This thick and creamy Broccoli Cheese Soup with potato is family-friendly and lick-the-bowl good – one of my most popular soup recipes!
Broccoli Cheese Soup with Potato
When I was a kid, broccoli and cheese was my favorite thing to eat. Whenever we had leftover broccoli, I would heat it up the next day with melted cheese. This easy broccoli cheese potato soup reminds me of those after-school meals I would make for myself. What are some of your favorite childhood soups? Comment below to let me know! Some other broccoli soup recipes I love are this Cream of Broccoli Soup and this Macaroni and Cheese Soup with Broccoli.
This Broccoli Cheese Soup, a one-pot meal ready in under 30 minutes, is pure comfort in a bowl. As the weather gets cooler, it’s the perfect soup to warm up, and leftovers are great to pack for lunch. Also, if you have picky kids or family members, I think they would love this soup!
Is broccoli soup healthy?
This healthy broccoli cheese potato soup is loaded with veggies and has 239 calories, 16 grams of protein, and more than three grams of fiber per serving. The protein from the cheese and milk makes it extra filling.
Can I use frozen broccoli instead of fresh for soup?
I always use fresh broccoli when making this dish, but frozen broccoli would also work. You don’t have to thaw it before adding it to the soup.
How to thicken broccoli cheese soup?
I do a few things to thicken this broccoli cheese soup:
- Potato: The potatoes help thicken the soup without adding any cream.
- Dairy: The reduced-fat cheese and skim milk add creaminess without many calories.
- Blending: Using the immersion blender to puree the soup thickens it. If you don’t have one, you can transfer the soup in batches to a regular blender and pulse. You want the soup to be a little chunky, not totally smooth.
Can you freeze broccoli cheese potato soup?
I don’t typically freeze dairy, so I wouldn’t recommend freezing this broccoli cheese soup. However, if you want to try, let me know in the comments how it worked. Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for three days.
What to Serve with Broccoli Cheese Soup:
Bread ideas to serve with broccoli and cheese soup:
- I love soup and a salad with a piece of bread like toasted whole grain or sour dough as classic side.
- These garlic knots would be great as a side dish to dunk in the soup.
- These easy garlic and rosemary biscuits make a delicious side.
Meats that go with broccoli and cheese soup:
I grew up having soup as a starter before my protein. So many options work here! Here’s a few:
- Pickle Brined Baked Chicken Tenders
- Oven Fried Chicken
- Bacon Wrapped Air Fryer Chicken Breast
- Oven Fried Pork Chops
- Air Fryer Steak
Variations:
- Potatoes: Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes are good options. If you’re watching your carbs, you could try swapping the potatoes for cauliflower, but I think the flavor is better with potatoes.
- Cheese: If you don’t have American cheese slices, you can add more shredded cheddar.
- Gluten-Free Soup: Swap the all-purpose flour with gluten-free flour or a tablespoon of arrowroot or corn starch.
- Vegetarian Broccoli Cheese Soup: Use vegetable broth instead of chicken.
How To Make Broccoli Cheese Soup
More Soup Recipes You May Enjoy:
- Stuffed Pepper Soup
- Turkey Chili Taco Soup
- Beef, Tomato and Acini Di Pepe Soup
- Baked Potato Soup
- Cream of Broccoli Soup
Your comments are helpful!! If you’ve tried this healthy Broccoli Cheese Soup recipe or any other recipe on Skinnytaste, don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! And if you took some photos of video, share it with me on Instagram or Tiktok!
Broccoli Cheese and Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 medium carrot, chopped
- 1 celery stalk, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp flour, AP, whole wheat or gluten-free flour
- 2 1/2 cups less sodium chicken broth, or vegetable broth
- 1 cup fat free milk
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced small
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt and fresh pepper
- 4 cups broccoli florets, chopped into small pieces, about 2 heads
- 1-1/2 cups reduced fat shredded sharp cheddar
- 2 slices 2% cheddar or American cheese
- 1 tbsp Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Chop onion, carrot, celery, garlic in a chopper or mini food processor.
- In a large soup pot, melt butter. Add chopped vegetables and sauté on low heat until soft, about 5 minutes.
- Add flour, salt and pepper to the pot and stir until smooth.
- Add chicken broth, milk and potatoes and set heat to high until it comes to a boil, then cover and cook on low until potatoes are soft, about 10-15 minutes.
- Add broccoli florets, Parmesan cheese, and stir well. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Cook uncovered until broccoli is cooked, about 5 minutes.
- Add cheddar and American cheese, stir well and remove from heat.
- Using an immersion blender quickly blend part of the soup for a quick second or two. If you don't have an immersion blender, remove about 1-2 cups of potatoes and broccoli, place it in your chopper, then add it back to the soup. This helps thicken it a bit.
Fabulous- my 1 year old LOVED this soup! Great way to get kids to eat broccoli!
This was wonderful! I made several changes but only because I didn't want to go to the store! I used onion powder instead of an onion, minced garlic instead of cloves, and instead of sharp cheddar I used 2% Mexican cheese blend. I'll have to try it with sharp cheese to see if there is a big difference. Also, I do not have a immersion blender so I threw in the chunks of broccoli and potatoes in a mini food processor. Next time I will use a blender to really blend all the foods together. Thank you, Gina for an awesome recipe!!!
Just wanted to say that this was a hit! I had leftovers for lunch today and my 20 month pushed aside his PB&J and asked for some of the soup. I'm making the asian glazed chicken tonight…can't wait!
