Nutritious, rich, and creamy, this is the best Broccoli Cheddar Soup recipe! It’s ultra cheesy, comes together quickly, and is packed with veggies. Move over, Panera!
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Why You’ll Love This Cheesy Broccoli Soup Recipe
- Feel Good Food. This healthy version of broccoli cheddar soup (and Instant Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup and Slow Cooker Broccoli Cheese Soup) is inspired by the famous Panera Bread broccoli cheddar soup recipe. However, this recipe is wholesome and loaded with good-for-you ingredients like broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and onion (same with Cream of Broccoli Soup!)
- Comfort for the Whole Family. When it comes to family-friendly comfort food favorites, nothing satisfies like a cozy soup (Chicken Wild Rice Soup is another family favorite). This creamy broccoli cheddar soup is for toddlers, older kids, and adults. Anyone who loves cheese will enjoy it!
- Budget-Friendly. This is a copycat Panera broccoli cheddar soup that costs less than going out. This means that you can enjoy all the scrumptious broccoli cheddar flavor you love for a fraction of the cost right at home!
- EASY. This easy broccoli cheddar soup skips the fuss of making a roux. Instead, the creaminess comes from cauliflower, which thickens soups without adding many calories or carbs (try it in Cauliflower Chowder too). The other trick I borrowed from Cheese Fondue. Tossing the cheese shreds with cornstarch prior to adding them to the soup thickens it, without heavy cream.
How to Make the Best Broccoli Cheddar Soup Recipe
The Directions
- Melt the Butter. Cook the onion in it with salt and pepper.
- Stir in the Vegetables. Cook until the broccoli is bright green.
- Pour in the Broth. Bring to a simmer.
- Simmer. Cook until the vegetables are tender.
- Puree. Puree to your desired consistency.
- Heat the Soup. Over low heat, stir in the milk, mustard, nutmeg, and cayenne (if using).
- Prepare the Cheese. Toss the cheddar with cornstarch.
- Add the Cheddar. Stir in the Parmesan. DIG IN!
Storage Tips
- To Store. Refrigerate soup in an airtight storage container for up to 5 days.
- To Reheat. Rewarm leftovers in a pot on the stovetop over medium-low heat or in the microwave.
- To Freeze. Freeze soup in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Meal Prep Tip
Up to 1 day in advance, shred the cheese and chop the vegetables. Refrigerate each ingredient in a separate airtight storage container until you’re ready to finish the recipe.
What to Serve With Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- Bread. Crock Pot Bread, No Knead Focaccia, and Beer Bread would all be delicious dunked into this broccoli cauliflower cheese soup recipe.
- Salad. Pair this soup with Apple Walnut Salad, Arugula Salad, or Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad.
- Veggies. Serve this creamy broccoli cheddar soup with even more veggies. Try Air Fryer Asparagus, Sauteed Carrots, or Roasted Butternut Squash.
- Crackers. For those who prefer dipping crackers into their soup, try my Ranch Crackers.
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
- Dutch Oven. Perfect for making this cheesy broccoli soup.
- Immersion Blender. Easily blend soups without having to transfer them from the pot.
- Cheese Grater. Use this tool to easily grate your own cheese for healthy broccoli cheddar soup.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Add the Cheese Slowly. As with Instant Pot Mac and Cheese, if you add too much cheese to this soup at once, it will curdle, lump up, and refuse to melt.
- Don’t Let the Soup Boil. To avoid that dreaded grainy broccoli cheese soup texture, don’t let it get too hot too fast once you’ve added the cheese.
- No Preshredded Cheese, Please. While convenient, pre-shredded, bagged cheeses contain a powdered coating to keep them from clumping. It also keeps them from melting. Grate the cheese yourself from the block. It’s worth it!
- Use Caution When Blending. Whether you’re using an immersion blender or transferring the soup to a blender, know that hot liquids and blenders love to splatter.
- Don’t Skip the Cauliflower. It gives the soup a nice, thick texture. Once you try it, you’ll want to make my Broccoli Cauliflower Soup next!
Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 45 minutes
Total: 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 4 (to 6) servings
Video
This cheesy, creamy broccoli cheddar soup tastes like Panera and is made with healthy ingredients! The perfect comfort food.
