| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 35 min |
| Prep: | 15 min |
| Cook: | 20 min |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups half-and-half
- 1 pound russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 cups chopped broccoli florets
- 1/3 pound sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 1/3 cups)
- Croutons, for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and celery and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth, half-and-half, both potatoes, bay leaf, 2 cups water, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, put the broccoli in a microwave-safe bowl; add 3 tablespoons water and season with salt. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes; drain.
- When the potatoes are tender, remove the bay leaf from the soup and transfer the soup to a blender. Puree until smooth, leaving the filler cap slightly open to let steam escape (or puree the soup in the pot with an immersion blender). Return the soup to the pot and thin with water, if necessary. Return to a simmer over medium-low heat; stir in the broccoli and season with salt and pepper.
- Add the cheese and stir until melted. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with croutons, if desired.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 589 |
| Total Fat | 34 grams |
| Saturated Fat | 18 grams |
| Cholesterol | 97 milligrams |
| Sodium | 931 milligrams |
| Carbohydrates | 50 grams |
| Dietary Fiber | 8 grams |
| Protein | 22 grams |
Reviews
The family absolutely loved this soup. I chose not to puree it but leave everything whole; making each bite a different flavor and texture.
This came out very grainy for me, not a fan.
Turned out amazing, my family loved it! I used carrots instead of celery, then added chopped garlic while the onions were cooking. At the end I added shallot pepper, lemon pepper, rosemary, basil, and a little bit of heavy cream to enhance the flavor. I had shredded chicken on the side for those who wanted to add it, and it went perfect. Definitely a great meal, and definitely good for low budget!
The recipe is great, however I did make some alterations. I used chicken bone broth for added protein, some bacon, cut into small pieces, at the beginning and since I didn’t have a sweet potato I used a carrot. I did not blend the soup but used a potato masher. I also added some fresh thyme. So good! Thanks for sharing the recipe!!
This is some of the best Broccoli Cheese Soup you will ever have. I also added a little velvet a cheese to that made it even creamier
Very good. I added carrots and tarragon before the potatoes, nutmeg to the broccoli, and omitted the celery as suggested by others.
This is a soup that I can server to my kid to get her to eat vegetables! She loves it and so does the rest of the family. I use 2lbs of Russett potatoes as I’m not a sweet potato fan and extend the recipe with 1C more of broth and half&half for leftovers. I use brick cheddar cheese which I grate myself. It melts much better than pre-shredded cheese. Other than that, no changes and it tastes great!
This is a good basic recipe for broccoli cheddar soup. To eliminate gritty texture I used two cups of chopped Velveeta. Cheddar cheese becomes gritty in soups. Velveeta also added the “cheese” flavor. Try adding a cup of carrots and cook with the onion/celery and more salt if flavor is lacking. Potatoes need more salt than expected. I hope this helps. Oh and of course being a garlic addict we added a couple cloves.
First of all, I only use a recipe as a basic guide. I was looking for a healthier broccoli cheddar soup. However, I start all soups with a mirepoix. So I did add carrot which not only added flavor but color. I cut down on the cream using only 1/2 called for. I blended all the ingredients in the blender except the broccoli, which I chose to cook as florets after the soup was blended. I use Emeril’s Essence instead of plain salt & pepper, so there was a bit a a kick. Not sure why some reported that the soup was bland – could be the lack of good chicken stock as others mentioned. I actually used less cheese as well, but used extra sharp cheddar to increase the flavor of cheese. Used a bit of parmigiano as a garnish. It was not only delicious, but very satisfying.
Love this recipe for my kids! I omit the half and half, use all chicken broth, steam the broccoli, puree all of it, and save the cheese to sprinkle on top. My 2.5 year old says he doesn’t like broccoli, but he loves this… what he calls “cheese soup”!