Vegetarian Broccoli Cheddar Soup (recipe)

A fancy white bowl filled with creamy vegetarian broccoli cheddar soup, with a soup spoon.

4.34 from 3 votes

Vegetarian Broccoli Cheddar Soup (recipe)

This vegetarian broccoli cheddar soup is easy to make, and waaaay better than the much loved one at Panera. It has half and half instead of milk, and a lot more broccoli. And it's a lot cheaper to make than running down to Panera to buy a bowl.

Prep Time17

Cook Time17

Total Time34

Course: Vegetarian Soup/Stew

Cuisine: Any

Keyword: broccoli cheddar soup, vegetarian broccoli cheddar soup

Servings:

Calories: 444.3kcal

Author: Susan Pridmore

Equipment

Chef's knife
Vegetable peeler
Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot or other large pot suitable for soup
Whisk or a wooden spoon
Immersion blender if you prefer a partially puréed soup

Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup yellow onion about ½ medium-large onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon paprika or smoked paprika
3 cups vegetable broth
4 cups broccoli florets and stalks cut into small pieces (1 bundle of fresh broccoli)
1 medium carrot peeled, and small diced
1 cup half & half see Ingredient Notes in the post for options
6 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese about 1 ½ cups

Instructions

Prep the veggies. This recipe moves along fairly quickly, so prep everything ahead of time. Dice the onion, chop the broccoli into small pieces, peel and small dice the carrot, and mince the garlic.
Make the roux. Melt butter in a large dutch oven or other heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook 3-4 minutes, or until softened. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute.
Whisk in the flour and nudge around the pot for 3-4 minutes, or until the flour begins to turn golden in color. Stir in the salt, pepper and paprika, and cook for another minute, until fragrant.
Add the vegetable stock, ¼ cup at a time for the first cup. Whisk each ¼ into the roux, and re-thicken before adding additional broth. Gradually whisk in the remaining 2 cups.
Broccoli and carrot. Stir in the broccoli and carrot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, cover the pot, and reduce the heat to simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes, or until the broccoli and carrot are tender.
If you like a partially puréed soup, use the immersion blender (stick blender) to purée it to your preference.
Finish the soup. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and add the half & half and grated cheddar cheese. Stir occasionally until the cheese melts.
Pro-tip: It's important to finish the soup over medium-low heat to prevent the soup from coming back to a boil, or even a very active simmer. It's fine if the soup comes to a very lazy simmer, but no more than that. Otherwise, there's risk that the half & half will separate.
Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
Serve. Serve hot with crusty bread.

Nutrition