Cheddar Potato Broccoli Soup is a vegetable soup like no other! The soup mixture is thickened by a rich and creamy onion roux, loaded with tender chunks of cubed potato and crisp broccoli florets, then flavored with melted cheddar!
This soup will warm you up from the inside out while you enjoy every last drop with freshly baked garlic bread.
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❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
- This soup stores really well in the fridge and the freezer, making it an ideal option for meal prep for those days when you don’t want to cook from scratch!
- Struggling to get kids to eat veggies is a thing of the past with this cheddar potato broccoli soup - they won’t even notice all of the nutritional goodness!
- You can create an ultra smooth soup or enjoy a chunky soup - I walk you through both options, and both are equally delicious!
There’s something special about the simple combination of broccoli, cheddar, and potatoes. While I love the flavor mix in baked casseroles, it’s totally addictive in soup form too!
🛒 Ingredients
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Note: The full list of this recipe ingredients with their amounts and options are listed in the recipe card below.
- whole milk -- may use a different fat content if you prefer.
- potatoes -- use russet or baking potatoes if you want the soup thick and creamy. Use a waxy or boiling potato if you want the potatoes to hold their shape like in stews.
🗒 Instructions
Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Pour milk into the cooked onion and garlic flour mixture.
- Whisk until a thick paste.
- Add stock, water, salt, and pepper, and potatoes. Simmer for 8 minutes.
- Add the broccoli and cook for 3 minutes.
- For a chunky soup, skip to step 8. For a creamy soup, take the pot off the stove and remove 2 cups of broccoli and potatoes.
- Blend remaining soup mixture until smooth.
- Stir in the grated cheese.
- Add the reserved broccoli and potatoes back into the soup. Serve the soup with garnishes.
🔪 Equipment
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You’ll need the following items to make this recipe successfully.
- Dutch oven or soup pot
- Immersion blender - optional if you want a creamier soup
- Liquid measuring cup
- Measuring spoons
- Sharp knife
- Cutting board
- Vegetable peeler
🤔 FAQs
These are the questions we are most frequently asked about making this Cheddar Broccoli Soup with Potatoes recipe.
Yes, you can use frozen broccoli but then I recommend thawing it well before adding it to the soup otherwise the excess water in the frozen broccoli will make a thinner soup. The broccoli pieces in the soup will also not be as crisp.
This soup is loaded with vegetables which in itself makes it a wholesome and nutritious meal. The potato is filling while the broccoli contains antioxidants, fiber, is low-carb and therefore great for weight-loss, as well as being anti inflammatory.
Yes! Cheddar cheese is one of the best types of cheese since it’s high in moisture and has a low melting point, similar to Gruyere and Swiss cheese.
Cheese in soup is generally considered to be safe for pregnant women to consume since the cheese is cooked while the soup boils. That said, always consult your doctor if you are concerned or require more information.
👩🏻🍳 Tips
- It’s always best to use cheese from a block instead of pre-shredded cheese. It melts and tastes better than pre-shredded cheese.
- You don’t need to pre-steam or boil the broccoli before adding to the soup as the vegetables will cook sufficiently in the soup mixture. Pre-cooking the broccoli and potatoes can make them very soft and mushy which isn’t ideal if you want a chunky soup.
- If you use frozen broccoli for this soup recipe, you should first allow it to thaw otherwise it will release an excess of water into the soup mixture, making it runny.
- You can blend a portion of this soup for a chunky soup or blend the entire soup mixture for an extra smooth soup, making sure to cover the pot with a paper towel or cloth to prevent any possible splash back.
📚 Variations
- While I’ve only used cheddar cheese in this cheddar potato broccoli soup recipe, feel free to add a mix of 2-3 different cheeses.
- While I love some texture in this soup from not cooking the broccoli till mushy, if you do have broccoli haters in the family then you may want to blend it using a stick blender which will create a smoother consistency.
- To make this soup gluten free, omit the flour and make sure the broth used is gluten-free. You can thicken the soup with a cornstarch slurry instead. Check out my recipe notes for the exact steps.
🥫 Storage
Store this cheddar potato broccoli soup in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. Reheat gently on low-medium heat till warmed throughout. You don’t want to cook the potatoes again or they’ll get soft and mushy.
