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
Pat
I just found this soup! 25 years ago the cook at the bowling alley made a similar soup during the winter months and it was amazing. Hers had grated cauliflower in it as well. We eat soup at least once a week. I’m adding it to my meal plan for this week! Thanks for awakening the memories!!
Jessica Fisher
This is one of my faves! Also: the Butternut one in the freezer book, this one and this one.
Mckayla
This looks so good! Would whole milk work? That’s the kind I’m trying to use up from my fridge. I figure with the vegetables it balances out right? 😉
Jessica Fisher
Yep. It will be super rich and creamy. Yum!
Kirstin
My family said that this soup was better than Panera’s broccoli cheddar soup. The only problem was that it curdled when it was reheated (I prepared it in the morning to eat for dinner). I used whole milk. Any suggestions to avoid curdling?
Jessica Fisher
Hmmm… I have not had that happen. It curdled on reheat? Was fine the first time? How long was it in the fridge after making it?
Kirstin
It was fine after I made it. I let it cool, refrigerated it for no more than six hours, and then took it to another house where it was reheated. I didn’t reheat it myself, so perhaps the heat was too high or something.
Jessica Fisher
That’s possible. I usually reheat in the microwave, now that I think about it.
Chris
Can i use half the cheese?i i just dont have enough cheese in the house? Or should i double up the veggies if i reduce the cheese, i dont want to spoil the soup and i have to use up my whole milk i have in the fridge
Jessica Fisher
I think you’ll be fine either way.
Michele
I haven’t read all the comments, but just wanted to say. I had quite a few vegies in the fridge and thought to make a quick soup tonight. This post came at the top of the search. It was divine. 5/5 of my family raving about it. Children who generally won’t eat vege eating without complaint. Husband who usually tolerates soup repeatedly praised this one. Thank you!!
Jessica Fisher
YAY! This is seriously one of my favorite soups EVER. So glad you guys enjoyed it!
Jody
I saw the picture you posted on instgram this week and just make it. I am anxiously awaiting it to cool so I can enjoy it for lunch! It looks and smells delicious.
Jessica Fisher
Yay! Hope you love it as much as I do.
TSandy
Jessica I had saved this recipe to try and DH is home sick with the flu for the third time this winter. So to be a good wife I decided to try this recipe for lunch today. I had everything I needed on hand. We both loved the soup. The flavor is really good. I added a little salt at the table but other than planning to double the broccoli next time I would make no changes.
Living in Arizona we still eat soup and salad for dinner frequently because it’s too hot in the summer to eat a large meal. I’m planning to come back tomorrow and make a double batch of this soup again to put into the freezer. Thanks for a great recipe.
Jessica Fisher
Sorry to hear your husband is sick, but glad you enjoyed the soup!
Heather @ My Overflowing Cup
Sometimes we soup in the summer when hubby opens up the house at night to cool it down for the next day and I’m actually cold. It’s so frugal that it is hard to only serve it during the cold months. This recipe looks like a great use for the shredded zucchini I have in the freezer. Thanks – pinning it!
Johanne Ross
Thank you for the recipe. We just made it and really loved it. We will do it again for sure.
Melissa French
I have featured this recipe in my post September Meal Plan Pinterest Board http://www.morewithlessmom.com/index.php/2013/09/09/september-meal-plan-pinterest-board/
Lisa
Can you do fat free milk and 2% cheddar and still get good results?
Thank you!
Jessica Fisher
I’ve tried it with fat free milk and it was fine. Not sure about the 2% cheddar, though. If you test it, let us know?
Sue
We do soup one night a week all year long. Just love soup. I made my own tomato soup with canned tomatoes and cream of celery soup plus fresh basil from my garden. Yummy!
Monica
This has become one of my family’s favorite meals. I also made it for my freezer group. I love that it doesn’t take very long to prepare and it is so yummy. Thank you for sharing.
Jessica
Thanks for the great feedback!
Shonda
I LOVE this soup recipe! I’m saving my zucchini so I can make it in the winter too! One of my all time favorites!
Jessica
@Shonda, yeah! So glad you like it.
Coco
I hope I didn’t just miss this somewhere, but could someone tell me how big of a batch this recipe makes? I’m going to make it for the freezer, and would like to know if I need to double/triple it! Thanks!! 🙂
Jessica
I would say that it easily serves 6.
Coco
Great, thank you!
Marie
This sounds super yummy! I was curious about adding some potato to it. Can you add raw diced potatoes or should they be cooked first? Sounds silly, but I’m still new to cooking soups.
Jessica
@Marie, not silly at all. I typically add cubed potato when I add the other vegetables. You’ll just need to simmer longer before proceeding with the recipe.
Betsy
I made the cheese soup tonight to go with a leftover broccoli,ham and rice casserole. The soup is amazing! So simple and tasty. I had to put it away so I wouldn’t eat it all before my husband got home! Thanks for the recipe!
Tammi
I made this soup this weekend and it was fabulous. My 11 year old couldn’t get enough of it. Will definitely be making it again soon. Thank you!
Jenny
We are having this soup again tonight. I’ve made it once before and it got rave reviews. My boys love to dip chicken strips in it. We’ll have cups of soup along with chicken salad sandwiches. I really like cleaning up odds and ends of leftovers and having it come out as a nice, warm, filling dinner. Thanks!
Stacey
I just made this soup and it is really delicious. It seemed a bit thin to me, so I added some diced potatoes and a little cornstarch slurry. My girls (3 and 6) tried it and gave it a resounding thumbs up. I will serve it with cranberry-orange muffins (using the last of my frozen cranberries) for a nice, healthy kid-friendly dinner.