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 small yellow onion finely chopped
- 1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 carrots scrubbed and cut into 1/2 to 3/4-inch pieces
- 8 cups broccoli florets about 2 heads
- 3 cups cauliflower florets about 12 ounces or 1 small head
- 2 cloves garlic minced, about 2 teaspoons
- 4 cups low sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
- ½ cup 2% milk whole milk, or half-and-half (the higher the fat, the richer the soup)
- 1 to 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard to taste (I use 2)
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Pinch cayenne pepper optional
- 4 ounces extra sharp cheddar cheese shredded (about 1 cup), plus additional for serving, do not use pre-shredded cheese, which does not melt as smoothly
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ¼ cup finely grated Parmesan or 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven or similar large, sturdy soup pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, salt, and black pepper. Cook until the onion softens and begins to turn translucent, adjusting the heat as needed so it becomes tender but does not brown, about 5 to 8 minutes.
- Add the carrot, broccoli, cauliflower, and garlic. Cook until the broccoli is very lightly sautéed and bright green, about 5 minutes.
- Add the broth. Bring to a simmer over medium-high.
- Reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook, stirring periodically, until the vegetables are completely tender, about 15 minutes.
- Puree the soup, either in batches in a blender (be careful not to overfill it—blenders love to splatter) or directly in the pot with an immersion blender. Leave the soup as chunky or as tender as you like.
- Heat the pot over low. Stir in the milk (or half-and-half), mustard, nutmeg, and cayenne.
- Place the cheddar in a bowl and sprinkle the cornstarch over the top. With your fingers, toss to coat the shreds evenly.
- Working only 1 small handful at a time, add the cheese very slowly to the soup, stirring constantly and allowing the cheese to melt completely before the next addition. Stir in the Parmesan. Taste and adjust the seasoning as desired. Enjoy warm with crusty bread and additional cheese sprinkled on top.
Notes
- TO STORE: Refrigerate soup in an airtight storage container for up to 5 days.
- TO REHEAT: Rewarm leftovers in a pot on the stovetop over medium-low heat or in the microwave.
- TO FREEZE: Freeze soup in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Nutrition
Serving: 1(of 4)Calories: 363kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 22gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 51mgPotassium: 1261mgFiber: 8gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 9322IUVitamin C: 203mgCalcium: 428mgIron: 2mg
Email Me the Recipe!
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My family enjoyed this recipe, it was creamy and tasty! I poured the soup into blender, little by little to mix it up. I also prepped all my ingredients earlier in the day to make dinner time easy. Broccoli soup has also been a weekend dish around here and this is my new favorite recipe!
Hi Andrea! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
I haven’t made this yet because I’m one with high blood pressure and heart surgery so I was wondering if you could let me know if it’s high in sodium it doesn’t list the sodium count.
Hi Deborah! I stopped including sodium info because it can vary so much depending upon what products you used, and I found a lot of conflicting info online, so ultimately I didn’t feel comfortable publishing it because sometimes it wasn’t even in the ballpark. If you’d like to calculate it yourself, there are lots of free tools online (myfitnesspal.com is popular). I hope that helps!
I asked my five year old daughter what we should write for this recipe review and she said, “I love you!” as she was finishing her third bowl. Thank you for helping me keep my little one healthy this winter. I made this recipe in the Instant Pot – this one appealed to me more than your actual Instant Pot one. I used chicken bone broth, 3 big carrots, almost a whole bag of Costco broccoli florets, and a half a head of cauliflower. I can’t believe how much flavor just 4oz of cheese adds to that enormous amount of vegetables! Good idea using cornstarch too. Definitely a keeper!
Best comment EVER! Thank you so much! Glad it worked for you in the Instant Pot!!
Delicious! I forgot to get broth! So I just used water and added a little more s&p. Still so so good. Picky 7 year-old loved it too!
Love it! Thanks Leigh!
Thank you for this absolutely amazing broccoli cheddar soup! Our whole family loves it, even the pickier eaters. This soup has made our “The One” recipe list. Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it Sara!
This is my go-to recipe! Love the addition of the cauliflower!
So happy to hear this Brenna, thank you!
This is delicious! Perfect comfort food. I have struggled to find a broccoli cheddar soup recipe that I like, but I will definitely be making this again!
Great to hear, thank you Adria!
Made a great supper! Had to sub more broccoli for the cauliflower as I have a household member that can’t have cauliflower. Was still delicious. :)
Glad it worked! Thanks Carrie!
Delicious taste and fills you up surprisingly well. The partner loved this too definitely adding to our menu at home haha
So happy to hear you enjoyed it!
We had mixed reviews at our house. Some thought it was too “tangy” others thought it was good. I will make this again and may tweak it to figure out the tanginess.
Hi Paige, maybe it was the brand of extra sharp cheese or dijon mustard used? Those are the only two ingredients that could possibly cause it to be “tangy”. Sorry to hear it wasn’t to the taste of some of your household. Myself (and others) have enjoyed so I hope it would of been a hit everyone!
