Smoky and cheesy, this creamy broccoli cheddar soup with bacon is exactly what you need when you want a cozy and delicious meal.
Roasted broccoli, shredded carrots, and crispy bacon come together in a velvety cheese base to create a soup that's truly full of flavor.
Recipe highlights
This recipe is inspired by Tini's roasted broccoli cheddar soup with bacon.
We’re roasting fresh broccoli with a pinch of nutmeg to give it a deep, "roasty" flavor, then building a smoky base using rendered bacon fat, shallots, and a blend of sharp cheddar and smoked gouda.
This soup is delicious, easy to make and the whole family will love it.
Ingredients:
- 3 stalks Broccoli, chopped into a mix of big and small florets.
- Avocado oil or any vegetable oil for roasting the broccoli.
- 4 strips Bacon, diced.
- 2 Carrots, shredded (1 cup).
- ½ Onion + ½ Shallot, diced (about 1 cup diced onion).
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced.
- 3 tbsp Flour.
- 1.5 cups Milk.
- 1 cup Heavy Cream.
- 4 cups Chicken Stock.
- 8 oz Sharp Cheddar + 3 oz Smoked Gouda.
- Spices: Nutmeg, Smoked Paprika, Garlic Powder, Ground Thyme, Salt & Pepper.
All the printable instructions and ingredient quantities are the bottom of this post.
Step by Step Instructions:
Roast the broccoli: Preheat your oven to 375°F. Toss your broccoli florets with oil, salt, pepper, and that crucial pinch of nutmeg. Roast on a parchment-lined tray for about 20 minutes until you see those beautiful roasted edges.
The Bacon: In a large pot over medium heat, fry your diced bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon bits but leave that liquid gold (the grease) in the pot.
The Aromatics: Drop a tablespoon of butter into the bacon grease. Sauté your shredded carrots, onion, and shallot. Once the onions are translucent, add the garlic. Let it go until golden, but don't let it burn!
The Roux: Whisk in 3 tablespoon of flour. Cook it for about 2-3 minutes—this gets rid of the "raw flour" taste and ensures a silky soup.
Liquid: Slowly whisk in your milk and heavy cream. Get those clumps out! Let it thicken for a couple of minutes, then stir in your chicken stock.
The Assembly: Add in your roasted broccoli and your spices (thyme, smoked paprika, and a little extra garlic powder).
Add the cheese: Turn the heat to low. Stir in your cheddar and smoked gouda gradually until the soup is thick and glossy. Fold your bacon bits back in.
Serve and enjoy.
I baked some mini sourdough loaves and served it like a Panera copycat broccoli cheddar soup and it was amazing! Highly recommend serving this soup with some crusty bread.
Storage, reheating and freezing this soup
Storage: Let the soup cool to room temperature before storing it in an airtight container. It will stay fresh for 3 to 4 days.
Reheating: Because of the flour and cheese, this soup will turn into a thick "gel" once cold. It’ll loosen back up once you hit it with some low heat.
If you reheat it over high heat the cheese will separate creating an oily layer. The soup will be thicker than when you first made it. Add a splash of chicken stock, milk, or water while stirring to bring it back to your desired consistency.
Freezing: Soups with heavy cream and lots of cheese can sometimes get a slightly grainy or "separated" texture when frozen and thawed. It’s still safe and delicious, just less silky. For the best results, thaw it in the fridge overnight
Recipe notes
This recipe is not as thick as I wanted it to be and the bacon flavor overpowered the cheddar but it is still delicious.
Next time I will skip the milk and double the heavy cream for a more full-bodied soup.
Viral Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Equipment
- 1 Soup pot such as Dutch Oven
- 1 baking sheet
Ingredients
- 3 stalks Broccoli About 3 cups of florets, 1 lb broccoli
- ⅛ teaspoon Nutmeg freshly grounded preferred
- 1 tablespoon Avocado oil
- 4 Strips Bacon cut into small pieces
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ Onion diced, about 1 cup
- ½ Shallot diced
- 2 Carrots shredded, about 1 cup
- 2 cloves Garlic minced
- 3 tablespoon Flour
- 1.5 cups Milk
- 1 cup Heavy Cream
- 4 cups Chicken Stock
- 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon Smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon Ground thyme
- 8 oz Sharp Cheddar freshly grated
- 3 oz Smoked Gouda freshly grated
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F
- Chop the broccoli florets into small, bite size pieces.3 stalks Broccoli
- Place it on a baking sheet line with parchment paper and drizzle the oil and sprinkle with grated nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste, about ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.⅛ teaspoon Nutmeg, 1 tablespoon Avocado oil
- Roast for about 15-20 minutes, until tender and slightly charred.
- In a soup pot, over medium heat, cook the diced bacon until crispy and the fat is fully rendered. Remove the bacon bits with a slotted spoon and set aside, keeping the grease in the pot.4 Strips Bacon
- Add the butter to the bacon grease. Once melted, stir in the shredded carrots, onion, and shallot. Sauté until the onions are translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant and golden2 tablespoons butter, ½ Onion, ½ Shallot, 2 cloves Garlic, 2 Carrots
- Whisk in the flour and cook for about 2 minutes to remove the raw flour taste. Slowly whisk in the milk and heavy cream, stirring constantly to remove any lumps. Let it simmer for 2 minutes to thicken.3 tablespoon Flour, 1.5 cups Milk, 1 cup Heavy Cream
- Add 2 cups of chicken stock and simmer for 2–3 minutes. Add the remaining 2 cups of stock along with the roasted broccoli. Season with garlic powder, thyme, and smoked paprika.4 cups Chicken Stock, 1 teaspoon Garlic powder, ½ teaspoon Smoked paprika, ¼ teaspoon Ground thyme, Salt and pepper to taste
- Reduce heat to low and gradually stir in the sharp cheddar and smoked gouda until completely melted. Fold the crispy bacon bits back into the soup.8 oz Sharp Cheddar, 3 oz Smoked Gouda
- Serve and enjoy immediately.
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