THE richest, creamiest, cheesiest broccoli cheddar soup ever! 3 different cheeses are melted into the rich, buttery broth that’s chockfull of broccoli and sweet baby carrots! Simply the very best!
I know, I know. There’s only like a BAZILLION “broccoli cheddar soups” on the internet. So why bother sharing mine? Because it truly is just that good. I promise!
It’s a soup that I’ve been making since the late ’90’s actually, WAY before I ever had, or even heard of, Panera Bread’s.
And though I did enjoy theirs back before we moved and actually had one, it was only ordered for convenience when I couldn’t cook due to uncontrollable circumstances.
It always did in a pinch, but there’s still nothing like homemade!
So, let’s get right to it!
To start, I use my all-time FAVORITE butter in the entire world, Minerva Dairy’s Garlic Herb Butter! I swear to you, it’s so good, that you can actually eat a small pinch of it when no one is looking. So not kidding! Not that I’ve ever done this mind you….
Just melt a small amount first to sauté the onion and fresh garlic, then melt more. Because. Yeah. That butter!!!
Then add the flour, spices, and seasonings to make the roux.
Stir it all together, and cook and stir it for at least 3 minutes. But 5 minutes is better. This will take that awful “kindergarten paste” taste out. But don’t brown it. Just cook and stir over medium-low to low heat until golden.
Once you have your roux done, then slowly add, whisking and stirring, adding just a little at a time, all of the liquid ingredients.
Then add your chopped broccoli florets and sweet baby carrots cut into matchsticks.
Lastly, add one large, or two small, bay leaves.
This then will simmer for about 25 minutes until the vegetables are tender. You’ll want to keep a lid on it but tilted, *and make sure that you stir it every now and then!
Next comes all that glorious CHEESE!!!
I started with some wonderful sharp Vermont cheddar….the whole bar. Yep. The whole eight ounce bar. I told you this was going to be super cheesy!!
Next I added a small amount of Vermont white sharp cheddar that was already conveniently grated. It has a stronger flavor than the yellow, and it’s absolutely outstanding!
The last “cheese” to go into the pot, was the one we’re not supposed to talk about. The one we aren’t supposed to admit we use, but we all do, the secret go-to, good ole reliable, Velveeta. Give this product a break here, because I swear, this soup wouldn’t be the same without it!
Make sure that you add small amounts of each cheese at one time, and stir until each addition melts before adding another handful. This ensures that the soup will be perfectly creamy!
Once all of the cheese has been added and melted, you can actually stop right here and call it done. But there’s one last step that I like to do that just makes it even better.
I like to use my immersion blender, and give it just a 2-3 second whirl to break up only part of the broccoli florets, so that the soup is thoroughly infused with broccoli and nicely thickened!
There will still be plenty of chunks of broccoli if you’re careful not to overdue it!
Then, just ladle the soup into small bowls, as this is very rich!
Grab a spoon and a hunk of bread for dunking and dipping….
…..and prepare yourself for the best spoonful of soup. Ever.
Seriously.
Ever.
Soooooooo, smooth!! So CREAMY!! RICH, velvety, cheesy, heavenly, goodness!!!
I mean, really. Don’t you want to just lick the screen?
Don’t do that, BTW. If you get caught, it’s going to be really hard to explain. Don’t ask how I know this.
Okay, so. I hope that you can see, and also understand after looking at my recipe below, just why I had to share my own recipe for one of the most popular and beloved soups of the last 2+ decades!
It’s just the perfect combination of elements that come together like magic!
I do hope you give my own Rich, Creamy, Super Cheesy Broccoli Cheddar Soup a try soon!! What are you waiting for? It truly is the best! ENJOY, all!! And have a fantastic weekend!!
Rich, Creamy, Super Cheesy Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Ingredients
- 1 Tbl. Minerva Dairy Garlic Herb Amish Butter
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 medium-sized clove of garlic, finely minced
- 6 Tbl. more of Minerva Dairy's Garlic Herb Amish Butter
- 1/3 cup flour
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp. regular black pepper
- 1/16 tsp. cayenne
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 tsp. Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup julienned sweet baby carrots
- 2 medium heads broccoli, florets chopped bite-sized
- 1 (8 oz.) block (yellow) Cabot Vermont Sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1/2 cup (white) Shredded Cabot Vermont Sharp Cheddar Cheese
- 4 oz. Velveeta, diced
- (more salt and pepper to taste)
Instructions
In a small to medium-sized stock pot over Medium-Low heat, melt 1 Tbl. butter. Add onions and garlic. Cook until softened, stirring, for about 5 minutes.
Add rest of butter and melt. Sprinkle with flour and add salt, pepper and cayenne. Lower heat to Medium, and continue stirring and sautéing another 3 - 5 minutes to cook out raw flour taste. Do not brown flour! (Turn down heat a little if needed.)
Slowly stir and whisk in broth, milk, cream, chicken bouillon base, and bay leaf. Add carrots and broccoli. Bring to a very low simmer, and continue cooking, stirring often, until thickened, and veggies are tender. (About 25 minutes over Medium-Low to Low heat with lid tilted).
Once thick, add cheeses, a little bit at a time, stirring after each addition, until melted and smooth. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
Ladle into small bowls, serve with crusty bread for dipping, and enjoy!
Notes
If you'd like, once soup is mostly done (before adding the cheeses), you can either remove 1 (8 oz.) ladleful of the soup and pour it into a blender. Place the lid on and pulse until pureed, or still small pieces. Add back to pot and stir in. Or you can use a hand-held immersifier and blend as many florets as you want.
