Broccoli Cheddar Soup
The American diner classic: broccoli and carrot simmered in a milk-and-stock base thickened with a butter roux, then finished off the heat with sharp cheddar melted in a handful at a time. Creamy, comforting, and better than the bread-bowl version at the chain that made it famous — as long as you keep the cheese from splitting.
Ingredients
- 500 gbroccoli
- 200 gsharp cheddar cheese
- 1 pcscarrot
- 300 mlmilk
- 500 mlvegetable stock
- 100 mlheavy cream
- 40 gbutter
- 30 gflour
- 1 pcsonion
- 2 pcsgarlic
- 1 gnutmeg
- 2 gblack pepper
Method
- Prep the vegetables: cut the broccoli into small florets and dice the stems (don't waste them — they're sweet and tender once cooked). Finely chop the onion, grate the carrot, and mince the garlic.
- Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat and cook the onion until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
- Stir in the flour and cook it for a minute or two, stirring constantly. This roux is what thickens the soup — cooking off the raw flour taste now stops it tasting pasty later.
- Gradually whisk in the stock and milk, a little at a time, so no lumps form. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook until it starts to thicken, about 5 minutes.
- Add the broccoli and grated carrot and simmer until the broccoli is tender, 12 to 15 minutes. For a smoother soup, blend part or all of it now; for a chunky one, leave it as is or mash lightly.
- Turn the heat to low and stir in the cream, then add the grated cheddar a handful at a time, stirring until each addition melts before adding more. Keep it below a simmer — boiling makes the cheese split and turn grainy.
- Season with nutmeg, black pepper, and salt. Taste and adjust, then serve hot, with extra grated cheddar on top and crusty bread or a bread bowl.
FAQ
The soup got too hot when the cheese went in. Cheddar splits above a simmer, separating into oil and grainy curds. Take the pot off the boil, add the cheese in small handfuls over low heat, and stir each in fully before adding more. Grating from a block rather than using pre-shredded also helps.
Yes — swap the flour roux for a cornstarch slurry (mix cornstarch with a little cold milk and stir it in), or blend a cooked potato into the soup to thicken it naturally. Both give a smooth body without wheat flour.
Your choice. Blend it all for a smooth, creamy soup; leave it as is for a chunky, textured one; or blend half and keep half for the classic diner style — creamy with bites of broccoli. An immersion blender makes this easy to control.
Sharp (mature) cheddar for the strongest flavour — you need a good punch since the dairy mellows it. Grate it yourself from a block; pre-shredded cheese is coated in starch that stops it melting cleanly. A little grated Gruyère or Parmesan alongside adds depth.
It keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge. Reheat gently over low heat, stirring often — don't let it boil, or the cheese can split. If it's thickened too much in the fridge, loosen it with a splash of milk or stock as it warms.
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