Broccoli Cheese Soup
This broccoli cheddar soup recipe is SO satisfying! It's loaded with fresh broccoli, and creamy thanks to a potato and cheddar cheese (no cream, no flour!).
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on June 28, 2024
It’s about time you met this broccoli cheddar soup recipe. It’s rich and indulgent, but not so much that it weighs me down.
My husband declared it the best he’s ever had, and started throwing out one-liners in between spoonfuls:
- “It’s the velvet of the soup world.”
- “All the sin without any of the guilt.”
- “This may be the universe’s best delivery system for broccoli.”
- “It’s like a warm blanket after being outside on a long winter day.”
I tried to make a great broccoli soup six months ago. I gave up after several failed attempts, and recently tried again after discovering Sarah Jampel’s method in Bon Appétit. Thank you for showing me the way, Sarah.
I have high standards for broccoli cheese soup. I wanted soup that met the following qualifications:
- Sufficiently green and full of fresh flavor
- Cheesy!
- Luxuriously smooth but with some texture from tender florets
- Preferably free of flour and heavy cream
I wanted all that, and I didn’t want to feel like I was eating a bowl of queso (don’t get me wrong, sometimes that’s exactly what I want to eat). This recipe checks all the boxes!
Watch How to Make Broccoli Cheese Soup
Perhaps the coolest feature of this soup is that it makes use of the broccoli stems that we usually toss. Less waste, more nutrients, can’t lose.
In fact, I feel good after I eat this soup, similar to how I feel after enjoying a big kale salad. Cruciferous veggies work miracles, I tell you, and did you know that broccoli contains loads of vitamin C? We could all use some extra right now.
Fresh & Healthy Broccoli Cheese Soup Ingredients
This flavorful soup is made without heavy cream, milk or flour—or even vegetable broth. You’ll just need a few basic ingredients to make it:
- Butter contributes to the irresistible flavor and silky texture. Technically, you could replace it with two tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil, but I like butter better here.
- Onion and garlic form a savory base layer. Since we’re blending them all up later, we don’t need to chop them finely. In fact, you can just smash the garlic with the side of your chef’s knife (be careful), peel off the skin and throw it into the pot. So easy!
- Russet potato, peeled and cooked until tender, lends a luxuriously creamy texture once blended. This is a trick I’ve used in my vegan mac and cheese and vegan queso recipes—it really works.
- Lots of broccoli, of course. The stems contribute body and extra broccoli flavor. We’ll purée half of the broccoli florets, and cook the rest in the pot for texture.
- Water brings it all together. I’ve been experimenting with using water instead of vegetable broth in soups lately, and so far I’ve been impressed. Store-bought vegetable broths can contribute unwanted color, off-putting flavors and excess salt. Water has none of these issues. Plus, it saves you a few bucks.
- Sharp cheddar cheese offers maximal cheddar flavor and a creamy texture. You can start with four ounces (half of a block) and add more to suit your preferences. Hand-grated cheese is best, since pre-shredded cheeses are coated in powders that can cause the cheese to glop together once melted. Buy white cheddar if you can. Yellow cheddar might turn this soup an unfortunate color, but I haven’t tried to be sure.
This soup is vegetarian and gluten free as written. You can even make it dairy free/vegan with substitutions (really!). See the recipe notes for details.
Equipment Notes & Suggestions
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This recipe yields a substantial amount of soup (around 10 cups). If you are serving two people or don’t want a lot of leftovers, you could easily cut the ingredients in half. Here’s what you’ll need to make it:
- I swear that soups always taste better when they’re cooked in a Dutch oven. I used my 5.5-quart Le Creuset for this recipe. A large, heavy-bottomed soup pot will also work well.
- You’ll need a lid for the pot. In a pinch, you could use a metal baking sheet.
- If you are making the full batch, you’ll need to blend it in batches in your stand blender. I could not blend the full batch at once in my Vitamix. Transfer the blended portion to a heat-proof pitcher or container as you blend the rest, then combine it all in the soup pot.
