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5-Ingredient Broccoli Cheese Soup

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5-Ingredient Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe | gimmesomeoven.com

We’ve reached the end of 5-Ingredient Soup Week here at Gimme Some Oven. And let me tell you, it has been delicious!

In case you missed it, we ladled up some black bean soup, potato soup, easy chili, and tomato soup, all made of course with just 5 tasty ingredients each. But today we conclude the series with a creamy and healthier take on a classic — 5-Ingredient Broccoli Cheese Soup.

I have to admit that I only recently developed a taste for this classic, having avoided it for years due to copious amounts of Velveeta and a not-so-fondness for broccoli. But this recipe is happily processed-cheese-free (just use regular cheddar!). And I’m slowly coming around on learning to like those little trees in my soup. I also included one of my healthier tricks for making the soup creamy, so read below to learn the magic five ingredients for this recipe!

5-Ingredient Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe | gimmesomeoven.com

Ok, ok, actually the ingredients for this 5-ingredient broccoli cheese soup are pretty straightforward. You need:

  • broccoli (fresh or frozen)
  • a small onion
  • evaporated milk (my favorite healthier alternative to heavy cream)
  • chicken stock (or vegetable stock to make this vegetarian)
  • cheddar cheese (I recommend using sharp for more flavor. Also, some brands of pre-shredded cheddar cheese melt more easily than others. To play it safe, I actually recommend buying a block of cheddar and shredding it yourself. But I do find that Kraft’s shredded cheddar melts well consistently.)

Annnnd, I must also request that you use a few generous pinches of salt and pepper. Depending on the kind of cheddar cheese that you use, this soup may need more/less salt. And if you really want to go beyond 5 ingredients, I also recommend adding in some Italian seasoning or Cajun seasoning to the mix. But the soup also tastes great just with the straightforward 5 ingredients.

5-Ingredient Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe | gimmesomeoven.com

Anyway, the 5-ingredient version of this recipe really couldn’t be easier. You literally toss all five ingredients together in a saucepan…

5-Ingredient Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe | gimmesomeoven.com

…and slowly bring them to a simmer (not a boil), and cook until the onions are soft. Then this delicious soup is ready to go in no time.

5-Ingredient Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe | gimmesomeoven.com

I was amazed at how those five simple ingredients really do provide plenty of flavor. I will note that the soup is a little on the thin side. So if you want to thicken it, you are welcome to create a roux beforehand by heating 1 tablespoon each of butter and flour together in the saucepan, and stirring them for a minute until the flour is cooked and slightly golden. Then whisk in the chicken stock, and then add in the remaining ingredients and follow the recipe as indicated. If you prefer a pureed broccoli cheese soup instead of chunky, feel free to blend it using an immersion or traditional blender.

Other than that, this recipe is pretty straightforward. And if I do say so myself, it’s delicious!!

Thanks for tuning in for a week of so many soup recipes. We’ll move onto another culinary topic next week, I promise!

5-Ingredient Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe | gimmesomeoven.com

***UPDATE: Directions have been edited since the initial posting. A number of readers were having problems with the soup curdling. I re-tested the recipe a handful of times, and never had my cheese curdle. But this updated method should be more foolproof, just stirring the cheese in at the very end off the heat.

How To Cut Broccoli | 1-Minute Video

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5-Ingredient Broccoli Cheese Soup

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 8 reviews
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: About 2-4 servings 1x

Description

This easy 5-ingredient easy broccoli cheese soup recipe is so tasty!!


Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
  • 2 cups chopped broccoli florets, fresh or frozen
  • 1 small white onion, diced (about 1 cup)
  • 1 (15 oz.) can evaporated milk
  • 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (**see note below**)
  • plus a few generous pinches of salt and black pepper
  • (optional: a few generous pinches of Italian seasoning or Cajun seasoning)

Instructions

  1. Stir together stock, diced onion and broccoli in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat until it comes to a low boil. Reduce heat to medium and continue boiling for about 5 minutes, or until the onions are tender. Stir in the evaporated milk and continue cooking for 3 minutes or until the mixture returns to a simmer. Remove from heat and stir in the cheese until melted.
  2. Season soup with salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Serve warm.
  4. **As I said above, some brands of shredded cheese melt more easily than others. To play it safe, I recommend buying a block of cheddar and shredding it yourself just before adding in the cheese. But I used Kraft brand for this recipe, and it melted perfectly!**

Be sure to check out my other 5-ingredient soup recipes too!

