Easy Broccoli Cheese Soup – Vegetarian!
This Easy Broccoli Cheese Soup comes together in 30 minutes with all REAL ingredients (no Velveeta!) which makes it a simple weeknight dinner that your family will love and you’ll feel good about feeding them! And I’m not even exaggerating when I say – this broccoli cheddar soup is BETTER than Panera’s!
You’ll Love This
- It’s SO simple! This vegetarian broccoli soup is so quick and easy it can be thrown together in a snap on a weeknight AND chances are good you’ll have most of the ingredients in your fridge already! If you’ve been around here a while, you know how much I love an easy soup recipe. Whether it’s Creamy Chickpea Gnocchi, Vegan Chickpea White Chili, or Lentil Tortilla Soup, simple soups are perfect for meatless Monday or just a quick weeknight dinner!
- There’s no Velveeta in this recipe! Just REAL ingredients; you know – veggies, cheese, and cream! You can still get that super creamy, luxurious texture without using pasteurized cheese product!
- It’s filled with fresh broccoli but it’s disguised in this creamy, cheesy delicious soup! If you’re looking for a way to get your kids to eat more veggies, try this soup! If there’s no way your kids are eating bite-size pieces of broccoli, give it a quick whiz in the blender (or with an immersion blender) so the broccoli is all minced up and barely recognizable!
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Butter – you could use olive oil if you don’t have butter on hand, but the flavor will NOT be the same. Butter is used in this recipe to combine with flour and help make the soup thick, but it also adds a ton of flavor!
- Yellow onion – white onion would work also but I wouldn’t recommend red onion for this recipe
- Sliced carrot – you could use a cup of matchstick carrots which would save you a bit of prep time!
- Sliced celery – if you don’t have celery, try adding a bit of extra carrot or broccoli
- Cloves of garlic – feel free to sub a ½-1 teaspoon of garlic powder if you don’t have fresh garlic on hand, however, fresh garlic will give you the best flavor!
- Ground mustard – also called mustard powder. I realize this isn’t something that everyone has in their pantry. You could sub 2 teaspoons of regular yellow mustard or Dijon mustard in place of the mustard powder in this soup. It may seem like an unusual ingredient but it really elevates the other flavors.
- Cayenne pepper – don’t worry, just a pinch won’t make your broccoli cheese soup spicy, but it will give the soup more flavor overall. If this isn’t something that you normally have in your pantry, just omit it.
- Fresh broccoli – I like to use fresh broccoli for this recipe instead of frozen. I prefer the flavor that fresh broccoli gives and I use the entire head of broccoli including the stalk. Just make sure you thinly slice the stalk or dice it into small pieces because it takes a bit longer to cook than the florets.
- Flour – this helps to thicken the soup. It cooks with the butter and then combines with the vegetable broth to make a creamy base for the soup. If you prefer not to use flour, you could add a cornstarch slurry in its place.
- Vegetable broth – if you like a SUPER thick and creamy soup, try adding just 3 cups of veggie broth. If you want to stretch the soup a little further, try adding 5 cups of broth.
- Heavy cream – this ingredient is pretty much a non-negotiable for me. However, whole milk or half and half would give you a similar texture if you don’t have heavy cream on hand. Just use ½ a cup instead of ¾ of a cup if you’re using whole milk/half and half.
- Sharp cheddar cheese – while sharp cheddar is pretty strong on its own, it really gives this soup the most perfect cheesy flavor. Mild cheddar or other kinds of cheese will likely be too bland to stand up to the other ingredients in this soup. Extra sharp white cheddar would also work!
- White wine vinegar – wait, what? White wine vinegar in a soup? Yes, friends. If you’re new around here, I LOOOOOVE to add a splash of vinegar at the end of all my creamy soups. It just takes every flavor to another level. Trust me!
Instructions
Saute onion, carrot, celery in butter in a large pot for about 8 minutes.
Add remaining butter, garlic, ground mustard, cayenne, broccoli, and a couple pinches of salt and pepper and cook for about 5 minutes.
Add flour.
Cook, stirring frequently for 1 minute.
Add vegetable broth along with a couple pinches of salt and pepper.
Reduce heat to low and simmer for 6-8 minutes or until broccoli and carrots are cooked through and tender.
Remove from heat and stir in cream, shredded cheese, and vinegar until cheese melts.
Season to taste with salt and pepper and enjoy!
Pro Tip
- Buy a block of cheese and shred it yourself. Pre-shredded cheeses are coated with cellulose to help the shreds not stick together. This also means that it won’t melt as well. I’ve often found that buying cheese in blocks is cheaper than pre-shredded too!
