This creamy and cheesy potato soup with broccoli comes together quickly for a crowd-pleasing weeknight meal that everyone will love.
Cheesy Potato Soup with Broccoli
I was a bit of an anomaly as a kid.
I didn’t care for peanut butter, opting for liverwurst instead. I loved oatmeal for breakfast and salad was one of my favorite snacks. And what was my pre-dinner ritual? Two tall glasses of milk before the food ever even hit the table.
Who was this kid?
I also liked broccoli. I mean I really, really, liked broccoli. When other kids wouldn’t touch their “green trees” unless they were camouflaged under a blanket of cheddar cheese (not that there’s one darn thing wrong with that!) I loved them simply steamed with a little butter, salt and pepper and drizzled with vinegar. That side put me in heaven every time.
But even while I enjoyed my broc in that cleaner way, the soup that always rang my bell was a creamy cheddar cheese broccoli fusion. I don’t know that my mom ever made it at home, but when we went out, it was my kryptonite.
Like most recipes you love as a kid, the cravings for them simply don’t go away. And as things go as an adult, the extra lbs don’t always go away as easily either. But this broccoli potato cheese soup recipe doesn’t sacrifice flavor in it’s ingredient modifications, but instead is a healthyish version of my childhood fave.
What’s in This Potato Cheese Soup?
Spoiler: there’s no cream in this recipe, just milk and chicken stock. The creamy factor to the broth is thanks to potatoes cooked in the broth that have then seen the bottom side of my immersion blender before the broccoli goes in. Don’t worry, this easy potato soup recipe is still full of flavor and is creamy in texture.
Here’s what you’ll need to make this broccoli potato soup:
- Butter
- Yellow onion
- White potatoes
- Chicken broth
- Kosher salt and pepper
- Broccoli florets
- Whole milk
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Flour
How to Make Potato Soup
This cheesy potato soup with broccoli comes together in under 30 minutes and takes little effort to make. You’ll first need to sauté the onion in a little butter before adding in the cubed potatoes, broth, and kosher salt. Cook the potatoes until fork tender, then whiz the mixture with an immersion blender.
Add the broccoli and milk to the soup and cook until the broccoli is al dente. Add the cheese to the soup one cup at a time, stirring until melted between additions.
This broccoli potato soup is best enjoyed immediately. I like to garnish my bowl with a twist of freshly ground black pepper and an additional sprinkle of cheese.
Should I Use Fresh or Frozen Broccoli?
I use fresh broccoli in my soup cheesy broccoli potato soup, but if you keep a prepared freezer stocked with frozen broccoli and you have potatoes and cheese on hand, this is a great recipe to pull out of your magic hat when you’re not sure what to cook for dinner tonight.
Can I Freeze Broccoli Potato Cheese Soup?
No, I don’t recommend freezing this soup. In general, soups made with a dairy-rich base don’t freeze very well. The cheese and milk mixture tends to split once frozen, and once reheated the texture isn’t very appetizing.
Tips for Making the Best Potato Soup
The most important thing to note: there’s a trick to adding the cheese so the soup doesn’t break and turn into a chunky mess. Toss your freshly shredded cheese in a bit of flour first, then add it to the soup in small batches, stirring each batch until completely melted before adding another.
If you dump all of the cheese in at once, that’s what you’ll have…dumpy soup instead of creamy soup. And what kid of any age is gonna want to eat that?
Also note that you should use whole milk for this cheesy potato soup recipe. Whole milk has a good amount of fat, which will make this soup super creamy and flavorful. In a pinch, you could probably get away with 2% milk, but I don’t recommend using a milk with less fat than that.
More Easy Soup Recipes You’ll Love
- Vegetarian Crockpot Lasagna Soup
- Tomato Basil Soup
- The Best Minestrone Soup
- Instant Pot Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
- Slow Cooker Turkey and Sweet Potato Chili
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment below or take a photo and tag me on Instagram or Twitter with #foodiecrusheats.
Broccoli Cheese and Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 medium yellow onion , chopped
- 3 large white potatoes , cubed, about 4 cups
- 4 cups chicken broth
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 cups broccoli florets*
- 3 cups whole milk
- 3 cups shredded medium cheddar cheese
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 4-5 minutes, until softened, stirring occasionally.
- Add the cubed potatoes, chicken broth and the kosher salt and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a rolling simmer and cook the potatoes for about 8 minutes or until soft and easily pierced with a fork. Whiz the potatoes and broth with an immersion blender to the consistency you desire (I like to leave some chunks of potato), or mash with a potato masher.
- Add the broccoli florets and the milk and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cooking for 5-7 minutes or until the broccoli is al denté.
- Toss the cheese with the flour and add to the soup 1 cup at a time, stirring until melted before adding the next batch of cheese. Season with black pepper and more salt to taste.
Notes
Nutrition
More Broccoli Recipes You Need to Try
- Easy Broccoli with Feta Cheese
- Bacon, Broccoli, and Potato Frittata
- Beef with Broccoli
- Orange Chicken and Broccoli Rice Bowls
- The Best Broccoli Salad
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From my local Mercado, I occasionally buy a ‘Happ Box’ which contains enough fresh produce to fill a Subaru Forester wagon, with the back seats down, front to back, side to side, and top to bottom. This past box had a case of broccoli, so of course I searched for a great soup recipe. I made for batches of this soup in my huge stock pot. All of my friends and neighbors received healthy portions, and I received great reviews, which I now pass along to you!
I used coconut milk instead to limit the amount of dairy. I also used extra sharp cheddar cheese and used a gluten free flour. I also served this gluten free dinner rolls. I have a family member with a gluten allergy. Overall this was excellent and I will be making this again. Thank you for sharing!
Happy you liked it and could make it gluten free!
The soup was wonderful! But in who’s world does this take only 5 minutes of prep time. This was very misleading as a lot of recipes are. You should adjust it.
Do you peel the potatoes?
Yes Beth, peel the potatoes either before or after boiling.