Broccoli Cheese Soup
This no-velveeta homemade broccoli cheese soup is sure to win you over! The soup is simple and incredible and comes together quickly.
I could sum up this post by the following statement from my husband while devouring this meal: “This is the ultimate perfect dinner.”
Of course it could have been the atmosphere since it had snowed all day and was the perfect night for soup, but still, when we were fighting over the last scoops in the pot, I knew this had to be a winner.
I received this recipe from a commenter, Liz, who has tried several recipes from here. Come to find out, after a few months of back and forth commenting, we figured out we went to high school together and went to the same church growing up.
What a small world – especially now that we both live several states away from where we grew up!
She mentioned the other day in an email that she had used the Italian Bread Bowl recipe for her broccoli cheese soup and her kids ate it up…plus it was a no-velveeta recipe.
Of course, I begged and pleaded for her recipe. While I don’t have anything against velveeta, I wanted a recipe with less processed flavors, and if my kids would eat it…then I knew it would be a keeper.
This soup was incredible, and sure enough, my kids ate it with minimal fuss even with the broccoli. I was quite pleased (shocked, actually, but then quite pleased). It’s since became one of our family’s favorite soups of all time!
FAQs for Broccoli Cheese Soup
It turns a little grainy after being frozen due to the cheese, but it reheats pretty well (texture is slightly less creamy).
Yep!
I’d recommend cooking it on the stovetop and transferring it to a slow cooker to keep it warm (only for an hour or so – it might lose it’s smooth texture if in there too long!)
This soup won’t curdle as long as you moderate the heat well. It’s very smooth and creamy; not as artificially smooth as Velveeta recipes – it has a little texture from the roux.
What to Serve With This
- Artisan or Italian Bread Bowls
- Simple green Salad (or for an extra special salad this Spinach Salad with Spicy Nuts)
- Fresh, seasonal fruit
Broccoli Cheese Soup
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups chicken broth
- 1 small onion, diced
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup butter
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups milk
- 1 ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese, preferably sharp or extra sharp
- ½ cup shredded swiss cheese
- 2 ½ to 3 cups chopped lightly steamed or blanched broccoli
Instructions
- Simmer chicken broth and chopped onion for 15-20 minutes in a covered small saucepan, until onions are soft.
- Heat milk in microwave for 1-2 minutes.
- In a separate medium-sized stockpot, melt butter then add flour, salt and pepper. Cook together, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes, then whisk in warmed milk. Stir and heat together on medium heat until soup starts to thicken, about 5-8 minutes.
- Add warmed chicken broth and continue to stir until well blended. Add cheeses and stir until completely melted. Stir in steamed broccoli. Add more salt and pepper to taste, if needed. Serve immediately in bowls or bread bowls.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: adapted very slightly from my friend, Liz K.
I have been making this for years and got the recipe from Liz!! (She’s my sister ) hands down the best recipe! And “Hi Melanie!! Love your page and love more that I know you!!) ❤️
Oh, hey, Jillian! So fun to see your comment!!
I doubled this recipe because I wanted to bring it over to my neighbor who just had a baby. Holy cow, this makes so much damn soup I cannot even believe it!
I ended up dropping some off at my other neighbor’s house, and my sister-in-law’s house. Needed two big pots to make it.
That being said…. YUMMMMMMMMMM!
I got wonderful compliments for it, everybody loved it. Even my veggie avoiding husband stole my leftovers and took them to work to eat for lunch!
My neighbor said, “I love soup. I eat a lot of soup. And that soup was one of the best I’ve ever had.”
What!!??!?
boom . Winner. 🙂
Oh, and my husband doesn’t do chunks of onion. So I puree my onion to get flavor without chunks… and it’s still super delicious
Oops, actually this comment should have been on your other broccoli cheddar soup
Why hadn’t I tried this yet?? Sooo good! My husband doesn’t do onions, so I shredded a carrot and diced a celery stalk in lieu of the onion, but followed the recipe otherwise. I’m not a huge fan of Swiss cheese, but I feel like it added a good flavor contrast to the cheddar. This was a seriously perfect broccoli cheese soup and I liked that the steamed broccoli was perfectly blanched and green and not overcooked and soggy.
