Easy Homemade Broccoli Cheese Soup
The BEST recipe for homemade broccoli cheese soup, this version is easy and creamy, with tons of cheddar cheese flavor (no processed cheese in sight!).
There is nothing in the world like sitting down to a warm bowl of broccoli cheese soup for dinner.
This easy homemade broccoli cheese soup is super cheesy and creamy without any processed cheese.
But even more astounding than that, it is one of a handful of meals that my entire family eats without complaining.
It’s a highly requested recipe around here, and for good reason. This version is easily the best broccoli cheese soup recipe out there.
Making Homemade Broccoli Cheese Soup
This broccoli cheese soup is so easy to make.
When the chopped broccoli and onions simmer in the first step, you want the pot chock full of broccoli. Even fuller than you think; the broccoli will cook down AND we still need to add a milk “sauce” and cheese.
Instead of going to the extra work of making a roux in a separate pot, milk + flour is blended together and added to the steaming vegetables.
It’s a brilliant way to thicken the soup without a lot of fuss.
Best Cheese for Broccoli Cheese Soup
This recipe calls for: cheddar cheese and Swiss cheese.
You might be giving me and this soup the side eye over the Swiss cheese, but I promise, it’s delicious. There’s no overt Swiss flavor, instead the light cheese enhances the creaminess more so than using all cheddar cheese.
Monterey Jack cheese can be subbed for the Swiss cheese. Or, for a slightly less creamy soup, you can sub in extra cheddar cheese for the Swiss or Monterey Jack.
Remember that because pre-shredded cheese is coated with a powdery substance to keep it from clumping, it won’t melt as well as freshly grated cheese. It’s worth the extra effort to grate your own for this recipe!
This broccoli cheese soup can be made ahead of time and kept warm in a slow cooker. And refrigerated leftovers reheat really well!
We’ve been making this soup for almost ten years now, and the few times I’ve dared to stray and try another recipe, I always come back to this one. Always.
It really is the best homemade broccoli cheese soup out there.
Soup in Bread Bowls
It can be hard to find the perfect soup for bread bowls (too thin and you have a soggy bread disaster on your hands!).
This soup is thick, creamy, and perfect to serve in bread bowls.
My favorite homemade recipe for bread bowls is this one.
A Tried-and-True Favorite
So many of you have fallen in love with this broccoli cheese soup! Here are just a few of the hundreds of rave reviews.
Tammy: So, so so Gooooooood!!!!! I made a little tweak of cooking the broccoli longer because kids like it really soft. But, amazing flavor! Served with your french bread rolls and an easy fruit salad. It made a ton, which I’m thrilled so I can have leftovers for lunch, Thanks for another winner!
Kristin: So delicious! One of the best soups I’ve ever eaten!
Shannon: Rivals Panera for sure! I made some bread bowls to serve this in, and my family gobbled it up!
FAQs for Broccoli Cheese Soup
You can, but I promise the Swiss cheese adds great creaminess without overpowering the flavor. If you want to sub in another kind, you’ll want a creamy, good-melting cheese like Monterey Jack.
Sure! Use the same amount and simmer with the onions. When soft, use a potato masher or a couple of forks to break the broccoli into smaller pieces.
Others in the comments have said they’ve used cornstarch in place of the flour (blending it with the milk). Try half the amount of cornstarch.
I don’t think so, but others have frozen it and liked it – the broccoli is much softer after thawing and reheating and the texture is slightly grainy.
This broccoli cheese soup keeps really well in a slow cooker (set to warm or low) for a few hours.
