This Slow Cooker Broccoli Cheddar Soup is simple and so delicious! Made in the crock pot with fresh ingredients, make it once and it will become part of your dinner rotation!
I’m so excited to be partnering with Crystal Farms® Cheese to make this soup cheesy in the most delicious way possible!
Are you ready for the most mind-blowing Broccoli Cheddar Soup ever?
This recipe has:
- Comes together easily in your slow cooker.
- Has minimal ingredients.
- Even less hands on time.
- Has the best, most amazing flavor you could ask for.
Should we make it??
How to Make Slow Cooker Broccoli Cheddar Soup
This Slow Cooker Broccoli Cheddar Soup is so easy to make.
Start by adding carrots, onions, broccoli, chicken stock (or vegetable stock), and a few spices to your slow cooker.
Cook on low for four hours.
NOTE! If you like your Broccoli Cheddar Soup to be completely smooth, now is the time to blend it. I choose not to blend mine.
At the end of the cook time, turn your slow cooker to HIGH FOR 30 MINUTES, and create a roux on the stovetop. This is going to add the thick creamy backbone to the soup. It is worth the five or so minutes it will take. (See the section below on tips and tricks for making a roux.)
Next add cheddar cheese to the roux. I love using Crystal Farms® Cheese. There really are differences in cheeses, and for this soup to be good, you want to make it with a high quality cheddar, like Crystal Farms. It’s at the heart of the flavor of your soup, so it’s the way to go.
Add the shredded cheese to the roux and then add the cheesy roux to the slow cooker.
And that’s it! So simple, right?
How to Make a Roux
As I mentioned above, the backbone of this soup is the roux. Without it, you don’t get the creaminess that you are likely expecting from this soup.
These tips will help:
- Let the butter melt completely over low heat and then whisk in the flour.
- Cooking the flour/butter mixture for 30 seconds before adding any liquid adds a nice flavor to it.
- Using the cooking liquid from the crock pot is a nice trick that makes for an incredibly flavorful soup.
- When you add the stock, add just a little at a time to start over medium heat. It helps it combine more evenly.
Shred Your Own Cheese
You have likely heard me say this so many times. It is worth the extra five minutes to shred your own cheese. It melts much much better than a bag of pre shredded cheese.
Leftovers
This soup is best served right away, but if you have left overs (you won’t), heat it over low heat on your stove top!
Other Great Soups
I have a great recipe for Broccoli Cheddar Soup on the stove top if you forgot to start your slow cooker!
My Slow Cooker Creamy Tortellini Soup is delicious comfort food.
I love how easy my Slow Cooker Vegetable Meatball Soup is!
If you make this soup or any of my other recipes, leave me a comment and let me know!
Slow Cooker Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Ingredients
- 4 cups broccoli florets cut into small bite sized pieces
- 1/2 yellow onion diced small
- 2 cups shredded carrots
- 4 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
- 3 TBSP unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup half and half
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (see note)
Instructions
- Combine the broccoli, onion, shredded carrots, chicken stock, salt, pepper, and nutmeg in the slow cooker and cook on low for four hours.
- Turn the slow cooker to high.
- In a small saucepan melt the butter. Slowly whisk in the flour. Get a cup of liquid from the slow cooker. Very very slowly add it to the sauce pan whisking it in as you go. Then very slowly whisk in the half and half.
- Add the shredded cheese to the roux mixture a little at a time until it is fully melted and combined.
- Add the cheese sauce to the crock pot and stir it in to combine.
- After it is fully combined, serve and enjoy!
Notes
Cheryl Will says
I have made this soup two or three or four times now. I am about to make it again. It is safe to say it has probably become my go-to recipe for broccoli chees soup. We all love it. It is easy to make. I like easy recipes that taste like I spent hours in the kitchen! There is not much that can go wrong with this recipe, even when I make little changes, like adding cauliflower with the broccoli. I think I left the carrots out once.
Very delicious soup!
I’m so glad you like it so much, Cheryl!
Vanessa says
I can’t believe how good this came out! Will be making again and again!!
I’m so glad you liked it, Vanessa!
Tiffany says
Can you freeze this?
Because this is cream and cheese based, it wouldn’t be my pick to freeze. The cheese won’t have quite the same texture after thawing.
Rikie says
Making this right now!! Can’t wait to try I
I hope you like it!
Linda says
This is DELICIOUS! I made it for the first time today. My guys love their meat so I added cut up roasted chicken. I served it with dinner rolls. Next time they want me to add tubettini for a starch instead of rolls. Versatile recipe you can adapt for your family. Thanks for tips on how to make the perfect roux! Flavor is perfect!
I’m so happy you liked it, Linda!
Daphne says
I made this last week and this was the blandest soup I’ve ever made! (I’m thankful for a husband that will eat about anything!) Also, I love a creamy/thick soup so I doubled the roux and I was sooo disappointed on how watery the soup was.
I’m sorry to hear you felt this way. Definitely a different reaction than most people who make this soup.
Alex says
Hi there :) I came across this recipe so many years ago and my kids loved it, I would make version #2, just recently I went to make it again and see there’s only the one version now, which version was #2, this one or another one? Thank you so much.
Yes! This is the version you made :)
Christine says
I’m about to cook this! Just wondering if by chance I could cook it on slow for a longer period of time?
I’m not quite sure what you mean, Christine. The recipe calls for it to be cooked on low for four hours. If you want to cook it for longer than four hours you can, but your broccoli is going to be very very very soft.
Lyndsay says
Great recipe, I added about 2-3x more cheese to make it delicious!🙂 without the extra cheese, it was a little too brothy for my liking
Linda says
Can you do it on high heat for half the time?
Yes