My recipe for Roasted Broccoli Cheddar Soup has a deliciously balanced flavor thanks to a few unexpected ingredients. This creamy broccoli soup recipe also has enough cheesy decadence to be considered a comfort food, but it's also healthy which makes it the best of both worlds!
Roasting vegetables to make soup brings a depth of flavor like nothing else can. You simply must try some of my other delectable roasted soup recipes, such as: Roasted Tomato Vegetable Soup, Roasted Garlic and Zucchini Soup, Creamy Roasted Celery Soup, and Roasted Butternut Squash Soup.
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Jump to:
- The ingredient list:
- Ingredient information:
- Add-in and swap out suggestions for making creamy broccoli cheddar soup:
- Kitchen tools and equipment needed to make baked broccoli cheddar soup:
- Is there cream in this creamy broccoli soup?
- Is an immersion blender necessary to make this soup?
- Important safety tip about using an immersion blender:
- How to make creamy broccoli cheese soup without an immersion blender
- Why roast the broccoli for this soup?
- How to make broccoli soup without roasting the vegetables?
- Can the vegetables for this soup be roasted in an air fryer?
- Is this broccoli cheese soup healthy?
- Key health benefits of broccoli?
- Is creamy broccoli and cheese soup a low-carb meal?
- How to make roasted broccoli soup a vegetarian meal?
- How to easily adjust the serving size of this recipe
- Make it a complete meal:
- Printable Recipe Card
The ingredient list:
*Please note that the exact measurements along with a "shop the recipe" feature from Instacart and Walmart is available inside the printable recipe card.
Ingredient information:
BROCCOLI- I used mainly broccoli florets that I cut into roughly 2" pieces. You can also use broccoli stems along with the florets, but if you do, since the stems are tougher than the florets, cut those into smaller pieces so they'll cook at the same rate as the more tender broccoli tops.
ONION- Use whatever type of onion is your favorite. I used a sweet onion for this recipe, but any onion variety will work. Chop the onions into pieces similar in size to the broccoli florets.
GARLIC- When garlic roasts, it becomes sweet and nutty, so please don't be afraid of the amount of garlic called for in this recipe. However, if you're totally against using garlic, by all means, leave it out. OR add more if you're like me and can't get enough!! LOL
GROUND NUTMEG- Ground nutmeg is one of the spices I regularly use when cooking deep green vegetables—the spicy, nutty flavor of nutmeg pairs so wonderfully well with any deep green veggie. Please take my word for it, and don't leave it out. A little touch goes a long way so it won't overpower; it enhances!
OLIVE OIL- No need to use extra virgin olive oil here, unless that's your regular go-to oil for cooking. That said, you could also use avocado or grapeseed oil, both of which have a high smoke point and neutral flavor which will work perfectly with this delicious creamy soup.
BUTTER- Everything's better with butter. Everything. Butter adds a rich, sweet, flavor everyone adores. I always use salted butter in my cooking and baking, but unsalted butter will work if that's what you have on hand.
CHICKEN STOCK OR BROTH- Of course, making homemade chicken stock is one of the best and easiest things to make in the kitchen, but if you don't have any on hand, that's OK. There are excellent store-bought chicken broths (and stocks) available in the grocery stores. That said, I caution you to look at their labels and always check their sodium content. Some brands can run quite high in sodium, so I always like to purchase a low-sodium or no-sodium variety to have better control over the sodium levels.
ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR- Mixing flour with the fat (in this case, oil and butter) and the roasted vegetables in the pot will make a roux that will thicken and bring out a creamy texture to chicken stock once it's added to the party in the soup pot.
SHARP CHEDDAR CHEESE- The yellow sharp cheddar cheese brings the familiar orange 'ish cheese color to this creamy broccoli soup, and the sharpness in flavor amplifies the cheese flavor.
WHITE CHEDDAR CHEESE- Adding the white cheddar cheese really drives home the cheddar flavor without turning the soup a bright shade of orange. The two cheeses, however, are interchangeable because the flavor of each (color of) cheddar cheese is very similar.
PARMESAN CHEESE- Adding the shredded Parmesan cheese to this broccoli cheese soup adds a slightly salty and nutty component to the final flavor of the dish. The better the quality of the Parmesan cheese, the better the taste of the soup. I used shredded Parmigiano Reggiano because that's my Parmesan cheese of choice. Yours may be different.
