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Slow Cooker Broccoli Cheese Soup – Calling all Panera broccoli cheese soup lovers! I’m popping in with a healthy recipe for an easy Slow Cooker Broccoli Cheese Soup that takes less than 10 minutes to prep. This is one of the best crock pot recipes to make you feel just as warm and toasty as the Panera original.

white bowl of Crockpot Broccoli Cheese Soup garnished with shredded cheddar cheese

This easy slow cooker broccoli cheese soup recipe is perfect when you are in need of a healthy meal but have zero time to cook it, a position I find myself in often, and I suspect you do too.

A Quicker, Easier Slow Cooker Broccoli Cheese Soup

Nearly every broccoli and cheese soup recipe I’ve found calls for the initial step of making a base cheese sauce on the stove, including recipes designed for the crock pot.

Because I know we don’t always have time to fuss with this kind of prep, I decided to see if I could create a slow cooker broccoli and cheese soup entirely via the “dump and go” method: dump the ingredients into your crock pot; walk away; return hours later to a dinner that’s ready to serve.

the fresh ingredients in a slow cooker needed to make slow cooker broccoli cheese soup

I almost made it.

Although you can skip the cheese sauce, and I’d still bet my last spoonful that this is the easiest broccoli and cheese soup recipe you’ll find, you do need to blend the soup with an immersion blender or food processor prior to serving.

It’s a small extra step that’s well worth the effort for the texture and body it provides.

The flavor of this soup is a dead-ringer for Panera’s broccoli cheese soup, and although its texture is a bit thinner than I’d originally envisioned (a result of skipping that fussy cheese sauce base), I still found it to be plenty cheesy and satisfying.

a white soup bowl filled with Slow Cooker Broccoli and Cheese Soup

If you love broccoli cheese soups like this, make sure to try this Broccoli Cauliflower Soup too!

More Comforting Slow Cooker Soup Recipes

2 white soup bowls of broccoli cheese soup made in a slow cooker

Slow Cooker Broccoli and Cheese Soup

4.30 from 104 votes
The most easy and healthy recipe for Broccoli and Cheese Soup you’ll find! Made with lots of fresh veggies, cheddar, and your crock pot does all the work.

Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 4 hours 15 minutes
Total: 4 hours 30 minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 5 cups chopped broccoli florets about 16 ounces
  • 1 cup grated carrots, you can grate yourself or use bagged, pre-cut julienne carrots
  • 1 medium yellow onion finely diced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 ounces reduced fat cream cheese do not use fat free
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 2 1/2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
  • 1 can 2% evaporated milk (12 ounces)
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated* (1 block)

Instructions
 

  • Place the broccoli, carrots, onion, and garlic in the bottom of 5-to-6-quart slow cooker. Top with the cream cheese, oregano, nutmeg, and chicken broth. Stir to evenly distribute the ingredients. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4-6 hours, until the broccoli is tender.
  • Remove the lid and stir in the evaporated milk. With an immersion blender, puree about 3/4 of the soup, so that it is mostly smooth but still has a few chunks of broccoli remaining. Alternatively, you can puree the soup in 1 cup-sized batches in a food processor or blender. (Be careful—it’s hot and prone to splatter!)
  • Recover the soup and let cook on low for 10 minutes until warmed through. Stir the salt, pepper, and grated cheese. Taste and add additional salt and pepper as desired. Recover and cook on high until the cheese is fully melted and the soup is hot, about 5 additional minutes. Serve warm.

Video

Notes

The type of cheese you use is very important to this recipe. I highly advise grating your own from the block, as many brands of pre-grated, bagged cheese are coated with starch to prevent sticking. While convenient, this starch can prevent the cheese from melting smoothly. I also recommend using regular, not light cheese for this reason—reduced fat cheese sometimes does not melt as well.

Nutrition

Serving: 1of 6 (about 1 1/2 cups)Calories: 272kcalCarbohydrates: 16gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 59mgSodium: 806mgFiber: 1g

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Erin Clarke

Hi, I'm Erin Clarke, and I'm fearlessly dedicated to making healthy food that's affordable, easy-to-make, and best of all DELISH. I'm the author and recipe developer here at wellplated.com and of The Well Plated Cookbook. I adore both sweets and veggies, and I am on a mission to save you time and dishes. WELCOME!

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272 Comments

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  1. Charleston is such a magical place and the food scene there is world class.  It  sounds like you had the opportunity to indulge in a lot of what the city has to offer in the culinary space.  But alas we all must return to reality and. . . this soup.   What a great way to transition back into the daily grind.  I’ve been giving my slow cooker quite the workout as of late. . .and interestingly enough I was wanting to make a healthy broccoli soup.  The timing for this post couldn’t be perfect.   