- Or, you could use an immersion blender. The trouble with immersion blenders is that they never yield soup as creamy as you could accomplish in your stand blender. I wish it weren’t true!
Safety note: Never fill a stand blender past the maximum fill line, or you could end up with a giant mess (and a hot one, if you’re making soup). You need to know how your blender works. My lid’s design allows for steam to escape, but if yours doesn’t, you’ll want to remove the center piece so the contents don’t build pressure as they blend. Cover the hole with a tea towel, but don’t place your hand over it because the steam is hot.
What to Serve with Broccoli Soup
This soup is a light meal on its own, or would make a proper meal with a sandwich or crisp salad. Here are a few options that are deliberately not very cheesy, for the sake of balance.
- Chickpea Salad with Carrots and Dill or French Carrot Salad
- Green Goddess Hummus Sandwich or Hummus Quesadillas
- Honey Mustard Brussels Sprout Slaw or Simple Seedy Slaw
Craving more creamy soups?
- Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
- Roasted Carrot Soup
- Roasted Cauliflower Soup
- Roasted Pumpkin Soup
- Lightened-Up Tomato Soup
Please let me know how your soup turns out in the comments! I love hearing from you.
Broccoli Cheese Soup
This broccoli cheddar soup recipe is so satisfying! It’s loaded with fresh broccoli, and creamy thanks to a potato and cheddar cheese (no cream, no flour!). Recipe yields about 10 cups (quite a bit) and is easily halved.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 medium yellow onions, coarsely chopped
- 6 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (reduce or omit if sensitive to spice)
- 1 ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, divided, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 pounds broccoli with stalks (3 large or 4 medium)
- 1 large (about 12 ounces) russet potato, peeled and cut into 1 to 2-inch chunks
- 6 cups water
- 4 to 8 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese, depending on your mood
- Thinly sliced chives or green onions, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, ¼ teaspoon of the salt, and about 10 twists of black pepper.
- Stir to combine, then cover the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions have softened and are just starting to turn golden, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, slice off and discard the rough bottom ends of broccoli stalks. Use a vegetable peeler to peel off the tough outer skin on the stalks, then discard those bits. Slice the stalks off and cut them into pieces about 1 to 2-inches big. Set aside.
- Working with the broccoli tops now, cut as closely to the base of the florets as you can. Slice any remaining stalks into chunks to match to the rest. Reserve the broccoli florets—we’ll use them in a bit.
- Add the chunks of broccoli stalk and potato to the pot and stir. Pour in 6 cups water and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Raise the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cover the pot.
- Simmer until the broccoli stalks and potatoes are tender throughout and easily split apart when pierced with a fork, about 20-25 minutes. Meanwhile, chop the reserved florets into small pieces (I chop them all in one direction, then turn the cutting board and chop again).
- Once the potato and stalks are tender, add half of the florets to pot, stir, cover, and cook until they’re bright green, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat. Working in a couple of batches (never fill your blender past the maximum fill line or it could explode!), carefully transfer several cups of the mixture—both the liquid and solids—to your stand blender. Blend until completely smooth, then transfer the mixture to a heat-proof vessel temporarily as you blend the rest. Alternatively, use an immersion blender (it just won’t be as lusciously creamy). Return the purée to the pot.
- Return the pot to medium heat and add the remaining florets. Cover the pot and cook until they’re bright green and easily pierced through by a fork, another 4 to 7 minutes. Add almost all 4 ounces of the grated cheddar cheese (reserve a small handful for garnish) and stir until smooth. Carefully taste (it’s hot) and stir in more cheese if you’d like more indulgent flavor/creamy texture, more salt for more overall flavor, and/or more black pepper for kick.
- Divide the soup into bowls and top with a sprinkle of cheese, plus some thinly sliced chives and/or red pepper flakes, if desired. Leftover soup keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 4 days (though the color darkens a bit with time). I haven’t tried freezing this soup but suspect it will work fine—please let us know in the comments if you do.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Bon Appétit’s broccoli cheddar soup by Sarah Jampel.