FAQs
Making any soup from scratch can sound daunting, but making broccoli cheddar soup is actually a pretty simple, straight-forward process! You’ll saute veggies in butter, add some flour, and then broth. Simmer until the veggies are tender, then stir in heavy cream and sharp cheddar. How easy is that?
The combination of butter and flour in this recipe is what makes it so thick and creamy! Melted butter mixed with flour is called a roux. This is the base that is used to thicken numerous soups and sauces in cooking.
Some recipes require you to remove the sauteed veggies and then create the roux. But after testing the recipe both ways, I found that it made no difference in the end product if I added the roux ingredients right in with the veggies.
Make-Ahead Instructions
- This cheesy broccoli soup is the PERFECT make-ahead meal and it will stay fresh in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week!
- Because of the roux and the cheese, this soup thickens up considerably as it cools. If you’re planning to reheat it at a later date, just make sure you add a splash or two of milk or broth as you heat it.
- Whenever I loosen up a soup with milk or another liquid, I always compensate for the dilution of flavor by adding a few big pinches of salt and a little more pepper.
- Along the same lines, whenever you’re reheating any leftovers, it’s a great idea to season to taste with salt and pepper as the flavors do change over time.
Freezing Broccoli Cheese Soup
- This soup freezes fabulously! It will stay good in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. I like to thaw it in the fridge overnight the day before I plan to reheat it. Once the soup is thawed, it will be easier to reheat evenly.
- As mentioned above, in regards to reheating you’ll definitely have to stir in some additional milk to loosen up the thickened soup.
Easy Soup Recipes
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Easy Broccoli Cheese Soup
This Easy Broccoli Cheese Soup comes together in 30 minutes with all REAL ingredients (no Velveeta!) which makes it a simple weeknight dinner that your family will love and you’ll feel good about feeding them! And I’m not even exaggerating when I say – this broccoli cheddar soup is BETTER than Panera’s!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 cup sliced carrot
- 1 cup sliced celery
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard
- pinch cayenne pepper
- 1 lb. broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
- 6 tablespoons flour
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 8 oz. shredded sharp cheddar
- 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
- Kosher salt
- fresh cracked pepper
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a large pot over medium-high heat.
- Add onion, carrot, celery, and a couple large pinches of salt and pepper.
- Cook, stirring frequently for 8 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining butter, garlic, ground mustard, cayenne, broccoli, and a couple pinches of salt and pepper.
- Cook, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes.
- Add flour and cook, stirring frequently for 1 minute.
- Add vegetable broth along with a couple pinches of salt and pepper.
- Bring a simmer over medium-high heat.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer for 6-8 minutes or until broccoli and carrots are cooked through and tender.
- Remove from heat and stir in cream, shredded cheese, and vinegar until cheese melts.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper and enjoy!
Notes
Buy a block of cheese and shred it yourself. Pre-shredded cheeses are coated with cellulose to help the shreds not stick together. This also means that it won’t melt as well. I’ve often found that buying cheese in blocks is cheaper than pre-shredded too!
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 298
- Sugar: 4.3 g
- Sodium: 505.5 mg
- Fat: 22.6 g
- Saturated Fat: 13.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 15.6 g
- Fiber: 2.8 g
- Protein: 9.8 g
- Cholesterol: 63.7 mg
This recipe was originally posted in September of 2017. It was updated in January of 2020 to include process shots and more tips and details on how to make this delicious family favorite soup.
Will be making this today. Love the ground mustard and vinegar components.
Can’t wait to hear what you think, Dawn! I LOVE adding a little bit of acidity to my creamy soups!! 🙂
I just got done making this soup and mad I have to share it, I doubled the recipe, it’s is super yummy, great recipe.
I am SO glad to hear that you enjoyed this broccoli cheddar soup, Karen! Thanks for leaving a review – I really appreciate it 🙂
This recipe is a KEEPER. So simple and so delicious!! Dare I say better than Panera!
I am so glad that you enjoyed this recipe, Sarah! Thanks for sharing on Instagram too 🙂 You are officially entered twice in the $100 giveaway from the February Recipe Challenge!
I agree with you completely
Easy recipe to put together after a long day at work. Swapped out the heavy cream for oat milk cream and used the immersion blender a little to thicken it up. Paired great with the cheddar and herb bread I picked up!
YUM! Glad to know that oat milk worked well in this soup recipe. Thanks for sharing, Sarah! I appreciate you taking the time to leave a review and sharing on Instagram! You are entered in the February Recipe Challenge giveaway!
