With five minutes of prep time and 30 minutes of cooking, you can create comfort in a bowl with this broccoli cheese soup. It uses just a few basic ingredients, most importantly, rich, flavorful Velveeta cheese. This broccoli cheese soup with Velveeta cheese can also be made with a cheese substitute if needed or preferred. Either way, it’s going to be welcome on the table.
A perfect first course for a larger meal and a great lunch all on its own, this soup is filling and satisfying. It also welcomes your own twists and additions. Make it once following the recipe as-is, and then consider what might make this soup even more of a hit in your household, from spicing it up to adding more veggies to serving it in a bread bowl.
Cheese Broccoli Soup Ingredients
- Sliced fresh carrots: You’ll want two cups of coined carrots, sliced to be about 1/4 inch thick.
- Broccoli florets: Roughly chop the broccoli florets, leaving smaller ones intact and halving or quartering larger florets as needed.
- Celery: Cut the celery ribs into slices that match the thickness of the carrots.
- Onion: Be generous with the chopped onion, opting for a bit more than 1-1/2 cup.
- Butter: Yes, this recipe uses a lot of butter. And yes, this buttery broccoli cheese soup with Velveeta cheese tastes amazing.
- All-purpose flour: The flour helps give the soup a delightful texture.
- Condensed chicken broth: Make sure to use the chicken broth in an undiluted state.
- Whole milk: The rich, creamy taste of this soup owes much to the use of whole milk.
- Velveeta: The Velveeta cheese is of course the main event here, flavor-wise.
Directions
Step 1: Cook the veggies
In a large saucepan, bring 2 quarts of water to a boil. Add the carrots, broccoli, and celery, cover the pan, and boil the veggies for five minutes. Then drain the pan, remove the vegetables, and set them aside.
Step 2: Form the broth
In the same saucepan, sauté the onion in the butter, cooking it at medium heat for two to three minutes until fragrant. Add in the flour and stir well, forming a smooth paste. Then, gradually add the chicken broth and milk, stirring constantly. Cook until the mixture thickens, for 8 to 10 minutes. Then, add the partially cooked vegetables, heating them until they grow tender. Add the cheese, heating and stirring until the cheese has melted and incorporated throughout the soup.
Cheese Broccoli Soup Variations
- Swap out the Velveeta: If you’re not a fan of processed cheese products, swap in equal parts shredded cheddar cheese and cream cheese as a great substitute. This still won’t be a healthy soup, per se, but it will have less processed ingredients.
- Make it vegetarian: You can swap out the condensed chicken broth for a vegetable broth and the soup will still taste great. It can be vegetarian, but unfortunately, it can never be made vegan-friendly!
- Spice it up: This broccoli cheese soup is just begging for some heat. Add red pepper flakes, a dash of hot sauce, or even sliced jalapeños with the rest of the veggies.
How to Store Cheese Broccoli Soup
This cheese broccoli soup will keep safely in the fridge for up to four days, but it’s really best enjoyed within three. Store it in an airtight container and gently reheat it on the stove, adding a bit of broth if it has thickened too much, and stirring regularly. It does not microwave well, so try to use that stove.
Can you freeze broccoli cheese soup?
Yes, you can. It’s best frozen in individual portions, as this speeds up the thawing process. Store it in freezer-safe bags for up to three months, thaw it overnight in the fridge and gently reheat it as mentioned above.
Cheese Broccoli Soup Tips
What should I serve with this cheese broccoli soup?
This soup is at its best when served in a bread bowl, frankly, you don’t need to serve anything more! Hearty, filling, and delicious, it is a meal on its own. If you want the soup to be part of a larger dinner, keep the portions small and pair it with a fresh green salad and a lighter grain and protein, like rice or quinoa and fish.
Is this soup healthy?
Oftentimes, we have to choose between very tasty and very healthy, and this soup is the former. It’s packed with flavor but rather high in fat, so make it a comforting treat, not a daily meal.
Why won’t my cheese melt in my soup?
If you opted to use shredded cheddar instead of the Velveeta, it may be coated in an anti-caking agent that prevents proper melting. Use a block of cheddar and shred it yourself to prevent this from happening.