5 Ingredient Black Bean Soup Recipe -- just five simple ingredients, and this delicious soup is ready to go in 20 minutes! | gimmesomeoven.com

5-Ingredient Black Bean Soup Recipe

5-Ingredient Tomato Soup Recipe | gimmesomeoven.com

5-Ingredient Tomato Soup Recipe

5 Ingredient Chili | gimmesomeoven.com

5-Ingredient Chili Recipe

5 Ingredient Potato Soup Recipe | gimmesomeoven.com

5-Ingredient Potato Soup Recipe

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116 comments on “5-Ingredient Broccoli Cheese Soup”

  1. Best looking soup recipe I have seen in a while, and it looks SO simple to make!  I can’t wait to try it.  I would love if you checked my blog out too, and offered any suggestions!! https://shansthecollegecookbook.blogspot.com

  2. Hi! If I wanted to use whipping creme Insted of the milk how many cups do I use?

    • Heavy whipping cream will definitely make the soup significantly thicker. I would probably substitute in half whipping cream, half water or chicken stock.

  3. Thanks for making such a neat page to print out the recipe, even with a picture!

  4. I was really excited to make this and it didn’t turn out!! It was very soupy and not very thick plus the recipe calls for too much onion and there was a curdling that took place. I ended up draining all the liquid and throwing some extra shredded cheese on top to eat as cheesy broccoli. 

  5. Made this tonight with suggested roux to thicken it. Delicious! I used 1/4 of an onion, sauted with 2 tbsp of butter. Then added 2 tbsp of flour to create roux.  I removed from heat and added the broth, evap. milk, and broccoli.  Once that was all cooked I added the cheese. Thank you for such a simple and less processed version of this dish!  

  6. I made this today for lunch…I made a few changes though. I prepped the broth (vegetable) and added onion powder instead of fresh (my husband has an onion allergy). I also added some garlic powder, rosemary leaves and 2 fresh carrots (shredded). While I simmered this, I roasted the broccoli in the oven at 400 for 20 minutes with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. I made a slurry using the evaporated milk and a couple of tablespoons of cornstarch. Once the broccoli was done, I added it to the broth mix and poured in the slurry. I cooked it until it was thickened.  I took it off the heat and stirred in the cheese. It was awesome! My eldest child has never been big on veggies, but she wanted to have seconds! I didn’t have any problem with curdling when I made this. It didn’t take long to make at all. Thanks!!!

  7. This was really good I used more chicken broth and.I used cheap cheese and it turned out fine.it started to cuddle but I just stirred it.and it ended up really good

  8. Curdled!!!!! The flavor was ok. I added celery salt. But the texture was a bit rough with the curdled cheese and milk. I did the roux as well and it didn’t get very thick at all. It’s nice to have a quick, healthier recipe for broccoli cheddar soup, but I think I’d rather take the time to make a crockpot version that isn’t curdled. That said, it was my first time making it and maybe I just didn’t have a good cooking night. 

  9. Really great soup! I’m impressed. Thanks for the recipe:)

  10. love this recipe! However, I did change it up a little. I didn’t read that the yeild was 2-4 servings and I was hoping for extra for leftovers. So I added 2 cups of cooked rice to it, it was great! Also made it thicker/less soupy! 

  11. I added an extra cup of cheese, it curdled a little but that added more texture and I love it!

  12. Just made this: so quick and easy, and tastes so good! With a piece of bread, this soup is amazing. Thank you for the recipe! 

  13. Make this last night, turned out amazing! I reheated the leftovers and had some curdling,  unsure if it’s the milk or cheese.  Other than  that it tastes amazing. I love the bite of the broccoli and onions with the creaminess of the soup. I’ll definitely be making this again!

    • Thank you, Julianne! We’re glad you loved the soup! We’re not sure what could have caused the curdling, that hasn’t happened to us before. But we’re glad it worked out nonetheless — thank you for giving it a try!

  14. I cooked the broccoli longer, til very soft, and then used my emersion blender to blend it. I also used Velveeta shreds in place of the cheddar, no curdling. 

    • Thanks for sharing Becky, those are good tips to note! We hope you enjoyed the recipe. :)

  15. amazing soup!!! I had no issues with curdling. I added the milk and cheese VERY slowly. I think that is the key. Haste makes waste. Just be patient while adding those dairy ingredients. Will definitely make again :) Yum

    • Thanks Alicia, and thanks for sharing your experience with us — we’re happy you liked this! :)

  16. This was awesome after I altered it. I sautéed my onion with fresh garlic in a tiny bit of olive oil. I used velveta sharp cheddar and shredded it myself. Then for flavor and consistancy I added 1 can of cream of chicken. Served with French dip on Cuban bread! Yummmm! So delicious! You can even serve cool…. SS

  17. This is OK but its really thin and kinda bland. I added a bunch more cheese. I was CRAVING broccoli cheese soup and was kinda disappointed :(

    • We’re sorry to hear you didn’t care for this Cara. Hopefully you can find another recipe you enjoy!