  2. oh gurl. i too had broccoli soup on the blog mind today too!! yours looks sooo delish. and i am very jealous of your charleston trip! can’t wait for the full recap. I was there years ago for a bach and it was the best. xo

  3. This soup looks so creamy and comforting! It’s definitely soup season around here because everyone is getting sick on campus- I would so love a bowl of this right about now :)

  4. I’m still on the fence about buying a slow cooker, though if it means I can make delicious soups like this then it’s definitely a huge plus in favour of getting one! Looks delicious =)

    1. I vote yes Teffy! I don’t use my slow cooker for every meal, but it really comes in handy and is especially great for soups.

    2. Get the Ninja cooking system it’s almost all I ever use anymore. You get much faster cooking and everything is juicy and tender

        1. This is the one I have.

          Ninja 6 Quart 3 In 1 Multi-System Slow Cooker (Certified Refurbished) (Red) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0743HK9NX/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_1esnCbTW7VWTM

  5. A girl after my own heart! Broccoli cheese soup is always my go-to, and I’m so glad to have a recipe I can make ahead! Can’t wait to make this!

  6. Erin,
    It was a pleasure flying with you and your husband. Sorry if I snored…long week! I hope you guys enjoyed your stay in Charleston and were entertained by our airport. Your blog is fun, and I’ll be sure to keep reading!

    1. JJ, you didn’t snore at all, and I have to thank you for your stellar food recs! We hit up Amen Street, the bar at The Mac, and Craftsman and loved them all. I need to get back to Charleston soon. It’s such a great town, and there’s still so much left to try. Have a great day, and I hope our paths cross again!

  7. Broccoli cheese soup is a favorite around here! Love that you made it healthier!

  8. We made this last night for dinner and I ate a bowl for breakfast. If that doesn’t tell you how good this is I just don’t know what does! :) 
    This is a keeper!5 stars

    1. Annie, that is the highest praise I could for! Thanks so much for trying the recipe and letting me know how it came out!

    2. Thanks for the review. It’s nice to read a comment from someone who has actually tried it and not just saying they’re going to make it or it looks delish ;)

  9. My family really enjoyed this soup.  It was a terrific way to get my kids to eat some vegetables!  Thank you!5 stars

    1. Jocelyn, I am so so happy to hear this!! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you and your family!

  10. if i cook this tonight before bed, will i be able to warm it up for lunch tomorrow? (not sure with the melted cheese in it)

    1. Definitely Lisa! I’d just warm it on about 75% power and stop to stir it periodically. I hope you enjoy the recipe!

  11. Can you substitute whipping cream for the canned milk?  I’m not so worried about the fat just trying to avoid as much processed products as possible

    1. Definitely Lee! Half and half might work as well—it just depends on how rich you’d like the soup to be. I hope you enjoy it!

  12. Looks and sounds great! Question: What could I substitute for the cream cheese? Or could I just omit it? Cream cheese and I don’t get along. :)

    1. Hi Suzy! Honestly, I think it would be hard to find a substitute for the cream cheese. The soup will be a bit thinner if you omit it, but if this doesn’t bother you, you can just leave it out.

    2. You could always coat the veggies in flour before you add the broth. It will give it a thicker texture. Or if you have the time you could make a roux. 

      1. Thanks for the suggestion Samantha! I’ve never tried the recipe this way, but it would be a good experiment. If you decide to try the soup this way, I’d love to hear how it comes out.

    1. Holly, I’ve never tried this recipe with frozen veggies, so it would be an experiment, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. The soup might be a bit more liquidy though, since the veggies will thaw in the slow cooker. I’d suggest reducing the amount of liquid in the soup, then checking the cooking time early. I hope you enjoy the recipe!

    1. Jorene, it’s been a while since I made this, but I’m fairly certain that I froze it and that it turned out just fine! The only soup recipes I really have trouble freezing are those that call for coconut milk because it tends to solidify and not thaw properly.

    1. Hi Susan! I apologize—I thought I responded to this. I recommend the evaporated because it is thicker and will yield a creamier soup. If you don’t mind a thinner consistency, regular milk will be fine. I hope you enjoy it!

  13. Woow!!! Just made your brocoli soup and it was absolutley delicious. my daughter is very hard to make her eat and she asked for more!!! Best soup ever!!  You gained a follower!5 stars

  14. Tried this recipe tonight and it was fantastic! Didn’t have nutmeg on hand but I still thought it was really rich and flavorful. Great recipe, thanks for sharing!5 stars

  15.  I noticed someone asked if they could replace the whipping cream with something else. But there is no whipping cream in the ingredients only evaporated milk so I was a little confused about that. 

  16. Hi!  Question: I’m making this as the recipe states, but am curious why we need to dice onion and shred carrots if I’m going to use an immersion blender.  Is it to release flavors differently?  Or, could I put in larger chunks of veggies assuming they’ll soften while cooking? 

    Thanks! 

    1. Hi Haylea! I found that cutting the veggies that size is what gave me the cook time specified the recipe in the end. You can leave them larger, but the soup will take longer to cook. It’s up to you!

      1. Erin –

        Is it possible to puree or finely chop all the veggies up front in the food processor so I don’t have to use an immersion blender afterwards?

