Broccoli Cheddar Soup
This isn't your standard watery broccoli soup. It's thick, creamy, and uses Gruyere cheese, which melts properly without getting grainy like cheddar can. The key is making a roux at the start for body and melting the cheese on low heat at the end.
Ingredients
- 1/2 stick 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 medium onion diced (~1 cup)
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups half-and-half
- 2 large heads of broccoli cut into florets
- 2 carrots shredded
- 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 8 oz sharp cheddar cheese grated
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Add the onion and cook for 5-7 minutes until translucent, stirring occasionally.
- Add garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Sprinkle flour over onions and stir constantly for 2 minutes until paste forms and smells nutty.
- Gradually whisk in chicken stock until smooth.
- Stir in half-and-half, broccoli florets, carrots, salt, pepper, and cayenne.
- Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, cover and cook 15-20 minutes until broccoli is tender.
- Reduce heat to lowest setting and gradually stir in cheddar cheese by the handful until fully melted.
- Taste and adjust salt if needed, then serve hot.
Notes
Keep the heat very low when adding cheese to prevent it from seizing.