Make it dairy free/vegan: Replace the butter with 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil. When blending the soup, add ½ cup raw cashews (soaked for 4 hours if not using a high-powered blender, such as a Vitamix, then rinsed and drained), 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar, and a scant ¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard. Omit the cheese.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
I made this soup and it was delicious. So creamy without the cream:)
Thank you
hi Kate, I am from Costa Rica and really like your recipes. How can I substitute the potato to make it Keto? tks.
Hi! Sorry to disappoint, but the potato is important for the texture.
Hi Kate, Excellent recipe. I normally wouldn’t deviate from your recipes as written but I was in a “need to use up” scenario and had a bag of fresh broccoli florets. I did not have enough stalk to bother separating so I just cooked 3/4 of the broccoli florets with slightly more potato (I had yukons) which I cut smaller to cook a bit faster, blended in the trusty Vitamix and added in the last quarter of florets for the 5-7 before incorporating the cheddar. I would guess it’s probably not as velvety with all florets but it was still really good. Only addition I made was a squeeze of fresh lemon juice – personal taste I just always like that little zing of some kind of acid. I will definately try with full heads of broccoli next time. Btw thought your broccoli salad was also excellent. Thanks for another great recipe. Holly
Thank you for sharing! I’m delighted it all turned out for you, Holly.
Just made this recipe. I live with a couple of skeptics, so when I said this was made with no cream or broth, there was serious hesitation. Ha! Turns out they love it. They are already trying to evenly divide it between us. Thank you!! Truly flavorful.
I am on Spain and have just made this soup. It’s absolutely gorgeous and I’ll definitely be making it again and again. Thanks for the recipe.
I’m happy you enjoyed it, Tim! Thank you for sharing.
Good soup, but next time I would roast the broccoli in the oven before adding to the broth for a richer flavor.
I’m sorry you didn’t love it, Deb. Thank you for your review and feedback!
I made this soup vegan but otherwise as written. It was fantastic. Everyone in my family agreed that I should make it on a regular basis!
I added a whole head of garlic. I also added tumerick (with the black pepper) and cauliflower at the time it calls for the florettes. This is a yummy recipe and so much better without the dairy. Thank you, I always go to you first to see your spin.
Fantastic soup turned perfectly well
I’m happy you loved it, Kamy! Thank you for your review.
Fantastic soup turned perfectly well, thank you for sharing the recipe, I did use hand blender it still was perfect
This Broccoli Cheese Soup is going on my favorites list! I made it exactly like the recipe for starters, which was absolutely delicious, especially with garlic croutons.
Then I added some spark with the soup leftovers. I roasted small cubes of potato, butternut squash and carrot, mixed with olive oil and seasoned with mashed dried rosemary, salt and lots of ground pepper (at 400 till brown). After serving the soup, I spooned the roasted vegetables on top. This is easily one of my favorite soups. And the broccoli soup/roasted veggie combo is perfect!
This soup was creamy and delicious as is, but I also mixed in a little dollop of plain greek yogurt in my bowl and it was a very tasty addition. Thanks for another delicious recipe! Like Dale said— glad to have another “keeper” to add to the dinner rotation.
My husband groaned in a good-natured, I’ll-be-a-good-sport-and-eat-it sort of way when I mentioned broccoli soup, but he said, “WOW” after hid first bite, and the 2-, 5-, and 7-year-olds all cleaned their bowls happily. (And I just might have refilled my own bowl twice…) Thanks for another great healthy soup.
You’re welcome, TC!
My toddler loves this recipe and I love that it isn’t the dairy bomb broccoli soup I grew up on.
That’s great to hear! Thank you for sharing.
Oh my gosh! This soup is so creamy and broccolicious. It’s NOT a dairy bomb like many other broccoli cheese soups I have made or bought in the past. What a great idea to add potato..!
Thanks so much Kate!
Thanks Dave!
Probably the best soup I’ve made all winter. Definitely a favorite. Thank you!
You’re welcome! I’m happy you loved it.
This was great! Mostly commenting for any concerned citizens that I used orange extra sharp cheddar, and the soup didn’t turn brown at all–it remained green. I even used the whole 8 ounces. Thanks for another great recipe!
