This recipe for Cheddar Cheese Soup is creamy and comforting. Filled with bits of zucchini, broccoli, and carrots, it’s veggie-packed comfort food.
This is one of the best recipes for using a lot of milk.
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Soup is one of my favorite things for a go-to lunch. And this cheddar cheese soup recipe is one of my favorite soups, an all-time comfort food for me. When we were newlyweds our landlady made a soup like this often. Since my husband doesn’t like creamy soups, I loved it when Karen made it. Then I could enjoy it without feeling bad that I was making something he didn’t like.
Over the years I learned that I can have my soup and make it the way I want it, too. Once after a bout with the flu, I whipped up a batch and froze the extra.
Lo and behold! Cheddar cheese soup reheats really well in the microwave, making it a real keeper for freezer cooking. Ta-da! I can make a big batch of this soup and eat all I want!
How to make cheddar cheese soup
This cheddar cheese soup recipe will start by cooking your veggies in one pot and then making the soup base in a second pot. Start by melting your butter and the add your garlic, zucchini, carrots, and onion. You want to saute the veggies until they are tender. Then go ahead and add the broccoli and broth.
Meanwhile, melt butter in a second large pot. You will whisk in the flour and cook for a minute or two then whisk in the milk. As it simmers, this will thicken up.
How do you add cheese to soup?
Now time for the best part – the cheese! Once that has been mixed in, add in your vegetable mixture and it’s read to serve!
If I have small containers of soup in the freezer, I can easily have soup any day of the week — all year long. And any kind I like. 😉
This Cheddar Cheese Soup recipe is an adaptation of my dear landlady, Karen’s recipe. She’s also responsible for my deep and abiding love for Poblano Chiles and Cheese Enchiladas. Thank you, Karen!
What goes good with cheese soup?
Making a soup night a success doesn’t have to be difficult. A cheese soup goes great with some homemade bread – like this whole wheat beer bread recipe or a great grilled cheese.
It also pairs well with a simple salad like my Quick and Easy Caesar Salad Recipe.
How to make this good and cheap:
Here are some of the strategies you can use to make this recipe more economical:
- Stock up on ingredients when they are on sale. When I find regular kitchen staples on sale, I buy a lot. I’m currently using a price book to track prices and that’s saving me money. For this recipe, keeping an eye on the prices of cheese and butter can help keep the price down. When I see a good deal on those produce items, I buy a lot and throw them in my freezer.
- Freezer cooking – by cooking in bulk I save time and effort. I don’t need to get take out when I can heat up a small dish of soup that I made my very own self!
How I make this recipe easy:
This recipe really couldn’t be easier than it is, but having the right kitchen tools can really make your time in the kitchen more enjoyable. Over time, I’ve honed my collection so that they are perfect for my needs.
Here are the tools that I use for this recipe:
Vegetable Cheddar Cheese Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 2 clove garlic minced
- ½ zucchini shredded
- 1 carrots peeled and shredded
- ½ onion grated
- 1 head broccoli chopped into mini florets
- 3 cup chicken stock
- 2 tablespoon butter
- ¼ cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
- 2 cup milk
- 8 oz cheddar cheese (shredded) (2 cups)
- salt
- black pepper
Instructions
- In large saucepot, melt butter. Add garlic, zucchini, carrots, and onion. Saute until veggies are tender. Stir in broccoli and broth. Simmer until broccoli is tender.
- Meanwhile, melt butter in large pot. Whisk in flour and cook for a minute or two. Whisk in milk until smooth. Simmer until thickened.
- Whisk in cheddar cheese. Incorporate vegetable mixture into cheese sauce, whisking until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Peta
This was delicious, I added about 1 1/2 teaspoons of wholegrain mustard and some smoky paprika for a bit of extra something and it was so tasty with fresh baked bread rolls…. will make again for sure
Jessica Fisher
So glad to hear you enjoyed it!
Krista
This is a great soup. We always go back for seconds!
Adrienne
Yummy! I subbed xantham gum for the flour to keep it gluten free. I used about a tsp but you can always add more so start a little bit less.
Mari
I used velveeta instead of cheese but it was still very good. Will make again.
Angie S
Very fast to make (I used home frozen veggies) and tasty as well. I substituted green beans for broccoli because that’s what I had. I will make it again, though it won’t go in the frequent rotation because the chief menu planner/meal cooker isn’t a big fan of cheese soup. 😉
Kgr
Have you considered adapting to pressure cooker?
Jessica Fisher
We’re in the process of adding IP options to recipes where it fits. With 800+ recipes it’s taking awhile. For now, you can follow the method here with the ingredients of the cheese soup.
Lori Pavelka
My kiddos and I LOVE this soup! I’m finishing up making it right now. I’m not seeing salt and pepper. Is that not added?
Jessica Fisher
So glad you love it! Please season to taste with salt and pepper.
Alice
This recipe got a thumbs up from my husband! I didn’t have zucchini so I put in cauliflower instead. Made a big pot of soup… I don’t have to worry about sides for the next few days. ??
Jessica Fisher
Great to hear!
Angel
We’ll be making this for the second time tonight. I love that I can adapt it to different veggies based on what I have in the fridge. I didn’t have zucchini, but I had radishes and they worked great. This is definitely going into our regular rotation.
Jessica Fisher
Yay! So glad to hear it was a hit! Thanks for your feedback.
janet
I served this at a shared lunch and there were no leftovers for my dinner but plenty of requests for the recipe
My latest batch was so thick I’m thinking it will make a great pasta sauce.
I put twice the recommended zucchini, because what was I going to do with the other half of the zucchini ?
Funny to see so many people talking about needing to use up milk; that’s the search that led me to this recipe!
Jessica Fisher
So glad you enjoyed it!
Pearl
That’s what got me looking at this recipe ( use up milk ) I’m going to give it a try — really anything with cheese is good for me ?