Crock Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup
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Crock pot broccoli cheese soup is the perfect cozy dinner for a lot less. Packed full of tender pieces of broccoli in a creamy cheese soup base, this is a recipe that is loved by both kids and adults alike!
Table of Contents
Why We Love Crock Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup
- Creamy Cheesy Soup Every Time With A Side Of Vegetables – This soup is creamy, gooey and cheesy in all the right ways. The broccoli compliments the cheese so well. I find many kids who don’t enjoy broccoli on its own will still try it in a creamy soup like this.
- Broccoli Doesn’t Fall Apart – I tried making this soup a few times in the slow cooker, and each time the broccoli fell apart into tiny pieces. In our family we like when the broccoli florets are tender bites rather than mushy bits. This method of chopping the broccoli a second time worked best for making sure the broccoli pieces are still tender but not falling apart.
- Family And Kid Favorite – My kid is such a soup fan, and broccoli cheese soup only ties with cheesy potato soup as her all-time favorite. Honestly my kid declared this recipe better than Panera’s broccoli cheese soup, so I’ll take that win!
- Cooks For You, Hot When You’re Ready – I love using my slow cooker to make easy meals like this soup recipe. Then when it’s time to eat dinner is done!
Ingredients For Broccoli Cheese Soup
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements and directions below in the recipe card.
- onion diced
- carrots shredded
- broccoli You can use the stem and the florets.
- minced garlic
- paprika
- salt – If using full sodium broth start with 1/2 a teaspoon, then add more to taste at the end
- pepper
- low sodium chicken broth
- cream cheese softened
- cheddar cheese the soup will be much creamier if you shred it from a block rather then use pre-shredded cheese. I like to use a sharp cheddar cheese or an extra sharp cheddar cheese for more flavor.
- heavy cream or half and half
How To Make This Slow Cooker Broccoli And Cheese Soup Recipe
- Chop the onion and carrots into bite-sized pieces. Chop the broccoli roughly into larger pieces. You want to keep the broccoli pieces on the larger side
- In the base of the slow cooker add the diced onion, carrots and broccoli. Add the minced garlic, paprika, salt and pepper over the vegetables. Pour in the chicken broth, then place the lid on the slow cooker and turn it to low heat.
- Cook on low heat for 3-4 hours.
- Cut the cream cheese up into small cubes. Let it soften on the counter for at least 10-15 minutes, then place in a large bowl. Shred the cheddar cheese from a block of cheese, then set to the side.
- Remove any large pieces of broccoli from the slow cooker to a cutting board and keep the slow cooker uncovered. Chop up the broccoli until it is bite sized then set to the side.
- Add 1 cup of the warm broth a little at a time from the slow cooker to the cream cheese. It is totally ok if there are a few rouge pieces of vegetable in with the broth, but we want to try to remove most of the vegetables before we mix. Use a whisk and mix well while adding the broth a little at a time to melt the cream cheese.
- Pour the heavy cream slowly over the cream cheese mixture and mix with a whisk.
- Add the broccoli back into the crockpot. Pour the cream cheese mixture back to the slow cooker. Add the cheddar cheese to the slow cooker, then place the lid on the slow cooker and flip to high heat. Allow it to cook for about 20-25 minutes or until all of the shredded cheese is melted.
- Flip the slow cooker to keep warm. Serve the soup with a little extra shredded cheddar cheese if desired and enjoy!
FAQ For Crockpot Broccoli Cheddar Soup
You can use frozen broccoli in this soup, but I’ve found my family doesn’t enjoy the soup as much with frozen broccoli. We enjoy frozen broccoli lots of other ways, but when you add it to the soup it tends to break down a lot into little pieces and become pretty mushy. We enjoy the soup a lot more when I use fresh broccoli that doesn’t become extra mushy.
I found when I chopped the broccoli to the size that fit on a spoon, after the broccoli cooked it falls apart. My family prefers chunks of broccoli in the soup rather than tiny pieces. Cooking the broccoli in large chunks then chopping it allows it to cook in the slow cooker, be the right size for a spoon, and not fall apart. If you don’t mind large pieces of broccoli in the soup you could skip chopping the broccoli after cooking.