We have a VERY icy day in middle Tennesee, this was the perfect dish to warm us up after a long walk in the cold. I really really liked the addition of the white wine vinegar. It gave me a little “tart” hint to it that I really enjoyed!
I am so glad that you enjoyed this recipe, Kara. Thanks for leaving a review 🙂 You are officially entered in the February Recipe Challenge giveaway!
Second time making this soup in the last month. The kick of garlic and cayenne jazzes up this vegetable loaded soup to even make it a favorite with a teen In our household. A win!
WOOHOO! I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, Deb! Thanks so much for leaving a review 🙂 You are officially entered in the February Recipe Challenge giveaway!
Yummmm!! I’ve never made a broccoli cheddar soup before and this definitely won’t be the last time! Knocked it out of the park with this one. A fam favorite from now on:).
WOOHOO! I love to hear that, Carly! Thanks so much for leaving a review 🙂 You are officially entered in the February Recipe Challenge giveaway!!
Loved it! So cheesy and delicious!
I am so glad to hear that your family enjoyed this recipe, Meryl. Thank you for sharing on Instagram as well – you are officially entered TWICE in the February Recipe Challenge giveaway 🙂
Absolutely LOVE this soup! Easy enough to make during the week after getting home from work but also a hearty, comforting meal great for the weekends! And the best part – my kids love it!
I am so glad to hear that you enjoyed this broccoli cheddar soup, Lauren! Thanks so much for leaving a review – and for sharing it on Instagram! If you were in the US, you would be entered twice in my Monthly Recipe Challenge giveaway (darn it)!! 🙂
This soup was quick, easy and delicious!! I’ve made several broccoli cheese soups in my day, but this one tops the rest! I will definitely be making this again for my family.
I am so glad that you enjoyed this soup recipe, Kaila! Thanks for sharing it on IG as well 🙂 You are officially entered twice in February’s Month Recipe Challenge!
Great recipe. A lot of Depth of flavor for such a fast simple soup recipe. Forgot flour even due to a crying child. Added flour to broth mixture and whisked a lot… it worked but not as thick as it probably would have been but still delicious! Thickened up more the next day.
Will definitely make this again! Kid approved.
I am so glad that you enjoyed this recipe, Liz! We’ve all been there – sometimes I still forget ingredients even when it’s just me in the kitchen!! Glad it still turned out yummy. Thank you for leaving a review! You are officially entered to win the February Recipe Challenge $100 prize!
Thank you Kylie for sharing this version of Broccoli Cheese Soup. It was so very easy to prepare and so good. I love that you go through each ingredient and the reason it’s in the recipe. I also loved that the broccoli tastes cooked but not soggy. I used the carrot matchsticks for an easier preparation as well. Definitely a winner!
I am so glad that you enjoyed this recipe, Tina! Thank you so much for sharing it on your “live” as well!! 🙂 Matchstick carrots are the perfect short cut in this recipe!! Thanks for leaving a review – you are officially entered twice to win the prize for February’s Recipe Challenge!
This was simply fabulous! If you like broccoli cheese soup, this is a must make.
At 36 years old, I have never made soup before stumbling across your blog and I’m so happy I did! Love how simple and straightforward your recipes are. I now get celery, carrots, and onions during my weekly grocery store trip. Keep the recipes coming! I make 1 to 2 a week!
I LOVE to hear this, Kelly! I love to keep my kitchen stocked with those 3 things as well – great idea! Thanks for leaving a review and for sharing on Instagram 🙂 You are officially entered twice in the February Recipe Challenge giveaway!
So easy and delish. I was out of milk so I used a bit of Greek yogurt!!! Will definitely make this recipe again!!!
Greek yogurt is a great substitution – good thinking Delilah!! Thanks so much for leaving a review. I’m glad that you enjoyed this soup 🙂
Great recipe, ended up using leftover veggies/cheeses/milk to put mine together and turned out delicious. I love how simple the ingredient list is. One small edit is that the ingredient list says vegetable broth and the directions say chicken broth but I’m sure you can just use whatever you have on hand or prefer!
This is one of our family’s favorite soups too – glad you enjoyed it!! Woops – good catch! I’ve updated the recipe directions so they match the ingredient list. Thank you Sarah!
It was delicious!!! I know it says a serving size is about 300 calories, but how much cups is that exactly? Thanks.
I don’t typically portion out my recipes into cups or ounces, but if you divide the whole pot into 8 portions you’ll be able to ensure that each portion has about 300 calories. I would guess it’s around 1-1.5 cups or so!