Easy Broccoli Cheese Soup
Ingredients
- 3 ½ cups chicken broth, I use low-sodium
- ½ cup finely diced onion, white or yellow
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 5-6 cups about 30-36 ounces chopped fresh broccoli (see note)
- 4 cups milk, I use 2%
- ½ cup all-purpose flour, use 2/3 cup if you want it extra thick
- 3 cups (342 g) freshly grated cheddar cheese (see note)
- 1 cup (114 g) freshly grated Swiss cheese (see note)
Instructions
- In a large saucepan (6-quarts or so), add the chicken broth, onion, salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a simmer and add the broccoli (it may not be completely covered with liquid). Cover the pot and cook for 8-9 minutes until the broccoli and onions are tender.
- In a blender, combine the milk and flour and process until smooth. Slowly add the milk mixture to the soup, stirring constantly. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, stirring, and cook until thickened, 3-4 minutes.
- Turn the heat off or to low and stir in the cheese, one handful at a time, letting each addition melt before adding more. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if needed.
- Serve immediately (the soup will thicken as it cools).
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: based off this old favorite – just streamlined the cooking method to eliminate the butter and use less pots and pans
Recipe originally published in Dec 2017; updated with new photos, recipe notes, etc (and other photos March 2023)
127 Comments on “Easy Homemade Broccoli Cheese Soup”
The soup was very good although we did have to double the salt and pepper. Part of this might have because we went by weight on the broccoli which produced closer to 12 cups of finely chopped broccoli.
The only thing I would do differently is steam the broccoli ahead of time, it was still fairly crunchy even with increasing the simmer time to 12 minutes.
Sorry, I haven’t read through all the comments to see if someone else has already asked this. Can this be made 2 or 3 days ahead and then warmed up in a crock pot? I’ll be making for a large crowd and don’t want to make it the day of. I see it makes 6 servings. Do you know how many cups that is? Thank you!
Yes, you can reheat it in a slow cooker. I’ve never measured the exact cup amount (and a lot depends on how much broccoli is used) but it should make about 17-20 cups of soup.
This is a healthier version of a soup my mom always used to make. It tastes just the same and I feel better about eating it. Thanks!
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.
also, my husband doesn’t do “onion texture” so I puree the onion so I get the flavor without texture and it’s delightful
Does it matter what kind of milk? I only have whole milk.
Whole milk will work just fine!
I agree, definitely the best broccoli cheese soup recipe! It’s so good and so easy! I used frozen broccoli florets that broke apart beautifully after simmering and sharp cheddar and Monterey jack were perfect. Thank you!
I used habanero cheddar it was delicious. Would make again thanks easy recipe
Such an easy and GOOD soup! I used 3 cups 1% milk and 1 cup heavy cream. Oh my goodness it was delicious!! Eating leftovers as we speak. 🙂
This was fabulous! My family loved it and of course, made fun of me because the soup, bread bowls, and salad were all from my “BFF” Mel’s blog! Thanks for making me into a dinner rockstar
So good! I only used about 1 1/2 cups of milk, and subbed veggie broth for the rest of the liquid and it turned out great.
Yum, yum, yum!! My boys had two bowls tonight. Super easy and super tasty! Thanks, Mel for another great recipe!
That’s awesome – thanks, Nicole!
This was so good! Like lick-the-bowl and clean up everyone’s leftovers good. The kids loved it too and the bread bowls made it extra fun (even if there was a lot of wasted bread that kinda made my heart hurt). Thanks for another great recipe. You’re the best!
Easy to make.
I used skim milk , 2/3 cup flour and thawed frozen broccoli thawed and chopped fine.
Turned out perfect !
Yay! Thanks, Lisa!
I just chopped my broccoli with my food processor giving it a few pulses. Worked great . Have to run to the store to get a few more of the ingredients.
I know this is going to be awesome. Thanks Mel.
This looks delicious! Did you use both the stalk and the flower part of the broccoli?
I use mostly the crowns but get a few bits of stalks in there, too.
Would vegetable broth work? Or does it need to be chicken? Excited to try this.
Yes! Veggie broth will work.
