My easy Broccoli Soup is a simple Cream of Broccoli Soup that’s thick and creamy with an extra hit of flavour from cheddar cheese! Essentially just throw it all in a pot, and you’re just 20 minutes away from a creamy, cheesy bowl of comfort under 300 calories.
Don’t forget warm crusty bread for dunking!
Broccoli Soup
I’m long overdue for a “green” recipe!! And there’s plenty of green in this recipe, with two giant heads of broccoli in it…..though there’s a decent wack of CHEESE to! 😉
But seriously, I joke about this being cheesy and there definitely IS cheese flavour in this. But because of the way I make this, it’s creamy and cheesy but it’s still rather healthy, clocking in at 280 calories if you make this without cream, and just 360 calories with.
A little different to the usual…
You’ll find many creamy broccoli soups are made with a roux, being melted butter mixed with flour which thickens the soup, then broccoli pieces are tossed in and cooked in that thickened soup.
I prefer making broccoli soup by cooking the broccoli until soft then blitzing it up to make a naturally thick and creamy soup. This way you actually get lovely broccoli flavour in the soup, rather than a generic creamy broth with bits of broccoli in it. Bonus is that it’s healthier!
What you need for creamy Broccoli Soup
Here’s all you need:
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broccoli – fresh or frozen (lots – 700g/1.4lb!)
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butter, garlic and onion – flavour base
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chicken or vegetable broth/stock + water – for simmering / soup broth
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cheese & cream for finishing
Cream is optional! Does it make it tastier? Of course it does! Anyone who tells you otherwise is outright lying. It adds a layer of richness that you don’t get if you skip it or use milk instead.
But I make it without cream most of the time because cream isn’t part of my standard weekly shop. Still delicious, still creamy, still cheesy – just better for your waistline!
How to make it
And here’s how to make it. A quick saute of garlic and onion to create the flavour base, then tip everything else in a simmer away: chicken or vegetable stock/broth, water, broccoli and potato.
When the broccoli is very tender (a good 15 minutes or so) blitz away until it all purees into a thick, creamy soup. Then stir in the cream and cheese (the heat melts it super quickly) and serve.
The hit of cheddar cheese in this broccoli soup adds flavour and an element of tasty naughtiness into an otherwise very healthy soup. 😈
I stir most in the soup but I like to reserve bit to sprinkle on top. Because by the time the soup gets to the table, that extra cheese starts to ooze so when you dunk the bread into it, it looks like this…..
There really is something about dunking crusty bread into thick and creamy soups, isn’t there??? Luckily, I have a decent selection of soup dunkers around these parts!!
Soup Dunkers
So – if I haven’t convinced you already, one more reason to make this Broccoli Soup is that it freezes 100% perfectly and lasts for days and days in the fridge. It’s creamy and comforting, filling and yet HEALTHY and full of nutrition.
Win, win, win! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Easy Broccoli Cheese Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp (15g) butter (or olive oil)
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 onion , diced (brown, white yellow)
- 4 cups (1 litre) chicken broth / stock , low sodium (or veg stock)
- 1.5 cups (325ml) water
- 700g / 1.4lb) broccoli florets (2 large broccoli + diced peeled stem, Note 1)
- 2 potatoes , peeled and diced into 1.5cm / 2/3" cubes
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1.5 cups (150g) cheddar cheese , shredded (or other cheese of choice)
- 3/4 cup (165ml) cream or milk
To Serve (optional)
- Cream, for drizzling
- Extra grated cheese
Instructions
- Melt butter in a large pot over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic, saute for 2 minutes until onion is softened.
- Add broth/ water, broccoli, potato, salt and pepper. Bring to simmer, then place the lid on, turn the heat down to medium high and cook for 20 minutes or until the broccoli is soft.
- Turn stove off (but leave on stove). Puree using a stick blender until smooth (Note 2).
- Stir in cream, then add cheese a handful at a time, stirring in between to melt.
- Taste and add more salt if desired.
- Ladle into bowls. Drizzle with cream and top with extra grated cheese, if desired.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Originally published 6 January 2016, updated 21 October 2019 with new photos, step photos, new video and most importantly, Life of Dozer section added!
More creamy soups without cream
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Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup – bid Heinz goodbye!
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Browse all Soups
Life of Dozer
Such focus and determination…for a cherry tomato of all things!! 😂
Hi Nagi! I love your recipes. I only have a tub of pub cheese (sharp cheddar) on hand. Do you think I can use that in place of the regular shredded cheddar? I really want some broccoli cheese soup and don’t want to go out and buy more cheddar cheese. Thanks!
Made it as written and it tasted like green water. Had to add multiple packs of Oxo, more salt and pepper and herbs de Providence seasoning to try and make a taste.
Soup was very tasty, but my husband thought it was too watery.
I did it exactly to the recipe, but added curry, as someone else commented.
Over-the-top-yum! Made your no-knead dinner rolls, dinner is done, done, done. Thank you for the recipe. A keeper for sure!
This tastes AMAZING! My husband said it’s some of the best broccoli soup he’s ever had! I will definitely be making this again. Thank you for a quick, healthy weeknight meal!
Easy and delicious. Thank you Nagi (once again).
Very tasty, quick & easy to make. I added frozen spinach and reduced the broccoli. I added sage and basil while frying the onions and garlic. I also mixed olive oil and butter. Thank you!
Quick, easy and wholesome. Used lactose free cream. Only added cheese when serving so people can adjust to their liking – the cheese takes it to another level!
Made this 2 days ago, home crook. Didn’t have enough broccoli so topped up with cauli. Added 1/2 tsp curry, marjoram & thyme with garlic shoots to the butter. Have had it for breakfast for 3 days, it’s so good. Will definitely make again.
The best broccoli soup ever.
Loved this soup, wondering how it would work for someone who couldn’t eat onions and garlic? What tasty additions could I use in place to make it “Mum friendly”?
This amazing soup has become a weekly staple. Lactose intolerant and even without cream and cheese, still one of the best tasting soups. Thank you Nagi, nothing of yours fails even with tweaks!
Another absolutely delicious recipe from our wonderful Nagi! Thank you so much – it was so warming & tasty that I ate waaaay to much of it!
So Easy, So Good that I had to make it again next day! My Entire Family Loves it and That is Saying Something. Thanks to Your Mother, Dozer!! Thanks for finding me a Cook Book that lives in my Kitchen and makes me a good cook!!
Great recipe. I used frozen left over broccoli stems with a small amount of florets. As I like thicker soups I used only half a cup of water plus the stock. I will freeze half and add cream and cheese only when eating. The only other change I would make next time is to add the salt to taste at the end as I did not used salt reduced chicken stock. This recipe has definitely been added to my rotation – budget, family and freezer friendly.
Delicious and so simple!
Absolutely delicious. I used less stock and no water to make the soup a bit thicker. I could have added more liquid but the soup was to my liking
I love soup and this one did not disappoint, I had two bowls with fresh buttered bread and partner had 3 and he got up earlier this morning to heat some up, put it in a flask and took it to work with 4 rounds of bread and he still wanted more the fatty, but I don´t blame him. A friend is getting a bowl too later and then all gone, but this one will be made again and again and again, is it weird to get excited by soup? x
This recipe was a hit. I was trying to find a broccoli soup as good as my mother in law’s, which we sadly lost. My husband thinks this one might be even better.
Loved this soup.