Homestyle Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup

This homestyle broccoli cheddar soup is perfect for a quick lunch or dinner. It’s also great for feeding a crowd. It reheats great so that you can make a batch and eat it all week long. Of course, many parents love it because it is a great way to sneak vegetables into their kid's diet.

The best part of this recipe is that it’s so simple to make. You only need a few ingredients, and you probably have them all in your kitchen already. Once you taste how amazing this soup is, you will never buy pre-packaged, store-bought creamy broccoli cheddar soup again.

If you like this, then you'll love this smoky bacon cheddar beer soup recipe. It is one soup that everyone will devour, and is great with some crusty bread on the side!

green bowl that says soup in white filled with broccoli soup

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter (30g)
1 medium white onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups heavy cream (940ml)
12 ounces broccoli florets, chopped (350g)
1 large carrot, diced or shredded
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (½g)
½ teaspoon black pepper (1.5g)
1 teaspoon salt (6g)
Pinch of nutmeg
8 ounces cheddar cheese (230g)
1 cup vegetable broth (up to 2 cups if desired for thinning soup)

white bowl filled with broccoli cheddar soup sitting on striped white and green napkin

Handy Kitchen Tools

How to Make Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Video Recipe:

This soup is a great choice to make in a Dutch oven but can be made in a large stockpot. Before you begin, prep your vegetables. Chop the onion, mince the garlic, cut the broccoli into small pieces, and shred or dice the carrots.

Now, heat the butter in the stockpot over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic to the pan, and cook them for about 5 minutes. Stir regularly to prevent burning, and cook just until softened.

butter and onions in white floral stockpot

Next, to this, you will add the heavy cream and stir to combine.

cream being poured into stockpot on hot plate

Then stir in the chopped broccoli and shredded carrots.

blue spoon stirring broccoli into cream sauce

Stir in 1 cup of vegetable broth, to thin the mixture, if needed. You can add up to 2 cups of broth, but I prefer it thicker, so ½ to 1 cup is ideal. Remember that adding cheese at the end will also help thicken the sauce significantly.

vegetable broth being poured into broccoli soup

Now, you will season the soup with red pepper flakes, salt, black pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg. Once the soup is done cooking, you can add additional salt and pepper if desired.

pepper grinder held above soup in stockpot

Stir in the seasonings, then reduce the heat to low. Let it simmer for 10 minutes, or until the broccoli has softened. Be careful to keep the temperature low, just to simmer but not boil. If it boils, the cream is likely to curdle/separate.

Once the broccoli is tender, add in the cheese and continue cooking on low heat setting for another 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and mixed in.

If it is too thick, you can add a bit more broth at this point.

Taste and add additional salt and pepper if desired, then serve with crackers or sliced crusty bread.

blue bowl of broccoli soup on table by raw onions

Printable Recipe

📖 Recipe

Yield: 6

Homestyle Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Make a homestyle creamy broccoli cheddar soup for a cozy comfort food weeknight meal! Chock full of vegetables and flavor!

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter (30g)
1 medium white onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups heavy cream (940m)
12 ounces broccoli florets, chopped (350g)
1 large carrot, diced
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (½g)
½ teaspoon black pepper (1.5g)
1 teaspoon salt (6g)
Pinch of nutmeg
8 ounces cheddar cheese (230g)
1 cup vegetable broth (up to 2 cups if desired for thinning soup)

Instructions

Start by prepping the vegetables. Chop or dice the onion and mince the garlic. Cut the broccoli into small pieces, and shred or dice the carrots. Set this aside.
In a Dutch oven or stockpot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add in the onion and garlic, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring regularly, until the onion has softened.
To the pan, add broccoli, carrots, and heavy cream. Stir well to combine.
Add 1 cup vegetable broth. If desired, add an additional ½ to 1 cup broth if you prefer a thinner soup.
Now, add in the red pepper flakes, salt, black pepper, and nutmeg. Stir well and reduce the heat to low, and let it simmer until the broccoli is soft. This takes around 10 minutes. Be careful to not let it boil, but just simmer it so it doesn't curdle.
Now stir in the cheese and continue cooking on low heat for around 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and mixed in. Taste and season additionally if needed.

Notes

To save time, and money in off-season, use thawed frozen broccoli instead of fresh. Just make sure you have patted it dry before adding to the soup.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Healthy is Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Is broccoli cheddar soup good for you? The answer to this question is yes and no. It all depends on how the soup is made and what ingredients are used. A homemade broccoli cheddar soup made with healthy ingredients can be good for you. However, a store-bought soup that is high in calories, sodium, and fat is not going to be as healthy.

This recipe uses full-fat heavy cream and cheddar cheese. To most, this would not be considered a healthy option. However, for those following a keto or low-carb diet, this is a great choice. Still others following a gluten-free or clean eating plan, it is a great choice. The term healthy in regards to this soup is really just depends upon your own personal dietary needs.

How Do You Thicken Broccoli Cheddar Soup?

There are a few ways to thicken broccoli cheddar soup. If you want to keep the soup essentially the same and not add more ingredients or carbs, puree some of the cooked broccoli and add it back into the soup. Another idea is to add some cornstarch or flour to the soup and stir until it has thickened. One of my other go-to ways to thicken broccoli cheddar soup is to add some cooked pasta, rice, or quinoa to the soup.

In this recipe, I specifically recommend adding just part of the broth, then cooking and adding more to it at a later time. So, you can easily control the thickness throughout the cooking process. But, if your vegetables add additional moisture and you find the cheese doesn't thicken enough, the above tips are a perfect solution.

Does Broccoli Cheddar Soup have a Lot of Carbs?

Broccoli soup can have a lot of carbs. It depends on how it is made. If it has a roux to thicken the soup, it is made with flour, and that has a lot of carbs. In this case, the soup does not have flour. The carbs in this soup come from broccoli and carrots. Broccoli tends to be low in carbs and while carrots are a little higher, they will not raise the carb count significantly. That means this particular recipe is low in carbs and ideal for a keto or low-carb dietary plan.

What Do I Serve With Creamy Broccoli Cheese Soup?

This soup is pretty hearty and can stand on its own. However, if you want to add a little something extra, some nice crusty bread would be delicious. I also like to serve it with this homemade garlic cheesy bread, if I am really wanting to indulge.

Another option is to top the soup with some crumbled cooked bacon, crispy fried onions, or even chopped green onions or chives. This soup is also ideal with grilled cheese or a side salad.

blue bowl of soup on table by green onions and tomato

More Soup Recipes

Most people think of soup as fall and winter food only, but in our house, every season is soup season. Tha means I have a ton of great soup and stew recipes to share with you. Below are some of our family favorites for you to try. Take a moment and bookmark your favorites. You can also print out the recipes or pin them to a soup board on Pinterest so they are handy when you are ready to cook.

Homestyle Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Homestyle Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Ingredients

Handy Kitchen Tools