Description
This creamy broccoli cheddar soup is a comforting and flavorful dish featuring tender broccoli blended into a smooth base enriched with sharp cheddar cheese and cream. Accompanied by crispy Parmesan croutons, it’s perfect for a cozy meal any day of the year.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Soup
- 2 large heads of Broccoli (30-32oz/850-900g total)
- 4 cups / 1 litre Chicken Stock, plus more as needed
- 2/3 cup / 160ml Heavy/Double Cream, at room temp
- 2 cups / 200g grated Cheddar, plus more to serve if desired
- 1 large rib of Celery, finely diced
- 1 large Carrot, finely diced
- 1 medium Onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves of Garlic, finely diced
- 2 tbsp Butter
- 3/4 tsp Salt, or to taste
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper, or to taste
- Finely diced Fresh Parsley, to serve (optional)
Croutons
- 5oz / 150g Baguette, or other firm/thick bread
- 3-4 tbsp Parmesan
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- Salt & Pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the broccoli: Remove the florets from the broccoli and slice them into bite-sized pieces. Slice off any gnarly bits from the stem, then finely dice the stem to use in the soup.
- Sauté vegetables: Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the broccoli stem, diced onion, celery, and carrot. Fry until the vegetables have softened and started to develop a golden tint. Then add the garlic and fry for an additional 1-2 minutes to release its aroma.
- Simmer broccoli: Add the broccoli florets to the pot, pour in the chicken stock, and season with salt and pepper. The stock should just cover the broccoli. Lower the heat, cover the pot with a lid, and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the broccoli is fork-tender.
- Make croutons: Meanwhile, dice the bread into large bite-sized pieces and spread them on a large baking tray lined with greaseproof paper. Drizzle olive oil over the bread, sprinkle salt, pepper, and Parmesan generously. Toss to coat evenly and bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for about 10 minutes, or until deep golden and crispy. Adjust baking time based on crouton size.
- Blend the soup: Once the broccoli is tender, turn off the heat and use a hand blender to blitz the soup until smooth and thick. This thicker consistency helps the cheese melt more evenly.
- Enrich with cream and cheese: Stir the heavy cream into the blended soup, then gradually stir in the grated cheddar cheese a handful at a time until fully melted and incorporated. Adjust seasoning as needed. If the soup is too thick, add more chicken stock a splash at a time to achieve desired consistency.
- Serve: Ladle the creamy broccoli cheddar soup into bowls, garnish with the crispy Parmesan croutons and extra cheese if wished. Optionally, sprinkle with finely diced fresh parsley and enjoy immediately.
Notes
- Croutons: Optional but highly recommended. You can substitute the baguette with other firm breads like ciabatta or sourdough. Baking times may vary with bread size.
- Soup Consistency: The soup starts thick to aid cheese melting but can be thinned with additional stock or thickened by simmering with the lid off.
- Cheese Selection: Mature or sharp cheddar is best for bold flavor, but mild cheddar also works.
- Storage: Cool completely before refrigerating tightly covered for up to a few days. Reheat gently in the microwave or on the stove. Soup also freezes well — thaw in the fridge before reheating.
- Calories: Nutritional info is based on dividing the entire recipe into five servings without croutons.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (approximately 350g)
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 650mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 13g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 16g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 16g
- Cholesterol: 65mg