I actually made this Monday in the Instant Pot. Sadly, it wasn’t great. I sautéed the onions in a little butter for a couple of minutes first, then added the fresh broccoli and chicken broth (and s&p) and set the timer for 1 minute, then did a quick release when it was finished. The broccoli was the right softness but looked a sick green color. I set it to sauté and added the milk/flour mixture, which I had blended in my blendtech and even did the 2/3 c flour and a little less milk. Even with that and boiling it in the instant pot for several minutes it was still pretty runny and never really thickened when it cooled. I only had 1% milk so that could have contributed a little. I also used 3 C extra sharp cheddar and 1 c Colby jack, which also may not have helped (you warned about the extra sharp cheddar!) In the end, it didn’t look very good or taste that amazing either. I’ll give it another try on the stovetop sometime, and hope any others who try the IP have a better turnout! Thanks for reposting the recipe, though! I like when you pull some of those out that might get forgotten. I always search your site first when looking for recipes! You’re the best!
Thanks for the details on the IP, Jana! I haven’t made it that way so unfortunately I don’t have any expertise to add but looks like it may be a better stovetop soup.
My husband is lactose intolerant but I really want to try this recipe. Any suggestions for replacing the milk? Love your recipes!
It might be ok with almond milk or a milk substitute still blended with the flour.
Literally what my kids have been asking for the past few days….then your email in my inbox just now reminded me AND saved me from searching your site for it. YOU are my favorite!!!
Well, that was awesome timing, Jennifer! I hope they love this one!
I’ve been making this soup for years now. The only thing different I do is add couple couple of shakes of hot sauce for flavor. It’s a family favorite. My husband keeps trying broccoli soup from a package and the kids hate it. LOL Keep us the good work Mel!
LOVE the idea of adding a little splash of hot sauce!
Broccoli cheese is my favourite soup. I use my immersion blender to get at all the broccoli chunks. My family like it with chicken and bacon bits in it. I like the idea of the bread bowls!
We love this broccoli cheese soup of yours: https://www.melskitchencafe.com/broccoli-cheese-soup/
Is this recipe an adaptation of that one? (not cooking broccoli in the micro anymore? using a blender instead of a separate saucepan?)
It’s basically the same recipe, just simplifying the process of cooking to eliminate more pots and pans to clean.
I was short on broccoli but have scads of yellow summer squash, so used about 20 oz of broccoli and added a grated squash to make the total veggies to be about 32 oz. Then added cubed potato as suggested by others and BACON.
Oh my. It was so good. I’d definitely use the summer squash again whenever it is in season. The cheesy-ness of this recipe is beyond wonderful.
So, so so Gooooooood!!!!! I made a little tweak of cooking the broccoli longer because kids like it really soft. But, amazing flavor! Served with your french bread rolls and an easy fruit salad. It made a ton, which I’m thrilled so I can have leftovers for lunch, Thanks for another winner!
I am trying to ration using fresh ingredients in order to limit trips to the store – – thoughts on using canned milk instead of fresh? (I do have A LOT of broccoli so am looking for ways to use that up!)
Sure, I think canned milk might work. The flavor will be different but if you don’t mind the taste of canned milk, I’d definitely use it!
Got a question! The instructions call for cooking 8-9 minutes until the broccoli and onions are tender, However, there are no onions listed in the ingredients! Help!
I must be losing my mind!! Never mind – I just saw it! Sorry!
Looks so good! We’re eating low carb for dietary reasons in our house. Is there anything that I can substitute for the flour that would be low carb? Would almond flour or coconut flour work in this recipe?
You could definitely try, Cheryl! I’m sorry I don’t know since I haven’t tried it.
I’d suggest arrowroot powder. It worked just fine!
Mel! I pulled up this recipe I’ve made a zillion times and was halfway through before I realized it was a completely different method, ha ha. Here’s the thing, IT WAS FABULOUS! I don’t know what I always did wrong on the last one but it was always SUPER crazy thick. It was weird, of course I kept making it because I’m loyal and true (and it was still delicious! just thick!).