Can it be frozen?
Hi! I’m haven’t tried freezing this one. I don’t find that soups with dairy always freeze the best. If you try it, let me know!
I use your recipes alot, I wish you added pressure cooker versions.
Hi Maria! Sorry to disappoint, I just haven’t found I use my pressure cooker a lot and prefer traditional stove top variations.
Lovely soup. Definite keeper.
I bought a huge head of brocolli at the farmers market this morning. It was a bit yellow when I opened it and thought make soup.
I used a sweet potatoe instead of a russett.
I am going to play with lemon and mustard when I reheat my left over soup.
Thank you!
Made this for the first time today and it turned out great! I added some asparagus too because I had it in the fridge and I’ll definitely be making this again.
Just finished making this tonight, it is delicious! I have to say it tastes like there is cream in this when there isn’t any– and I used an immersion blender!
I subbed 1 box of premade veggie stock for the water. My broccoli stems were small and I didn’t want to fiddle around with trying to remove the outer covering, so I chopped them whole and they softened and blended without issue or affecting taste. I also did a full 8oz. block of cheese.
Thank you so much for this wonderful, healthy recipe!
Thank you for sharing, Marie! I’m happy you were able to enjoy it.
This is the best broccoli soup recipe I have ever tasted! And even better the next day. I am sharing this with all my friends, thank you for posting this
I’m happy you think so! Thank you for your review, Sharon.
Hi there!
I’m a big follower, tried many of your recipes.
I have made this soup so many times now because it’s so easy to make and everyone in my family loves it, even my children:). They usually don’t like any soups except chicken soup. I did some little changes to make more flavourful:). I made this soup on base of my chicken soup (instead of using just water) from the day before and saved some carrots and parsnips and I blended with my Broccoli all together and added some turmeric. This soup even better, more flavoured and more tasty. Thank you for this recipe!!!
Hi there,
I’m interested in trying this recipe but haven’t yet because I’m scared of putting potatoes in a blender. I remember many years ago when I was a new cook blending up some mashed potatoes and ending up with a sticky gluey mess and then reading that you never blend them because it breaks down the starches and turns them gluey. How are you avoiding this problem? Is it because there’s a lot of broccoli stems and onion in there as well? I’m scared to try because everything I know tells me this will end badly, but all your reviews are so good, so it must be fine somehow?
Hi! I don’t have issues with this you will have some liquid from the broth it cooked in. I hope this helps!
Hello Kate and Cookie!
This soup was gorgeous! After tasting this, my family are threatening that they will never cook again, only I am allowed to. The soup was tasty, creamy, comforting, satisfying and beautiful to look at. It brought back memories of my dad’s all time favourite soup. We all had to have an extra bowl in his honour. Cookie, thank you for helping you mum perfect this recipe and Kate, thank you for sharing.
Kanan
I love that! than you for sharing, Kanan. I’m happy it was such a hit.
Love this recipe! Especially since it has no flour and no cream or milk. I did use vege stock. This recipe is a keeper! Thank you.
Thank you, Shelley! Thank you for your review.
Yummy! I used yellow cheddar and it was still a lovely broccoli green!
Wonderful, Staci! Thank you for your review.
Perfect! This is exactly what I was looking for. I used Better than Bouillon chicken stock instead of water, and let the potato unpeeled, and this is is best broccoli-cheddar soup I’ve ever made. The pepper flakes add a nice pop of flavour, without being overwhelming. Thank you for the recipe.
I loved this soup, I’ve made it twice…it also froze well.
Hi Kate
Getting ready to make this soup and realized I don’t have a potato! Can it be done without?
Thanks, Rachel
Hi Rachel! Sorry for my delay. The potato really helps achieve the creamy texture. What did you end up doing?
Hey Kate
Thanks for your response. I didn’t think you’d be sitting at your computer to answer my question while cooking last week, but thought I’d try. SO….made it without the potato and it was amazing. Not as creamy perhaps as the original recipe, but so delish. Also used immersion blender instead of vitamix and that was fine. Super yum. You literally are my absolute fave recipe source. Every single one of your recipes that I make is amazing. Thank you! Rachel
I made this last night. It’s a keeper! I made half the recipe, but kept the cheese the same amount, basically doubling the cheese.
