The creamiest, cheesiest, most satisfying Cream of Broccoli Cheese Soup that you will ever find! This recipe uses the broccoli stalks too – no waste!
CREAM OF BROCCOLI CHEESE SOUP
This past weekend, John.e and I went to purchase groceries. I should preface this by saying that he is the only person I know who has a broccoli addiction. We found some locally grown broccoli, and as we can all agree, locally grown produce is best!
The only issue I had with these heads of broccoli was that they were HUGE! If you can imagine what your average head of broccoli looks like, one of these was at least 2-3 times the size of that. And, the best part – they were only 99 cents each!
We bought two.
BROCCOLI STALKS ARE GREAT; DON’T THROW THEM OUT!
That day for lunch, we had broccoli and some other veggies with dip. While cutting up the broccoli, I had the idea to make soup because the stalks of the broccoli were so fresh and tender. It would be a shame to throw them away.
Now, when I make soup, I make a very large portion. John.e is the King of leftovers and has no issues at all with eating the same meal two or three days in a row. So, on a busy work week, I love the idea of prepping a larger meal on the weekend and not having to worry about his dinners or lunches for a few days.
When I cook broccoli, I tend to cut as much of the stalk away as possible. I’m not a fan of eating that part if it’s steamed or roasted. But, when making broccoli soup, I certainly use up most of the stalk.
HOW TO PREP BROCCOLI STALKS
When you cut the florets away from the stalk, treat the stalk the same way you would when you’re trimming asparagus. The upper portion of the stock will be soft and will harden as you get closer to the bottom.
Use your knife and cut away at the stalk, starting at the top. Cut into half inch slices. And just when the stalk starts to get tough, toss it out. The rest is good to go after a quick wash.
Depending on how the broccoli looks on the day that I’m prepping it, I sometimes peel the stalks with my carrot peeler. But, if it’s a very fresh, locally grown broccoli, just give it a good wash and use it all.
Our home is never without broccoli! Well, that’s not entirely true, but it’s a very rare occurrence. John.e can eat broccoli as a snack; I swear, he loves the stuff. I prefer it to be steamed or sauteed, or even baked. But, of all the ways to eat broccoli, a soup like this is my favourite!
FREEZE YOUR LEFTOVERS!
There’s one more thing I should mention, if you want to make a smaller version of this, you can simply cut the ingredient amounts in half. Otherwise, this soup freezes quite well. To reheat, just thaw and add a tablespoon of milk or cream and whisk to reconstitute.
Also, you can make a healthier version of this by using less cheese and a lighter cream and/or milk. In my humble opinion though, why would you want to? It’s a cream soup and it’s got lots of good-for-you broccoli. 🙂 The choice is yours!
Oh, and don’t forget the croutons! Most restaurants will serve soups with a slice or two of crusty bread, or even a sandwich. But, with a soup as filling and hearty as Cream of Broccoli Cheese Soup, just a few croutons sprinkled on top is all you need. It’s a perfect pairing!
Cream of Broccoli Cheese Soup
Ingredients
- 2 large heads broccoli, use both the florets and the stalk*
- 1 large onion, diced
- 4 large potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 4 cups old white cheddar cheese, shredded
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 4 cups water
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- Fresh parsley for garnish, optional
Instructions
- In a large stock pot, heat the olive oil and sauté the onions and broccoli stalks until the onions are translucent.
- Add the potatoes, water, and vegetable stock. Cook until potatoes are fork-tender.
- Add the broccoli florets and place a lid on the pot. Cook covered for 15 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and remove the pot from the burner, and using a hand-held blender, or a counter top blender, puree the vegetables until smooth.
- Add the salt, pepper, heavy cream, and cheese. Stir to combine. Allow the cheese to melt into the soup.
- Serve hot topped with crunchy croutons!
Notes
Nutrition
Katalina @ Peas & Peonies says
Byron as always your dishes are mouth watering, I love the soup, so creamy and the color is gorgeous.
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Thank you so much, Katalina!
WhitBit's Indian Kitchen says
Oh my gosh this looks so freaking delicious.
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Thank you! 🙂
Jennifer M. says
Haha! Your husband sound a lot like my dad… king of leftovers! He will go to the fridge in the middle of the night and eat all the leftovers from dinner. Love it!
byronethomas@gmail.com says
It’s such a challenge for me. I’m not one to waste food, but leftovers are only leftovers for so long before they turn into food poisoning. Hahaha! I can’t seem to convince John.e otherwise. At least your dad eats the leftovers before the night is over. 🙂
goodiegodmother says
A beautiful soup! Is it wrong I always justify the crazy amounts of cream and cheese by convincing myself it’s balanced with the broccoli?
byronethomas@gmail.com says
No! It’s not wrong at all! I mean, why else would I use the stalks of broccoli too? 😉
Whitney says
My boyfriend is a huge fan of broccoli too! ha! This soup looks great, and I had no idea you could use the stalks like that! I will definitely keep that in mind!
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Oh, Whitney, I only every throw out the stalks if I know a soup is not in the immediate future. You can always grate them and make a broccoli slaw too!
Brian Jones says
Aint nothing like a warming bowl of soup on an autumnal day, broccoli makes a great soup but never thought of putting sharp cheddar cheese in it, sounds delicious!
byronethomas@gmail.com says
I actually put cheese in many of my soup recipes – especially if it’s a chowder or creamy type. Just seems to bring all of the ingredients together better. And, of course, it adds to the taste as well. 🙂
Paige @ Where Latin Meets Lagniappe says
Such a perfect soup for fall — we are just starting to see local broccoli here too, and I can’t wait to start using it more in my dishes 🙂 Love the fact that you can freeze this too!
byronethomas@gmail.com says
I freeze this soup all the time when I make a larger batch. When I reheat it, I just add a couple of tablespoons of milk and whisk it well into the soup until all of the ingredients come together again.
meaghanlamm says
My sister LOVES broccoli and cheese soup and I am totally making this for her next week!
byronethomas@gmail.com says
You’re a good sister. 🙂
Johlene @FlavoursandFrosting says
This is healthy, yes, but I´m pretty sure this taste much better than just healthy!! Cheese and Broccoli just go together 🙂
byronethomas@gmail.com says
I agree. This version might not be as healthy as one would hope – there’s lots of cheese. 🙂
Hillary Reeves says
Been avoiding the broccoli in my fridge… this could help me solve that! 😉
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Yay! And, don’t forget to use up those stalks too. 🙂
Janet Mobley says
I made this soup today…I did not use water, substituted with additional chicken stock and added thinly sliced carrots and small broccoli flowerettes for texture. Delicious!