Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

This broccoli cheddar soup is one of my favorites. It’s thick and hearty so it really fills you up and it’s full of vegetables too. The whole family loves it and usually asks for seconds. It’s pretty easy to put together and doesn’t involve laboring over the stove all day. You can make this for dinner, start to finish with no advance planning.

To get started, we are going to melt a stick of butter in a stock pot over medium heat. Yes, a whole stick. This makes a big batch of soup, enough to feed 6 – 8 people and we want it rich and delicious which the butter makes short work of. Chop a whole onion and add to the melted butter. Cook until translucent.

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Next, add 1/2 cup of flour to the butter and onion mixture. Stir this in and cook until bubbly. Keep stirring and cook for another minute or so. Just keep whisking so it doesn’t burn.

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Pour in the milk, slowly because it might splatter and sputter at first.

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Whisk this until smooth and all of the onion and flour mixture is incorporated into the milk. Whisking is important in this recipe. If you let it set without whisking, it will quickly burn on the bottom and the thickener (butter and flour mixture) will separate from the milk, making a mess instead of the smooth creamy texture that we are after.

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Stir in the carrots. These will take the longest to cook so I like to start those early. Once the mixture is nice and hot, stir in the cheese. You’ll know it’s time to add the cheese because the milk mixture will be thicker and may start to bubble. Remember to keep whisking. Once it gets thick, it can burn even easier.

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The last addition is the broccoli. I like to make sure it is chopped in relatively small pieces so it’s bite-sized on the spoon. Turn the heat to low to let the broccoli cook. You shouldn’t have to stir it constantly now that the heat is on low, but you do want to give it a stir every minute or so. It’s done when the veges are cooked to your liking. I like everything soft in this soup, kind of opposite of how I would serve them alone as a side dish. So, let this cook another 5-10 minutes or so on low, stirring every 1-2 minutes to prevent burning.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Homesteading Dreams
Creamy, rich broccoli cheddar soup recipe.

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 cup butter 1 stick
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 6 cups milk
  • 1 cup shredded carrots
  • 16 oz package of shredded sharp cheddar cheese we like to use cabot extra sharp
  • 4 cups broccoli chopped

Instructions
 

  • In a stockpot, melt the butter over medium heat.
  • Add the onions and cook until translucent.
  • Mix in the flour and stir for another minute.
  • Slowly add the milk and whisk well. Keep stirring/whisking.
  • Add the carrots.
  • When it starts to get a little thicker and bubbly, add the cheese.
  • When the cheese is all incorporated, add the broccoli and turn heat to low.
  • Cook another 10 minutes or so on low hear, stirring every 1-2 minutes to make sure it doesn't burn.

 

This is also great re-heated the next day for lunch. I like to serve it with oatmeal bread or biscuits, but it’s hearty enough to stand alone as well.