Let Me Tell You About My Broccoli Cheese Soup with Cheddar Obsession

Alright, pull up a chair. If you know me at all, you know soup is my answer to just about everything (cold day? Soup. Rough week? Soup. Unexpected guests? Yep, more soup). And Broccoli Cheese Soup with Cheddar—oh boy, that's my holy grail when I need a bowl of something cozy, but also kind of want to show off just a tiny bit.

Funny story: I tried making this for the first time in college because I thought it was fancy. Made a giant mess, forgot the cheese, and basically ended up with warm broccoli water. Thankfully, I've come a long way—now, my kitchen only smells like cheese half the time. Anyway, let's get into it.

Why I Keep Making This (And Why You'll Want to, Too)

So here's the deal. I make this when it's cold out and we just want to put on fuzzy socks and binge old sitcoms. My family goes a bit wild for this—my kid once called it "green mac and cheese in a bowl", which is both kind of wrong and totally right. It's my go-to when someone is feeling under the weather (bowl of goodness, anyone?).

Honestly, I used to get annoyed by how many pots it took, but I figured out you can pretty much make it all in one pot with a bit of juggling. Now it’s way less hassle (unless you knock the spoon off the counter, which, fair warning, I do at least once every time).

What You'll Need to Grab (or Swap Out!)

Broccoli - About 1 big head chopped into small trees. Sometimes I use frozen florets if I'm in a mad rush or they're looking sad at the shop.
Sharp Cheddar Cheese - I tend to go with the sharpest I can find (tastes bolder), but my grandmother used to only use mild—honestly, either is fine. Pre-shredded works in a pinch, though it doesn't melt quite as smooth.
Butter - A generous knob (I'd say 3 tbsp). Salted or unsalted, don't fret too much.
Yellow Onion - 1 medium, diced. Or half if you’re not as into onions.
Garlic - 2 or 3 cloves, or the jarred stuff if you're in a hurry. No shame.
Flour - About ¼ cup to thicken (I've used cornstarch in a pinch, still works).
Milk - 2 cups. I usually do whole milk, but 2% won't ruin anything.
Chicken or Veggie Broth - 2 cups (sometimes I just fudge it with water and stock cube...)
Carrot - Optional! I like to grate one in for color, but half the time I forget.
Salt and Black Pepper - To taste (heavy on pepper for me).
Paprika or a pinch of cayenne - Optional, but it perks things up.

And that's all you really need—unless you want to get fancy.

Here's How I Actually Make It (With Some Chaos)

Melt the butter in a big pot over a gentle heat. Toss in the onions (and carrot, if you remembered). Let them soften until they start to look see-through, maybe 5 minutes. I stir them way more than needed—it's just soothing.
Add the garlic, give it about a minute. You’ll know you’re on track because the kitchen will start smelling like actual heaven.
Sprinkle the flour over the veg, and stir while it kind of clumps together—don't worry if it looks a bit weird at this stage, it always does. Let it cook out for a minute or two so you don't get that floury taste.
Pour in the milk and broth while stirring (I just splash them in alternatingly because, well, I’m impatient). Keep whisking so it goes smooth-ish.
Dump in your chopped broccoli (and grated carrot if you went down that path). Crank the heat up a tad and bring it to just a simmer. Be patient, this is where the magic happens. Don’t boil or the milk might throw a fit and split.
Let it bubble away for about 12–15 minutes—the broccoli should get tender but not sad and mushy. Actually, I usually poke it with a fork and sneak a bite (chef's tax!).
Time for the cheese! Kill the heat. Shovel in handfuls of grated cheddar, stirring until it’s all melt-y. If it’s too thick, I slosh in a bit more milk. Too thin? Well, sometimes I just pretend that's how it's supposed to be.
Season with salt, black pepper, and maybe paprika/cayenne if you like a bit of a kick. Taste, adjust, repeat (the tasting part is important—purely scientific, obviously).
If you want it smoother, blend a few ladlefuls and pour them back, but I usually leave it chunky. Less washing-up, more character.

What I've Learned From (Many) Attempts

Cheese clumping? Turns out dumping it all in at once is a rookie move. Add slowly and stir like you mean it.
If you use pre-shredded bagged cheese, it sometimes stays a bit gritty. Still tastes alright.
I've forgotten to cook the flour before, ended up with lumpy bits. Not a tragedy, just... textural variety.

How I Like to Tinker (Some Hits, One Miss)

Once swapped cheddar for smoked Gouda and holy smokes, that was good.
Added crispy bacon on top a couple times – major win.
Tried low-fat everything to "be healthy"—honestly, it just wasn't the same. Still edible, just less happy-making.
One time I tried tossing in cauliflower and nobody noticed (sneaky veg for the win).

What You Need—Or, Failsafe Workarounds

One biggish pot. But if you only have a saucepan, work in batches. I've done it.
A whisk always helps—but a fork kind of does the job, just slower.
If you want to blend, a stick blender is easiest. Or, just mash with a potato masher. Chunkier, but hey, still delicious.

Saving Leftovers (Not That They Last!)

Alright, so in theory you can stick leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. But honestly, in my house it never lasts more than a day! I sometimes think it tastes even better the next day, which probably isn't scientifically provable, but trust me. You can freeze portions too, but give it a good stir when you reheat because it likes to separate a bit.

How I Like to Serve It (And a Mini Rant About Bread)

We do thick slices of crusty bread for dunking—no substitute, bread is mandatory here. Sometimes I get all fancy and float a few more shredded cheese and black pepper on top, or chuck on croutons (these homemade croutons from Smitten Kitchen are next-level). Sometimes I serve it in mugs and we eat it standing around, which makes it feel like a proper British pub night—even if we're just in pajamas.

Things I Learned the Hard Way (Aka, Pro Tips)

I once tried making this in a hurry, chucked everything in at once... Bad move. Be patient or you'll end up with more of a cheesy broccoli swamp than soup.
Adding cold cheese to raging-hot soup? Clumpy city. Let it cool for a minute first.
Don’t walk away while it simmers, unless you actually wanted boiled-over milky disaster (voice of experience).

Questions Folks Actually Ask Me

Can I use a different cheese?
Totally! Swiss, Gruyère, smoked cheddar—all worth a go. I usually stick with cheddar, but that's just me.

Do I have to blend it?
Nope! I like it chunky, but if you love smooth soup, go for it. Just don’t use a regular blender while it’s hot; trust me, exploded soup is not something you need in your life.

Any shortcuts if I’m in a real rush?
Yep: frozen broccoli, pre-grated cheese, skip the carrot. It won’t be winning any awards, but it’ll taste good enough. Oh—and you can totally check this shortcut version from Simply Recipes for even more ideas.

Can I make it gluten free?
I've swapped flour for cornstarch (mix with a splash of water first), and it's worked fine! There’s probably a fancier way to do it, but that’s what I do.

And, well, that's about it. Enjoy—and if you end up making your own tweaks, tell me what you do. I have a weirdly big collection of soup stories from friends. (Oh, speaking of stories: did I tell you about the time my dog snuck a taste of the cheese? Never did find that missing half-cup...)

Broccoli Cheese Soup with Cheddar