LIME JUICE- The acidic component of the lime juice cuts through all the richness of the cheese. Only a tiny touch is needed to balance and brighten the final dish. I implore you not to omit this (or any other) final acidic component (see swap-out suggestions below) from this cheesy soup.
CROUTONS- The choice is yours whether you want to garnish your completed soup with croutons. I come from a long line of crouton lovers, so it wasn't even a choice for me. Be aware, however, that using croutons will increase the calorie and carbohydrate count for this recipe.
SALT AND PEPPER- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black peppercorns are my seasonings for all savory recipes. Please see the important note below if using table salt.
*Important Note—If using table salt instead of kosher salt, please cut back on the amount of salt called for in the recipe card by half because they measure differently due to grain size.
Add-in and swap out suggestions for making creamy broccoli cheddar soup:
Add-in options:
Feel free to add any other roasted vegetable you feel would be a good accompaniment to the broccoli. Roasted carrots, Brussels sprouts, parsnips, and celery would all be excellent choices.
If you'd like to add protein, bite sized pieces of cooked chicken would be delicious as would cooked and crumbled sausages of any kind.
And, I'd never tell you not to add additional cheese. Any additional cheese. There are so many delicious cheese options that it's hard to say which ones would be the tastiest added to this broccoli cheese soup. All I say is...go for it! Just make sure to grate it first so it melts easily and quickly in the hot soup.
Swap-out suggestions:
Swapping shallots in place of the onion and or garlic would be delicious.
Don't have chicken broth or stock on hand? Feel free to use beef broth, stock, or bouillon dissolved in water.
Don't have any limes? No worries. A squeeze of lemon juice OR a teaspoon of vinegar (apple cider or red wine vinegar) makes a very nice substitution for the lime juice.
And, to make this soup vegetarian, vegetable broth is a wonderful swap out for protein broths.
Kitchen tools and equipment needed to make baked broccoli cheddar soup:
- baking sheets
- aluminum foil (optional, for roasting the vegetables)
- measuring cups and spoons
- chef's knife
- cutting board
- slotted spatula (optional)
- microplane (optional, for grating nutmeg pods)
- box grater (optional, for grating cheese)
- soup pot or Dutch oven
- immersion blender
- ladle
- wooden spoon
- citrus juicer (optional)
- mixing bowls
- kitchen timer (optional)
- oven gloves
Is there cream in this creamy broccoli soup?
Nope, there is absolutely no cream (milk or half and half) involved in this recipe.
The creaminess comes from the roux (flour and fat), which is stirred into the roasted vegetables before adding the broth. After the broth gets added, the soup will thicken as it heats.
Of course, the soup also gets its thick, velvety creaminess from blending the vegetables and the melted cheese.
Is an immersion blender necessary to make this soup?
No, not at all, but it sure does make quick work of blending the soup without having to dirty more dishes.
Important safety tip about using an immersion blender:
It is vitally important to keep the immersion blender under the surface of the soup while blending to prevent the hot soup from spraying all over the kitchen and the cook.
How to make creamy broccoli cheese soup without an immersion blender
Carefully ladle small portions of soup (after the broth has been added and before adding cheese) into a countertop blender (or food processor) and blend (or pulse) batches until your desired consistency. Continue that process until all the soup has is creamy.
Now, return the blended soup to the soup pot (or Dutch oven) over medium heat, and continue the recipe as written at the point of adding the cheeses and final ingredients.
Why roast the broccoli for this soup?
You don't know what you're missing if you've never had roasted broccoli!
Roasting vegetables is a quick and easy process that will bring out a sweet nuttiness to any and all vegetables, especially broccoli.
By first roasting the broccoli (onions and garlic), you add a tremendous depth of flavor to your completed soup.
How to make broccoli soup without roasting the vegetables?
Suppose you prefer making this soup without roasting the broccoli. In that case, you can easily do so by either microwaving, steaming, or cooking the vegetables in a tiny bit of water on the stovetop until fork tender.
Can the vegetables for this soup be roasted in an air fryer?
You bet!
Preheat the air fryer to 350-degrees. Lay the prepared vegetables in a single layer on an air fryer rack.
Cook, watching closely, for 5-7 minutes, or until the vegetables are starting to brown on the tips and edges, and the vegetables are fork tender.
Work in batches as needed.
Is this broccoli cheese soup healthy?
Let's just say it's not, NOT unhealthy!
Well, that was confusing. LOL
What I mean is, you're eating broccoli, right? What can be unhealthy about that??
Key health benefits of broccoli?