My family loved this soup! I was skeptical about the cauliflower, but it added a creaminess and didn’t change the taste much. Will definitely make again.
Love to hear that! Thank you Christa!
I made the broccoli cheese soup for dinner tonight. Oh my goodness, it was souper (get it) easy and absolutely delicious. This will be one of my new favorites
Glad you enjoyed it!
This is a rich tasting soup without the overstuffed feeling afterward. The flavors are blended just perfectly. I added crumbled bacon on top with a cornbread on the side. The cruciferous flavors were on point and paired perfectly with the cheddar and parm cheese flavors. This was so simple to make.
Thanks Dale!
Easy delicious soup! I didn’t even have to adjust the seasoning at the end. It’s that flavorful! What a great way to pack in all those healthy veggies!
Glad you enjoyed it Sue!
I like all the veg in the soup. I used 1 cup of half and half and blended only half the soup, leaving a chunkier texture. Cheese on top seals the deal! Yum!
Great to hear, thank you Emily!
Made this last night in an effort to have a go-to lunch grab for the week to make things easy while momming the littles. It is so delish and filling! Love all the veggies inside and the texture that came out. 10/10 recommend. Plus, we had some sourdough on hand to pair with it. Chef’s kiss! 👩🏻🍳👌
Thanks Megan!
I’ve never made (or eaten…) broccoli cheddar soup, but my husband wanted it so I gave this a try! Used frozen broccoli and cauliflower for ease and heavy cream instead of milk because I had some to use. Thanks for a tasty recipe, Erin!
Glad you enjoyed it, Caitlin! Thank you!
This is so good!! I love broccoli and cheddar together and this soup is excellent!
Glad you enjoyed it, Erin! Thank you!
I made the broccoli cheddar soup this morning before church and kept it warm in the crockpot. My husband took seconds and said that I could make it again. I prefer a milk base rather than so much chicken broth, but it was good. I’ve never mixed cornstarch with cheese before, but it worked well!
Great to hear, thank you Orpha!
My family loves a great soup and this one is exceptional! It is super creamy and hearty and I love all the healthy ingredients. We enjoyed it with sourdough breadsticks and salad. A winner for sure!
Thank. you Adrienne!
I really enjoyed this soup! I blended it pretty uniformly but next time will leave a few more broccoli pieces whole. It was creamy but not too much so, and the broccoli flavor really came through. Delicious!
Glad to hear you enjoyed it Hilary! Thank you!
This was the best Broccoli Cheddar Soup we have ever had. The Dijon mustard, Nutmeg and Cayenne kicked the flavor to a new height for us. I blended my veggies smaller as I prefer a smoother consistency. I used Cabots Serious Cheddar Cheese to enhance the cheese flavor. We enjoyed this so much!!! I will be making this again and again.
Glad to hear you enjoyed it Carol! Thank you!
I never met a soup I did not like. This Broccoli 🥦 Cheddar soup is so delicious 😋 creamy and dreamy. I never made a soup with Dijon mustard. Dijon mustard is not just for dressing and sauces – it is a great addition to soup! I will make it again and again. I posted it on my Instagram too for extra credit for the February challenge @agi1971
Great to hear, thank you Agnes!
So good! I used whole milk instead of 1/2 and 1/2. We didn’t feel it needed extra cheese on top. I served it with salad and bread. Whole family loved it!
Thank you Jennifer!
Can this be made with frozen broccoli and cauliflower? The fresh is really expensive right now, but I am craving broccoli cheese soup.
Hi Sue, I haven’t tried it myself but you probably could. It might make it a little more watery than intended so you may need to simmer a little longer. If you decide to experiment, I’d love to know how it goes!
The whole family enjoyed this recipe! Make sure to cut the veggies small so you can blend them sooner…we started too large and had to add some cook time. The kids loved dunking their bread in the soup..
Thanks for the feedback, Beth! Glad you enjoyed it!
We do love Panera’s broccoli cheddar soup so had to give this recipe a try. You are so right, it is amazing. Our whole family loves it!
Love it! Thank you Vickie!
I loved that this was healthy, vegetarian, and high in protein! I may have added too much mustard, though, and didn’t really care for the mustard flavor in the soup. My husband, however, raved about it!!
Thanks Sandy!
Loved this broccoli cheese soup. It reminded me of Panera’s soup! It did take awhile to make, but homemade soup is worth it!
#wellplatedcookingchallenge
So glad you enjoyed it!
This is so good. I would make it again. Perfect warm comfort food
Winner winner cheesy comfort dinner!
Thank you Elaine!