Nailed it, Mel!
This recipe is delicious!! Just a couple of suggestions.
-I rarely have Swiss cheese on hand so I use Monterey jack instead and we love it!!
-An easy time saving hack for the broccoli is to use frozen riced broccoli. Makes this come together so much faster. We also like to add shredded carrots in with the onion and simmer both!
Thanks for another winner, Mel!!
We have a broccoli cheese soup that we have been using for years. I tried this recipe last night and it easily replaces our old favorite.
I tweaked the recipe a little by sautéing the onions in butter first with a little bit of garlic. Super delicious recipe served with sourdough bread on the side!
I have made A LOT of broccoli cheddar soup in my day. I’ve tried A LOT of different recipes. This one is by far the easiest and the tastiest. This is a winner!
Can this soup be frozen?
It turns a little grainy after being frozen due to the cheese, but it reheats pretty well (texture is slightly less creamy).
Excellent! My family of 8 gives it 16 thumbs up- and that’s a lot of thumbs!! Winner winner chicken dinner, every time.
So glad I tried this recipe! The only thing I did different was add chopped baby carrots and do NOT regret doubling the recipe right out of the gate! This is a keeper!
Made this today, again, and it’s perfect! I blended up all the ingredients (after onion cooked in broth, and broccoli before I added but after it steamed). I added a little extra broth, and cheese. Also added a little cream in place of part of the milk. Thanks Mel!
This soup is delicious! Love that is has no velveeta. All 3 of my kids devour it. I double the recipe for our family of 5. Barely any leftovers.
I just wanted you to know that this has been my daughter’s favorite meal since the first time I made it. She was probably, like, 3 when I found it. She’s 8 now. She requests it every year for her birthday (in July) and random times throughout the year. I’ve almost always made it with frozen vegetables (corn, carrots, beans, peas) instead of broccoli and we rarely have Swiss cheese to use but it’s still so good!! I’m going to try to double it tonight for the first time and I’m a little scared but…my brother’s family needs to try this.
Haha Sorry, I didn’t realize I was replying to your comment. Phones…
This recipe looks delicious. I’m planning to make it for dinner tomorrow, but my family will be expecting a “pureed” version with no broccoli pieces showing. Do you think pureeing with a blender or immersion blender will work?
Sure!
O M G. Awesomely delicious. I added a bit more chicken broth, needed to doubled the recipe to feed all 5 of us, but we all loved it!! Yes, teenagers too!!
Thank you for this recipe. I was looking for one that didn’t used processed cheese product. I made a couple of changes and it came out amazing. I diced onion and cut up broccoli pretty small and put a little butter and olive oil in my dutch oven pot to sautee stirring frequently until broccoli was cooked to my desired softness. Took it out of pot and used same pot for flour and milk. There were a lot of good brown bits from onions on bottom of pot.that added flavor to soup. I also added a pinch of ground thyme. Wonderful!!!
Quiet simply, this soup is perfect! Tonight was the second time I made it, and quadrupled the recipe to feed my family and a batch to take to a friend who had a root canal this morning. She said it was the best broccoli cheese soup she’d ever had, and I agree! I added a touch of cayenne & forgot to add the Swiss cheese this time, and it was still amazing! Thanks again Mel!
Great recipe for broccoli cheese soup! This is my go-to, and I always double it to make sure I have leftovers!
Is there a way to make this in a pressure cooker?
I haven’t tried it (yet!).
I just made this soup and It was delicious. You have to double it to give 4 people a good serving., otherwise maybe only getting a cup.
Yummers!! Such a perfect soup, especially on a cold spring day when Mother Nature in Colorado does pay attention the calendar!!!!
Wonderful, so pleased i come accross your site, the only thing i have been having trouble with is your bread recipes, our flour and yeast in australia is quite different.
Cheers
Just made this for probably the fiftieth time (no joke!) and it was amazing once again. Made it vegetarian by using a vegetarian bouillon (not tomato based) and the whole family loved it! With your Italian Bread Bowls it is our family’s favorite meal!