Loaded Broccoli Cheese Bacon Soup

This loaded broccoli cheese bacon soup is full of hearty veggies, cheddar cheese, and crisp bacon! It takes broccoli cheese soup to a whole new level.

One of our favorite soups, this leveled up broccoli cheese soup is incredibly delicious. I serve this soup to company a lot, and it is always a hit!

Start with the Veggies

This loaded broccoli cheese bacon soup comes together in two parts: 1) the vegetables and 2) the cheese sauce.

Get the veggies cooking first! They simmer in savory broth until tender.

• carrots
• celery
• ptatoes
• onions
• broccoli

All said and done there are ten cups of vegetables in this soup! And…a healthy amount of bacon and cheese, too. Moderation in all things. 😉

The Cheese Sauce

While the veggies simmer, make the creamy, cheesy sauce.

1. Fry chopped bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon to a plate and drain most of the grease.
2. Add a bit of butter and flour to make a roux.
3. Slowly whisk in milk (lump-free sauce coming right up!). Cook until thickened.
4. Add shredded cheese and a few simple seasonings.

I know it’s a bit of a pain to dirty two pots in the name of soup, but it is worth it for this recipe. I’ve tried endlessly experimenting with this recipe to simplify the process, but it *always* turns out best making the roux + cheese sauce in a separate pot.

When the veggies and cheese sauce are ready, pour the cheese sauce into the vegetable/broth mixture.

Give it a good stir, and cook for a couple of minutes. The soup may appear a bit thin at first, but it will thicken perfectly as it cooks and then cools down for eating.

Stir in the reserved crisp bacon. You can save a bit for topping individual portions, as well.

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Loaded Broccoli Cheese and Bacon Soup

Yield: 8 servings

Prep Time: 45 minutes mins

Cook Time: 35 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

4.69 stars (125 ratings)

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Ingredients

• 3 cups chicken broth (see note)
• 1 cup peeled and diced carrots
• 1 cup diced celery
• 3 cups peeled and chopped potatoes
• ½ cup finely chopped onion
• 4 to 5 cups chopped fresh broccoli
• 6 to 8 slices bacon, chopped (see note)
• 4 tablespoons butter
• ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
• 3 cups milk
• 4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried mustard

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Instructions 

• For the vegetables, in a 6-quart or larger pot, add the chicken broth, carrots, celery, potatoes and onions. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften. The vegetables will continue to cook in the following step.
• Add the broccoli. Cover and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes. (The pot might seem overly full with veggies and not "soupy" enough, but it will thin out once the cheese sauce is added.)
• In a separate medium saucepan over medium heat, saute the bacon until golden and crisp. Remove the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Drain the grease and return the pot to the stove.
• Add the butter and melt over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes until golden, stirring constantly. Slowly pour in the milk, whisking constantly, and cook until the mixture is bubbling and slightly thickened, 5-7 minutes.
• Add the cheese a handful at a time, stirring until melted before adding more cheese. Whisk in the salt, pepper and dry mustard.
• Pour the cheese sauce into the pot with the vegetables and stir to combine. Heat until gently bubbling and warmed through.
• Stir in the reserved bacon and add additional salt and pepper to taste, if needed. Add additional milk or broth to thin the soup, if needed. The soup will continue to thicken as it cools.

Notes

Bacon: the bacon grease can be used for the base of the white sauce instead of using the butter in the recipe (just make sure you have at least 4 tablespoons, otherwise, supplement with butter). Also, because more bacon is always better, I almost always increase the bacon to a 12-ounce package (and then reserve some of the cooked bacon to top individual servings).

Broth: increase the broth to four cups for a slightly less thick soup. 

Author: Mel

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Method: Stovetop

Serving: 1 serving, Calories: 476kcal, Carbohydrates: 31g, Protein: 24g, Fat: 29g, Saturated Fat: 17g, Cholesterol: 82mg, Sodium: 863mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 8g

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Cookware

Box Grater

Measuring Cups

Recipe Source: adapted from a recipe my sister-in-law, Melissa, sent me by way of her friend Meredith (thanks, Meliss!) – I  made a ton of changes: decreased butter from 8 tablespoons to 3, increased liquid and used broth instead of water, used real cheese instead of velveeta and changed up the quantities of vegetables to name a few.

Recipe originally posted October 2013; updated December 2024 with new photos, recipe notes, etc.

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Loaded Cheesy Cauliflower Soup

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