        1. Hi Sheri! I actually would not recommend this. The blending is to thicken the soup, not just to chop the veggies smaller. Without blending, the soup will be more brothy, vs. creamy. I hope that helps to answer your question!

      1. Hi Katie! Frozen broccoli should work, though its texture will be a bit “mushier” than if you use fresh. Also, the ad shouldn’t be blocking the recipe—it’s in the box but won’t cover text. Try refreshing the page and/or clearing out your browser’s cache. 

  17. I’m curious if you can freeze everything prior to cooking. I’m meal prepping and don’t need to cook it today. Would the brocolli get saggy?

    1. Hi Renée! Please see the prior comments about using frozen broccoli. I think the same would apply if you prep things in advance, then froze them. I hope you enjoy the recipe!

  18. This was just okay to me. Wished I had used chicken stock instead of vegetable because it throws the flavor off. I added some parmesan cheese to amp up the flavor because it was so bland tasting. The real flavor of broccoli just doesn’t shine through this recipe as I am used to in my older recipe and I don’t understand why.

    1. Hi Carol! I’m sorry you didn’t love this recipe as much as you hoped. As you can see from the prior comments, it’s been quite popular with other readers, but everyone has different tastes, and I know it’s disappointing to try a new recipe and not have it be as expected. My guess is the flavors were more muted due to the inherent flavor loss that happens with any that vegetables are made in a slow cooker vs. on the stove top. Also, because they are not sauteed first, some flavor loss happens that way (it’s a sacrifice I made in the recipe for the sake of easy prep). The parmesan sounds like a great addition. Also, be sure to use reduced sodium (vs. salt free) broth, as that will impact the flavor too. You may have done that already, but I wanted to call it to your attention just in case.

  19. I was wondering if anyone knows how this keeps in the refrigerator and/or freezer? I am making the whole thing for just 2 of us and was wondering how to best keep it. Thank you!

  20. OMG !  This Soup is Fabulous !
    The receipt came through on my Pinterest Site.
    I saw this last night and NEW i had to make it.  
    I added more broccoli and carrots………I only added more Chicken Stock………..
    Otherwise I followed the directions.  (I Used the Blender at the end to Blend veggies……but still kept it chunky ).
    I cut scallions for garnish and toasted a crusty rustic bread with butter !  RAVES !  
    Easy…….and GUILT FREE, sorta !  5 stars

  21. Love Love Love this recipe! The blending is such a fabulous idea. Healthier and makes the texture just perfect!

    1. YAY!!! I cannot say enough how happy this makes me. Thanks for trying the recipe and leaving this kind review!

  22. Hi Kathy! Bubbles can occur depending on how the blender is used (for example, if it’s close to the surface, it will suck in some air, if that makes sense). They should settle down fairly quickly though.

  23. I made the slow cooker broccoli and cheese soup this weekend and it turned out great. I really appreciate that you provide the nutritional information. Thank you.5 stars

  24. Hi Sheila! Sorry for the miss—it’s updated now. Thanks for letting me know! Both should be broth, though you can use either for the recipe. I hope you enjoy it very much!

  25. I’m making this RIGHT NOW, but I accidentally loaded everything into the slow cooker at the same time. Fingers crossed it turns out okay.

    1. Hi Justin, I can’t say for sure with a chicken noodle soup recipe. My best guess is that you’d probably want to add it toward the end of the overall cooking time so the broccoli doesn’t turn mushy.

  26. This soup was so good!! I love that it has tons of veggies in it. I was so surprised by the flavor, it is spot on to the Panera brocolli cheddar soup!5 stars

    1. Thanks, Sammie! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, and I appreciate your taking the time to leave this nice comment!

    1. Hi Lisa, I haven’t added chicken to the recipe before, so I can’t say for sure! I think if you wanted to try it, you’d want to add bite-size pieces of already-cooked chicken to the crockpot *after* blending the soup in step 2, then warm it up for 10 minutes as instructed before adding the salt, pepper, and cheese. If you try it out, I’d love to hear how it goes!

  27. Going to make this for a family Christmas party so I was going to double it. How long would you suggest cooking it for double the batch? Thank you!

    1. Hi Brooke, I’m not quite sure since I’ve never doubled the recipe before! I would suggest checking it according to the specified times in the recipe, then check it every 15 to 30 minutes from there depending on how much longer it seems the vegetables need. I hope you enjoy it!

  28. May I ask what brand and/or version (medium, sharp, extra sharp, SUPER sharp, etc.) of cheddar cheese you use? I’m still struggling with find a good one that melts well for many recipes.

    1. Hi Traci, I love sharp cheddar grated right off the block (full fat when melting is really critical). I buy all sorts of different brands. The main thing to remember is not to buy pre-shredded. It has a starch on it to keep it from caking that causes the cheese to melt less smoothly.

