Soup season is on! Mmmmm….soup.
Today I am sharing my beloved Homemade Creamy Cheesy Broccoli Soup recipe – that tastes even better than Panera in my opinion. I am not kidding. This stuff is amazing. Like drop-what-you-are-doing-and-make-this-soup-right-now amazing.
My whole family LOVES this soup. Well, all except my youngest. But he doesn’t like anything except peanut butter and green peppers. He’s crazy.
This from scratch creamy cheesy broccoli soup is so rich and creamy. It’s perfect for fall and winter.
Plus you want to know the best part? It works GREAT at a freezer meal stored in a ziploc bag. Even though there is some dairy in it, when I have reheated this recipe after freezing it comes out just as good as it was when it was freshly made.
The secret to this recipe is in the cheese. You gotta have fancy cheeses, man. It’s a must. I am a fan of regular old cheddar but if you really want the perfect texture that allows this to work as a freezer meal and get the taste that will blow your taste buds to the moon you must follow the directions and buy fancy cheese. Trust me on this.
Homemade Creamy Cheesy Broccoli Soup
Homemade Creamy Cheesy Broccoli Soup
Ingredients
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup onion pureed or finely chopped
- 3 cups fresh broccoli finely chopped
- 1 cup broccoli chopped fresh medium
- 1 cup carrots grated
- 1.5 tsp minced garlic
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 cup half and half I used fat free
- Dash of garlic salt
- 1 cup shredded Gouda cheese I used apple smoked
- 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the broccoli, onion, garlic, carrots, bay leaf and chicken broth to a pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat simmering for 15 minutes. I have the lid half on the pot so steam can escape a little.
- When you have about 5 minutes left of the broccoli mixture start the cream sauce.
- In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter and add flour. Whisk together while it cooks for 3-4 minutes. When your veggies are done, slowly pour in just the liquid from the boiling vegetables. It’s totally fine if a few veggies slip inside the pot. Wisk quickly as soon as the liquid hits the butter/flour mixture. After that thickens a little add in the vegetables, half n half and dash of garlic salt. Mix slowly until heated though. Remove from heat and add in shredded cheeses. Then add salt and pepper if you think it needs it.
- Freezing Directions: Prepare soup as directed above and allow to cool. Divide into quart or gallon freezer bags, label, and freeze. To serve: reheat on stove top or microwave until heated through. Enjoy.
Nutrition
Loved this recipe?
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Let me know if you try out this cheesy broccoli soup recipe! I would love to know if you love it as much as I do.
—> See ALL of my Freezer Meals recipes here.
About Karrie
Food is my love language. But so is saving money. So I like to combine the two a lot and make thrifty make ahead and freeze meals to save time. Because life is busy, and freezer meals can come to the rescue for all of us. And yes, they actually CAN taste good. Read more...
Comments & Reviews
Amanda says
We can use chicken stock right? broth and stock i believe can be used interchangeably… 🙂 if not whats the difference in making broth vs stock at home?
Happy.MoneySaver says
Yes you can use chicken stock!
Cass says
Is it possible to use frozen broccoli for this recipe? I have a lot of frozen broccoli I’m trying to use. Either way, I’m going to try this, but whether or not I try it tomorrow or …eventually… depends on the frozen/fresh broccoli.
Happy.MoneySaver says
You could try it! I usually use leftover broccoli for this soup so I haven’t tried using frozen broccoli!
Rachel R. says
I just made this soup and it is DELICIOUS! For some reason mine did not thicken up very much, maybe I didn’t cook long enough after adding liquid to flour/butter mixture. I only stirred for a minute or so. I plan to make this again! Thanks!
Mary says
I’ve been waiting for some cooler weather so I could make this soup. I made it for lunch today and it was fantastic. I have enough gouda left for another pot. I’ll definitely be making this again soon.
Jen says
I have made several different broccoli cheddar soups and they never turn out great. This one was AWESOME! Easy, quick and my husband even ate it, which is a big deal because he is not a soup person. I froze half and can’t wait to try it again! Thank you!!
Sheena Collord says
Do you chop the bay leaf or leave it whole? Or do you use the dry version?
Thanks and excited to make this!
