I bet you have the ingredients in your refrigerator needed to make this delicious broccoli cheddar soup! It is the perfect cold weather soup or anytime. It’s a perfect soup for spring with a homemade chicken salad or pimento cheese sandwich.
Broccoli Cheese Soup is one of those soups that’s on many restaurant menus. I don’t know remember if it was the Blackeyed Pea or TGIFriday’s that I tasted my first Broccoli Cheese Soup. Since
I saw this soup posted on Half Baked Harvest. She called it “Lighter Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup”. Tieghan used coconut milk, which I changed to cream. I’m not always a fan of coconut milk, but yes, it sure lightens it up! One of the other things she did was use cauliflower in the recipe to thicken the broth. Wonderful idea because a roux was not required.
what you need for this broccoli cheese soup:
- extra virgin olive oil
- butter
- yellow onion
- fresh thyme
- carrots
- all purpose flour
- vegetable or chicken broth
- bay leaves
- smoked or regular paprika
- cauliflower
- broccoli florets
- cayenne
- salt and pepper
- full fat coconut mile or heavy cream
- sharp cheddar cheese
need more soup recipes:
This is another broccoli cheese soup I have on the blog:
The Best, Yet Easiest – Broccoli, with Potato & Cheese Soup
and, Perfect Comfort Food- Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Both of these soups are delicious. ,
Let me know if you make this!
Broccolli Cheddar Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves or 2 teaspoons dried
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 3 tbsp all purpose flour (or gluten free)
- 6 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 small head cauliflower, cut into florets
- 4 cups broccoli florets
- 1-2 cups water if needed
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/4 tsp smoked or regular paprika
- 1/4 tsp cayenne (optional)
- kosher shalt and black pepper
- 1/2 cup half & half or heavy cream (or canned full fat coconut milk)
- 1-2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and thyme, and cook about 10 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook until golden, about 2 minutes, then gradually whisk in the broth. Add the cauliflower and bring to a boil. Cover, and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, until the cauliflower is tender.
- Transfer the soup to a blender and purée until smooth. Return the soup to the pot. If needed add 1-2 cups water, then the broccoli, bay leaves, paprika, cayenne, and a large pinch each of salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer over low heat and cook, uncovered, until the broccoli is tender, about 10 minutes. If you think it's cooking down too much, add a lid and set it ajar on the pot.
- Remove the bay leaves and blend the soup in batches until the broccoli is mostly pureed leaving small chunks.
- Return the soup to the stove and set over low heat. Stir in the heavy cream, half and half or coconut milk , add the cheese and cook until melted and creamy. Taste, and add salt and pepper as needed. If the soup is thick, add broth to thin. Ladle into bowls and top with a little extra cheddar and more fresh thyme.