  29. I’m a big fan of using the slow cooker, but not when you have to do a lot of work in addition to that. So I was really excited to try this recipe. We made it a few months ago and LOVED it!!! My husband didn’t leave a drop in his bowl. (Panera’s broccoli and cheddar was his favorite until we tried this.) I made it exactly as written, except I used cheese that was already shredded. So easy to make, tasty, and easy to adapt! Looking forward to having this again tonight :) Thank you for sharing.5 stars

    1. I’m thrilled to hear this recipe was a winner for you, Amy! Thank you so much for giving it a try and taking the time to leave this wonderful review!

    1. I’m so glad you enjoyed the soup, Karen! And I appreciate your taking the time to leave this lovely review. Thank you!

  30. This was absolutely delicious!! Very easy to make (which says A LOT coming from me)!! I used vegetable broth and it was perfect! I do wish it was a little thicker because I love how creamy the Panera soup is, but you still can’t beat that taste!! Thanks for the recipe!!5 stars

    1. Kaitlyn, I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed the soup! Thank YOU for taking the time to share your feedback and leave this wonderful review!

    1. Vickie, I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave this awesome review!

  31. Hi Tracy, I’m sorry to hear the soup didn’t turn out as expected. I know it’s disappointing to try a new recipe and not have it come out (especially after seeing comments from people who enjoyed it!), so I truly wish you would have loved this.

  32. I made this over the weekend and although it was a big hit my family would have liked it to be thicker. I used full fat cream cheese instead of reduced fat. Is there anything else I can add to make it thicker?5 stars

    1. Hi Sharon, I’m glad to hear you enjoyed it! You can use less chicken stock, or you could also try making a cornstarch slurry and stirring that in toward the end.

  33. Hi! I accidnetly added the evaporated milk at the beginning of cook time. Do you think it will still be good for dinner tonight or should I plan on making something else? 

    1. Hi Whitney, I know I’m probably seeing this too late, but it’s possible that the milk would curdle if it was put in too early. I hope it came out for you and would love to hear how it went!

      1. It didn’t curdle. I added 1/2 and 1/2 in the last 30 minutes in hope that it would thicken. I also didn’t have quite enough chicken broth and used a splash of beef broth…surprisingly turned out really good! My 1 year old daughter and 2 year old niece loved it! My niece even requested it for breakfast haha!

  34. Hello! Great recipe! I definitely didn’t as much time to soften the veggies in the beginning – making it a great weeknight dinner.4 stars

  35. I’m excited to try this for dinner! I have a question- the veggies and cream cheese and broth are in the crock pot right now, but the broth mixture doesn’t completely cover the veggies. Should it? Do I need to add more broth? 

    Thank you!!! 

    1. Hi Hannah, I realize you’ll have finished the soup by now, but the broth mixture doesn’t need to cover the veggies—I’d stick with the amount of liquid called for in the recipe. I hope it turned out and that you enjoyed it!

    1. Hi Rachael, blending is important for thickening the soup. Without blending, the soup will be more brothy versus creamy and will be a different texture. The taste will probably still be similar since all the same ingredients are used, but as noted in the blog post, I definitely prefer the blended version. I hope that helps!

  36. Hi! Thanks for posting. I also LOVE Charleston!! I wish I were closer so I could visit often! I am new to cooking. I do own a large crockpot but found that I have been wasteful. I am trying to portion out recipes so that I can make them in a 1.5 quart crockette instead. Can you give advice on how much I should use above for a 1.5 quart crockette? Half would still be too much, I was thinking maybe 1/4 of what you have above?

    Thank you so much. If not, I will try in the larger crockpot and freeze remainder.
    -Laura

    1. Hi Laura, the recipe as written doesn’t fill a 6-quart slow cooker, so half may fit in your small one. (The recipe serves 6, so if you were to scaling to less than half, you’d only end up with maybe two small servings). Note that since the crock will be fuller, it may take longer to cook as well. The recipe does freeze well for up to 2 months if you decide to go with the larger batch! Good luck!

  37. Made this recipe this week and my family went nuts for it, including my two year old and four year old!  The only change I had to make was substituting half and half for the evaporated milk (I forgot to buy it). It was SO easy, tasty, and satisfying which is essential having a newborn and two other young ones in the house. This will definitely be added to our regular rotation this winter! 5 stars

    1. Katherine, I’m thrilled to hear the recipe was a hit for your family! Thanks so much for giving the soup a try and for taking the time to leave this awesome review!

  38. Accidentally added in the evaporated milk with all the ingredients and then cooked on low. We are still enjoying – Next time I will make it right!4 stars

  39. Hoping to make this tomorrow but I am currently making chicken stock in my crock pot. Can I make this on the stove top instead? Have you tried with this recipe? Thanks in advance! 

    1. Hi Erin, I think making this on the stovetop should work just fine! (And, of course, it would take less time to cook than in the slow cooker.) I hope you enjoy!