What To Serve With Crock Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup
Whenever we are making soup, my daughter always wants bread to dip! Try the homemade garlic knots, the cheese and bacon quick bread. Cheesy pull apart biscuit garlic bread is made with refrigerated biscuit dough, making it even faster. Try these Cheddar Jalapeno Biscuits if your family likes things a touch spicy, which goes great with the creamy soup.
For a lighter side a salad can be a great options. Try this Panera Greek salad that will make you feel just like you’re at the restaurant. Or this classic Italian pasta salad is great on the side and is full of flavor.
A sandwich pairs great with broccoli cheese soup. Try the ham and cheese sliders, classic sloppy joes, or the easy Italian pinwheels for a few ideas. A classic turkey sandwich is also delicious, or try the cranberry pecan chicken salad for a great lunch combo.
How Can I Thicken This Soup?
If your soup feels too thin when you open the slow cooker, you can thicken it with cornstarch. Try adding two teaspoons of cornstarch to two tablespoons of water and mix it well. Add the mixture to the soup. Flip the slow cooker to high and let it cook for 20 to 30 minutes to help it thicken.
How Long Will Leftover Broccoli Cheese Soup Last?
This soup will last for about three to four days when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Sometimes the soup may be a little on the thick side when you reheat. You can add a little water or milk to thin out the cheddar broccoli soup.
Can You Freeze Broccoli Cheese Soup?
This broccoli cheese soup does freeze ok in a freezer container. I have found it is not quite as creamy as the soup was when fresh, but still worth freezing it to enjoy later.
Sometimes the creaminess of the soup will split a little bit, but most of the time I find it freezes ok. If the texture of the soup doesn’t seem quite right when reheating, I’ll sometimes add a little more milk or cream to the soup.
More Soup Recipes
Creamy Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili
Creamy Tomato Soup
Crockpot Potato Soup (Cheesy Delicious!)
Slow Cooker Broccoli Cheese Soup
Ingredients
- ½ medium onion diced
- 2 medium carrots shredded, about 1 cup
- 16 ounces broccoli about two medium heads if using fresh
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 32 ounces low sodium chicken broth
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 8 ounces cheddar cheese the soup will be much creamier if you shred it from a block rather then use preshredded cheese
- 1/3 cup heavy cream or half and half
Instructions
- Chop the onion and carrots into bite-sized pieces. Chop the broccoli roughly into larger pieces. You want to keep the broccoli pieces on the larger side
- In the base of the slow cooker add the diced onion, carrots and broccoli. Add the minced garlic, paprika, salt and pepper over the vegetables. Pour in the chicken broth, then place the lid on the slow cooker and turn it to low heat.
- Cook the soup on low heat for 3-4 hours.
- Cut the cream cheese up into small cubes. Let it soften on the counter for at least 10-15 minutes, then place in a large bowl. Shred the cheddar cheese from a block of cheese, then set to the side.
- Remove any large pieces of broccoli from the slow cooker to a cutting board and keep the slow cooker uncovered. Chop up the broccoli until it is bite sized then set to the side.
- Add 1 cup of the warm broth a little at a time from the slow cooker to the cream cheese. It is totally ok if there are a few rouge pieces of vegetable in with the broth, but we want to try to remove most of the vegetables before we mix. Use a whisk and mix well while adding the broth a little at a time to melt the cream cheese.
- Pour the heavy cream slowly over the cream cheese mixture and mix with a whisk.
- Place any broccoli back into the slow cooker. Pour the cream cheese mixture back to the slow cooker. Add the cheddar cheese to the slow cooker, then place the lid on the slow cooker and flip to high heat. Allow it to cook for about 20-25 minutes or until all of the cheese is fully melted.
- Flip the slow cooker to keep warm. Serve the soup with a little extra shredded cheddar cheese if desired and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Did You Make This?
I would love to see it! Share your thoughts with me in the comments below!
Love them all! Thank you for sending them!
You’re very welcome Ruth, hope you enjoy!
I made this soup, very delicious. I also made your egg salad recipe equally delicious. Yummy! Thanks Kristy😊