Easy Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe
- By Amy Dong
- Updated Sep. 30, 2025
This Easy Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe is supremely flavorful and comforting. It’s easily done in 30 minutes, and happens to be gluten-free. Your people will quickly gather around a pot of this cozy soup.
Amy’s Notes
At first glance, Broccoli Cheese Soup appears almost too simple and humble to be worth a second look.
At least, that’s what I used to think in all my folly. I totally missed out on massive broccoli cheese soup deliciousness for too many years. One day I noticed some friends repeatedly ordering broccoli cheese soup on our lunch dates. That naturally meant I had to taste this luscious soup for myself.
Of course, that also means I had to rush back to my kitchen and recreate a recipe that would be just as good [if not even better] than restaurant versions.
It took a few tries to get the consistency and flavor just right, but once we hit the jackpot…we were instantly smitten. 💖
I’ve been faithfully making up for all those years without broccoli cheddar soup in my life and will happily continue the trend. There’s truly no turning back once you’ve tasted the steamy, velvety, savory goodness of this easy 30-minute soup in all its glory…
Naturally Creamy and Gluten-Free
More and more of my friends are either vegetarian or gluten-free. Though I’m neither of those things, I’ve been making dishes that my vegetarian and gluten-free friends can thoroughly enjoy. This easy broccoli cheddar soup recipe is a winning victory with everyone. Women, men, kids, teens…everyone devoured this creamy cheesy goodness.
After much experimenting, I settled on thickening this broccoli cheddar soup with dissolved cornstarch, which means there’s no messing with the typical flour-butter-roux. Yes, applauses all around would be very appropriate.
This soup is rich and dreamy without much elbow grease at all. You don’t even have to chop veggies with this recipe. We opt for frozen broccoli floret, pre-cut matchstick carrots, and even pre-chopped onions if your grocery store carries it. This is the spectacular broccoli cheese soup that takes only 30 minutes from stove to table.
All your hungry people won’t be mad about that at all.
Grab a blanket and cozy up to the best broccoli cheese soup that’s ever hugged your bowl. Enjoy.
Love this soup? Try my shrimp bisque for more creamy flavors!
Easy Broccoli Cheese Soup
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter, salted
- 1 whole onion, roughly chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 teaspoon tarragon
- 1 cup carrots, matchstick
- 1 cup half and half, or heavy cream
- 4 cup vegetable broth
- 2 large bay leaves
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch, dissolved in 4 TB water
- 5 cups broccoli florets, fresh or frozen/thawed
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
- 4 cups extra sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated and lightly packed
- Optional: extra broccoli florets and grated cheese for topping, breads or crackers (GF if desired) for dipping
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic, stirring 2-3 minutes until tender. Add tarragon and carrots, and stir 3-4 minutes.
- Gently stir in the half & half, vegetable broth, bay leaves, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, immediately stir in the fully dissolved cornstarch and keep stirring until mixture thickens; if you want it even thicker, add another 1-2 TB of fullly dissolved cornstarch.
- Add broccoli florets, 1 tsp kosher salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper and bring to a simmer. Simmer 10 minutes uncovered. Pick out bay leaves and carefully set pot in empty sink, for mess-free blending
- Using an immersion blender, carefully blend the soup a little at a time, just until soup reaches desired texture with some chunkiness; go slowly, as soup can quickly turn into puree.
- Place pot back on stove over medium heat. Add freshly shredded cheese and stir just until melted.
- Serve with additional broccoli florets and/or cheese for garnish, if desired. Leftovers keep well covered in fridge.
Notes
- If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can blend soup in a normal blender in batches.
Nutrition (per serving)
Winter Comfort Soups:
Chicken Kale White Bean Soup Recipe
Roasted Tomato Basil Soup Recipe
