Broccoli Cheddar Soup

The first thing I watch in this soup is the simmer. A hard boil can make a creamy broth look rough, while a gentle one gives the broccoli time to soften without scorching the bottom of the pot. I make this Broccoli Cheddar Soup in a 5-quart Dutch oven, and the finished bowl lands right between creamy and chunky: some broccoli disappears into the broth, and the rest stays in tender bites.

The order matters more than a long ingredient list. Butter-softened onion and carrot give the soup a savory, faintly sweet base, and a brief cook with flour helps the broth turn silky instead of watery. I stir in freshly grated sharp cheddar only after the pot comes off the heat. It melts smoothly into the soup, leaving the broth rich and cheesy rather than oily.

Why the cheddar goes in after the pot leaves the heat

Cheddar gives this soup its savory depth and creamy finish, but it behaves differently from the broth. When cheese is stirred into a pot that’s still bubbling, its fat can separate from the liquid and leave you with a grainy or oily-looking soup. Taking the Dutch oven off the burner first gives the cheese a gentler environment to melt into.

Adding the cheddar by handfuls helps, too. Stir each addition until it disappears before adding the next, so the cheese disperses through the soup instead of gathering into clumps. If the soup looks a little less hot once the broccoli is tender, that’s fine; the residual heat is enough to melt freshly grated cheddar. Resist the urge to put the pot back over high heat to hurry it along. Smooth, creamy soup comes from patience at this last stage, not a rolling boil.

What the broccoli, flour, and cheddar each bring to the pot

• Broccoli florets — Bite-size pieces soften at roughly the same pace and are easy to partly blend while keeping recognizable pieces in the finished soup. Fresh florets with firm stems and tightly closed crowns give the best texture.
• All-purpose flour — It thickens the broth after it cooks briefly with the butter and vegetables. Gluten-free all-purpose flour blend can work as a one-for-one swap; choose a blend intended to replace wheat flour in cooking.
• Sharp cheddar — Its stronger, tangy taste comes through the half-and-half and broth. A block of cheddar that you grate yourself melts more smoothly than pre-shredded cheese, which is coated to keep the shreds separate.
• Half-and-half — This gives the soup a creamy body without making the dairy taste as heavy as cream. Whole milk can stand in at the same volume, though the soup will be a little less rich and may feel thinner.
• Yellow onion and carrot — They build a mellow, savory-sweet base under the broccoli. Grating the carrot helps it soften and blend into that base rather than leaving large, firm pieces.
• Low-sodium chicken broth — It brings savory flavor while leaving room to season the soup with the measured salt. For a vegetarian version, swap in low-sodium vegetable broth and use cheddar made with vegetarian rennet.

Build the creamy base before the broccoli simmers

Soften the onion and grated carrot

Melt the butter in a 5-quart Dutch oven over medium heat, then add the diced onion and grated carrot. Cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened. They should look glossy and tender rather than browned. If they start catching on the bottom, lower the heat so they soften gently instead of taking on color.

Cook the garlic and flour

Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds, just until fragrant. Add the flour and stir constantly for 1 minute so it coats the vegetables and cooks through. Keep the spoon moving around the bottom and corners of the pot; flour left sitting in one spot can stick before the liquid goes in. The mixture will look thick and pasty at this point.

Whisk in the liquids, then simmer the broccoli

Gradually whisk in the chicken broth and half-and-half until the liquid looks smooth, then stir in the broccoli, salt, and pepper. Bring the pot to a gentle simmer over medium heat, then reduce the heat to maintain that simmer and cook uncovered for 12–15 minutes. Look for small, steady bubbles rather than a vigorous boil. The broccoli is ready when a fork pierces a piece without resistance.

Partly blend, then melt in the cheddar

Use an immersion blender to partly blend the soup, leaving some broccoli pieces intact. Stop when the broth looks creamier but still has pieces you can see and spoon up. Remove the pot from the heat before stirring in the cheddar by handfuls. Keep stirring until each addition melts fully and the soup looks smooth.

Easy ways to adapt this broccoli cheddar soup

Questions that come up while making broccoli cheddar soup

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Broccoli cheddar soup simmers broccoli florets in a creamy broth until tender, then gets partially blended for a smooth texture with pieces of broccoli left intact. Freshly grated sharp cheddar melts in at the end for a rich, cheesy finish.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 24 minutes mins

Total Time 34 minutes mins

Servings: 6 servings

Course: Lunch

Cuisine: American

Calories: 380

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 yellow onion medium, diced
• 1 carrot large, grated
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 0.25 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 1 lb broccoli florets, cut into bite-size pieces
• 0.5 tsp kosher salt
• 0.25 tsp black pepper
• 8 oz sharp cheddar cheese freshly grated

Equipment

• 1 5-quart Dutch oven
• 1 immersion blender

Method

 

1. Melt the butter in a 5-quart Dutch oven over medium heat.
2. Add the onion and carrot and cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.
3. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
4. Add the flour and stir constantly for 1 minute.
5. Gradually whisk in the chicken broth and half-and-half until smooth.
6. Stir in the broccoli, salt, and pepper.
7. Bring the soup to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
8. Reduce the heat to maintain the simmer and cook uncovered for 12–15 minutes, until the broccoli is tender when pierced with a fork.
9. Use an immersion blender to partially blend the soup, leaving some broccoli pieces intact.
10. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the cheddar by handfuls until fully melted and smooth.

Notes

For the smoothest finish, grate the cheddar fresh and stir it in by handfuls off the heat. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days; freezing is not recommended because the dairy may separate. For a vegetarian version, use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.