You could also freeze this cheddar potato broccoli soup for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
📗 Related Recipes
- Copycat Outback Potato Soup - Another comforting soup that is loaded with cheese flavor and nutritious potato that can be made in just one-pot. And it tastes just as good as the Outback Steakhouse soup!
- Cabbage Roll Soup - If you love traditional stuffed cabbage rolls then this cabbage roll soup is soon to become a favorite, plus it’s way less work to make!
- Southwest Chicken Tortellini Soup With Spinach - Chicken soup is good for the soul and this Spicy chicken soup takes it up a notch with tender pasta, chunky salsa, and nutritious baby spinach.
- Fish Chowder -- A Creamy Seafood Stew Using Sheepshead or Cod. This is the type of soup that is welcome when the weather turns cold and damp.
🍽 Serve with
I always love to serve homemade soup with freshly baked garlic bread, Easy Homemade Soft Breadsticks, or flaky biscuits. These options are great for soaking up every last bit of soup while adding bulk to the meal too.
Since this cheddar potato soup is already quite rich and filling, you may prefer enjoying a light salad as a side dish.
📞 Chiacchierata (chat)
Heading into colder weather always gets me excited to share my family-favorite soup recipes.
This cheddar potato broccoli soup will make sure that your family loads up on nutritious vegetables for the winter without the usual struggle of convincing picky eaters to eat their veg! Soft and chunky potatoes, slightly crisp broccoli pieces, melted cheddar, and an onion roux thickener is a winning combination you won’t forget!
And next time you're craving a creamy soup, try our Creamy White Lasagna Soup with Mushrooms. The taste of a lasagna without the fuss.
Tutti a tavolo, è pronto!
What's new? Check out my All Our Way Store on Amazon. We'll be adding more items we love and use or wish we had to make cooking fun and easy.
📝 Recipe Card
How would you like to serve a healthy portion of vegetables to your family without protest?! Now you can with this Cheddar Potato Broccoli Soup. This comforting soup is thick and comforting, loaded with tender vegetables and melted cheddar - perfect this fall and winter for lunch or dinner!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
📖 Recipe
Creamy Cheddar Potato Broccoli Soup
Equipment Needed
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons butter unsalted
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk may use 2%
- 2 cups chicken broth or stock
- 2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1.6 pounds potatoes (5 ¼ cups) peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
- 10 ounces broccoli, small florets 1 large head (about 5 cups)
- 1¼ cups cheddar cheese grated
Garnish
- Cooked bacon pieces
- Green onions/shallots/scallions finely sliced
- Grated cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Melt butter in a large pot over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic, cook for 3 minutes or until onion is softened.
- Add flour and mix into onion mixture. Cook for 30 seconds.
- While stirring, slowly pour in the milk and keep mixing as it turns into a thickish paste that's mostly smooth.Use a whisk to make it smooth if needed.
- Add chicken stock, water, salt and pepper. Stir, then add the potatoes.
- Bring to a simmer then adjust the heat so it's simmering gently. Cook for 8 minutes without a lid or until potatoes are almost cooked. Stir occasionally so the bottom doesn't stick and burn.
- Add the broccoli and stir. Cook for 3 minutes or until the broccoli is cooked to your liking, then take the pot off the stove. (If you like a chunky soup, go directly to step 8.)
- For a creamier soup -- remove 2 cups of the broccoli and potatoes and set aside. Using a hand blender, blend remaining soup in the pot until smooth. Stir in the reserved 2 cups of broccoli and potatoes and continue with the next step.
- Stir in the cheese (about 1 cup) broth will be nicely thickened. Taste. Add more salt and pepper if needed.
- Ladle soup into a bowl or soup cup and top with your favorite garnishes.
Notes
- Potato -- Any waxy or starchy potato works well for this recipe.
- Broccoli - Cut the florets into small pieces that will easily fit on a soup spoon. 5 cups (packed) is about 10oz./300grams.
- To make this gluten free -- Leave out the flour and make sure you use GF broth. Then make a slurry by mixing together 2 Tablespoons of cornstarch and 2 Tablespoons of the water. Mix that into the soup towards the end before adding the cheese and cook for a couple of minutes - this will thicken the soup.
- Storage -- It will keep in the fridge for about 4 to 5 days in an airtight container. If you freeze the soup, reheat gently. You don't want to cook the potatoes again, they'll get soft and mushy.
Nutrition
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