  40. This was every bit as delicious as claimed! I didn’t think it was too thin but puréed most of the broccoli in. Thanks for the new family favorite!5 stars

    1. I’m so glad you enjoyed the soup, Heather! Thank YOU for taking the time to leave this nice review!

    1. Hi Lisa! I think almond milk would be too thin. I’d suggest sticking with the evaporated milk, then if you want to stir in Greek yogurt at the end (let the soup cool first) to thicken it up even more, you can try that.

  41. I’m wondering what you think about adding a can of rinsed and drained white beans to add protein and help thicken? I’m ok if it changes the flavor a bit—would you alter anything else if I add this? 

    1. Sarah, I think you can stir them right in at the end! If you puree them in, that will definitely change the flavor and consistency, but it’s totally up to you. You could always experiment with adding them just to part of the soup, tasting it, then seeing how you like it. I’d also suggest adjusting the seasoning after you add the beans in case it needs more salt and pepper. If you decide to try it, I’d love to hear how it goes!

  42. Made this soup tonight, it was excellent thanks for the recipe. Added one cup of quinoa for a healthy kick and to thicken the texture and compensate for the extra liquid created from the frozen broccoli used. Swapped Parmesan for grated cheese. Thanks again.5 stars

    1. Roddy, thanks so much for taking the time to leave this review and share your tweaks! I’m glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe.

  43. Your recipe looks amazing, I forgot my phone when I went to the store so I couldn’t get the ingredients, but I will. I have pinned on 2 boards. Would be so good on a chilly night.

    Thank you for sharing!5 stars

  44. I followed the recipe, but my soup had a gritty texture, which I’m assuming is due to the broccoli bits? I used an immersion blender. The Panera broccoli cheddar soup has a smooth and creamy texture, no grit. This recipe tasted pretty good, but was not like the Panera version.

    1. Michelle, that is the first time I’ve heard about the grit! It might be how they were pureed or that the soup didn’t cook long enough. You could try stirring in extra cheese or Greek yogurt to make it creamier, in case that helps. Regardless, I’m sorry that this didn’t meet your expectations. I know that is disappointing.

  45. USE CORN STARCH at the end to thicken it. You mix it with a little water and stir it up good then stir it into the hot and on high slow cooker. It will start to thicken quickly so be patient instead of adding too much and making it too thick.

    I use this method when doing a pot roast to make gravy. It works beautifully every time and unlike flour doesn’t need to be cooked down for a long period to avoid a funny taste.

  46. Can you use almond flour instead of all-purpose to reduce carbs?  I read in comments above about using heavy whipping cream in place of evaporated milk which is what I would do.  thanks!

    1. Linda, this soup doesn’t actually call for all purpose flour at all, so no need to add almond flour either. I hope you enjoy it!

  47. Just made this and it was really good. However it was quite watery and I followed directions exactly. Thinking next time I may use less broth or more veggies to make it thicker or try the corn starch.  Thank you for recipe! 4 stars

    1. Hi Shelley, I’m glad you enjoyed it! Those are the tips I recommend for making the soup thicker, so I hope you love it next time you try it too!

  48. This soup is amazing and better than any I’ve had at a restaurant!  It was also delicious leftover for lunch the next day!5 stars

  49. Made this last night. I had everything on hand to make it except evaporated milk, so I used 1 cup milk and 1/2 cup cream. I also whisked in 2 tbsp of flour to my milk mixture before stirring it into the soup, then let it cook on high for an extra 30ish minutes, to help it thicken a little. It was delicious! Thank you for the great recipe.5 stars

  50. Love the recipe, do not appreciate the pop up videos that you can’t close!!!!!  I tried to close it several times and each time it just opens full screen.  My battery just went from 65% to 19% in less than 5 minutes.

    1. Hi Mieke, I’m so happy that you enjoyed the recipe! I’m sorry for any inconvenience the ads caused you! I will certainly keep paying close attention to the number of ads and how they load. I do truly appreciate your feedback!

  51. Hi Erin!

    Thanks so much for this recipe, it looks delicious! I had a quick question – I had read this recipe yesterday after work and grabbed all the ingredients, but hadn’t read that I needed a blender for it! (totally my bad, I’m still a cooking rookie)

    So the crockpot is going right now on step 1 and I’m planning to head home for lunch to put the evaporated milk in – but I don’t have a blender to blend everything together unfortunately :/

    Do you have any recommendation to help with this? Should I maybe try crushing everything together or something? Or just forget the blending part and end up with a thinner soup? Thanks so much for any help you can provide!! :)5 stars

    1. Hi Timmy, blending is important for thickening the soup. Without blending, the soup will be more brothy versus creamy and will be a different texture. The taste will probably still be similar since all the same ingredients are used, but as noted in the blog post, I definitely prefer the blended version. You could try to blend some of the ingredients by hand, as you mentioned. I hope that helps!

