Servings: 4-6 (10 cups total) 1x
Scale
Ingredients
- ¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour*
- 3 cups milk of choice
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 lb broccoli, stems and florets cut into small uniform ~1-inch pieces (6 cups) or 1 (16-ounce) bag frozen broccoli florets
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 8 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- Optional topping: additional shredded cheddar, crackers, or homemade croutons
Instructions
- Place a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the butter. When the butter is melted, sprinkle the flour over the butter and whisk continuously for 30 seconds.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the milk, 1 cup at a time, whisking slowly and continuously after each addition until all of the milk has been added.
- Next whisk in the broth. Then stir in the garlic powder, onion powder, salt, mustard, thyme, paprika, and black pepper. Increase the heat to medium.
- Add the broccoli and shredded carrots. Keep the heat around medium to medium-high to maintain the soup at a simmer, uncovered, until the broccoli and carrot pieces are tender, about 20-25 minutes. The soup should be simmering but not boiling so adjust the heat as needed (TIP: The smaller and more uniform in size the broccoli pieces are, the less cooking time that is needed).
- When the broccoli is tender, remove the pot from the heat and add the cheddar, 1 cup at a time, stirring until it is incorporated, melted, and smooth, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Serve the soup warm with toppings of additional shredded cheddar, crackers, or croutons, if desired.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
Whether using fresh or frozen broccoli, make sure the broccoli pieces are pretty small (1 ½ inches or less) and as uniform in size as they can be so they cook quickly.
I use 2% dairy milk, but any dairy or unsweetened non-dairy milk can be used. Keep in mind that this soup won’t be 100% dairy free because it still contains butter and cheese, of which there are not great substitutes for this particular recipe.
* For gluten-free soup, swap the all-purpose flour for gluten-free 1:1 baking flour, such as Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Flour or King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure-For-Measure Flour.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size: ⅛ of the recipe or ~1 ¼ cups
- Calories: 269
- Fat: 17 g
- (Sat Fat: 11 g)
- Sodium: 586 mg
- Carbohydrate: 16 g
- (Fiber: 2 g
- Sugar: 6 g)
- Protein: 15 g
- Cholesterol: 52 mg