Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Broccoli Cheddar Soup is a rich and creamy soup that’s packed with sharp cheddar and bunches of broccoli. It can be made on the stove or Instant Pot and is ready in just 30 minutes!

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Broccoli cheddar soup might be my all time favorite, could eat every single day soup! This recipe has been tested and perfected and you’re going to love it. It is so easy to make at home, and this is not a copycat recipe. It’s ten times better than any local or chain restaurant version! I have a couple of “secret ingredients” that make this the most cheesy, indulgent broccoli cheese soup you have ever had! Serve it with a light salad and some crusty bread and dig in! I guarantee one bowl will not be enough.

Homemade is always better. Check out more classic soup recipes like my creamy Wild Rice Soup or decadent French Onion Soup!

Why does my soup have a grainy texture?

This is a huge problem for people when they make creamy soups, but, guess what? There is a super simple answer to the problem! First, please, whatever you do, don’t use pre-shredded bagged cheese! It doesn’t melt down the same and will make your soup grainy, fresh cheese off the block is the way to go here. Next, another issue is that the temp is too high when you add the cheese to the pot. That’s why as you see in the directions I say to REMOVE the pan from the heat before adding the cheese, there’s a definite reason, your cheese will be grainy or curdle if you leave the pan on the heat!

How To Make Broccoli Cheddar Soup

For the Stove Top: 

• Melt. Melt the butter in a large soup pot or dutch oven over medium low heat.
• Saute. Add the diced onion, carrots, garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper to the pan and stir. Cover the pot and allow the vegetables to cook for about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn the heat up to medium. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook, whisking constantly for 2 minutes.
• Whisk. Slowly whisk in the chicken stock until smooth and there are no flour clumps.
• Simmer. Add the broccoli florets to the pot. Simmer for 5-6 minutes until the broccoli is tender.
• Mix. As the broccoli cooks, whisk together the heavy cream, sour cream, dijon mustard, and hot sauce in a medium bowl. Add about half a cup of the broth from the soup mixture into the cream mixture and stir to combine
• Pour. Pour the heavy cream mix into the soup while whisking constantly. Taste the soup at this point and your desired amount of salt and pepper.
• Melt. Remove the pot from the stove and stir in the shredded cheese in 3-4 handfuls until fully melted and smooth. 
• Blend. This step is optional but will give you a smoother soup. Remove about 1 cup of the soup from the pot  and put it into a bowl. Use a hand held immersion blender to carefully puree the soup to  your desired consistency. Return the reserved soup to the pot. OR, puree the soup in 2-3 batches in your blender until smooth.
• Serve. Sprinkle some extra cheese over top and serve. Enjoy!

For the Instant Pot:

• Saute. Turn the instant pot to saute mode. Add the butter to the pot.
• Cook. Once the butter is melted, add in the diced onions and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir constantly for 30 seconds. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle the flour into the pot and cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes.
• Pour. Slowly pour in the chicken broth while whisking constantly. Turn the pot off.
• Seal. Add the broccoli florets. Place the lid on the pot and set the valve to sealing. Cook on Manual, high pressure for 4 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally for 2 minutes before doing a quick release.
• Whisk. As the broccoli cooks, in a medium bowl whisk together the heavy cream, sour cream, mustard and hot sauce. Whisk one cup of the soup into the sour cream mixture, then whisk the cream mixture into the soup.
• Melt. Add the shredded cheese to the soup in 3 additions, stirring well after each until everything has melted.
• Blend. Follow the steps above for blending the soup into a smoother consistency.
• Serve. Garnish with extra cheddar and enjoy while hot.

Storing Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Because of all the dairy elements, this soup shouldn’t be frozen. 

Ingredients Notes for Broccoli Cheddar Soup

• Butter – Salted or unsalted can be used. You could also substitute oil but I prefer the flavor the butter adds to the veggies.
• Onion – I used a yellow onion but you can use what you have on hand. Dice the onion very small.
• Carrots – Diced as well, you could opt for matchstick carrots to save time. Some like to add celery into the mix as well for some extra green. 
• Garlic – I use 4 cloves for extra flavor but you can always add more or less. 
• Flour – This helps thicken the soup just a bit. All purpose is best. 
• Chicken Broth – You could use chicken stock as well. I like the flavor the chicken broth adds but you could make this fully vegetarian and use vegetable broth instead.
• Broccoli – You will want 4 cups of chopped broccoli florets total. This was about 3 medium broccoli crowns. Save yourself time and purchase pre-cut broccoli if you wish, you can always still cut it down to your preferred size.
• Heavy Cream – Half and half works too. This makes the soup super creamy.
• Sour Cream – Along with the heavy cream, this is the key to getting that rich texture.
• Dijon Mustard – This is optional but I HIGHLY recommend not skipping out. The soup doesn’t have a mustard flavor, it just brings out the flavors in the cheese and is so worth it.
• Hot Sauce – Part two of the secret ingredients. This won’t make the soup spicy at all, it just elevates the flavor. Use your favorite brand! 
• Shredded Cheddar Cheese – This soup is best when using freshly shredded cheese right off the block. I do not recommend using pre-shredded cheese for this soup, as the texture won’t be as smooth. I like to use a sharp cheddar for the best flavor.