  52. Made this last weekend and my husband, 15 year old daughter and I loved it (the six year old, not so much, mainly because she “saw” what went in it… onions and broccoli!). My 15 year old daughter decided to be a vegetarian a few months back, so I am really trying to find some recipes that work for her AND us – and this was a winner. It was simple, I didn’t change anything, and great results. Of course, I used the vegetable broth for vegetarian version, but it did not affect taste. This will be in regular rotation. Thanks!5 stars

    1. Amy, I am so so pleased to hear this, THANK YOU! And thank you for taking time to leave this review and rating. It means so much to me and is really helpful for others considering the recipes too!

    1. Hi Trish! I have never tried doubling this recipe before, so I’m not sure if it would fit. If you decide to experiment, I’d love to hear how it goes!

    1. Hi Karen, I’m sorry the soup turned out gritty and thin for you. It might be how the vegetables were pureed or that the soup didn’t cook long enough. You could try stirring in extra cheese or Greek yogurt to make it creamier, in case that helps. Regardless, I’m sorry that this didn’t meet your expectations. I know that it is disappointing to not have a recipe turn out!

  53. I made this tonight and although it tasted good it appeared to have curdled, I followed the instructions, so I’m not sure what happened, bummer.

    1. Hi Pankey529, I’m so sorry to hear that you had trouble with this recipe. Did you use fat free milk or cream cheese by chance? Fat free products can curdle more easily, so that could be the cause. I’m happy to hear that the flavors were still tasty!

    2. I’m experiencing the grit as well. I’m certain it’s the onion. Not cooked enough? I used what I would call a medium onion and the onion flavor is very strong and has a raw note to it. Maybe sautéing beforehand would work or omit and use onion powder. I used high setting for over two hours and then ended up transferring it to a pot on the stove to try to cook the onion a bit more.4 stars

  54. We absolutely love this soup! My daughter just had braces put on so its difficult for her to eat and since I know how much she loves this I surprised her with it today! I pureed it completely and its perfect for her. I love the nutmeg it really gives it that something something! Thanks Erin!! Cant wait for the cookbook! :)5 stars

  55. So…. Im using a sub for evaporated milk. Im simmered my milk down to make my own evaporated milk. So far this appears to BE AMAZING! Now to see what the kiddos think!
    Thank you for the great recipe!5 stars

      1. WE LOVED IT! I did not have evaporated milk but simmered my own whole milk down! This recipe is the BOMB! Thank you for sharing Erin!5 stars

    1. Hi Rachel! If you want to make this soup in an Instant Pot, I suggest checking out my Instant Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup instead.

  56. I had such high hopes for this based on the reviews but unfortunately it was a bust. Not sure what happened as I followed the recipe and ingredients exactly. It is runny and gritty. I am pregnant and been craving Panera broccoli cheddar soup and this is nothing like it. Have to find another recipe to try again.3 stars

    1. Hi Jenna, I’m sorry the soup turned out gritty and thin for you. It might be how the vegetables were pureed or that the soup didn’t cook long enough. You could try stirring in extra cheese or Greek yogurt to make it creamier, in case that helps. Regardless, I’m sorry that this didn’t meet your expectations. I know that it is disappointing to not have a recipe turn out!

  57. Hi! Instead of using fresh broccoli can I use the same amount but frozen? I bought a big bag of frozen broccoli so I wanted to know if that would work instead? Thanks

    1. Hi Lorraine! I’ve never tried this recipe with frozen veggies, so it would be an experiment, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. The soup might be a bit more liquidy though, since the veggies will thaw in the slow cooker. I’d suggest reducing the amount of liquid in the soup, then checking the cooking time early. I hope you enjoy the recipe!

    1. I’m so sorry that you had trouble with this recipe, Elissa. I (and other readers) have really enjoyed it, so I truly wish it would’ve been a hit for you too!

  58. This is delicious! I’m not a big soup person but this is one of my favorite recipes to make now. So easy and pretty darn healthy to boot. Thank you for sharing this lovely recipe, Erin!5 stars

  59. I followed the recipe to a tee, didn’t change a thing. I don’t know what happened but it turned out so so bad and tasted like an onion bisque lol, very thin and gritty. Ugh. Spent like an hour trying to fix it and just had to dump it.2 stars

    1. I’m sorry to hear that this didn’t turn out as expected, Alexis. It’s so hard to say what might’ve happened without being in the kitchen with you, but I truly wish you would’ve enjoyed it.

  60. My family and I love this recipe. It is definitely one of our go to souls. Not sure how you came up with a 15 minute prep time however. Just chpopping onion and carrots alone took 15 minutes.5 stars

  61. This was a fantastic snow day meal. The recipe was easy to follow and tasted delicious. Thank you for sharing!5 stars

  62. I too followed the recipe and this was the blandest soup I’ve ever made. At the end I was dumping in more cheese, heavy cream, red pepper flakes, more salt and pepper, and garlic powder. I think I’ll serve the leftovers with rice or pasta as a sauce and forget about trying to make it a soup. I guess it just wasn’t for us.1 star

    1. Hi Julie, I’m sorry to hear the soup didn’t turn out as expected. I know it’s disappointing to try a new recipe and not have it come out, so I truly wish you would have loved this.

