Easy Broccoli and Cheese Soup, To Spice or Not to Spice?
This post on broccoli and cheese soup contains Amazon affiliate links. If you click on the links, we may earn a fee. There is no additional cost to you.
I love making soup. More importantly, I love making easy soup. Broccoli and cheese is always at the top of my list of great soups to make at home. A few years ago, at a school potluck, one of the teachers brought in a spicy broccoli and cheese soup. The spice rocked my world. I have taken this soup to school potlucks ever since, and I still have a few people ask me about it years later.
I have altered the broccoli and cheese soup over the years, and that is a great thing about recipes; you can adjust them to your particular taste. I always add more crushed red pepper than the recipe calls for, but it is totally up to you. Many people get nervous about altering recipes, especially when it comes to spices, but it just might create the perfect taste.
The genius part of this soup is that it is excellent with or without the spice. If you have a house divided, divide the broccoli and cheese soup into two pots and add the spices into one of them after you create the base. If you want to go all Panera on your family, stop by your local grocer (I use Publix for this) and pick up a few bread bowls to serve the soup inside. Your family will be super impressed, and it does not take much effort. As far as the soup, it also takes little effort, and it is mighty delicious! Here’s the recipe…
Spicy (or Not Spicy) Broccoli and Cheese Soup
- 64-96 ounces of chicken stock (either store-bought or homemade). I give some leeway because some people prefer a thicker soup and some prefer it thinner. Adjust accordingly.
- 1-16 ounce bag of frozen broccoli florets
- ½ teaspoon of onion powder
- ½ cup of all-purpose flour
- ½ cup of corn starch
- 1 cup of milk
- ½ teaspoon of garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon of garlic salt
- ¼ teaspoon of black pepper
- ¼-1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
- 1/3 block of Velveeta cheese
- 1-2 cup bag of Monterrey Jack cheese
- 1 cup of cheddar cheese, if desired
- Hot sauce to taste
- You can also add chicken or ham if you want a meaty version
Turn the stovetop to medium heat. Fill your pot with 64 ounces of chicken broth. Add the broccoli florets and onion powder. Boil until the broccoli until tender.
Add one cup of the broth along with the flour, corn starch, and milk into a blender (I use a Vitamix) and blend until all lumps are gone (if you do not want to use the blender, add the broth, flour, corn starch, and milk into a glass bowl and whisk until you reach the desired texture). Add the mixture into the broccoli and broth and continue to cook.
At this point, if you want to divide the mixture to make it half spicy, half non-spicy, now would be the time. Season your soup with the garlic powder, garlic salt, red pepper flakes, and black pepper. Add meat (chicken or ham) if desired. Let the mixture cook for 2-3 minutes to dissolve all the spices.
Add the cheeses and stir until they are melted.
Cook the mixture for 20 minutes, stirring so that the broccoli and cheese soup doesn’t burn the bottom of the pot. If the soup is too thick, add more chicken broth (I always add more at this point). If the soup is too thin, make a slurry of milk and cornstarch and add the slurry to the soup until you have achieved the desired thickness.
Whether you like a pop of spice to your soup or no pop at all, this soup will surely please. The recipe is very tolerable to alterations, so feel free to experiment with different spices and/or meat. I make the soup on Monday with no meat and it holds in the refrigerator all week to take for lunch. We hope you enjoy!!!
Looking for other great soup recipes? Check out the recipes for Sean’s Chili and Magnificent Buffalo Chicken Soup!
Do you have an easy recipe that can be altered to create many variations? We would love to hear from you. Please drop us a line in the comment section below.
