If you are looking for a silky, creamy soup with delicious broccoli you came to the right place. This healthy version of the traditional broccoli soup is one of our family’s go-to soups. You can use fresh or frozen broccoli florets. If you are using fresh, don’t be afraid to use the entire broccoli including the stem – we are all about no waste here! Perfectly paired with croutons or sourdough grilled cheese, this soup will keep your family warm all winter long.
Why you’ll love making this soup:
This is a great soup for many reasons but if I had to narrow it down to 3, here it is:
- It is all cooked in one pot and either an immersion blender or blender, leaving the cleanup to be a breeze.
- Packed with all the nutrients you’d be happy serving your family and perfectly paired with croutons or simple sourdough grilled cheese.
- Simple ingredients but together creates so much flavor. Children will love it and a great way to get them to eat their broccoli.
Ingredients in broccoli cheddar soup:
The full ingredient list with measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
Oil: I typically use grapeseed oil or avocado oil to sauté the vegetables, but you can use butter to add richness to the soup.
Vegetables: The star of the show is broccoli, where you will get most of the flavor and color. But you will also need onion, celery, and carrots to build that soup base. The broccoli can either be fresh or frozen and I always use the stems of the broccoli, just be sure to peel and chop so it cooks through.
Stock: I use chicken stock, but you can opt for vegetable stock to make this vegetarian or vegan. If you are using store-bought, make sure to look for low sodium.
Dairy: One cup of aged white cheddar cheese and milk make this soup silky smooth. Options to make this with heavy cream, half and half, or milk. If you choose to make a vegan version, swap to plant-based milk and cheese and you are golden.
Let’s make creamy broccoli cheddar soup:
Now that we have our ingredient list, let’s get this delicious, creamy family friendly soup on the table. I always begin by prepping my vegetables – that means washing, peeling, chopping, and setting aside. This always helps speed up cooking time.
- Prep all the vegetables. Wash, peel, and chop onion, celery, and carrots. Break off broccoli florets, peel, and roughly chop broccoli stem.
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, add oil and sauté onion, celery, and carrots on medium-low heat for about 4-5 minutes.
- Add flour to the pot and stir until incorporated.
- Add chicken stock and broccoli to the pot, and let simmer on medium-low, until cooked through.
- Blend by either using an immersion blender or carefully transferring to a blender. Blend until you reach the consistency you are looking for and return to pot.
- Add half and half, and grated white cheddar cheese, stir and the soup is ready.
Pro tips and tricks:
A rather simple soup to make but we can streamline it even further. Keep these suggestions in mind when you make this soup.
- Use fresh or frozen broccoli – the nutritional value of frozen broccoli is just as high, and it saves a step which leads to time savings.
- You can meal prep and wash, peel, and chop veggies in advance. You can even take it a step further and have a freezer supply of chopped onion, carrots, and celery for up to 3 months which is a fantastic way to save time.
- My family enjoys the lighter version of creamy broccoli soup but if you are looking for a rich buttery flavor feel free to swap a few ingredients to make this a decadent cream soup. See notes above.
- The immersion blender blends well but if you are looking for a smooth consistency, use the blender to puree the soup. You can also have chunks of broccoli or blend half and keep the other half in the pot. My kids wouldn’t be interested in that, at least not yet but that would be my preferred texture – half and half.
- Allow soup to cool completely before storing it in the fridge. Store in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Reheat on the stovetop. If freezing, store in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months, thaw, and reheat on the stovetop.
I hope you made this delicious, kid-friendly version of broccoli cheddar soup. Please comment and rate the recipe below or share your creation on Instagram by tagging: @my_picky_eater. Can’t wait to see your creations! 😊
– Inna
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Kid-Friendly Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 5 servings 1x
Description
A simpler, lighter, kid-friendly version of cheddar broccoli soup. Perfect for soup season and a great way to serve broccoli to little ones. Swapping to vegetable stock and switching to plant-based milk and cheese can easily be vegetarian or vegan. This comforting soup is ready in less than an hour and is perfect for those cold winter days.
Ingredients
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 stalk celery chopped
- 1 carrot peeled and chopped
- 1 1/2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1–2 tbsp oil (avocado or grapeseed oil)
- 5 c of chicken or vegetable stock
- 3 c broccoli florets (about 2 heads – fresh or frozen)
- 1 c sharp white cheddar cheese
- 1/2 c milk or cream (or half in half)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Wash, peel, and chop carrots, onion, and celery. In a large pot add oil and sauté chopped vegetables on medium heat for about 5-7 minutes, stirring.
- Once vegetables are cooked, add 1½ tablespoons of flour. Stir until the flour is well incorporated and slowly add chicken or vegetable broth.
- Stir and add washed and cut broccoli florets. Simmer on low for 10-15 minutes until broccoli is cooked through.
- Use a hand-held immersion blender or carefully transfer soup into a blender and blend soup until smooth. Add back to the pot and add seasoning, milk, or cream, and one cup of grated white cheddar cheese.
- Soup is ready for serving.
Notes
- An immersion blender does a great job in blending the soup but if you want the puree the soup with no signs of broccoli chunks, it is best to use a blender.
- Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stovetop.
- Freeze by storing in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months, thaw, and reheat on the stovetop.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 30
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
