup, saute the onion and garlic in olive oil on the stove top as directed. Transfer to your slow cooker and add all remaining ingredients, except for the cheese. Cook on low heat for 4-5 hours, or high heat for 2-3 hours. Add the cheese about 10 minutes before you are ready to serve, stirring well.

My favorite kind of cheese to use in this Easy Broccoli Cheddar Soup is sharp cheddar cheese, though it also tastes delicious with mild cheddar cheese. I also recommend shredding your cheese from a large block as it will melt into the soup much better.

For a vegetarian version, swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth. This broccoli cheddar soup is also gluten-free and keto as written, making it a great low carb soup option.

For a lighter version, use half and half or whole milk in place of the heavy cream.

Use an immersion blender for a smoother soup. As you'll see in the recipe instructions, I like to puree about half of the broccoli in the soup for a super creamy and smooth soup, while still leaving a few chunks of broccoli for texture. If you prefer a strictly creamy broccoli soup without any small pieces of broccoli, feel free to puree the whole pot of soup to your liking. You can also use a potato masher or transfer your soup to a blender to puree it if you don't have an immersion blender.

Store any leftover broccoli cheddar soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.

Nutrition