  18. Great! Made minor changes… Followed everything up to the point of adding the cheese. Before adding the cheese, I added a can of cream of chicken soup. I then slowly added shredded cheese (1 cup of mild cheddar and 1.5 cups of sharp cheddar…Kroger brand).

    No curdling issues for me. But I also did not add the cheese while the soup was simmering. I added it after I turned off the eye on the stove. 

    Will definitely make this again!

  19. Would it be possible to put all of these ingredients in a crockpot? 

    • Hi Morgan, because of the high dairy content in this recipe, we think it will work better on the stove, versus the crockpot. We hope you enjoy! :)

  20. It was a great simple receipe. I made a flour water to thicken it. I used Velvetta cheese as I had some left from NY. This was very tasty. I also cut back on onions 

  21. I made this yesterday and it came out pretty well. I was looking for a healthy version of the soup and found this.

    The flavor wasn’t as strong as I had imagined it would be, but I’m sure with a little tweaking it’ll be just right. I’ll have to try adding in the flour mix that other readers suggested :-)

    • Thanks for sharing Paige, we’re glad you enjoyed this! Definitely feel free to play around with the recipe. :D

  22. What I do to thicken chowders or any white soup is use instant mashed potato flakes.  Works the best

  23. About how many calories per serving does this comtain?

    • Hi Maria! We’re sorry but we are unsure of the nutrition facts/amount of calories in this recipe. We currently are not publishing nutrition facts on the site, as the nutrition calculators available are not 100% accurate, and we never want to publish anything that might be misleading. However, a lot of our readers love the My Fitness Pal nutrition calculator, so feel free to try that for an estimate. We hope that helps!

  24. soup didn’t come out the way I planned. Hope it still taste okay to eat.

  25. Loved this recipe! So easy to make. I doubled the butter and flour called for for the roux. I also did a can (12 fl oz) and a half of evaporated milk. My soup turned out very thick (how I like it!). I also replaced the onion with onion powder just because I don’t like the texture. It gave it a great flavor! I added the cheese after removing from heat and had zero curdling problems. The soup was delicious with a little garlic bread. Thanks for sharing!

    • Thanks for sharing Marlee — we’re happy to hear you enjoyed this and your tweaks sound yummy! :)

  26. Cheese curdled. I had taken it off the burner and just let sit. Very thin and i had made the roux. Taste was good but I probably wont try again. 

    • Oh no! We’re sorry to hear that Donna. If that ever happens, you can try heating 1/2 cup of heavy cream or 1/2 and 1/2 and reducing it down to 1/3 of its original volume. While whisking the curdled sauce, slowly drizzle the cream in, whisking quickly. This should bring the sauce right back to its creamy consistency. We hope that helps!

  27. I love this recipe! It’s so fast and simple, and even my picky four year old loved it. I also added a small pinch of nutmeg. Thank you for a great recipe!

  28. I’m thinking that some of your readers used regular milk instead of evaporated milk. I’ve never had evaporated milk curdle. It’s the sure proof “non curdle” way to make any creamy soup!!

  29. I was wondering if i could use full fat coconut milk? Would that still work?

    • Hi April! We haven’t tried coconut milk in this — if you wanted to you could, but we’d be concerned about the flavors clashing.

  30. I added 8oz cream cheese to thicken, and it turned out great. Thanks for the recipe. Easy, inexpensive and delicious.

  31. I made this last night. It was amazing. We were shocked it’s so good and only five ingredients. So far we did your chicken chili, love it used it a few times already, potato and this. Tonight we are doing the chili! Thanks for sharing delicious yet simple recipes.

  32. Amazing soup all together ? Loved it.






  33. I made this soup I doubled the recipe.It came out fine.I used white cheddar cheese in it.

  34. Delicious! I made it 6 ingredient by adding chicken breasts sprinkled with seasoned salt, fried and cubed. Thanks!






  35. Amazing recipe! Five Stars for the “Five Ingredient Recipe.”

    I did not have any chicken stock or vegetable oil on hand.
    However, I looked around for a recipe that could use my leftover bacon grease from breakfast (and butter).

    Worked perfectly!
    So yummy!
    Thank you for the great recipe.






  36. So easy to make, and incredibly delicious. Whole family LOVED it!






  37. I Made The Broccoli Cheese Soup






  38. The cheese is curdling because the soup is too hot. Wait until soup is almost at eating temperature and the cheese won’t clump up.

  39. My kids and I love this! I also added in some sliced carrots.






  40. I wanted to make this recipe but the broccoli in the refrigerator went bad, I saved this recipe to make next time.






  41. This was just perfect. My changes were using chicken bone broth and a large shallot. I have to watch salt, fat and carbs. I used creole seasoning to taste. It was soupy, but we loved it that way. Served along a big salad on a cold night. Yum!