Anyway, I liked this one fifty zillion times more. Turned out great! Thank you!
Just made this again – it’s a family favourite. I love all the changes you’ve made to minimize steps and make less dishes. I have used the blender for the flour/milk in the past and it gets way too foamy, so this time I shook half the milk with the flour in a shaker cup (like for protein drinks) and it turned out so great! After adding the mixture to the soup, I added the other half of the milk directly.
I also used frozen broccoli and after the 8-9 minutes cooking I took the potato masher to it so the pieces weren’t so large. So quick and easy!!
Hi, Mel,
I have made this recipe many times, and I have been negligent in letting you know how perfect it is.
(Actually, it is BP–Beyond Perfect.)
I added one cup of peeled, cubed russet potato along with the chopped broccoli.
What is wonderful, is that I made it in my 5 qt. Dutch oven on the stove, and then I immediately transferred the entire pot of soup to my 6.5 qt. Crock Pot that was set on “warm.”
Thus, I was able to take this pot of comfort-food deliciousness to a church pot luck!
All that was needed was a quick stir. There was no sticking or burning, or gritty cheese, or separation of liquid in the Crock Pot, setting on “warm.”
I am older and have tried many recipes to home-cook meals for my 20- plus size family.
Your recipes never fail me. You have a Gift.
My best to you and your lovely family.
Thank you so much for this comment, Nancy!
I made two giant batches of this this past weekend. I tried to adapt a slow cooker recipe for this but my house STANK! Broccoli is just not a slow cooker dream. So I humbled myself and made it just the way you asked me to and it was easy and lovely. (I do not love making gravies in bulk because the milk scalds in large amounts). Anyway, the only change I have made to your perfect recipe is: I used half the amount of corn starch instead of flour as I feel it makes it less grainy as it starts to cool. I add it to a cup of milk and put it in before all the other milk so it thickens right away. THEN, because I am cooking in bulk, I heat the rest of the milk in microwave about 3 minutes in 2 cup increments. (This makes the thickening go faster and prevents scalding. I learned this lesson the very hard way.)
SOOOOOOO MUCH CHEESE. My salad shooter had to be dug out a few times. It was begging me to stop.
This recipe makes about 12 cups per meal and I freeze in gallon freezer bags. It is also easy to put into quart bags instead for smaller families and college students. Heat and eat! Great recipe!!! As always. Love you. Kiss Kiss
The only issue I have with this one is my milk and flour mixture come out very frothy after being in the blender – maybe it’s because I use skim milk? Trying again today without the blender to see if it’s better
So delicious! One of the best soups I’ve ever eaten!
Rivals Panera for sure! I made some bread bowls to serve this in, and my family gobbled it up!
Have you ever made this for a large group? I’m wanting to make about 40 10-ounce servings and wondered how it would hold up to 1)either making it the day before and reheating it probably in the oven or 2) making the day of and I could hold it in a warmer for 3 hours. Thanks for any advice and/or input. I love your recipes!
Yes! This soup does great made and then kept warm in a large roaster oven or slow cooker!
Loved this soup! So did my 5 year old and 2 year old, as well as my hubby. We all thank you. 🙂
This was very good. I actually bought a box grater (after 20+ years of cooking without one!). I never cook with sharp cheddar or swiss, but bought them anyway for this recipe. That said, it had a wonderful texture and thickness. The cheeses gave it a more complex flavor.
One thing I did that made it way easier to prep and made for a great distribution of the broccoli was to “finely chop” my fresh florets by running them through the slicer of my food processor. Truly amazing and something I can’t believe I didn’t think of sooner! I also added 1/2 tsp. garlic salt to the final soup, which made it spot on.
Thank you again, Mel!
Oh, yeah. I also tossed in a couple finely diced cooked Idaho potatoes after the broccoli was cooked. 🙂
Frozen or fresh broccoli?
