If you are a cheese lover, like me, this is your ultimate comfort food! Rich and creamy and so satisfying, this soup is one of my all time favorites! It’s fully loaded with sweet broccoli and sharp, tangy cheese! We have all had broccoli cheddar soup at some point, but if you’ve never made it yourself, you are going to love how easy it is to make and how much better it tastes than store or deli-bought versions!
Here’s what you need:
Start by sautéing the mirepoix.
Mirepoix is simply a term referring to a combination of celery, onions and carrots. (The ratio being 1:2:1.) The combination of these three vegetables create a flavor foundation for many soups, sauces, stews, etc…
This is a puréed soup, so don’t worry so much about getting your knife cuts absolutely perfect. Just make sure they are all about the same size, so they cook at the same rate. Sauté the mirepoix in butter and olive oil with a good pinch of salt to season. Sauté for about 4 minutes, until they are tender. Add the garlic and continue to sauté for a minute or 2 more until fragrant.
Add the broccoli.
Use fresh or frozen broccoli. With fresh, however, it will take a few minutes longer for the broccoli to become tender. Add another pinch of salt. It’s important to keep seasoning with each new layer of flavor.
Make a roux, then add the broth.
Stir in 4 tbs of flour. Toss it with the vegetables and keep sautéing until the flour no longer smells raw. The combination of the flour with the oil and butter will make a sort of glue that will thicken the soup.
Add the broth with 1/2 tsp of salt. This is quite a bit less salt than I usually add to soups, but it’s getting a lot of cheese later on, which will add even more salt content.
Bring the soup to a boil, then turn it down to a simmer, then let it continue to simmer for 30 minutes. The veggies should be completely softened at this point.
Purée the soup.
I love my immersion blender, especially during soup season! I don’t have to worry about transferring my soup to the food processor and making a mess, or burning myself! If you don’t have one, you can totally purée this in a blender or food processor. Just carefully use a ladle to transfer the soup, then when it’s all puréed, carefully pour it back into the pot.
Turn down the heat before adding the cheeses.
Too-high heat could end up separating the cheese, so turn it to medium-low to low heat. Stir in the cream cheese, then the sharp cheddar. Give it a taste to check for seasoning. Add more salt if needed.
Serve with crusty bread or crunchy croutons.
Of course, with anything puréed and creamy, I just have to have lots of crunchy things to eat with it! A big crusty hunk of warm baguette or freshly baked, super crunchy croutons will do the trick! Finish with a hit of black or crushed red pepper!
Keep remaining soup refrigerated for up to a week or freeze for up to 3 months!
Other recipes to try:
Easy Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Ingredients
Instructions
- Heat a large pot or dutch oven to medium. Add the olive oil and butter. Add the onion, celery and carrots and sauté with a good pinch of salt until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté another minute more. Finally add the broccoli and sauté until it is slightly tender. From start to finish, cooking all the veggies should take around 10 minutes. Add the flour and toss it with the veggies. Cook the roux for a couple minutes, until you can no longer detect the raw flour smell. Add the broth and 1/2 tsp of salt. Bring to a boil, then immediately turn to a simmer. Continue to simmer for 30 minutes. Turn the heat to medium-low. Use an immersion blender to purée the soup, or ladle it into a food processor to purée then pour it back into the pot. Stir in the cream cheese until it is melted, then stir in the cheddar.