Roasted Broccoli Cheddar Soup (Printable)

Creamy soup with roasted broccoli, carrots, and sharp cheddar. Ready in 50 minutes for a comforting vegetarian meal.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 1 large head broccoli, cut into florets (approximately 1.1 lbs)
02 - 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
03 - 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
04 - 3 cloves garlic, minced

→ Dairy

05 - 1.5 cups sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated
06 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
07 - 1 cup whole milk
08 - 0.5 cup heavy cream

→ Broth

09 - 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

→ Seasonings

10 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
11 - 0.5 teaspoon dried basil
12 - 0.25 teaspoon ground nutmeg
13 - 0.5 teaspoon salt, plus additional to taste
14 - 0.25 teaspoon black pepper

→ Oil

15 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 425°F.
02 - Toss broccoli florets with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes, stirring halfway, until golden and tender.
03 - While broccoli roasts, heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and butter in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté onion and carrots for 5-6 minutes until softened. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 additional minute.
04 - Add roasted broccoli to the pot, reserving a few florets for garnish. Stir in thyme, basil, and nutmeg.
05 - Pour in vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
06 - Use an immersion blender to purée soup until smooth, or blend in batches using a countertop blender, exercising caution with hot liquids.
07 - Stir in milk and heavy cream. Gradually add cheddar cheese, stirring until fully melted and soup reaches desired creaminess. Adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed.
08 - Serve soup hot, garnished with reserved broccoli florets and additional cheddar cheese if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Roasting the broccoli first gives you caramelized edges and actual depth instead of that watery vegetable taste.
  • Sharp cheddar makes this feel indulgent without needing a ton of cream or weird additives.
  • Comes together in under an hour, which means weeknight dinner without the takeout guilt.
02 -
  • Freshly grated cheese melts into the soup smoothly, but pre-shredded cheese with its anti-caking powder will create weird grainy streaks that feel wrong on your tongue.
  • If you over-blend and make it too smooth, you lose the texture that makes each spoonful interesting, so stop while you can still see tiny vegetable pieces.
  • Adding the cheese gradually and keeping the heat low prevents it from breaking and turning into separated oily soup instead of creamy soup.
03 -
  • Stir the broccoli halfway through roasting so it browns evenly on all sides and gets those golden crispy edges.
  • Always taste before serving because every broth has different saltiness, and you want to adjust the seasoning to what you actually like instead of following a recipe that might not match your taste buds.
  • If you end up with soup that's thicker than you want, just whisk in a splash of broth or milk until it reaches the consistency that makes you happy.
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