Broccoli cheese soup is one of my favorites, and I love to dip rolls or bread in it. Years ago I got this recipe from a friend, and it still remains the favorite to this day! It reminds me of the soup they serve at a place called Brick Oven from my college days. Perfectly smooth and cheesy, even my pickiest eaters will dip bread in this "cheese soup" (notice how I took the focus off of the green stuff) and eat around the broccoli! Broccoli fan or not, this soup will win your heart and leave you with a warm and happy belly.
Broccoli Cheese Soup
Serves 6
1/4 cup butter
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/2 (16 oz.) package frozen broccoli florets
32 oz. carton chicken broth
8 oz. Velveeta cheese (shreds if you can find them)
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup cold water
Salt and pepper to taste
In a large saucepan, melt the butter. Add the onions and cook until softened. Stir in the broccoli and pour chicken broth over all. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes or until broccoli is tender. Stir in cheese and stir until melted. Add milk and garlic powder. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and water until dissolved. Pour into the soup and continue cooking and stirring until thickened. Salt and pepper to taste.
Step-by-step tutorial:
Gather your ingredients. You will need butter, an onion, frozen broccoli florets, chicken broth, 8 oz. Velveeta Cheese (this often comes in a 16 oz. block, which you could cube, but if you can find shreds, that's the easiest), milk, garlic powder, and cornstarch.
In a large saucepan, melt 1/4 cup butter. Add 1/2 onion that has been finely chopped and cook until softened. Pour in the 32 oz. chicken broth and add 8 oz. broccoli.
Add the 8 oz. cheese and stir until completely melted. Add 1 cup milk and 1 teaspoon garlic powder. Stir to combine.
In a separate bowl, whisk together 1/3 cup cornstarch and 1/2 cup water to make a slurry. Pour this into the soup and continue cooking over medium heat while stirring until thickened. Salt and pepper to taste.
Ladle into bowls and dig in! We like to top ours with some shredded cheddar cheese. I have several recipes that use cheddar cheese IN the soup rather than this Velveeta, but the soup always ends up curdling. Yes, it's processed cheese...but just trust me. It makes the smoothest, most flavorful soup! Also, it can easily be doubled (that is how the original recipe is) if you are serving a crowd or want lots of leftovers.
Serve alongside a green salad and some rolls, and you've got yourself a winner dinner!
Recipe Source: Recipe from my dear friend Jenny Larsen