For a soup like Broccoli Potatoes and Cheddar, the real game changer isn’t a fancy ingredient—it’s how you melt the cheese. If you’ve ever ended up with a grainy, greasy broccoli cheddar soup, you’re not alone. The good news is that once you understand a couple of simple steps, you can avoid that completely and get a smooth, velvety pot every time.
In this version, we build a base with potatoes and broccoli, then bring in cheddar at the end in a controlled way. That’s the key technique here: adding cheese gradually to warm (not boiling) soup and giving it time to melt before adding more. It’s a small detail, but it’s what separates “pretty good” from “wow, I made that?”
This Broccoli Potatoes and Cheddar Soup is ideal for late fall and winter, when broccoli looks solid at the market and you’re happy to let a pot simmer on the stove. It’s a full meal in one pot, and it reheats well for lunches. If you’re newer to cooking, this is a great recipe to practice basic soup skills: sweating onions, simmering potatoes until tender, checking doneness on broccoli, and handling cheese without fear.
We’ll walk through each step so you know what to look for—how soft the potatoes should be, what “al dente” broccoli really means, and exactly when to turn down the heat before the cheese goes in. Follow along once, and you’ll be able to make this kind of creamy vegetable soup from memory.
Whip Up Broccoli Potatoes And Cheddar Soup
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Gathering Your Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 3 large white potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 4 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth to keep it vegetarian)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 6 cups broccoli florets
- 3 cups whole milk
- 3 cups shredded medium cheddar cheese
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
The Method
- Set a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat and add the butter. Once it’s melted and starting to foam, stir in the chopped onion. Cook for about 4–5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened and translucent but not browned.
- Add the cubed potatoes, broth, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Turn the heat up to bring the pot to a boil, then immediately lower to a steady simmer. Cook for about 8 minutes, or until the potatoes are very tender and easily pierced with a fork.
- Turn off the heat. Use an immersion blender to blend the potatoes and broth right in the pot until you reach your preferred texture. For a hearty feel, leave some small chunks; for a smoother soup, blend more fully. If you don’t have an immersion blender, mash the potatoes with a potato masher directly in the broth.
- Turn the heat back to medium and stir in the broccoli florets and the milk. Bring the mixture back up just to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook for 5–7 minutes, until the broccoli is bright green and just tender when poked with a fork—it should still have a slight bite.
- In a separate bowl, toss the shredded cheddar cheese with the flour until the cheese is evenly coated. This helps the cheese melt smoothly and slightly thickens the soup.
- Reduce the heat to low. The soup should be hot but not boiling. Add about 1 cup of the cheese mixture at a time, stirring constantly after each addition until the cheese is fully melted and the soup looks smooth before adding the next cup. Don’t rush this step; slow addition prevents clumping and graininess.
- Once all the cheese is melted, season the soup with freshly ground black pepper and taste for salt, adding a bit more if needed. If the soup is thicker than you’d like, thin it with a splash of broth or milk; if it’s too thin, let it simmer gently for a few more minutes, stirring often.
- Serve hot, with extra black pepper or a sprinkle of cheese on top if you like. Leftovers can be cooled and refrigerated, then reheated gently over low heat, stirring so the cheese doesn’t separate.
Best Potatoes to Use
For this Broccoli Potatoes and Cheddar Soup, starchy or all-purpose potatoes give you the creamiest base. Russet potatoes blend into a very smooth, silky texture and help naturally thicken the soup without needing extra flour. Yukon Golds are a great middle ground: they’re slightly waxier, hold a bit of shape, and add a buttery taste. Waxy potatoes like red potatoes will stay more firm and won’t break down as easily, so you’ll get a chunkier soup. If you’re new to soup-making, Yukon Gold is the most forgiving choice because it’s hard to overcook them into a gluey texture, and they blend nicely while still leaving some pieces if you prefer a rustic finish.
Milk and Broth Swaps
This recipe is written with whole milk and chicken broth, but you can easily adjust it to fit what you have on hand. For a richer soup, use half-and-half instead of milk, but keep the heat lower so it doesn’t scorch. For a lighter option, 2% milk works, though the soup will be slightly less creamy. If you need it dairy-light but still want body, you can swap in an unsweetened, plain oat milk; avoid sweetened or strongly flavored plant milks that will fight with the cheddar. For broth, vegetable broth keeps the soup vegetarian, while chicken broth adds a bit more savory depth. If your broth is salty, hold back on the salt at first and taste at the end. In a pinch, water plus a little extra salt and pepper will still work, thanks to the cheese and onions providing plenty of flavor.
Getting Broccoli Just Right
The difference between great and “meh” broccoli soup often comes down to texture. You want broccoli that’s cooked through but not mushy. When you simmer the florets in the milk and potato base, watch the clock and check early. After about 5 minutes, poke a thicker stem with a fork—it should go in easily, but the broccoli should still look bright green and feel slightly firm. If it’s dull green and falling apart, it’s overcooked. Cut large florets into bite-size pieces so they cook evenly. If you prefer a smoother soup, you can blend some or all of the broccoli after it’s tender, but let it cool slightly first to avoid splatters. For kids or picky eaters, blending half and leaving half in small pieces is a good compromise.
Preventing Grainy Cheese Sauce
Grainy or separated cheese is usually caused by high heat or adding the cheese too quickly. To avoid this, always lower the heat before adding the cheese. The soup should be hot and steamy, but not boiling. Tossing the shredded cheddar with flour first helps stabilize it and keeps it from clumping. Add the cheese by the handful (about 1 cup at a time here), stirring constantly until each addition is fully melted and the soup looks smooth before adding more. Use freshly shredded cheese from a block if you can—bagged shreds often have anti-caking agents that can affect melting. If the soup starts to look oily or split, take it off the heat and whisk in a splash of cold milk; this can sometimes bring it back together.
Broccoli, Potatoes, and Cheddar Soup
Equipment
- Large Dutch oven
- Immersion blender (optional)
- Potato masher (optional)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 3 large white potatoes peeled and cubed
- 4 cups chicken broth use vegetable broth to keep vegetarian
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 cups broccoli florets
- 3 cups whole milk
- 3 cups shredded medium cheddar cheese
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the chopped onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, until it becomes soft and translucent, about 4–5 minutes.
- Stir in the peeled, cubed potatoes, chicken broth, and kosher salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower to a lively simmer and cook until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 8 minutes. Purée some or all of the potatoes with an immersion blender for a smoother texture, or mash them lightly with a potato masher if you prefer some chunks.
- Add the broccoli florets and the milk, raise the heat until the pot briefly returns to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook until the broccoli is just tender but still bright, about 5–7 minutes.
- Toss the shredded cheddar with the flour to coat, then add the cheese to the soup in 1-cup increments, stirring after each addition until it melts and blends smoothly. Season with freshly ground black pepper and more salt to taste before serving.
