This is an easy recipe for broccoli cheese soup made with real cheese and no canned soup. It can be simple to make healthy soup from scratch.
I bought some broccoli on impulse this week (better than my normal chocolate impulse) and needed to use it up today. I was short on a pantry item or two, so had to substitute, but the results were still really good!
Easy Broccoli Cheese Soup
Serves six
Ingredients:
Broccoli–enough to make four to six cups of bite-sized piece. I had two stalks I cut up.
1/4 c butter
1/4 c all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
3 cups chicken broth
2 c shredded cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste
Melt butter in large heavy pot. Over medium heat, sprinkle in flour and whisk for two minutes. This makes a roux that should look and smell toasty.
Slowly add milk and chicken broth, whisking constantly. I add the liquid in very slowly to prevent lumps. Bring just shy of a boil, still whisking, then reduce to a simmer. If the soup boils once you’ve added the milk, it could separate.
In a separate pot, bring several quarts of salted water to a boil. Add broccoli and cook for two minutes.
While the broccoli is cooking, whisk the two cups of shredded cheddar cheese into the soup pot.
When the broccoli is done, drain and add to soup. Simmer for five minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with crusty bread.
Variations:
If using frozen broccoli, follow package directions. Don’t overcook the broccoli. You are going for tender-crisp, not soggy. Over-cooking makes it skunky and unappealing.
Add in other cheeses you have on hand. I threw in a 1/2 cup of mozzarella I was trying to use up and about a 1/4 cup of real Parmesan cheese I grated into the pot. You can even use cheese that has dried out a little.
In a pinch you can use *shudder* Velveeta. My family loves that, but I worry about their arteries. And Velveeta is expensive! I get real cheese on sale with coupons for a song and store the surplus in the freezer.I’m using up the last of my fifty-cent Kraft cheese.
I was out of chicken broth and the Penzeys chicken soup base I usually keep on hand. I could have used plain water, but I used a little bit of the beef soup base in the three cups of water and thought it tasted good.
Some spices to experiment with in this would be a dash of nutmeg, a half-teaspoon of ground mustard, or a dash of cayenne. Also, white pepper is nice in cream soups. Try one at a time and see what you like.
The soup can be served over a baked potato. Also, the cheesy base is great to use for many other recipes, like cheese sauce for nachos.
What’s your favorite soup recipe?
Photo from here.
My favorite soup recipe might forever after be this one. I haven't made it yet, so I can't say for sure, but I've been wanting a GOOD broc-cheese soup recipe, using nothing canned, for ages. Yum yum yum. I think you might be my new best friend.
I like to use as much fresh as possible. Once I discovered how easy it is to make a white sauce, I never used canned soup as an ingredient again.
Let me know how the soup turns out for you.
Yummmm…my family loves broccoli soup so we will try this one. (I usually blend some of the broccoli in the blender with the cooking water…I think I will do it with broth and see how it comes out) Thanks!
fern
Looks very yummy 🙂 I am your new follower via your blog and on twitter. You can follow me back at http://showmemama.com. Make sure you leave a comment so I know you visited.
Have a great weekend
ShowMeMama
Mmmmmm! I'll have to try this recipe. Most broccoli/cheese recipes I come across are either too cheesy or too heavy on the cream.
@Crystal, we like it. You can use milk as light as you like, though it's not as good with skim.
Any recipe that has the words “easy” and “broccoli” is calling my name…yummm!
Hey, sweet Fern! Glad to see you!
Super good! It was a cold and rainy day and this hit the spot. Thanks so much! 😀
Thank you! It’s a favorite around here.
Just made a half batch of this soup & the spouse & I loved it!
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Fran!
Hey! I googled easy broccoli cheddar soup, and found this recipe. Just made it now–I ended up blending it with a hand-mixer, and it’s just delicious. Thanks so much for posting this! I love how it turned out! 🙂
Thanks for commenting, Sabrina!
This is really popular post and it’s nice to hear someone made it and liked it.
About to try it out. It sounds like the best one I’ve seen all day.
Thank you so much for posting. xx
this recipe was good, it just needs way more cheese. it came out way to soupy.
Soooo GOOD 😀
I made this last night, added some carrots, onion, spices and extra cheese. It tasted AMAZING but the texture was awful… probably my fault from adding all the extra cheese. :/
Emily, add the cheese into the white sauce slowly, whisking to incorporate. If it’s too thick, thin with a little more broth or milk. Use whole milk, not skim. Skim milk curdles if it’s too hot.
This sounds just like the one my mom used to make…Can’t wait to try it!
I hope you enjoy it, Becky!
I am about to make a lot of this just picked 3 rows of broccoli from the garden. How do I freeze it and do you think frozen will be just as good
I’d cut and blanch the broccoli, let it freeze on trays in the freezer then put it in freezer bags.
Yummy! I was in the mood for broccoli cheese soup and I found your recipe! Easy and delicious! I will definitely be making this again. Thank you so much for sharing it with us! 🙂
Enjoy! It’s a family favorite here!
This was a great soup base, but I too, thought it needed more cheese! It just didn’t have enough cheese flavor to it. I ended up adding a whole second bag, and then it was perfect!
Our church life group was my guinea pig for this soup tonite. Made recipe just as it was written, however found it to be bland. I added some Tabasco and chipotle powder -not enough for heat but just flavor. Instead of all cheddar cheese I added grated smoked monterrey jack. Yum! Also some fresh garlic. To serve I topped each bowlfull with more cheese and chopped, crisp bacon. The bacon was just what it needed. Big hit! Everyone loved it. Took your suggestion… a nice French bread along with soup made this a hearty and very satisfying meal.
Always have problems with the cheddar cheese melting…have not tried this recipe…but hoping following these steps might make a difference…do not care for Velvetta cheese either…so hoping this recipe works:)
I make it all the time and it always turns out great! Hoping it’s as good for your family. Remember–use whole milk.