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I LOVE This. My #1 delicious Broccoli Cheese soup.

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Broccoli Cheese Soup
Broccoli Cheese Soup
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Broccoli Cheese Soup is another favorite of mine and 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 really anytime. It’s a perfect soup for spring with a homemade chicken salad or pimento cheese sandwich.

There is another Broccoli Cheese Soup out there that I make to. I think it’s Panera’s Broccoli Cheese soup. Why do I like this recipe more? Because the Panera recipe seems to be a little watery to me. I have made it many times and every time I feel it’s a little watery. It could be because it’s not pureed like I did in this soup. However the Panera Broccoli Cheese Soup recipe is delicious and by the way is very popular.

Maybe it’s just me, but when you use very similar ingredients and treat them differently like I did, a little pureed, it changes the texture, the mouth fill. When I am eating an intended cheesy soup with cream, I want it to not seem watery. I love the creamy texture in this recipe and its just gives you that feeling of a cup or bowl of creamy tomato soup .

I used my emulsion blender to puree the ingredients. Here is one I would recommend. I use mine all of the time not only to puree a soup but to beat eggs for the perfect scramble.

https://amzn.to/4jf77S4

This is very basic. I have had my KitchenAid Emulsion (Hand) Blender for probably 20 years and it still works beautifully! There are many that come with lots of attachments, but if you’re like me you will stuff them in a drawer or cabinet and never use them. You may want the additional attachments!

I do have a Vitamix though that I love to use for a pureed soup or anything actually. It is amazing. They are expensive and it took me a lifetime to be able to justify buying one…but it’s a workhorse. I bought mine from William Sanoma but this Amazon choice is comparable.

https://amzn.to/4gZmPPS

Broccoli Cheese Soup

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
  • milk
  • heavy cream
  • sharp cheddar cheese

What would be good with this soup?

Although this soup is delicious on it’s on with just some crackers or a piece of sourdough or even garlic bread, it is also a delicious accompaniment to a simple sandwich like chicken salad or a delicious southern Pimento Cheese sandwich. My mouth is watering. Here’s the recipe for my Pimiento Cheese. I must make that tomorrow so expect a new post.

Always a Favorite – My Southern Pimiento Cheese

Southern Pimiento Cheese
Southern Pimiento Cheese

Yum! I have a new Chicken Salad Recipe that I love that I’ll post in a few days. I think a Chicken Salad or the Pimiento Cheese are the perfect accompaniment.

need more soup recipes:

This is another broccoli cheese soup I have on the blog that I love and I’m going to repost in a day or so and I just posted the Loaded Baked Potato Soup yesterday.

The Best, Yet Easiest – Broccoli, with Potato & Cheese Soup

Broccoli Cheese Soup
The Best & Easiest Broccoli with Potato & Cheese Soup

and, Perfect Comfort Food- Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Both of these soups are delicious. ,

Let me know if you make this!

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Broccolli Cheese Soup

Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 8 hours 50 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method

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
  • 1-2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated

Equipment

  • Handheld Blender or Blender

Method
 

  1.  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.
  2. Transfer the soup to a blender and purée until smooth. If you don't have a blender, use a hand blender. It will work beautifully. Return the soup to the pot if you pureed it in your blender. 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.
  3. Remove the bay leaves and blend the soup in batches until the broccoli is mostly pureed leaving small chunks.
  4. Return the soup to the stove and set over low heat. Stir in the heavy cream or the half and half . 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.

Excellent Baked Chicken Meatballs with Broccoli Pesto Pasta

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Baked Chicken Meatballs with Broccoli Pesto Pasta
Baked Chicken Meatballs with Broccoli Pesto Pasta

These recipe for Baked Chicken Meatballs with Broccoli Pesto Pasta is so, so good! Sometimes it seems ground chicken recipes aren’t flavorful, but I tell you, these meatballs are loaded with flavors like the Italian seasoning I used and the parmesan cheese! They are moist, a little salty from the parmesan and they have a great texture.

Baked Chicken Meatballs with Broccoli Pesto Pasta
Baked Chicken Meatballs with Broccoli Pesto Pasta

I saw this dish on Instagram by The Modern Proper blog. My dish is a little different because I substituted the fennel seeds she used in her meatballs with Italian Seasonings. I couldn’t find my fennel seeds she used in her recipe so the Italian Seasonings worked perfectly. That’s what cooking is about! Taking a recipe and substituting what you have.

Baked Chicken Meatballs with Broccoli Pesto Pasta
Baked Chicken Meatballs with Broccoli Pesto Pasta

The Modern Proper’s recipe calls for a roasted broccoli pesto with fresh basil. I didn’t have fresh basil and I didn’t want to drive 30 miles to get fresh basil, but I did have broccoli and a jar of basil pesto. I roasted my broccoli, put it in my food processor, pulsed it, then added my jar of pesto. I added a little more parmesan cheese, pulsed a couple of times and it’s a perfect broccoli pesto! I used a jar of pesto from my favorite HEB store in my area. Here’s the link for the brand I used Mezzetta Pesto Basil: https://www.heb.com/product-detail/mezzetta-basil-pesto/1491629 however, there are many great brands of pesto.

Baked Chicken Meatballs with Broccoli Pesto Pasta

Want another meatball recipe? Try my Bucatini and Meatballs. Here’s the link for the recipe: https://the2spoons.com/bucatini-and-meatballs/.

I can’t wait for you to try this recipe!

Baked Chicken Meatballs with Broccoli Pesto Pasta

Print Recipe
Course: dinner, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

For the Meatballs
  • 2 lbs ground chicken
  • 1 cup fresh soft breadcrumbs
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • 1 tbsp Italian Seasoning
  • 1 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced or grated on a box grater
  • 1 tsp salt
For the Broccoli Pesto Pasta
  • 1 large head of broccoli, roughly chopped
  • extra virgin olive oil for coating the broccoli
  • 1 8 oz jar pesto of your choice (I used Mezzetta Branc)
  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 lb spaghetti or similar pasta

Method
 

For the Broccoli Pesto
  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place on a sheet pan and toss with olive oil. Roast until the edges begin to crisp and the inside of the broccoli is tender, about 30 minutes.
  2. Place a pot of water with salt on the burner and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until your desired doneness. In a food processor, pulse the roasted broccoli until roughly ground. Add the jar of pesto and the parmesan cheese. Pulse several times to combine and add a little extra virgin olive oil adding more if you want a thinner consistency.
For the Meatballs
  1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. In the same bowl, use your hands to combine the ground chicken, salt, eggs, Italian seasoning, grated parmesan cheese, garlic and bread crumbs. Form into uniform meatballs, about 2 tablespoons each and arrange on a baking sheet.
  2. Roast the meatballs for 15 minutes on center rack. Turn the heat to 500 degrees F and brush the meatballs with olive oil. Cook for another 5 minutes.
  3. In a skillet or separate pan, remove the pasta from the water reserving the pasta water. Add a little pesto at a time, along with some pasta water, continuing adding pesto until the desired amount is reached. Serve topped with the Meatballs and more parmesan cheese. Bon Appetit!