Cheddar Broccoli and Potato Soup

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This 30-minute cheddar broccoli and potato soup is a healthier–but equally delicious–version of classic broccoli cheese soup. In lieu of heavy cream, this recipe uses potatoes to create a hearty, rich, and creamy soup. So cozy and comforting, you’ll want to make it all winter long.

As a kid, we regularly went out to eat for dinner. One of my favorite foods growing up was a bowl of broccoli cheese soup from Ruby Tuesday.

Now, there is no shame in the restaurant game. I still enjoy going out to eat. However, I much prefer scratch-made meals at home. And no offense to Ruby Tuesday, that’s just not my style anymore (though their salad bar was always killer).

This recipe is not only my adulthood go-to for creamy broccoli soup, it’s my entire family’s. We cannot get enough of this hearty, cheesy soup. It’s cozy and comforting–and just what we need on a cold winter’s night.

Watch How to Make Cheddar Broccoli and Potato Soup

Why You’ll Love This Cheddar Broccoli and Potato Soup

• Healthier than traditional broccoli cheese soup. Rather than adding in heavy cream, this recipe uses russet potatoes to create a rich and creamy soup. As such, there is added nutrition that comes from the potatoes.
• A little lighter on the cheese. Yes, this recipe does call for shredded cheddar cheese. However, there is only 1 3/4 cups. And that can easily be adjusted to suit your dietary needs and preferences.
• Only takes 30 minutes to make. This cheddar broccoli and potato soup takes only 30 minutes from start to finish. In fact, chopping the veggies and blending require the most hands-on time, and that’s only about 10 minutes total.
• Easily hide broccoli from picky eaters. This soup doesn’t have an overwhelming broccoli flavor, so picky eaters–both young and young at heart–can get a healthy dose of broccoli without even knowing it. If you prefer more broccoli, you can always toss in a few extra florets.

Tips for Making Cheddar Broccoli and Potato Soup

• Mind your potatoes. In lieu of heavy cream, this recipe calls for potatoes to make a richer soup. Potatoes can widely vary in size, so you will need to adjust accordingly. If you have small potatoes, use extra. If you have large potatoes, scale back.
• Adjust if needed after blending. Similar to the above, if you find that, after blending, your soup is too thick, just add a little extra milk or broth. Or if your broccoli and potato soup is too thin, just toss in an extra potato, cook, and re-blend. In fact, the last time I made this soup, mine was too thin. So I just quartered two more small potatoes, and threw them into the soup. When they were cooked through, I blended them up right in the pot of soup. It worked perfectly fine!
• Add your garlic just before the broth. It’s tempting to just toss the garlic in with the rest of the veggies. However, overcooked or burned garlic turns bitter, and it can ruin your soup. Once the veggies are cooked, add the garlic, and cook just until aromatic. Then, pour in the broth.
• Use bone broth if you have it. Bone broth adds extra nutrition and flavor. Plus, it is really easy to make bone broth at home for this recipe and other likes chicken and wild rice soup (video), red wine beef stew (video), and garden vegetable soup (video).
• Use warm milk. Pouring milk straight out of the fridge into hot ingredients can cause curdling. This is true whether you are making cheddar broccoli and potato soup or homemade bechamel (video). A simple fix is to warm your milk first. It doesn’t need to be scorching, but at least warmed up to room temperature.

Watch How To Make Bone Broth

Tools You Will Need

• Dutch oven or stock pot
• Immersion blender
• Knife
• Cutting board
• Large spoon
• Fork

Cheddar Broccoli and Potato Soup Ingredients

1 tbsp butter
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
3 cups chicken bone broth
1 cup milk, warm
4 medium russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
4 cups broccoli, chopped into small pieces
1 3/4 cups cheddar cheese, shredded (optional extra for garnish)
3 tbsp green onions, sliced (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

How To Make Cheddar Broccoli Soup

1. In a dutch oven or stock pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the carrots, celery, and onion. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until soft, about 8 minutes.
2. Add the flour to the veggies. Stir and cook for about a minute.
3. Add the garlic and cook just until aromatic.
4. Slowly pour in the chicken broth and warm milk. Stir well.
5. Add in the potatoes, and turn up the heat to high. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover. Simmer covered until the potatoes are cooked and can be pierced with a fork.
6. Stir in the broccoli, and continue simmering covered until cooked. About 8-10 minutes.
7. Remove from heat, and use an immersion blender to blend soup. You can blend completely for a creamy soup. Or if you prefer a little texture, leave a some unblended.
8. Add cheese and stir until melted. Salt and pepper to taste.
9. Garnish with more cheese and green onions (optional).

Cozy Up With These Recipes

• 30-Minute Creamy Lemon Chicken
• Garden Vegetable Soup
• Homemade Salted Caramel Latte
• Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls

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