Pin it My sister called on a Tuesday evening, voice tight with cold, asking if I had anything warm to send her way. I remembered this soup from a farmer's market visit months earlier, where an older woman described how she stirred sharp cheddar into her broccoli base while her grandkids waited at the kitchen table. That stuck with me somehow. I made it that night, and watching the cheese melt into ribbons of gold made me feel like I was doing something small and good for someone I cared about.
Years later, I made this for my boyfriend's office potluck, ladled it into a thermos, and watched him nervously carry it downtown. He came home with an empty container and three people asking for the recipe. He'd been sheepish about bringing soup, but they remembered it. Food has a way of settling into people's afternoons like that.
Ingredients
- 1 large head broccoli, cut into florets: Use the stalks too—they're tender when cooked and add body to the puree without extra effort.
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced: Don't rush this part; let it turn translucent and sweet before moving on.
- 2 cloves garlic, minced: Fresh garlic blooms quickly in hot butter and fills your kitchen with something like comfort.
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and shredded: Shredded rather than chopped means it disappears into the broccoli, adding sweetness without texture that fights the creaminess.
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter: Use real butter; it's the only ingredient that'll give you that subtle, nutty flavor in the background.
- 2 cups whole milk and 1 cup heavy cream: The combination matters—whole milk keeps it from feeling heavy, cream makes it feel like home.
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated: Sharp, not mild; the tang cuts through the richness and wakes up your palate.
- 4 slices bacon, diced: Cook it until it shatters in your fingers, then use that fat for everything that follows.
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth: Low-sodium lets you control the seasoning and taste the real flavors underneath.
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour: This is your thickener, whisked in to make a roux that holds everything together.
- Salt, black pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg: Nutmeg is optional but don't skip it—a whisper of it turns soup into something people can't quite name.
- 4 slices rustic bread and 2 tablespoons softened butter for serving: Toast it yourself; store-bought croutons feel like giving up halfway.
Instructions
- Render the bacon first:
- Set a large pot over medium heat and cook your diced bacon slowly, listening to it pop and crackle. You want it crispy enough to shatter, which takes patience but rewards you with fat that's pure umami. Lift it out with a slotted spoon and let it cool on paper towels.
- Build your base:
- Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of bacon fat (or use butter if you're making this vegetarian), then add your diced onion and shredded carrot. Let them soften for 4 to 5 minutes until the onion turns translucent and the carrot sweetens. Stir in the garlic and cook until the air around you smells alive—about 1 minute.
- Make your roux:
- Add the remaining butter and let it melt completely, then sprinkle in the flour and stir constantly for 2 minutes. This cooks off the raw flour taste and becomes the foundation for your cream. You're building something substantial here.
- Add the liquid:
- Gradually whisk in the milk and broth, moving slowly enough that lumps don't form. Once it's all in, bring the pot to a gentle simmer—not a rolling boil, which can make the cream break.
- Cook the broccoli tender:
- Add your florets, cover the pot, and let it simmer for 10 to 12 minutes until the broccoli is very soft, almost falling apart. The steam rising from the pot should smell purely green and alive.
- Blend to your liking:
- Use an immersion blender to puree the soup as much or as little as you want. Some people like it silky and smooth; I prefer it with texture, so I blend until it's mostly creamy but still holds little pieces of broccoli. If you're using a countertop blender, work in batches and return everything to the pot.
- Finish with cheese and cream:
- Stir in the heavy cream and grated cheddar over low heat, stirring until the cheese melts completely and the soup turns golden and rich. Add the nutmeg if you're using it. Taste, then season with salt and pepper—remember, your broth was already salted, so taste as you go.
- Toast the bread:
- While the soup finishes, spread softened butter on both sides of your bread slices and toast them in a skillet over medium heat until they're golden and crispy on both sides. The butter should sizzle gently, not pop violently.
- Serve and celebrate:
- Ladle the soup into warm bowls, top with a handful of crispy bacon and extra cheddar if you're feeling generous. Serve with the warm buttered bread on the side.
Pin it The best version of this soup happened by accident one January when my immersion blender broke mid-blend. I had to transfer it all to a countertop blender in batches, and I kept it chunkier than planned. My partner took one spoonful and said it felt less like soup and more like eating broccoli in a cheddar cloud. I've made it that way ever since.
Why Texture Matters
There's a difference between soup that's been blended to oblivion and soup that still knows what it started as. A completely smooth soup tastes refined, but it can feel thin on the tongue. Leaving some texture—little broccoli pieces floating through that cheddar cream—means every spoonful is different, keeps things interesting. You're not making a puree; you're making something that tastes like you had broccoli and cheddar and cream and decided to be friends with them, not erase them.
The Bacon Question
Bacon is listed as optional, and I mean it. The fat from those 4 slices gives the soup a savory undertone that stays with you, but if you're making this vegetarian, just use butter and add an extra pinch of salt. Some people stir a splash of soy sauce into the vegetarian version to capture that umami depth—I've done it, and it works. Either way, you're making something honest and warm.
Make-Ahead and Storage
This soup actually tastes better the next day, after the flavors have had time to get to know each other. Make it ahead and reheat gently over low heat, stirring often and adding a little broth if it's thickened too much. If you want to freeze it, leave out the cream and add it fresh when you reheat—the cream can separate after freezing, and you deserve better than that.
- If brightness sounds good to you, squeeze in a little lemon juice just before serving.
- A pinch of cayenne pepper turns this into something with a quiet warmth that builds as you eat.
- This soup feeds 4 generously, but it also keeps in the fridge for 4 days if you're the type to have something good waiting.
Pin it This is the kind of soup that asks you to slow down, to pay attention to the sound of vegetables softening and butter foaming. Serve it warm, with bread, and watch people relax around your table.