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Slow Cooker Broccoli Cheddar Soup

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updated: 04/21/22

4.85 from 206 votes
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy

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!

a small soup bowl filled with broccoli cheddar soup topped with shredded cheddar cheese.

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??

a crock pot filled with shredded carrots, diced onions, and broccoli florets with chicken stock being poured on them for slow cooker broccoli cheddar soup

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.)

an overhead view of a brown soup bowl filled with crock pot broccoli cheddar soup with a block of cheddar cheese next to it

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!

a close up of a brown bowl of broccoli cheddar soup topped with cheddar cheese

Recipe Video

4.85 from 206 votes

Slow Cooker Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Author: Lisa Longley
Serves: 4 servings
(tap # to scale)
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 4 hours 30 minutes
Total: 4 hours 45 minutes
This Slow Cooker Broccoli Cheddar Soup is beyond simple, but so delicious!  It definitely needs to be part of your dinner rotation!

Ingredients

  • 4 cups broccoli florets (227 grams)
  • 1/2 medium yellow onion diced small
  • 2 cups shredded carrots (200 grams)
  • 4 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock (236.6 ml or 453.6 grams)
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (42.4 grams)
  • 1/3 cup all purpose flour (40 grams)
  • 1 cup half and half (236.6 ml or 227 grams)
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese see note (226 grams)

Instructions

  • Combine the broccoli, onion, shredded carrots, chicken stock, salt, pepper, and nutmeg in the slow cooker and cook on low for four hours (or on high for two hours).
    4 cups broccoli florets, 1/2 medium yellow onion, 2 cups shredded carrots, 4 cups chicken stock, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
  • At the end of the cook time, make the sauce on the stovetop. To do this you will need to pull 1 cup of the broth from the slow cooker. See note about blending.
  • In a small saucepan melt the butter. Whisk the butter into the flour to make a roux. Let the roux cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds. Then slowly whisk in the broth you took from the slow cooker. While you want to add this slowly, it shouldn't take more than a minute. Then whisk in the half and half.
    3 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1/3 cup all purpose flour, 1 cup half and half
  • Add the shredded cheese to the roux mixture a little at a time until it is fully melted and combined. Then add the sauce to the slow cooker, stirring to combine. Serve and enjoy!
    2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Notes

Cheese: For best results, shred cheese from a block rather than using pre-shredded cheese.
Blending: If you would like your broccoli cheddar soup to be smooth, or partially smooth, blend the soup before you make the cheese sauce on the stovetop. To do this, use an immersion blender (the easiest method), or transfer the soup to a blender a little at a time. I don’t blend the soup, and that is what you see pictured here.
Serving: 1.75cup Calories: 573kcal (29%) Carbohydrates: 34g (11%) Protein: 26g (52%) Fat: 38g (58%) Saturated Fat: 21g (131%) Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g Monounsaturated Fat: 10g Trans Fat: 0.3g Cholesterol: 107mg (36%) Sodium: 1407mg (61%) Potassium: 905mg (26%) Fiber: 5g (21%) Sugar: 12g (13%) Vitamin A: 12310IU (246%) Vitamin C: 87mg (105%) Calcium: 544mg (54%) Iron: 2mg (11%)
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American

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Slow Cooker Broccoli Cheddar Soup

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Hi! I'm Lisa Longley, and I am committed to giving you simple dinner ideas and recipes that are easy to make; recipes that will fill your home with joy. I am the owner and author of SimpleJoy.com and I'm so glad that you are here.

Reader Interactions

    4.85 from 206 votes (104 ratings without comment)

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  1. Taylor says

    5 stars
    My 10 year olds favorite soup! She eats it for breakfast 😂 I do it on the stove. Just not a fan of slow cookers. Seriously so easy!! Thank you!

    • Lisa Longley says

      I’m so happy it is such a hit!

  2. Kathi says

    5 stars
    Can not wait to make this when the weather cools down a bit – it’s still in triple digits here in Sacramento< CA for the next 6 – 8 weeks. But I am really looking forward to it.

    • Lisa Longley says

      I hope you enjoy it!

  3. DD Murray says

    Can I substitute almond flour to make this receipe “Keto” friendly?

    • Lisa Longley says

      I have done that with a roux in the past, and the result was okay. It isn’t nearly as creamy, but it does work.

  4. Chris says

    5 stars
    This recipe sounds absolutely wonderful and super easy !! I have recently been diagnosed with a gluten intolerance. Do you think I could use a 1:1 gluten free flour like King Arthur for the roux ? I see that you don’t think almond flour is all that great. I have been substituting the King Arthur in many dishes and it seems to work ?? Love all your dishes I have tried !!

    • Lisa Longley says

      Hi Chris! I haven’t tested a roux with gf 1 for 1 flour yet. My guess is that it will work, but will be slightly less creamy than all purpose flour.

  5. Katherine Greer Henderson says

    I wood like a good green bean casserole!

  6. Rosi says

    Can I use fat-free half-and-half or maybe coconut milk
    Thank you

    • Lisa Longley says

      You can, but the end result will be a bit thinner.

  7. jess says

    4 stars
    Very yummy soup but too much liquid. I had to make two extra roux. Aside from that it tasted really good. I omitted the onions (my boyfriend is too damn picky) and added some onion powder (hopefully he don’t notice LOL). Will def make again!!! I would suggest only using half the amount of stock

  8. Katie says

    2 stars
    The flavor is good, but it was WAYYY too much broth. Mine was so soupy it was hard to eat.

    • Lisa Longley says

      I’m not quite sure what happened here, Katie. This hasn’t been my experience with this soup at all.

  9. Christine says

    I am looking for a recipe I can use for a community soup event. I need to make the soup ahead of time, bring it in a crockpot, and have it plugged in for several hours before lunch is served. Would this stand up to that, or would it be overcooked?

  10. Rachel bledsoe says

    How long would you cook it for on the stove? We are gone to long during the day to use my crock pot.i would hate for it to burn up after 11-12 hrs

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