A creamy broccoli cheese soup that’s loaded with veggies and made entirely in the Crock Pot. After the slow cooked vegetables are tender, they’re pureed and mixed with rich cream and sharp cheddar cheese to create a velvety, decadent soup that the whole family will love.
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time4 hourshrs
Total Time4 hourshrs10 minutesmins
Servings: 12people
Calories: 258kcal
Ingredients
32ouncesfresh broccoli
8ouncescarrots(I use baby carrots)
1.5cupscelery
1onion
6garlic cloves
4cupschicken brothor vegetable
2cupsheavy cream
8ouncessharp cheddarshredded
2teaspoonssalt
1/2teaspoonpepper
Instructions
Chop the broccoli, celery, and onions into chunks and place in the crock pot, reserving 1/4 of the broccoli florets. Add the carrots and garlic, and then cover with the broth.
Cook on low for 4-6 hours, or high 3-4 hours. Once everything is tender, use a hand blender (immersion blender) to puree the vegetables in the broth.
Once smooth, slowly stir in the cream. Then add the cheddar cheese a little at a time mixing as you go until it is all combined. Season to taste with the salt and pepper.
Add the remaining broccoli florets in and allow to cook for an additional 20-30 minutes on low. This is optional to give you a chunkier soup. If you like the soup smooth, you can add all the broccoli in the first step.
Notes
Substitutions:
Broccoli – I like fresh, but frozen will work just as well. Thawing it first can help make sure the soup cooks in the same amount of time.
Carrots – You can definitely use regular carrots and just chop them into rough chunks before adding them in to the Crock Pot. Frozen carrots will also work just fine!
Onion – I used yellow, but white or red onion, or even 2-3 shallots would work too.
Garlic – I prefer fresh, but if needed you can swap in 1 1/2 teaspoons of granulated garlic instead.
Chicken Broth – Chicken stock or vegetable broth also work great in this recipe.
Heavy Cream – For the creamiest, richest soup, use full fat heavy cream. Half and half or light cream can be used but the soup will be a bit thinner and less decadent.
Cheddar Cheese – Pre-shredded cheeses don’t melt as smoothly, so if possible shred it yourself. If you prefer, a mild or medium cheddar will also work.
How to Store: Save leftovers after cooking in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, or the freezer for up to a month! I like to separate the leftovers into meal sized portions when freezing so that it makes it extra easy to reheat. How to Freeze: Making this Crock Pot broccoli cheese soup recipe into a freezer meal is simple! Follow the steps below and you can store this recipe in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Prep the veggies, onion, and garlic and combine them in a large freezer bag or container.
Freeze them.
When ready to cook, combine the frozen veggies and stock in the Crock Pot.
Cook the rest of the recipe as directed with fresh cream and shredded cheese.
How to Reheat: This can be reheated in the microwave in 30 second increments.