Broccoli Cheddar Soup

A creamy, from-scratch broccoli cheddar soup with tender broccoli pieces and a smooth sharp-cheddar finish, made without processed cheese or canned soup.

45 min

6 servings

Creamy broccoli cheddar soup with tender broccoli pieces in a bowl beside crusty bread.

Ingredients

2 tbsp unsalted butter

1 medium yellow onion, finely diced

1 medium carrot, finely diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

3 cups broccoli florets with peeled, chopped stems

2 cups whole milk

8 oz sharp cheddar, freshly grated

1 tsp kosher salt, plus black pepper to taste

Equipment

Heavy soup pot · Whisk · Immersion blender · Wooden spoon · Ladle

Keep cheddar smooth

Freshly grate the sharp cheddar and keep the pot off heat while stirring it in; boiling after the cheese goes in can make the soup grainy.

Serve warm

Pair each bowl with crusty bread for dipping while the soup is silky and the broccoli pieces are tender.

Prep and soften

01. Cut broccoli into spoon-sized florets and small peeled stem pieces; dice the onion and carrot and mince garlic.

02. Melt butter over medium heat and cook onion and carrot with salt until soft and translucent, keeping them pale.

Build the soup

03. Stir in garlic, then flour; cook the roux until no dry flour remains and it smells lightly toasted.

04. Whisk stock in gradually, then add milk and bring the base only to a gentle edge-of-pot simmer.

Cook and texture

05. Simmer broccoli until the stems yield to a fork but the florets still hold their recognizable shape.

06. Pulse-blend part of the soup off heat, stopping when the base is velvety and tender broccoli pieces remain.

Finish gently

07. Off heat, stir in freshly grated cheddar a handful at a time, waiting for each addition to melt smoothly.

08. Add pepper; use milk to loosen or low heat to thicken, then ladle into bowls with crusty bread.