I use fresh broccoli.
Oh, my! After all these years of “so-so” soup… This recipe is easy and perfectly seasoned. I added a cup of unpeeled cubed Yukons and the recipe was wonderful, even using skim milk. You are so good, Mel! Thank you again, and keep your amazing recipes coming!
Love the idea of adding potatoes, Nancy!
I made your cinnamon rolls this morning and then needed something quick and delicious for lunch… Wow!! This was so delicious. You’re basically a hero around here this general conference weekend. Haha!
Haha, thanks Heather!!
Thank you for this recipe…delicious!!! Just finished making it and eating it. Came out great. Putting it in my soup rotation. I order broc/cheese soup at restaurants but never thought it would be soooo easy to make at home. I followed the recipe mostly but didn’t have milk. So I used a can of evaporated milk and added water to make up the difference in amount. Also didn’t have swiss…so used pepper jack. It was spicy and creamy….loved it!!!
Help! Cheese melted into a gooey mess, but won’t blend in. What did I do wrong? I used sliced swiss from deli, block sharp cheddar. I followed the recipe but didn’t use flour as I like thinner soup.
I’m not sure, Christine – try cooking it on low heat and stirring constantly to see if the cheese will melt into the soup.
starch helps cheese melt. there is a scientific principle at work. it has to do with it coating the cheese proteins and keeping them unraveled. your problem came bc you left out the flour.
Katherine, I LOVE it when people know the science behind food. Thanks for the tip!
We made this tonight and it was SO tasty! We made a few changes due to ingredients on hand–we subbed a head of cauliflower for the broccoli and added some ham. It was very good and we’ll be making it again (hopefully with broccoli next time!). Thanks for another winner of a recipe! Life is Good 🙂
You really know how to make a cook feel like a rock star, Mel! This soup was a hit with my whole family (except the youngest of my six kids who would still live off pretzels and chocolate milk if I let him). I used the Instant Pot suggestions for 2 minutes. I was missing one of the cheeses so I added 4 oz. of cream cheese into the milk mixture like you used in the potato soup recipe and decreased the milk to 3 cups. Three teaspoons of sea salt seemed perfect. The soup thickened beautifully on sauté. We had this with your super easy Italian bread bowl recipe and that added even more WOW factor. Thank you so much!
Oops! I mean 2 tsp. of sea salt.
Everyone needs a knock your socks off soup in their recipe collection, this is it. Mel, I agree, cut the broccoli small. Having little bits of broccoli in each spoonful is well worth the additional time at the cutting board.
I agree – gotta have a go-to soup (this is mine…so I’m happy you love it, too!)
Delicious and easy! I added ham too
GRAND SLAM! All of us enjoyed this recipe! I used a corn starch slurry to thicken as we are gluten free. Delish!
I almost forgot! I baked a ham over the weekend so I diced up some slices and crisped them in a skillet – we sprinkled them on top of the soup and WOW!!!
Adding our extra Christmas Eve ham to the soup now. Thanks for the idea!
Hi Mel – I made this last night in the Instant Pot and it was a hit! I cooked the onions, broth and broccoli on high for 3 minutes then quickly released. I used my immersion blender to puree it a bit and also to whip the flour and milk. I added the milk on manual medium and let it boil slightly and thicken – took about 10 minutes, whisking every couple of minutes. Then added the cheese (and some buffalo sauce for kick!) and served. Can’t wait to eat the leftovers! This would be a terrific dinner to bring a neighbor who needs a break – thanks for another delicious recipe! Merry Christmas to you and your family 🙂
Thanks for the feedback, Patricia! Merry Christmas to you, too!
Could you easily sub vegetable broth to make it vegetarian?
Oh, saw this question was asked already! Sounds good, I will try it. 🙂
I originally made it following the recipe and the 2nd time used vegetable broth and it was just as good!