  63. I have made this soup recipe a bunch of times and I love it! My husband and I like it more than the soup from Panera or any other broccoli cheddar soup we have tried. I’m not sure why other reviewers find it gritty or thin, because ours always turns out great and thick. I use a regular blender because I don’t have a handheld one, but it’s definitely worth it! Thanks for the recipe, we love it and use it all the time. It’s delicious!! It is so easy to make this on nights I have to work late.5 stars

  64. Even on high, this soup took about 6 hours until I felt the broccoli was soft enough to puree. I did find the soup needed extra cream cheese to thicken it up. The flavour was fine, but I did add a little extra.4 stars

  65. Hi, while I enjoyed the flavor, the recipe just did not turn out. ? I used exactly what was recommended and grated my own cheese, but it still was very thin and gritty, and the evaporated milk and cheese curdled and separated from the broth resulting in a weird texture, much like what others have said. I have enjoyed recipes from this blog for a long time and will continue to do so, but was very disappointed in this one. I would love to see improvements made to the recipe!3 stars

    1. I’m sorry that this soup wasn’t to your tastes, Victoria. I know it’s frustrating to try a new recipe and not have it turn out, so I really wish you would’ve enjoyed it!

  66. AMAZING!!!! I just made this today and it was soooooo good. I added flour to thicken. Amazing recipe. Thanks so much.5 stars

  67. Very disappointed. Followed the recipe exactly. As others have mentioned, it was runny and gritty and not real tasty. Transferred to a pot on the stove, added more cheese, more spices, heavy whipping cream and used a cornstarch slurry to thicken it up. Finally got it to taste OK – but it was difficult to get over the gritty texture. Agree with the poster who said maybe use it over rice; then the grittiness would not be as obvious.1 star

    1. I’m sorry this soup wasn’t to your tastes, Mary. I know it’s frustrating to try a new recipe and not have it turn out, so I truly wish you would’ve enjoyed it!

    1. Hi! I’m sorry the soup turned out gritty and flavourless for you. It might be how the vegetables were pureed or that the soup didn’t cook long enough. You could try stirring in extra cheese or Greek yogurt to make it creamier, in case that helps. Regardless, I’m sorry that this didn’t meet your expectations. I know that it is disappointing to not have a recipe turn out!

  68. If you don’t puree this, the texture is dominated by gritty bits of broccoli and carrot grounds. I didn’t find that very appealing. If you do, then you’ll like this recipe, just an FYI.1 star

    1. Hi Robert! I’m sorry to hear the recipe wasn’t to your taste. I know it’s disappointing to try a new recipe and not enjoy it, so I truly wish it would have been a hit for you.

    1. Hi Robert! It might be but I’ve not tested it out so you would be experimenting. If you decide to, let me know how it goes!

    1. Hi Jim! I have frozen it and it turned out just fine! The only soup recipes I really have trouble freezing are those that call for coconut milk because it tends to solidify and not thaw properly. Hope this helps!

    1. I’m sorry to hear the recipe wasn’t to your taste, Zim. I know it’s disappointing to try a new recipe and not enjoy it, so I truly wish it would have been a hit for you.

  69. I agree it’s not the best. But it gives you a good base or start. What I did to enhance it was: I added another ounce of cream cheese, I added parm cheese (mainly because I didn’t have any cheddar to work with), heavy cream, 1/4 cup of flour. More salt and pepper. And a chunk of butter. And hot dog! That thickened it right up and made it super delicious.3 stars

    1. I’m sorry to hear the recipe wasn’t to your taste, Chloe. I know it’s disappointing to try a new recipe and not enjoy it, so I truly wish it would have been a hit for you.

  70. My hubs tried to make this tonight because I am home sick. This made the house smell delicious all day so it was so disappointing when it came out watery and gritty from the broccoli and carrots. He followed the recipe to a T. We tried to save it by cooking on high another hour, adding some heavy cream and more cheese…no dice.1 star

    1. Hi Danelle! I’m sorry the soup turned out gritty and flavourless for you. It might be how the vegetables were pureed or that the soup didn’t cook long enough. You could try stirring in extra cheese or Greek yogurt to make it creamier, in case that helps. Regardless, I’m sorry that this didn’t meet your expectations. I know that it is disappointing to not have a recipe turn out!

  71. The flavours in this soup are delicious. I added way too much broth cause I panicked and didn’t think it was going to be enough. It ended up being slightly watery. So I added Greek yogurt, extra cheese, and it balanced it out. A big hit!5 stars

  72. Sorry to be negative. Absolutely nasty. Who puts oregano in cheddar broccoli soup? Aftertaste from he$$. Someone owes me 25 dollars I wasted. If you are looking for cheesy, creamy, not gritty, this is not for you. Blah!!1 star

    1. I’m sorry to hear this wasn’t what you hoped for, Doug. Many other readers have tried it and loved it, but I know everyone has different tastes. I truly wish you would have loved it!

