Broccoli Cheddar Soup Loaded With Vegetables

Extra cheesy and perfectly creamy, this Broccoli Cheddar Soup recipe is also loaded with veggies! It’s a tasty way to sneak in some extra vegetables while satisfying a craving for warm comfort food in the chilly months. I love my bowls topped with crispy bacon and even more melty cheese!

Looking for more cozy soup recipes to carry you through soup season? This creamy chicken wild rice soup has been a longtime family favorite, and readers come back again and again for my lasagna soup and slow cooker beef and barley stew!

This broccoli cheddar cheese soup has more vegetables than a farmer’s market stall! You’d never tell by how utterly rich and creamy it is, though. I made sure to fill this soup with all the cozy flavors I love in classic broccoli cheddar soup recipes, with a dose of bonus vegetables mixed in with all that deliciously melty, gooey cheese. Even my oldest daughter, who is not a soup fan, asks for seconds whenever I have a pot of this on the stove. It’s the BEST broccoli cheese soup recipe!

This broccoli soup with cheddar is right up there with my Hungarian Goulash and Smoked Turkey Pot Pie Soup as some of our favorite cold-weather meals.

What Makes This the Best Broccoli Cheddar Cheese Soup?

• Texture. For me, a smooth and creamy broccoli cheddar soup is a must. It should NOT be thick and gloopy like a bowl of melted Cheez-Whiz, you know what I mean? I’ve encountered it so many times in restaurants. That’s why the silky smooth texture is the main reason I love this homemade version!
• Tasty bits of broccoli. I also like it when I can see and taste the pieces of broccoli in my cheese soup, so I take care to not blitz the broccoli too much. Of course, if you’d rather the broccoli go undetected, blend as much as you’d like!
• Big flavor. For me and my family, sharp cheddar is where it’s at. The extra sharpness guarantees that this soup is loaded with rich, cheesy flavor. No bland broccoli cheddar cheese soup, here.
• Plenty of veggies. I packed quite a lot of vegetables into this soup, but nobody will ever know. A sneaky mix of potato and cauliflower blends in with the rest of the soup. It acts as a natural thickener and makes the soup extra wholesome.
• BACON!! Enough said? Bacon makes just about every recipe better, right?! Smoky, crispy bacon is the perfect garnish that plays off the cheesy flavors in this soup.

Recipe Ingredients

When I said this soup is loaded with vegetables, I meant it. Of course, there’s the obvious broccoli in there, but there’s also cauliflower, onion, potatoes, and carrots. So much goodness going on! Have a look at my ingredient notes here and scroll to the recipe card after the post for a printable list with amounts.

• Bacon – I’m partial to thick-cut bacon, but any kind will do. You could also use diced ham or pancetta.
• Chicken broth – I use low sodium broth so I can better control the salt content.
• Veggies – My “bonus” vegetables include russet potatoes (or another starchy potato, like Yukon gold), cauliflower, and carrots. But there’s plenty of wiggle room for your favorite vegetables, too.
• Butter and flour – You’ll melt the butter and add the flour to make a “roux” to thicken the soup. You can also use olive oil in place of butter.
• Onion and garlic – To build on the flavors. I use yellow onion, but any mild variety works. Fresh garlic has the best flavor but you can also substitute 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder per fresh clove if needed.
• Half-and-half – You can also use heavy cream for a richer soup.
• Broccoli – I chop up my broccoli florets without the stems.
• Cheddar – For the soup itself and to sprinkle on top when serving. I highly recommend using a box grater to shred the cheese fresh from the block. Pre-shredded, packaged cheese contains additives that keep the cheese from clumping together, but it also prevents the cheese from melting smoothly.
• Bay leaf
• Salt and pepper

How to Make Broccoli Cheddar Soup

With the help of a high-powered blender (I love my Vitamix Pro Series 750) this soup comes together in a snap. If you don’t have a blender, you could always mash up the ingredients with a potato masher or similar. The soup will be noticeably chunkier but still delicious! Get a feel for the steps here and scroll to the recipe card for printable instructions.

• Cook the bacon. Take out a large pot and fry up the bacon until it’s chewy-crisp or to your liking. Then, crumble or chop it into small pieces.
• Boil the potatoes and cauliflower. In a saucepan, boil the potatoes and cauliflower in chicken broth until both are fork-tender. Let that cool off for 10-15 minutes, then puree the veggies in your blender. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan for now.
• Prepare the soup base. Get onion and garlic sautéeing with butter in the same pot that you cooked the bacon. Stir in the flour, then whisk in the half-and-half. Pour in the remaining chicken broth and bay leaf and simmer until that’s slightly thickened.
• Cook the carrots and broccoli. Add the broccoli and carrots and let them simmer until tender. Next, fish out the bay leaf. Pour half of the soup mixture into the blender and blend until smooth. Add it back to the pot along with the potato purée from earlier.
• Add the finishing touches. Lastly, melt in the cheese and season to taste. Serve with bacon pieces and sharp cheddar for garnish.

How To thicken up broccoli cheddar soup

If you feel like your broccoli and cheese soup is a bit too thin, you can easily thicken it:

• Add more cheese. My favorite way to thicken this soup is by adding more cheese, of course!
• Add butter and flour. Your next best bet is to thicken the soup with what’s called “beurre manié” in French cooking: mix equal parts flour and butter into a paste, and stir that in.
• Make a slurry. You can also make a slurry with cornstarch and cold water or broth, and stir that into the soup while it simmers to thicken.

If you’d like to loosen up soup that’s too thick, simply add more broth until you like the texture. You could also use extra half-and-half or milk. Taste and adjust the seasoning, as you might want to add a bit more salt and pepper.