Have you ever made it ahead of time and then put it in the crockpot on warm for a couple hours? Would you recommend it? My kids have gymnastics and we get home at dinner time, so I want to make it before we leave. Thanks!!
Yes, it works great as long as the slow cooker doesn’t cook too hot even on the warm setting (otherwise it can get kid of a grainy texture).
How much cornstarch did you use?
My family really enjoyed this recipe, and I appreciated that it was so easy to make. I whisked the milk and flour together rather than using the blender to save a little work, and it turned out fine. The soup was so creamy and cheesy. The next day we had a bit of soup leftover, and some mashed potatoes from another meal. I warmed up the mashed potatoes and we drizzled the leftover soup on top, and that was delicious as well!
Glad you loved it, Nancy; thanks for letting me know!
Thanks for this recipe—perfect for a cold night! I had to adapt this a lot for a family member that is mildly lactose intolerant (cheese is okay but milk is not) but it was still delicious. Served with your amazing one-hour breadsticks. Thanks!!
I’m coming out of a first trimester fog where I haven’t really cooked for two months. We’ve been living off frozen and ready to warm up foods, with an occasional spaghetti night. I made this for dinner last night, the first time I’ve used a recipe for weeks, now that I’ve got some energy back and it was delicious and easy! Thank you!
I have made and loved your original recipe many times (though I always simplified it to one pot). I tried this in the Instant Pot last night and it didn’t go so well. It was really thin and when I tried to let it thicken, it started boiling, which I think gave it a grainy, curdled texture. The flavors were fine, except it needed more salt. So maybe less liquid next time? I won’t give up on Broccoli Cheese Soup, but might stick with the original next time.
Ah, darn, Stacie. Just a quick question, did you use the Saute function on the IP? And if so, what heat level was it at? I’ve found on my IP that I sometimes dial back the Saute function (using the + or -) so it’s not on the highest setting for saute. That might help.
I don’t think I even realized I could adjust the sauté level! It might have been too high. Thanks for the tip!
I loved the old one, but recipes that dirty less of my kitchen are always a win!
My 7 year old and I made this tonight with your 1 Hour Breadsticks. He wanted me to tell you that it was awesome and we loved it! Thanks for another winner!!
Yay, Sara! Thanks (and tell your 7-year old I love that he is cooking in the kitchen!!)
So good! Thanks for this delicious and easy recipe, Mel! I made it in my instant pot and did two minutes high pressure and then sauté for the milk and cheese. SO quick and simple. Thanks again!
Awesome!
My daughter needs GF foods. Could cornstarch be a thickener? How much would you recommend?
Hey Renee – I haven’t tried cornstarch, so I’m not sure how much to recommend. Maybe half as much as the flour? That might be a good place to start.
Dear Mel,
My husband and I both have colds and last night it was cold and rainy outside. I saw your recipe for Broccoli Cheese Soup and knew it would be just what the doctor ordered! It was delicious, the absolute definition of comfort food and we both loved it. Thank you for sharing!
Get better soon, Sharon!
This looks fabulous-can’t wait to try it. Do you know if it freezes well? Looking to make some meals ahead of time for Christmas. Thanks!
I think I tried freezing this once a long time ago…and it didn’t fare so well. Too much milk and cheese, so the texture after thawing was pretty grainy.
When making the bread bowls, what is the dough weight for each bowl? Thank you for your help. We love your recipes at our house!
I usually do 6-8 ounces per bowl.
Sounds like a great soup to me. Have you ever used part Monterey Jack or Swiss cheese since they are better at melting without that grainy issue that sometimes creeps in with Cheddar?
Also, in a pinch if someone’s blender is broken or like me they just don’t want the hassle of cleaning it, you can make the slurry of milk and flour in a bowl with a whisk. Just don’t put all the liquid in to start and let it set a couple minutes after you whisk then whisk again. You would probably want to add most of the milk separately, instead of using all of it for the slurry. If necessary you could strain it, but I haven’t had to do so. A slurry is a quick and easy way to thicken all kinds of soups, casseroles and gravies.
