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
Nancy DeGray says
Could I make this on the stove-top instead of in a slow cooker?
Yes! I would recommend following this recipe for my stove top instructions.
Dawn says
When I made the roux it was perfect but when I added it back to the crockpot it thinned significantly and was watery. The taste was great but not sure what went wrong.
Without me being there with you, it’s hard to know what went wrong. I will say that sometimes if you cook the roux too long, when you add it to the soup it will separate and not do it’s job.
Cathy T says
Made this soup and it turned out amazing.
I’m so glad you liked it!
N. Hatley says
This was such a simple yet delicious recipe! I did omit the nutmeg because I didn’t have any, but it turned out amazing and was even better the next day!
I’m so glad you liked it!
Victoria says
This recipe is super easy to make and it’s absolutely delicious! I used whole broccoli florets that were frozen then used my hand mixer at the end of the cooking time to blend it. It cut down the big chunks of broccoli so I didn’t need to waste time chopping them beforehand. Definitely a timesaver.
I’m so glad you liked it!
Rhonda says
Made this yesterday and it was fabulous! I didn’t have half and half so used evaporated milk. Also added left over ham the last hour. Will definitely make again!
I’m so glad you liked it!
Carla Mary Chilton says
Okay recipe. Hard to follow. If I had never made a roux before I would find the instructions hard to follow. Having the liquid part of your roux in the ingredients list and not just mentioned in the directions would have been more helpful. Soup thinned significantly, When roux was added. Like a thick and creamy soup, this wasn’t it.
I’m really sorry that this recipe didn’t turn out the way you wanted. There are tips in the post (and a video) to help with making a roux. One of the things listed is adding the liquid pretty slowly, so I wonder if that is what went wrong here.
Brandi says
This was my first time making any kind of cheddar broccoli soup and I LOVED it! I just got braces put in and was looking for an easy soup to eat, and this definitely both boosted my mood and tasted great! I personally added 6 cups of chicken stock just because my slow cooker soups tend to never have enough broth/soup left over at the end, so the extra water + double the amount of shredded cheese worked out great! It’s already turned into a new family favorite! I also made the half and half by hand since they don’t have any here in Germany (so 1/4 cup heavy cream + 3/4 cup whole milk). Thanks again for sharing, a welcome addition to my soup repertoire!
I’m so happy you liked it, Brandi!
Jennifer Johnson says
The soup is excellent! I was a little concerned because I didn’t have all the ingredients. The stores currently don’t have half and half therefore I had to use whole milk. I also used a chicken base in 4 cups of water as I don’t have chicken stock. In a few days I am going to try it with cauliflower! Thanks for the great recipe.
I’m so glad you liked it, Jennifer!
Kalli says
Just made this recipe in my crockpot! I halved the ingredients because I have a smaller crockpot, but it came out just great! Yes a little watery, but nothing a little cheese can’t fix! Delicious and filling- perfect for when you’re craving Panera! (I added some garlic powder, I suggest doing the same!)
I’m so glad you liked it!