I completely understand 🙂
I'm getting ready to make this…I'm so freaking excited. I made the pot pie soup last week and it was so good…my husband even took the leftovers for lunch! Your recipes are saving my butt…with 2 under 2 I don't have a whole lot of time to think of a meal and point it out!
Haley, you could use 1 tbsp cornstarch instead, or use a gluten free flour like rice flour instead.
Made this tonight, very delicious and filling (which is important). Thanks for the recipe.
This is the first soup I've ever made and OH MY GOD it's amazing. And so easy, too! Your site is fantastic, Gina!
Gina, this recipe looks amazing! I'm gluten intolerant, though–could a cornstarch/water mixture be used instead of the flour to thicken the soup? Or would you just recommend omitting the flour?
Can't wait to try it!
Just made this soap today and it is DELICIOUS!!! My 6 year daughter even loves it! Thank you for sharing!!!
I didn't look to see if anyone else has suggested this – but I have made this recipe twice now and I have frozen portions both times and they thaw out beautifully. The first time I made it I only had 1 small potatoe and one large sweet potato on hand so I made it with those 2 and I would like to suggest substituting a sweet potato for one of the white potatoes. It was so delicious! I crave it every day and my kids (7,12,17) all LOVED IT. Those little rascals ate my leftovers the first time I made it! Great recipe. If we could give recipes star ratings I would give this 5 stars!
Just had a quick question since this soup was my plan for dinner tonight, and like you, I have a russet and white-fleshed sweet potato on hand. Did the sweet take any longer to cook than the original directions? Thank you!
Yes, it is very filling! Perfect cold weather comfort food! Hard to make a bad soup with cheese and broccoli if you ask me!!
Just made this soup, and i have to say OMG its the best soup i have ever tasted and its going to be a regular of ours now…. if you havnt made it, do it asap because you are missing out big time
thanks for posting this recipe 🙂
this is the first time i have commented! just wanted to say that we made this soup for lunch, on a cold snowy day, and it was delicious!! i have a four year old and a two year old, and they both downed it! 🙂 thank you!
This is delicious!!! My husband and I loved it and had plenty of leftovers.
We got 5 inches of snow on Sunday night and have been iced in for nearly 3 days now! I made this tonight to help warm us up and it is utterly fantastic! When I noticed it only made 4 servings, I figured there wouldn't be any leftovers. Boy was I wrong! It was SO filling, we each only had one bowl! You never disappoint me, Gina!
Made this the other night and will not make it again unless I at least DOUBLE it! My 13 year old asked to try it….then asked for a bowl of it! Love that the points are figured out too! SO nice to have some new foods to add to the mix. Thanks!
Gina,
I made this soup tonight and boy oh boy did it get eaten fast!!!! I'm from Indiana and we are snowed in so I couldn't get all of the ingredients PLUS we have a family of six so I knew I needed to make more….. funny story I only had one can of chicken broth and beings how I had to double all of the ingredients I knew this wouldn't do. I had already chopped up the onions, celery, carrots, AND potatoes so I dug around the pantry and found two cans of campbell's chicken with rice soup.. LOL. I just used all of it figuring a little rice wouldn't hurt and I let it boil for a long while a voila! It was FANTASTIC!!!!! Thanks soooo much for this and all of your recipes. I heard about this site through a friend and really glad I found it! Hugs! Stephanie
Oh! My! Gosh! Gina, this one is a knockout. Just made this for lunch. It was so good and so filling. A definite repeat. Thanks girl!
This soup is delicious! Just made it for dinner. Very filling, and a great way to get the veggies in.
Thank you so much for including the old points along with the points plus! My husband and I have been doing weight watchers on the old system and I am so pleased that you are still putting the points up. LOVE your recipes….it's the only website/cookbook I use anymore and my husband is always amazed that they are WW!
Drea- no, just add more cheddar if you it needs it.
Donna, I know!
This was one of four recipes I made this weekend. Sunday was cold and blustery so it was a perfect lunch. I'm only sorry I didn't double the recipe because it was yummylicious.
Is the american cheese vital? I don't use it and I'd hate to buy an entire package for just a couple of slices. Thanks!
O.M.G!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I just discovered your website in the last week or so and this is the third recipe I've made. While the first two were good, this one BLOWS MY SOCKS OFF!!!! WOW!!!! It is absolutely delish!!!
Thanks so much for all your hard work… people like me who want to lose weight, eat healthy and still eat "real food" are forever indebted to you!
This soup is incredible. I will probably never order it "out" again. I made it for my family to sample so that I could make soup for a friend going through chemo and my husband and I fought over the leftovers. She mentioned that broccoli and protein calm her nausea. She LOVED it!
Gina, this is a wonderful soup! I really enjoyed it and so did my boyfriend! I love your website and I love your recipes 🙂 I'm looking forward to trying some more ! I received this one through email while I was in Budapest and said to my boyfriend that we had to make that soup when we would be back home…I'll be making this soup, again and again!
This is a wonderful soup: hubby and I enjoyed it as both a light super or a hearty lunch! Love this site: it has made my weight watcher's journey very easy. Marg, down 50# between May 18/10 and Jan 4/11 🙂
So delicious, I'm enjoying it right now 🙂 thank you Gina!
Made this for dinner last night so that I could try out the immersion blender I got for Christmas. As always, delicious and perfect for a winter evening! 🙂 Thanks again, Gina! Your site has really made a difference in my weight loss.