A rich and hearty soup that’s as comforting as it is a classic. Broccoli Potato Cheddar Soup is chock full of chunky creamy potatoes, tender broccoli, and sweet carrots. Its rich, velvety texture is a combination of puréed potatoes with veggie broth and shredded cheddar stirred in just before serving, no roux required. Perfect with crusty bread or crunchy croutons, this flavorful soup comes together in about an hour.
A Comforting and Rich Soup for Any Season
When it comes to homemade soups and stews, they register right up there on my comfort food-o-meter. But when cheese takes center stage, well, you may as well move it up to the top of the list!
Comforting and classic, while this chunky broccoli potato soup takes a bit of prep, the results pay off big in rich cheesy flavor and hearty texture. Leftovers are even better the next day.
Chunky and Creamy: To keep this soup chunky and hearty, the soup base of potatoes, onion and celery in veggie broth is only partially pureed’ creating a silky texture, yet retaining some of the chunky texture of creamy potatoes and toothsome celery. Too, I went all in on extra broccoli here, adding six cups of florets, keeping the chunky texture going. No thin soup around here!
About the Key Ingredients
- Yellow Potatoes: use Yukon Gold, Yellow Finn or yellow baby potatoes here. They keep their shape and creamy texture as they cook. There’s no need to peel since yellow potatoes have a thin skin, they cook right into the soup without being noticeable.
- Broccoli: adds color and flavor with a tender-crisp texture. Look for the Calabrese variety of broccoli, the most common variety in stores. It has large crowns and thick stems. It retains its sturdy texture well in this soup. Other varieties like broccolini are good for stir fries and steaming, but it’s more delicate and wont hold its texture as well as the more sturdy Calabrese.
- Sharp Cheddar Cheese: adds a rich creamy texture, and bold flavor. Look for cheddar cheese in block form and shred it at home for easiest melt. Use yellow or white sharp cheddar.
- Veggie Broth: a rich and flavorful broth makes up the base of this soup. I use either low-sodium Better Than Bullion vegetable concentrate or No Chicken Veggie Broth (Imagine brand). Both have balanced flavor with just the right amount of salt.
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How to Make Broccoli Potato Cheese Soup
Step by Step
Slowly add the cheese to the soup, off heat, one hand full at a time allowing each addition to fully melt before adding another. This slowly incorporates the cheese creating a silky smooth texture and aids in preventing curdling.
Share this rich soup with Olive Oil Sourdough Croutons, or Garlic Butter Croutons for a crunchy finish.
Traci’s Tips
- Share With: this soup is a delicious main to share along side a hearty salad. Try it with Orange and Roasted Beet Salad or Apple and Roasted Beet Salad.
- Leftovers: this soup is even better on day two, so it makes excellent leftovers. When reheating, keep the heat low to prevent the cheese from separating and sticking to the bottom of the pot. Avoid simmering. Low and slow is key.
- Freezer Friendly? I tested freezing this soup and while it’s possible, manage expectations. There was cheese separation and the broccoli turned to mush. For fresh texture and flavor, avoid freezing. If you do freeze, thaw in refrigerator overnight and reheat on low.
Chunky Broccoli Potato Cheddar Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Unsalted Butter, or olive oil
- 1 cup (125 grams) Yellow Onion, diced medium, about one small onion
- 3/4 cup (80 grams) Celery, sliced thin, about 2-3 ribs
- 1 1/2 pounds (680 grams) Yellow Potatoes, like Yukon gold, skin on, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces, about 5 cups
- 1 tablespoon Minced Garlic, from about two plump cloves
- 2 cups (480 grams) Water
- 4 cups (945 grams) Low Sodium Vegetable Broth, or no chicken veggie broth
- 1 teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- 2 tablespoons Sour Cream
- 6 cups (325 grams) Broccoli Florets, cut into bite size pieces* see note
- 1 cup (100 grams) Shredded Carrots, from about two small carrots
- 8 ounces (227 grams) Sharp Cheddar Cheese, grated, about 2 1/4 cups
- 1/4 Lemon
Share with:
- Green Onions
- Sourdough Croutons, or Garlic Butter Croutons
Instructions
- In a 4-5 quart Dutch oven, melt the butter, then add the onions and celery. Saute for about 8-9 minutes or until softened. Stir in the potatoes, garlic, salt and pepper, then stir in the water and broth. Bring to a simmer, turn heat to medium and cook on a low simmer for 15-20 minutes, uncovered, until potatoes are just fork tender. Remove from heat.
- Scoop three cups of potatoes and broth (about half and half) and transfer to a blender (I use Vitamix). Add the sour cream and blend until smooth. Transfer the mixture back to the soup pot.
- Turn the heat to medium and stir in the broccoli and shredded carrots. Cook on a low simmer for about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally or until the broccoli is tender.
- Remove from heat and stir in the cheddar, one handful at a time, in four to five batches stirring and melting each batch before another is added. Once the cheese is incorporated and melted, stir in the lemon juice. Taste for salt and pepper adjustment.
- Ladle into soup bowls and share with green onions, more cheddar and sourdough croutons, garlic butter croutons or crusty bread.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.
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