The easiest bowl of comfort food! This lightened-up broccoli cheddar soup is made with olive oil and milk instead of butter and cream. It’s loaded with wholesome broccoli and freshly grated cheddar cheese.
Broccoli Soup Without Cream
Do I have a delicious bowl of comfort food to share today! It’s a classic bowl of broccoli cheddar soup that will warm you up from inside out. This lighter milk-based soup is made with olive oil instead of butter and milk instead of cream.
It’s flavored with aromatics such as a bay leaf, mustard, and nutmeg. The milk along with stock and roux base give the soup a creamy rich taste. It’s insanely delicious and so easy to make!
What Goes with Broccoli Soup?
This broccoli cheese soup is great for lunch or dinner. Pair it with a salad and some crusty bread for a cozy meal. Here are some vinegar-based salads that work amazingly with this soup. Katya’s TIP: feel free to add your favorite protein to any of these salads!
- Chopped Autumn Salad with Apple Cider Dressing
- House Salad Recipe – family favorite!
- Avocado and Apple Brussels Sprout Salad
Or serve broccoli soup with a lean protein and a side for a filling dinner:
- Easy Roasted Herb Chicken
- Sheet Pan Chicken Parmesan Meatballs
- Cod in Creamy Red Roasted Pepper Sauce
- Lemon Roasted Chicken and Potatoes
Ingredients
You can whip up this soup in no time. It’s super easy to make with most ingredients likely in your pantry. You’ll need the following ingredients:
- Olive oil
- Onion, carrot, garlic
- All-purpose flour
- Spices – bay leaf, dry mustard, nutmeg, salt, and pepper
- Whole milk
- Vegetable stock
- Broccoli – fresh or frozen (see note below for frozen)
- Cheddar cheese – freshly grated from a block
FROZEN BROCCOLI: You can make this broccoli soup with frozen broccoli. The instructions are exactly the same. No need to thaw out the broccoli. Just keep in mind the cooking time might slightly vary depending on the size of the florets. Frozen broccoli usually cooks a little quicker since it is pre-blanched.
How to Make Broccoli Cheddar Soup – Step by Step
- Step 1: Sauté onions and carrots in olive oil over medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for additional 30 seconds.
- Step 2: Sprinkle flour over the veggies and cook for about 1 minute, while stirring.
- Step 3: Stir in bay leaf, mustard, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Gradually whisk in milk until smooth. Add vegetable stock and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 3-4 minutes or until slightly thickened.
- Step 4: Add broccoli, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes or until tender.
- Step 5: Turn off heat, discard the bay leaf, and gradually stir in cheese. Taste for salt and pepper before serving.
Variation: Broccoli Soup with Coconut Milk
You can make this broccoli cheddar soup recipe with coconut milk. You’ll need one (14-ounce) can of full-fat coconut milk. Just make sure to shake the can of coconut milk really well before adding into soup as the cream and liquid tend to separate.
I personally love the creaminess of coconut milk in soups. I find that almond milk tends to be a little bland for my taste, however, some of my readers had great success using almond milk.
Here’s what Eleanor says: “Wow, this is an amazing recipe! The only changes I made were I used almond milk (same amount) and almond flour (1/8 cup), and I didn’t have any nutmeg, so I used pumpkin spice instead. This one is a keeper, for sure.”
Can You Freeze Soup with Milk In It?
From my personal experience, soup that contains milk (or even cream) does not hold up well in the freezer. Normally it separates and turns grainy when rewarmed. However, it will keep refrigerated up to 3 days.
When reheating the soup, do it over low heat on the stovetop. I would not recommend reheating in the microwave.
Top Tips for Making Broccoli Cheddar Soup Recipe
- Low heat is the key to this soup, especially when adding the cheese. The cheese can break down and look grainy if melted over high heat.
- Buy a block of cheese and shred it yourself. Not only is fresh and creamy but it melts way better than bagged cheese from the store.
- Use whole cow’s milk for the soup and if using non-dairy milk, such as coconut milk, make sure it is full-fat and not lite.
- Reheat the soup on the stovetop over low heat.
- For a thicker soup, add a handful or two of cauliflower florets or diced potatoes.
Love creamy soups? Try our Potato Corn Chowder Recipe, Quick & Easy Potato Soup, or Broccoli Potato Soup.
Print
Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 40 mins
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Simmer
- Cuisine: American
Description
The easiest bowl of comfort food! This lightened up classic is made with olive oil and milk instead of butter and cream. It’s loaded with wholesome broccoli and freshly grated cheddar cheese.
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced, 3/4 cup
- 1 medium carrot, diced, 1 cup
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 tsp. dry mustard
- 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 2 cups whole milk
- 3 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
- 4 cups fresh broccoli florets
- 8 oz. block cheddar cheese*, freshly grated, plus more for serving
- cayenne pepper, for serving, optional
Instructions
- In a 4-quart dutch-oven, heat olive oil over medium heat.
- Add onions and carrots, and sauté for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for additional 30 seconds.
- Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute while stirring. Add the bay leaf, mustard, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and then gradually whisk in the milk until smooth. Add the vegetable stock and bring to a simmer, then simmer for 3-4 minutes or until slightly thickened.
- Add broccoli, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 8-10 minutes or until tender.
- Turn off the heat, discard the bay leaf, and gradually stir in cheese. Taste for salt and pepper.
- Serve immediately, topped with extra cheese and cayenne pepper, if desired.
Notes
- Buy a block of cheese and shred it yourself. It’s much creamier and melts way better than pre-shredded bagged cheese. Only melt cheese over low heat or it will separate and look grainy.