Tips for Success

• Use GOOD cheese. The cheese is, hands-down, the most important ingredient in this soup. The soup will taste as good as the cheese you use. I recommend getting a block of good cheddar cheese. We use sharp cheddar.
• Blend the vegetables to your preference. I’m not a fan of completely smooth broccoli soup. I prefer to have some chunks of broccoli and carrots. If you don’t, you can blend them completely until smooth. Or you can leave them even more chunky!
• Taste before adding salt. Give the soup a little taste test when it’s ready, to see if you really need to add salt. You can also add more pepper if needed.
• Make it vegetarian. If you want a vegetarian broccoli and cheddar soup, simply omit the bacon and use veggie broth instead of chicken broth.

Serving Suggestions

My favorite way to serve this broccoli cheddar cheese soup is with a side of fluffy popovers (or sourdough popovers) slathered with butter for dipping. I grew up dunking popovers into my soups and my whole family is just as obsessed! This creamy soup also goes great with these honey cornbread muffins for a delicious sweet-savory contrast. And you can never go wrong with homemade garlic bread or a crispy grilled cheese on the side. Always a classic!

Storing and Reheating Leftover Soup

• Refrigerate. Properly stored airtight, this broccoli cheese soup will last for up to 4 days in the fridge.
• Reheat. Warm the soup gently in a saucepan over medium-low heat until it’s hot throughout, or you can reheat leftovers in the microwave.
• Freeze. You can definitely freeze this soup, though the broccoli just tends to lose some of its freshness. To freeze, transfer the cooled soup to a freezer container (leave some room for expansion) and freeze it for up to 2 months. Thaw the soup in the fridge overnight before reheating.

More Creamy Soup Recipes

• Bacon Cheeseburger Soup
• Creamy Potato Soup
• Chicken Pot Pie Soup
• Savory Squash Soup

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Yield: 8 servings

prep time: 20 minutes mins

cook time: 1 hour hr

total time: 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Extra cheesy and creamy, this broccoli cheddar soup recipe is the best kind of comfort food because it's loaded with wholesome veggies! Don't forget a sprinkle of bacon!

4.6 Stars (53 Reviews)

Print

Ingredients

• 6 slices thick-cut bacon
• 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth divided
• 1 large russet potato peeled and cut into 1-1/2″ pieces
• 2 cups chopped about 1″ size cauliflower florets
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup small-diced yellow onion
• 2 large garlic cloves minced
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup half and half
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 cups chopped about 1″ size broccoli florets (no stems)
• 1 cup small-diced carrots
• 12 ounces coarsely grated sharp cheddar cheese plus more for garnish – Use the large holes on a box grater.
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt or to taste

Instructions

• In a large heavy pot over medium heat, fry the bacon until chewy-crisp. Set bacon on a paper towel-lined plate to cool, and then crumble or chop into small pieces.
• While bacon is frying, place a medium saucepan on another burner. Add 3 cups of the chicken broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Turn the heat down to medium-high. Carefully add potatoes and cook for 10 minutes. Then add the cauliflower and cook for 5 minutes more. When both the potatoes and cauliflower are fork-tender, remove the saucepan from the heat. Let sit for 10 to 15 minutes, to cool just a bit. Then, transfer to a powerful blender and puree until silky smooth. Pour mixture back into saucepan. No need to wash the blender container – you'll use it one more time yet!
• Remove all but two tablespoons of bacon fat from the large pot, and then add the butter. Return the pot to medium heat. Once butter is melted, add onion and garlic, stirring occasionally until onion is nicely softened. Stir in flour and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then slowly whisk in the half and half until smooth. Add the remaining 2 cups of chicken broth and bay leaf, and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until slightly thickened. This should take 10 minutes or so.
• Add broccoli and carrots to the broth mixture in the large pot. Simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until broccoli and carrots are tender. Remove bay leaf. Ladle half of soup mixture into blender container and blend until smooth. Add blended mixture back to the large pot, along with the pureed potatoes and cauliflower mixture. Add cheese and black pepper, and stir until cheese is completely melted. Now taste the soup and add kosher salt as you like.
• Serve in bowls, garnished with bacon pieces and a sprinkling of grated sharp cheddar.

Notes

** If omitting bacon, simply add two more tablespoons of butter (6 tablespoons total) when sauteeing the onion and garlic.

from a farmgirl’s dabbles

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1 Calories: 400kcal Carbohydrates: 20g Protein: 19g Fat: 28g Saturated Fat: 15g Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g Trans Fat: 1g Cholesterol: 77mg Sodium: 639mg Fiber: 2g Sugar: 4g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Spoonacular. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your own favorite calculator.

Did you make this recipe?Please leave a comment below. And share a photo on Instagram with the hashtag #afarmgirlsdabbles or tag @farmgirlsdabble!

© Brenda | A Farmgirl’s Dabbles

Cuisine: American

Course: Soup

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I highly recommend a Vitamix blender, such as the Professional Series 750 featured in this post.

This blender continues to amaze me every single time I use it. There is so. much. power. It blends the potatoes and cauliflower into the silkiest consistency. Fast.

I also want to share about how much we like the Personal Cup Adapter and the personal size blending cups. The Vitamix is so easy (and fun!) to use, that our daughters can now regularly be seen making their own smoothies. They especially like using this cup adapter, where they can customize exactly what goes into their own individual-sized smoothie, and then cap it off with a spill-proof lid. Off they go!

Thank you to Vitamix for sending me the blender featured in this post and for providing another one as a giveaway prize. This post was originally published in 2018, then updated in 2022.