Hi Alice – the recipe actually calls for part Swiss cheese – makes it deliciously creamy! 🙂
Sorry, noticed the Swiss cheese after I sent the comment off.
Mel- I have been a long time follower of tour blog and always know I can use one of your recipes and my family will be more than amazed with the dish or dessert! Thank you so much for all of your effort! I also have purchased many of your game recommendations, labrythn and loot being at the top of our favorites. I also have the “oh my goodness” cookbook recommended in one of your lists and love it!! Do you have any others I can add to my collection for my Christmas list?? Thanks again for all you do!
Hi Sonia – thanks for your comment! I haven’t purchased very many cookbooks this year besides the Brave Tart one that I recommended in a gift guide this year (it’s definitely all baking). I did flip through the Pioneer Woman’s new cookbook at Costco the other day and it had some really good looking recipes. I bought the new Smitten Kitchen cookbook, and it is beautiful, but the food and recipes are definitely a little bit more fussy than fabulous, weeknight, easy meals. Sorry I’m not more help!
This was a very timely post. I was planning to make broccoli cheese soup tonight. I used this recipe and love that it can be done in one pot. I was super lazy and didn’t want to blend the milk and flour in the blender, so I just added the milk to the pot, then sprinkled in the flour a little bit at time, whisking after each addition. It worked great for me. I didn’t notice any flour lumps in the finished soup. Thanks for this simplified version. We loved it!
Thanks for checking back in, Lucy – glad you loved it!
Is using a blender for the milk and flour essential? I don’t own a blender, but can easily whisk these ingredients.
As long as you can keep the lumps out, you don’t need a blender.
I just made your original recipe a couple of nights ago. Already a pretty quick recipe, but I know I’ll have to try this butter-less version this winter.
Also, I followed your tip and bought the 8-qt instant pot when it went on sale on Amazon recently. And… it’s still in the box. I need to remember to use it!
I don’t usually buy Swiss cheese, could I just replace it with the cheddar or something else?
Hey Sarah – the Swiss cheese really helps the creaminess of the soup…so I haven’t subbed anything in for it. You could try more cheddar (the soup may not be quite as creamy) or another creamy, melty cheese, like monterey jack.
I very rarely have Swiss cheese so I have made the original (2 nights ago, and last week too!) with Monterey Jack replacing the Swiss and it turns out great! I’m excited for this less mess version!! Love the original but not all the pans it dirties!
I was looking for something to make tonight for dinner when this recipe popped up in my email. It was so easy to make and absolutely delicious! The whole family approved! We’ll definitely be making this again…maybe even later this week again.
Sounds like us – we make this all the time. Glad your family enjoyed it!
Could vegetable broth be substituted for the chicken broth? Do you think it would affect the flavor much? Please advise. 🙂 Thanks!
Hi Kellie – yes, I definitely think you could use veggie broth.
Have you ever made this with frozen broccoli instead of fresh broccoli?
I haven’t, but I think many others have tried that with the original recipe, and they report back to say it works!
I make the original recipe frequently, which we LOVE. Can’t wait to see how this tastes without butter in it….so curious!!
A couple weeks ago I made (and tasted) for the first time ever, broccoli cheese soup. What took me so long??? Sooo good, I’ll definitely be trying this recipe soon!
Thanks for the update on a soup that I am making this week! I plan on bringing it to a Christmas party–do you think it will hold well in a slow cooker? Do you think bacon would be good in it, if I want to make it a little heartier? Thanks!!
Bacon would be FABULOUS! And I think as long as the slow cooker doesn’t overheat, it should be fine. If it overheats once the cheese is added, it can get kind of gritty and have a curdled texture (ew)
Bacon just makes everything better! And I will just keep it on the warm setting, thanks for the advice!