Butternut Squash Broccoli Cheddar Soup (Printable)

Creamy soup with roasted butternut squash, broccoli, and sharp cheddar cheese for ultimate comfort.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 1 medium butternut squash (about 2 pounds), peeled, seeded, and cubed
02 - 1 large head broccoli (about 12 ounces), cut into florets
03 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

→ Liquids

06 - 4 cups vegetable broth
07 - 1 cup whole milk
08 - 1 cup water

→ Cheeses and Dairy

09 - 1.5 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
10 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

→ Seasonings

11 - 0.5 teaspoon smoked paprika
12 - 0.5 teaspoon ground black pepper
13 - 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
14 - Pinch of cayenne pepper, optional

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - Toss cubed butternut squash and broccoli florets with olive oil, 0.5 teaspoon salt, and black pepper. Spread in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
03 - Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, turning once halfway through, until tender and lightly browned.
04 - In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until translucent. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
05 - Add the roasted squash and broccoli to the pot. Pour in vegetable broth and water. Stir in smoked paprika and cayenne pepper if using.
06 - Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, allowing flavors to meld.
07 - Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth, or transfer in batches to a blender and return to the pot.
08 - Stir in milk and shredded cheddar cheese. Heat gently, stirring constantly, until cheese is melted and soup reaches creamy consistency. Do not allow to boil. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
09 - Ladle into bowls and serve hot, optionally garnished with extra cheddar cheese or roasted broccoli florets.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It delivers restaurant-quality creaminess without any cream, just melted cheese doing the heavy lifting.
  • Roasting the vegetables first means you're capturing actual flavor instead of boiling it away, which sounds simple but changes everything.
  • One pot, one blender, under an hour—the kind of weeknight dinner that feels like you fussed but didn't actually stress.
02 -
  • Don't skip roasting the vegetables—I learned this by taking a shortcut once and the soup tasted like watered-down vegetables instead of concentrated, caramelized flavor.
  • Temperature control matters after the cheese goes in; keeping the heat gentle means creamy soup instead of separated, grainy soup that won't come back together.
03 -
  • If you don't have an immersion blender, a regular one works just fine—let the soup cool for five minutes first so it won't spray hot liquid everywhere when you blend.
  • Taste the soup before serving and adjust salt slowly; the cheddar already brings plenty, and oversalting is harder to fix than undersalting.
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