  73. This recipe was banging. The only change was I used cream cheese and chive cream cheese and it gave it a little “twang”. I also put in left over corn. It was great. Gave it a bit of texture I really loved it. I will definitely try recipe again.5 stars

  74. Absolutely delish! I usually shy away from creamy soup cuz of how unhealthy they usually are! I made my own plant-based evaporated milk, and used my Instant Pot (manual for 1 min) instead of the slow cooker. Can’t wait to make this again!!5 stars

  75. I made this recipe and it came out great! I don’t have a food processor or immersion blender so I just used a fork and puréed it. Came out delicious. I love cheese so I added more cheese! Ty!5 stars

  76. Pre shredded cheese worked fine for me! And I only rough chopped my onion and halved baby carrots knowing I would use my immersion blender in the end. I used dairy free cream cheese. I will make this again 😊5 stars

  77. I amended this recipe by using almond milk instead of evaporated milk and adding rice. The rice thickened the soup up, more to my family’s liking. I don’t agree that it is a dead ringer for Panera’s broccoli cheese soup. This recipe is too oregano-forward for my family. If I make this again, I will reduce the amount of oregano added, probably by half. Overall, a good starting recipe to make to your own liking.4 stars

    1. Hi, Leslie! I’m wondering when and how much rice you added to this recipe (and was it already cooked or not?). I would like a thicker soup and I have rice handy (as well as some velveeta I need to use up as another user stated). Thanks!

  78. Just a tip for people who find grating their own cheese a pain most food processors have a grating blade and you can use that to grate your cheese. Super easy. I’ve made this soup before its very good if you want to add a little more creaminess you can also add a little Velveeta.

  79. Absolutely disgusting. I followed the recommended “cook on high for 2 hours”, because who does love eating a bowl of flavorless raw carrots and onion? I had to cook the remaining ingredients for an additional 2 hours on high including adding more cream cheese and tons of spices for a little more flavor. Would not recommend1 star

    1. Hi Whitney, I’m sorry to hear that you had trouble with the recipe. The method and timing has worked well for myself (and others) but I know how frustrating it can be to try a new recipe and not have it work out, so I really wish you would’ve enjoyed it!

  80. This is not yummy!! Followed instructions to a T and I’m a dang good cook.. This was Not Good.. now what am I gonna do for dinner 😂😂😒1 star

    1. I’m sorry to hear that it wasn’t to your taste, Tara. The recipe has worked well for myself (and others) but I know how frustrating it can be to try a new recipe and not have it work out, so I really wish you would’ve enjoyed it!

  81. This was not good. My family wouldn’t eat it. It had too strong a taste of nutmeg. This was a huge disappointment.

    1. I’m sorry to hear that this recipe wasn’t to your tastes, Nj. I (and many other readers) have really enjoyed the flavors in this dish, so I wish it would’ve been a hit for you too!

  82. I was really looking forward to this soup. It is a lower calorie version of one of my favorites. However, it was so gross. It never got creamy. It was watery with weird pureed chunks of veggies.1 star

    1. I’m sorry to hear you had trouble with the recipe, Andrea. I know it can be so disappointing to try a new recipe and it not turn out for you. It has worked well for myself (and others) and I wished it would of been a hit for you too.

  83. We have made this recipe several times and each time it was delicious. The only ingredient I add is fresh rosemary. I believe it takes the recipe one step higher. I do use a sharp cheddar block of cheese and of course freshly grated pepper. I like serving the soup in a bread bowl. I strongly recommend this recipe. It is absolutely delicious and super easy to cook.5 stars

  84. This was so gross. I couldn’t make myself eat it. There is an overwhelming taste of oregano and once you put too much in, it destroys the whole dish.1 star

    1. I’m sorry to hear you had trouble with the recipe Lauren. Typically a teaspoon is just enough to flavor it but doesn’t normally overpower the dish. Maybe it was the brand used?

  85. Can this slowcooker
    Broccoli cheddar soup be canned? Im by myself, and canning is a great way to put soups in portion sizes, to have when you want soup, for/ with dinner, and especially when one is by themselves.
    Thanks, Karen
    Grannyredhat67@gmail.com

    1. Hi Karen, I am not sure because I do not have any experience with canning. If you decide to experiment, I’d love to know how it goes!

  86. Just made this. It was very good. Added a
    tablespoon of cornstarch when I added the cheese to thicken it up a bit. Very pleased with how it turned out.5 stars

  87. Very delicious and easy! I did add 2 TBSP of cornstarch and milk that I whisked together then whisked into the soup. Just for a little added thickness. Thanks so much for the recipe. Will definitely make again!5 stars

  88. I wouldn’t make this again. The flavor is ok but the texture is awful. Thank you for sharing though. As much as we like something it isn’t for everyone. We can only try I guess!!

    1. I’m sorry the texture wasn’t as expected, Diane. I know it’s disappointing to try a new recipe and not enjoy it. I (and many other readers) have enjoyed it, so I really wish they would’ve been a hit for you too! Thank you for giving it a try!