Enjoy!

~ Nichole

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5 from 23 votes

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

By Nichole

Broccoli Cheddar Soup is a rich and creamy soup that’s packed with sharp cheddar and bunches of broccoli. It can be made on the stove or Instant Pot and is ready in just 30 minutes!

Prep 10 minutes mins

Cook 20 minutes mins

Total 30 minutes mins

Servings 6

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 5 Tablespoons Butter
• ▢ 1 Medium Yellow Onion Diced
• ▢ 1 Cup Diced Carrots
• ▢ 3 Cloves Garlic Minced
• ▢ Salt & Pepper
• ▢ 1/3 Cup All Purpose Flour
• ▢ 3 Cups Chicken Broth or Stock
• ▢ 4 Cups Broccoli Florets
• ▢ 2 Cups Heavy Cream or half & half
• ▢ 1/3 Cup Sour Cream
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard, OPTIONAL
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon Hot Sauce, OPTIONAL
• ▢ 2 Cups Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Instructions 

STOVE TOP VERSION:

• Melt the butter in a large pot or dutch oven over medium-low heat.
• Add the diced onion, carrots, garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper to the pan and stir.
• Cover the pot and allow the vegetables to cook for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Turn the heat up to medium. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook, whisking constantly for 2 minutes.
• Slowly whisk in the chicken stock until smooth
• Add the broccoli florets to the pot. Simmer for 5-6 minutes, until broccoli is tender.
• Meanwhile, in a medium bowl whisk together the heavy cream, sour cream, dijon mustard, and hot sauce.
• Add 1 ladle full (about 1/2 cuof the broth from the soup to the cream mixture and whisk to combine.
• Pour the heavy cream mix into the soup while whisking constantly. Taste the soup at this point, add salt & pepper to taste.
• Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the shredded cheese in 3-4 handfuls until fully melted and smooth.
• OPTIONAL FOR A SMOOTHER SOUP: Remove 1 ladle full (about 1 cup) of the soup from the pot into a bowl. Use a hand held immersion blender to carefully puree the soup to desired consistency. Return the reserved soup the the pot. OR, puree the soup in 2-3 batches in your blender until smooth.

INSTANT POT VERSION:

• Turn the instant pot on to saute mode. Add the butter to the pot.
• Once the butter is melted, add in the onions and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir constantly for 30 seconds. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper to taste.
• Sprinkle the flour into the pot and cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Pour in the chicken broth slowly while whisking constantly. Turn the pot off.
• Add the broccoli to the pot. Place the lid on the pot and set the valve to sealing. Cook on Manual, high pressure for 4 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally for 2 minutes before doing a quick release.
• In a medium bowl whisk together the cream, sour cream, mustard and hot sauce. Whisk one ladle full of the soup into the sour cream mixture, then whisk into the soup. Add the shredded cheese to the soup in 3 additions, stirring well after each. Follow the directions above for blending if you want a smoother broccoli cheddar soup.
• Serve immediately. Store leftover soup in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Video

Notes

IMPORTANT RECIPE NOTES:

1. This soup is best when using freshly shredded cheese right off the block.  I do not recommend using pre-shredded cheese for this soup, as it can be grainy.
2. You MUST remove your pan from the heat before you add your cheese.  If you do not, the soup will curdle and become grainy.
3.  Leftover soup, once cooled can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.  This soup is cream/cheese based and does not freeze well.  
4. Don’t skip the dijon mustard and hot sauce unless you absolutely must.  This soup does not taste like mustard, and it’s not spicy.  These ingredients simply enhance the cheese flavor.

Nutrition

Serving: 1.5Cups, Calories: 431kcal, Carbohydrates: 12g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 42g, Saturated Fat: 26g, Cholesterol: 140mg, Sodium: 162mg, Potassium: 283mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 1915IU, Vitamin C: 55mg, Calcium: 100mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

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