A rich‚ thick‚ creamy‚ and cheesy Broccoli Cheese Soup. So filling it works as a stand alone meal. What could be more satisfying on a cold evening? When I go to Panera Bread I love to do the You Pick Two with soup and salad. My favorite soup is the Cheddar Broccoli Soup. Judging by the number of copycat recipes of it on Pinterest‚ it’s most people’s favorite. And what’s not to love about broccoli and cheese? As good as Panera’s soup is‚ homemade Broccoli Cheddar soup is so much better. It has a much fresher taste and I find that a broccoli and cheese soup is the one soup that tastes best served just after it is made. Three Types Of Cheese Three kinds of cheese (and lots of them!) make this soup fantastically cheesy. There’s fontina‚ white cheddar (you could use yellow)‚ and cream cheese which really adds a wonderful creaminess. There’s no need to cook the broccoli ahead of time‚ that just adds an extra step. Cut it into small pieces and let it cook in the soup instead. Once it’s cooked I like to take a potato masher and break the broccoli up some. It helps thicken the soup and it’s easier to eat when you only have small pieces of broccoli in the soup. Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe Tips You can make this soup vegetarian by using vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. Be sure to turn the heat to LOW before adding the cheese or it may separate and give the soup a grainy texture. Make It Spicy If you want to make this soup spicy‚ add half a teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes instead of a quarter teaspoon. Can Broccoli Cheese Soup Be Frozen? Yes! This soup freezes well. Be sure to cool it completely before transfering it to an airtight container. When you are ready to eat it‚ simply thaw it overnight in the refrigerator and reheat on the stove. How To Serve This soup goes great with some crusty bread and a garden salad with Creamy Italian Dressing. For dessert‚ try some Samoa Bundt Cake! More Delicious Soup Recipes Country Cabbage Soup Chicken Pot Pie Soup Easy Tortellini Soup Vegetable Beef Soup Jalapeno Bacon Cheeseburger Soup Tex-Mex Cabbage Soup Mac and Cheese Soup Print Broccoli Cheese Soup A fabulously rich and creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup with 3 types of cheese. Can be made vegetarian. Course SoupCuisine AmericanKeyword broccoli Prep Time 10 minutes minutesCook Time 27 minutes minutesTotal Time 37 minutes minutes Servings 8 Calories 469kcal Author Christin Mahrlig EquipmentDutch Oven Ingredients4 tablespoons butter1 medium onion‚ diced2 carrots‚ peeled and thinly sliced1/4 cup all-purpose flour4 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth2 cups half-and-half8 cups chopped broccoli‚ small bite-sized pieces1 (8-ounce) block Fontina cheese‚ shredded1 (8-ounce) block white Cheddar cheese‚ shredded4 ounces cream cheese‚ room temperature1/2 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon black pepper1/2 teaspoon garlic powder1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes InstructionsIn a Dutch oven‚ melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and carrots and cook until soft‚ about 5 minutes.Sprinkle flour over onion/carrot mixture. Cook and stir for 2 minutes.Gradually add chicken broth‚ whisking constantly. Add half-and-half. Bring to a simmer.Add broccoli and stir into mixture. Simmer for 20 minutes‚ stirring occasionally. If desired‚ use a potato masher to break broccoli up some.Turn heat to low. Add shredded cheeses. Stir until melted. Add cream cheese in small chunks and whisk well to combine.Stir in salt‚ peppers‚ and garlic powder.Let simmer for a few minutes and serve. NotesTo make this soup spicy‚ double the amount of crushed red pepper flakes. Use vegetable broth to make it vegetarian. Nutritional info is provided as an estimate only and will vary based on brands of products used. Not to be used for specific dietary needs. NutritionCalories: 469kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 114mg | Sodium: 1161mg | Potassium: 518mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 4240IU | Vitamin C: 81mg | Calcium: 492mg | Iron: 1mgWant to Save This Recipe?Save This Recipe Originally published November 7‚ 2014. Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. The post Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe appeared first on Spicy Southern Kitchen.