Crockpot Broccoli Cheese Soup

Name: Crockpot Broccoli Cheese Soup
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 270 min
Ingredients: 1 broccoli ((cut into florets)); 1 chopped onion; 1 vegetable stock cube; 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg; 3 cups water ((700 ml)); 2 tablespoons butter; 1 tablespoon cornstarch; 1/2 cup milk ((100 ml)); 1 cup shredded cheddar ((100 g))

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This crockpot broccoli cheese soup recipe is a creamy, comforting, delicious soup you can make with very little effort. Perfect for cold evenings and busy weekdays!

Crockpot broccoli cheese soup in a bowl with a spoon and parsley garnish.

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Ingredients
Instructions
Top tips
Serving suggestions
Variations
Leftovers
Frequently asked questions
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Recipe

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Broccoli cheese soup is a much loved classic for a reason, and with this crockpot recipe it's easier to make than ever before.

This creamy soup is incredibly satisfying, perfect for bread dipping, and quite possibly the best way to enjoy broccoli.

This recipe is naturally gluten free, nut free, egg free and soy free. It is also suitable for vegetarians, and is considered low carb and keto friendly.

Ingredients

To make this dish, you will need broccoli, onion, cheese, milk, water + a stock cube (or vegetable broth), nutmeg, salt and pepper.

You can also alternatively use butter if you want an extra creamy soup, but this can be omitted if you want to make the broccoli soup a little lighter.

I typically use cheddar cheese for this recipe, but you can also use other cheeses, or a combination of different types of cheese. Blue cheese such as stilton can also be used, but will give the soup a much stronger flavor.

The ingredients for broccoli cheese soup laid out on a table.

Instructions

Cut the broccoli into florets, and finely dice the onion. Add both vegetables to your slow cooker, along with water, the stock cube and nutmeg.

Cover with a lid, and leave the slow cooker to cook for 2-3 hours on high, or 4-5 hours on low.

Remove the lid from the crock pot, and blend the soup smooth with an immersion blender. Alternatively, you can blend it in batches with a regular standing blender.

Step by step images showing how to make slow cooker broccoli cheese soup.

Combine the cornstarch with a teaspoon of cold water in a bowl, and stir to form a paste. Add this to the blended soup, and cook on low for 30 minutes to an hour. This will allow the soup to thicken.

Add shredded cheese to the soup, a little at a time. Stir to dissolve the cheese completely. Then, add milk and optionally a little butter. Stir to incorporate all the ingredients.

Season to taste with salt and pepper if needed, then serve.

A white bowl with crockpot broccoli cheddar soup.

Top tips

Here is my best tips to help you succeed with this easy recipe:

The cheese tends to blend in better with the soup if you add a little cheese at a time, and then stir until it has melted into the soup. Adding all the cheese at once could result in cheesy lumps which may not be as appetizing.
Small broccoli florets cook faster than large florets, so you can cut them quite small to speed up the cooking time.
Always leave the lid on the slow cooker while the food is cooking. Removing the lid will allow the heat to escape, and increase the required cooking time.

Discover more delicious slow cooker soup recipes.

Serving suggestions

Not sure what to have with broccoli cheese soup? Here are some of my favorite options:

Bread! Some good crusty or toasted bread, garlic bread, dinner rolls or a sliced baguette would all taste great with this soup. I love to dip the bread into the soup and take a big bite - yum!
Sprinkle some croutons on top of the soup. Either bread croutons, crispy bacon pieces or roasted smoked tofu.
Serve with some crunchy crackers.

Close up of a bowl of broccoli cheese soup.

Variations

Here are some great variations of the dish that you can try!

Add carrots: Broccoli and carrots go great together. Try adding some finely diced or shredded carrots to the soup. This adds extra fiber, extra nutrients and extra flavor.

Different cheeses: Try making the soup with Monterey Jack, cheddar, mozzarella or Stilton, and discover your favorite version.

Lighter version: Omit the butter, use less cheese and use a light milk such as almond milk or skimmed milk for a light version of the soup.

Leftovers

You can store leftover crockpot broccoli cheese soup in a sealed container in a refrigerator for up to 3 days. The soup can also be frozen for up to 6 months.

Frozen soup can be thawed in a refrigerator overnight, or in a microwave using the defrost setting. You can then reheat the soup in a microwave, a pot on the stove top, or in the slow cooker.

Two bowls of slow cooker cheddar soup on a table.

Frequently asked questions

How can I thicken my broccoli cheese soup?

If you want your soup a little thicker, you can add more cornstarch slurry, make and add a roux, add a few instant mashed potato flakes, or add a few mashed boiled potatoes.

Why did my broccoli cheese soup separate?

The cheese and milk can separate and curdle if the temperature gets too high. This is why you should always add the dairy towards the end of the cooking process.

How do you avoid cheese clumping in soup?

If you add large amounts of cheese to any soup, the cheese can tend to clump together. You can avoid this by adding the shredded cheese in small batches, and stirring to dissolve it completely between each batch.

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