- Leftovers will keep refrigerated up to 3 days. My biggest tip would be to reheat the soup on the stovetop over low heat so it does not separate. Soup does not freeze well.
- Variations: Use frozen broccoli instead of fresh. Amount and instructions are the same. For non-dairy milk, full-fat coconut milk is a good alternative. You will need one (14 oz.) can which yields anywhere from 1 2/3 cups to 1 3/4 cups of milk, depending on the brand.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 322
- Sugar: 8.3 g
- Sodium: 937.5 mg
- Fat: 21.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 19.7 g
- Protein: 14.3 g
- Cholesterol: 44 mg
Keywords: healthy, cheese soup, milk soup, fall
Christine says
I used unsweetened Silk brand oat milk and it turned out great!
★★★★★
Laura Jo says
This was a quick and easy recipe and it turned out delicious! I’m in Alaska and the grocery store store shelves are SO bare due to a disruption in the food supplies (pandemic, freezing temperatures, etc.) — SO, I resorted to using up a bag of frozen brocolli, 1% milk (unopened) that expired 2 days ago, and thankfully my own grated cheddar. Even with ‘old’ milk and frozen brocolli, this soup is very tasty and made for my lovely dinner. Thank you for sharing your recipe and handy hints (most helpful!!)
★★★★★
Katya says
So glad you enjoyed it!
Suzanne says
This soup is FANTASTIC!!! I’ve made alot of soups in my life…. But this soup is so comforting, so creamy & delish & best of all simple. I veganized it with almond milk, veggie broth & added 3 potatoes, partly beat with a hand mixer to add the creamy texture lost by not using cheese. 😍 LOVE it, thank you!!
★★★★★
Katya says
That’s great! Thank you.
DemandA says
Fam loved it
★★★★★
Eleanor says
Wow, this is an amazing recipe! The only changes I made were I used almond milk (same amount) and almond flour (1/8 cup), and I didn’t have any nutmeg, so I used pumpkin spice instead. This one is a keeper, for sure.
Katya says
That’s great! Thank you Eleanor. So glad that it turned out well for you.
dannie says
Hello Ketya,what is the alternative to the use of cheddar in the recipe since it is not locally availabel?kindly email me back.
★★★★
Katya says
Hi Dannie: pepper jack cheese would be a great alternative to cheddar cheese. Hope that helps. Thanks!
dannie says
yummy,tastes well with bread or scones.
Katya says
Thank you!
Sneha Mehta says
HI i made this soup and reheated it with no problem!! excellent recipe!
★★★★★
Katya says
That’s great! So glad it worked out for you.
Zharien Heyward says
I love this recipe. I’ve made it 2 times in the last 4 days. It taste soo good. Would definitely recommend. Thank you for sharing.
Katya says
That’s so awesome! Thanks so much for your feedback Zharien!
Christiana says
Thanks for the recipe! Just made it for me and my family, we all loved it! I didn’t have dry mustard though, and didn’t use the cayenne. Still tastes amazing!
★★★★★
Katya says
Thanks so much Christiana! Glad you all enjoyed it.
javabeans23 says
I just made this and it’s a hit. This was so easy and delicious! Thanks for the recipe!!
Katya says
You’re welcome! So glad it was a hit 🙂
Emily says
Made this today for lunch. We did 1.25c whole milk and 3/4c half and half for added richness. My 1 and 4 year old both loved it and had seconds. This recipe is definitely a keeper.
★★★★★
Katya says
Thanks so much Emily! So glad your little ones enjoyed it.
Elizabeth says
This soup is so tasty! Made it last night with some friends and was super pleased with the outcome. Loved the addition of the nutmeg and mustard.
★★★★★
Katya says
Thanks so much Elizabeth! So glad you loved it!
Suzanne says
Just made this for a friend and regret I didn’t double it so I could have my own- simple to make and delicious! Used gluten free flour from Trader Joe’s.
Katya says
So glad you enjoyed it!
Vera says
We had this for dinner tonight and it was delicious and quick to make. Will be making this again. Thanks!
Katya says
Thanks so much Vera! Glad you enjoyed it.
Mia Dreher says
Can Almond Milk be used in place of the regular milk?
Katya says
Hi Mia: I can’t answer with certainty as I have not tried the recipe with almond milk. However, I know that almond milk is lower in saturated fat so I’m not sure how it will do with the amount of thickener (e.i. flour) in the recipe. You may have to adjust that. Good luck and let me know how it turns out for you!
Tommy says
I did it with almond milk, Tommy here, and when I dropped it in it became doughy, so I added the stock and 1 and half cups of water, I had to throw it through a high speed blend (cream settings) and I took it out put it back in the pot on simmer and added the broccoli and carrots and then melted the cheese. *Note i was missing mustard and bay leaves, I improvised with tablespoon dejon mustard and had no savory/earthy herbs to replace the bay leaves. Also with I steamed my fresh broccoli I steamed diced Idaho pototates to add to the soup and came out nice
★★★★★
Katya says
That’s great! Thank you Tommy.
Tammy says
This sounds amazing!!!
★★★★★
Katya says
Thanks!
Anne-Marie Marquis says
Excellent soup! The milk is plenty rich, did not miss the cream at all.
Katya says
So glad you enjoyed it Anne! Thanks for the feedback 🙂
Tracee says
What if I want to use butter and cream…would the amounts be the same?
Katya says
Hi Tracee: I would start with 1 1/2 cups of cream and add more if needed. Butter would be the same amount.
Chris says
Made this tonight used butter , puréed the soup (kids don’t like chunks of broccoli) and we added cooked rice. Kids loved it!
Katya says
Thank you Chris! So glad you and the kids loved the soup!