Broccoli contains plenty of fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
The fiber in broccoli can help regulate blood sugar and aid in digestion.
Broccoli is packed with antioxidants that may help reduce heart disease and possibly reduce the risk of some cancers and strokes.
Find out more about the health benefits of broccoli
Is creamy broccoli and cheese soup a low-carb meal?
No, not specifically because flour is one of the ingredients that thickens the soup.
As written, this recipe clocks in at 17 grams of carbs per serving.
How to make roasted broccoli soup a vegetarian meal?
You can easily make this a vegetarian meal by swapping out vegetable broth for the chicken broth used in the recipe. Viola! Vegetarian!!
How to easily adjust the serving size of this recipe
Should you need to increase (or decrease) the serving size for this recipe you can easily adjust the ingredient quantities using the sliding scale shown in the recipe card by hovering over the number in the serving size.
Make it a complete meal:
I like to call these my "Better" Cheddar Bay Biscuits, and yes, they're my take on the iconic biscuit from the (now closed) Red Lobster chain of restaurants.
If you want to add something cool and colorful next to your bowl of broccoli cheddar soup, give my copycat Sunflower Crunch Kale and Cabbage Salad a try, and I promise you won't be sorry!!
And who doesn't crave a little something sweet at the end of a meal? This rustic and delicious Apple Crumble Crostata is the perfect ending to the perfect meal. See for yourself!
When you make this recipe (and I hope that you will), I'd appreciate it if you'd take the time to come back and give it a star rating along with a comment on why you rated as you did. Search engines such as Google appreciate comments and ratings and, in turn, will show my recipes to more people. Please look for the pink star rating box within the printable recipe card. Thank you!!
Printable Recipe Card
Roasted Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Equipment
- Dutch oven optional
- immersion blender optional (for creaming the soup)
- blender optional (for creaming the soup)
- cheese grater optional (for shredding the sheese)
- microplane optional (for grating the nutmeg)
- citrus juicer optional
- Mixing Bowls optional (or preparing the vegetables for roasting)
- kitchen timer optional
Ingredients
To roast the vegetables:
- 6 cups broccoli florets, cut into 1½-2" pieces (if using stems also, cut those into smaller, bite sized pieces)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (avocado oil will also work)
- 1 medium sweet onion (cut into slices ¼" thickness)
- 5 cloves garlic (or to taste)
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon grated nutmeg (ground nutmeg will also work)
For the soup:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (avocado oil will also work)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 4 cups chicken broth (chicken stock will also work)
- 8 ounces shredded yellow sharp cheddar cheese
- 4 ounces shredded white cheddar cheese
- 1 ounce shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C)
To roast the broccoli, onions and garlic:
- Place the broccoli into a large bowl OR place them directly onto a foil-lined baking sheet.
- Add the onions and garlic cloves to the broccoli. Add the oil, nutmeg, salt and pepper to the vegetables and toss to evenly coat the veggies in oil and to distribute the seasonings.
- Ensure the vegetables are in an even layer on the baking sheets and then roast them in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
- Remove the vegetables from the oven, stir them well and return them back into the oven to continue roasting for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the edges of the broccoli become brown and caramelized. Remove from the oven and cool slightly.
To make the soup:
- Heat oil and butter over medium/high heat in a Dutch oven (or soup pot) until melted. Stir in the all-purpose flour, along with the roasted broccoli, onion, and garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes stirring frequently.
- Reduce the heat to medium and gradually add the chicken broth to the pot, stirring frequently. As the soup heats, you'll notice it thicken. After cooking for 10-15 minutes, use an immersion blender to carefully blend the soup to a creamy texture. *Safety Note - it is vitally important to keep the immersion blender under the surface of the soup while blending to prevent the hot soup from spraying all over the kitchen and the cook.
- Once the soup is at your desired texture, stir in the shredded cheeses and allow to melt. Right before serving stir in the fresh lime juice for balance and brightness.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and top with additional shredded cheese and croutons, if desired.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
I sincerely hope you'll enjoy making (and eating) this creamy roasted broccoli soup with cheddar cheese as much as I've enjoyed bringing it to you!
Thank you so much for visiting me today in my Kudos Kitchen. I hope you found something you'll love and that you will come back and visit me often. Please know that there is always room for you around my kitchen table!
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Until we eat again, I hope you have a delicious day!
Mark says
Fantastic taste.
Renée says
This from a man who's not that big a fan of broccoli.
Thanks, Mark. So glad you loved this soup!
Renee