This creamy broccoli & cheddar soup brings me back to growing up and always ordering it from Panera in a bread bowl! Anyone else? Seriously one of my favorites and the ultimate cozy meal. I’m telling you, how have to try this soup. It’s SO simple and minimal ingredients. It always blows my mind how something so simple can taste so good. A great meatless meal option to have in your back pocket!
What you need to make creamy broccoli & cheddar soup + substitutions:
- Broccoli- You wouldn’t have broccoli & cheddar soup without the broccoli. Am I right? You can buy pre-chopped, chop yourself, whatever works for you. I think frozen would make the soup too watery! If you want to dirty an extra dish, you could definitely steam the broccoli first to soften it but we didn’t.
- Yellow onion- The yellow onion just adds a nice flavor and touch to the soup. You can use shallot as well if you’d like.
- Garlic cloves- Garlic is ideal in basically every savory recipe. You can substitute with 1 tsp garlic powder if needed.
- Olive oil- Olive oil adds some nice fat and flavor that enhances the flavor of the soup. What would life be without olive oil?
- Chicken stock or broth- We used Swanson chicken broth, but any chicken broth or stock will do. If you want to make it vegetarian, just use vegetable broth!
- Cheddar cheese- We bought a block of sharp cheddar cheese and grated it ourselves, because I always feel like it tastes better. You can also buy pre-shredded.
- Heavy cream- The heavy cream just adds a bit of flavor and a little extra creaminess. A little goes a long way and you don’t need much! Feel free to also substitute with coconut milk or coconut cream.
Things we used:
- Le Creseut Dutch Oven– This is our go-to soup pot! Ours was actually passed down from my mom, which is why it’s blue haha! Usually I’d go for white or black, but regardless the color doesn’t matter. These pots are amazing, they’re definitely pricey but they LAST forever and we use them for so many things! Soup, bread, and so much more! We have the 8qt oval, but one day when I buy one myself, I’ll likely buy this one in white and 9qt!
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Creamy Broccoli & Cheddar Soup
This creamy broccoli & cheddar soup brings me back to growing up and always ordering it from Panera in a bread bowl! Anyone else? Seriously one of my favorites and the ultimate cozy meal. I'm telling you, how have to try this soup. It's SO simple and minimal ingredients. It always blows my mind how something so simple can taste so good. A great meatless meal option to have in your back pocket!
Servings 4
Ingredients
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 3 cups broccoli chopped small
- 2-3 garlic cloves minced
- 1-2 tbsp avocado oil
- 32 oz chicken broth
- 8oz sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp sea salt more to taste
- 1 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- In a large stockpot, heat avocado oil on medium to medium high heat.
- Add in the onions and garlic and let cook for a few minutes. Then add in the chopped broccoli.
- Season with a good amount of sea salt and pepper. About 1/2 tsp each. Stir frequently and cook until the broccoli is pretty cooked down and softened. About 10 minutes.
- Add in your chicken broth and let everything marinate together for a few minutes.
- Add in the heavy cream and cheddar cheese. Let soup simmer for about 10-15 minutes until everything is nice and soft and incorporated. Make sure the cheese doesn't start to burn if it's too hot. You can always remove from the heat and cover and let it simmer that way.
- Serve in a bread bowl (I used this recipe or you can buy store-bought) or serve with a hunk of bread and enjoy!
Notes
For Storing: Store leftover cooled soup in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. The soup also freezes beautifully!