Happy.MoneySaver says
I keep it whole and remove it before adding it in the butter/flour mixture. Let me know what you think after you make it!
s.vue says
Just made this tonight and its a hit! I used Winco brand sharp cheddar and it taste good to me. I hope it freezes well after cooling completly 🙂
Rachel says
First time I have been on your site and I am impressed. I love how you lay out everything step by step. I am starting to doo freezer meals and you have a lot of great recipes to try. I can not wait to try this for sure. My question is the garlic, is it minced or just chopped?
Karrie says
So happy you like my site! Garlic is minced.
Megan says
I have made this 5+ times and it is amazing. It’s the best Broccoli cheese soup I’ve ever had and that’s saying something because I try it everywhere its available lol. Its simple, quick, and so comforting. My 3 year old daughter will request it for lunch sometimes and I have no problem whipping it up in under 30 minutes. Seriously, on a rainy or snowy day you won’t beat this soup! Thanks so much for this recipe, I have tried other home made versions of this and they just don’t have the right flavor but this is spot on!
Happy.MoneySaver says
So glad you like it!
Julie says
I am from Australia, what is half and half exactly? Nothing of that wording found in the dairy section??
Happy.MoneySaver says
Half and half is a dairy item made of one part milk, one part cream. It is sold here in the United States as half and half but you could make your own to add to the recipe!
Michelle says
Any chance o being able to do this in a slow cooker? Thanks for the great recipe!
Happy.MoneySaver says
I haven’t tried making it in a slow cooker yet because it comes together so quickly. If you were just heating it up for example from the freezer I don’t see a problem with it. If you left it for hours I would worry that the cheese would curdle. If you try it out let me know how it works! 🙂
Teresa says
Hi there, was wanting to try this recipe but I’m confused be the ingredient ‘one cup half and half’? What would I be measuring half and half?
It’s probably obvious, but not to me at the moment:)
Thanks
Teresa
Happy.MoneySaver says
Yes, that could sound confusing! You would measure one cup of the ingredient half and half! 🙂 It’s usually in the dairy section next to the whipping cream and is pretty much heaven in this recipe!
Jessie says
This sounds so good!! I’m not a huge gouda fan, what cheese would you recommend in place of it? Would fontina or a mild swiss work? Thanks!
Karrie says
The gouda really makes this recipe. You can try another one, but I am not sure that the flavor would be as rich.
Amy Soltis says
Delish! Using the gouda cheese really makes a difference. Keeping this recipe for sure.
Karrie says
So glad you liked this homemade creamy cheesy broccoli soup recipe! Thanks for sharing.
Cindy says
would the ingredients be the same if I used cauliflower, I cannot eat broccoli due to being on Coumadin ( blood thinner) the vitamin K in the broccoli counteracts the Coumadin.
Thanks
Cindy
Beth Hobbs says
If you eat those foods with vit. K on a reg. Basis they are fine.I actually give my parents kale etc. Every other day and coordinate with meds. And they have better control of their inrs. Rarely have to change meds. Just if they are sick etc. Hope this helps you expand your meals!
Sarah says
Mmmmm….. It’s soup season for sure! And I have some broccoli in my frig. Love it! Thanks.
Carrie says
I ended up adding the flour and butter mixture to the broth and veggies slowly instead of the other way around and found it to work just fine.
This was a super simple, quick, and extra TASTY meal. It’s one of our new favourites for sure. We will be doubling and freezing next time to have on hand for quick easy lunches.
Thanks so much for sharing!
Karrie says
So glad you liked it!
Sophie says
This looks delicious. I LOVE a good broccoli cheese soup! Ive added it to my meal plan for next weeK!
Tammy Owens/ Botzon says
Also I assume you cook both broccoli cuts together?
Karrie says
Yes, I cook them together.
Tammy Owens/ Botzon says
Hi,
I am anxious to try the recipe-thank you! Why do you have some broccoli chopped fine and some medium?
Karrie says
Hi Tammy, I do this for the texture. I like the fine broccoli so that it almost melts into the creamy part of the dish, but the bigger cuts so that there is still some texture in the soup.
Daniela says
You can also grate the stems of broccoli to make soup and use the flowers for another meal. I have a house full of 6 teenagers, and a lot of their friends all of the time, so I am always looking to stretch where ever I can.