I’m happy you loved it, Alison!
THis was a good soup! I think I would omit the salt altogether next time. What a healthy way to eat broccoli! Thank you!
Made this recipe last night and it was terrific! If I wanted to make ahead in order to freeze, do you think it would freeze well if I froze it prior to adding cheese?
Hi! I haven’t froze this recipe so I’m not sure. Sorry!
This soup is too good! Everyone in my house loved it. I blended all of the broccoli just because I prefer blended soup but the flavour is delicious!
If I make this vegan (ingredients you provided)do you have the nutritional facts on that?
Hi Kathy, I don’t sorry! You can always use an online calculator to figure that out.
I always have my own frozen vegetable broth on hand to use in soups. I also put curry or cumin or both in my broccoli soup. I use an immersion blender because I’ll toss some florets and crackers or chips in too and I like a little texture. I’m planning to make one today and wanted some new ideas. No milk added to yours? I do mine. I love soups. Hubby tolerates them.
Yum!we used last of frozen medley ( arrows, broccoli, cauliflower) and frozen broccoli. Red pepper allows you to reduce salt.
wow, this is so good! I had to sub a sweet potato because that is what I had. Agree with the other reviewers – this soup does not need bullion or cheese. Perfectly delicious as a broccoli sweet potato soup if you want to cut calories.
Thank you, Tracy!
This is the best broccoli soup i ever made!!!! huge success!!! everyone loved it and want it more!!! i already made it twice!!! very tasty!!! the color of the soup is gorgeous, delicious!!! thank you!!!
You’re welcome! Thank you for your review.
I loved this recipe! I cut the ingredients in half, per your suggestion, since I was only making soup for two. A few simple modifications: I used a whole red onion in place of yellow and also chopped up some leftover asparagus stalks to cook down and blend. Yellow cheddar worked without spoiling the color as well. Would definitely make this again!
Thank you! I’m happy you enjoyed it.
My first time making Broccoli Cheese Soup! Turned out sooo good! Thank you for the recipe!!
You’re welcome, Maria! Thank you for your review.
I tried this recipe today. It was absolutely delicious! We loved it so much! And so easy to make. Absolutely perfect for this Texas freezing weather tonight. I had too much broccoli, so I roasted some in the oven and put it on top of each bowl. I halved the recipe, and it was enough for three adults. Will definitely make again.
I made this soup today and it was very nice. I followed your recipe exactly. The only thing is that the color is different from your photo. Yours looks lighter green, almost yellow and my was dark green like the broccoli. I wonder if I missed something. Your is more presentable… LOL. But it was very delicious! Thank you for the recipe.
Cleo
I made this soup today and it was very delicious. Mine looked darker than your photo, but maybe is because I didn’t add the cheese inside.
Otherwise it was great! Will keep this recipe. Thank you so much.
Cleo
Thank you for sharing, Cleo!
Made this last night. Love the taste of this soup and so glad there was no chicken stock! But mine came out really, really thick. I thinned it with more water, but it was still thick. Any tips to thin it out without altering the taste of it too much? Thank you!
Hi! I’m sorry you found it thick. Did you have more broccoli and potatoes than called for?
Yes. I made this soup. I am not a great cook, but after carefully following your instructions, I was able to make a half size. I was pleased!
Linda
I just made this to go with pulled pork and chicken sandwiches for company this snowy afternoon in Maine. Only thing I added as Im serving is himalayan pink salt with black pepper and garlic by McCormick. It really kicked it up a notch.
I can’t eat potatoes due to the GI. What are good alternatives in this recipe?
Unfortunately, I found the potatoes were really helpful for overall flavor and texture. I don’t have a great solution for you without trying it.
Very simple and yummy soup. I omitted the potatoes since I’m trying to cut carbs but I can see that if I would have added them how creamy it would have been. Still enjoyed two large helpings :)