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๐Ÿ Home ยป Recipes ยป Small Crock Pots Recipes

Crock Pot Broccoli Cheddar Cheese Soup

Published: Nov 2, 2023 by Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan ยท 10 Comments

Jump to Recipe
Time: 4 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Rich and creamy, this easy Crock Pot Broccoli Cheddar Cheese Soup is made with frozen or fresh broccoli, cheddar cheese, and common ingredients in only a few minutes of prep before going in your slow cooker. The perfect comfort food for a cold winter day.

Ingredients

Broccoliโ€”frozen or fresh
Brothโ€”chicken or vegetable
Milkโ€”Or half & half, or cream
Pantry ingredientsโ€”onion, garlic powder, salt, black pepper
Cheddar Cheeseโ€”or other cheese
Optional thickeningโ€”cornstarch
Optionalโ€”carrot, celery, bacon

Broccoli cheese soup in a spoon.
Jump To (scroll for more)
  • Ingredients
  • ๐Ÿ‘จโ€๐ŸณHow to Cook Crock Pot Broccoli Cheddar Cheese Soup
  • โฒ๏ธHow long to cook in the crock pot?
  • ๐ŸฅฆWhat broccoli to use?
  • ๐Ÿง€What cheese to use?
  • โ™จ๏ธOther crock pot soup recipes you will like
  • Copycat Panera's Broccoli Cheese Soup
  • Bacon Broccoli Cheese Soup
  • โ†•๏ธHow to adjust the size and using a mini 2-quart crock pot
  • ๐ŸฅฃHow to serve
  • โ„๏ธStorage of Leftovers
  • โ“FAQs
  • ๐Ÿ“–The Recipe Card with Step-by-Step Instructions
  • Crock Pot Broccoli Cheddar Cheese Soup
Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect

Featured Comment from Amy:
"This is awesome! The broccoli and onion was nice and tender-crisp, and the cheese sauce was just right."

Crock pot broccoli cheddar cheese soup is a great soup for a busy household. Made with sharp cheddar for great flavor, or use a mixture of cheese to make it just crock pot broccoli cheese soup.

In addition to the delicious taste, this recipe is healthy and good on almost any diet. A serving of 1 ยฝ cups comes in at about 200 calories,  5 grams of fat, and 500 mg of sodium if made with skim milk and 2% milk cheese.

I started one of my all-time favorite stovetop soups, Easy Broccoli Cheese Soup, inspired by recipes from Pioneer Woman and Allrecipes. And made the necessary adjustments for easy crock pot cooking.

๐Ÿ‘จโ€๐ŸณHow to Cook Crock Pot Broccoli Cheddar Cheese Soup

frozen broccoli and soup ingredients.

Use frozen or fresh broccoli.

chopped onion on a black board.

Chop one small or ยฝ medium onion.

adding milk to the crock pot.

In a smaller crock pot (3-4 quarts), mix 1 can (about 2 cups) of chicken broth, the chopped onion, ยฝ teaspoon salt, ยฝ teaspoon pepper, ยผ teaspoon garlic powder, and 2 cups of milk.

pouring frozen broccoli into the crock pot.

Add about 3 cups of frozen or fresh broccoli cut into spoon-sized bites. Mix well and cook on low for 4-5 hours or high for 2-3 hours. Check that the broccoli is tender. If not, extend the cooking time by 30-60 minutes. All crock pots cook differently.

using a potato masher to break up soup in crock pot.

Optional: Mash about half the broccoli with a potato masher while still in the crock pot. The exact amount is more your taste and your broccoli. You may also use an immersion blender if you want.

mixing corn starch into a slurry.

If thickening, in a small bowl, mix 4 tablespoons of cornstarch with about an equal amount of cold water. Mix until smooth. Then, stir the cornstarch mixture slowly into the hot soup. Increase the crockpot to high and cook covered for another 20-30 minutes until thickened.

pouring shredded cheese into crock pot.

After any thickening is complete, add 2 cups (8oz.) of shredded sharp cheddar cheese or the cheese of your choice.

ladle of broccoli cheese soup.

Serve when the cheese is melted.

For more details, keep reading. See the Recipe Card below for complete instructions and to print.

โฒ๏ธHow long to cook in the crock pot?

The best answer is to cook until the broccoli is tender. 2-3 hours on high or 4-5 hours on low will generally be good.

Stovetop Broccoli Cheese Soup

This quick and easy Broccoli Cheese Soup uses fresh or frozen broccoli and cheddar, Velveeta, or other cheeses. Make it a copycat of Panera's Broccoli Cheese Soup or one of the other variations.

broccoli cheese soup in blue bowl

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๐ŸฅฆWhat broccoli to use?

This recipe uses frozen broccoli, but fresh broccoli may be used. You need about 3 cups of florets, but as little as 2 or as much as 4 cups will work.

A pound of frozen broccoli is about 4 cups or a bit more. Since most bags of frozen broccoli florets are 12 ounces, a whole bag is usually fine.

Fresh broccoli will cook fine. One large head will clean out to be about 3-4 cups of florets. But it is acceptable to be a little over or under on the amount of broccoli. I usually chop up the medium-sized stems of fresh broccoli, but I generally skip the large, thick trunk.

The florets need to fit in a soup spoon easily. Some frozen broccoli is large and should be chopped smaller before adding it to the crock pot. The same goes for fresh broccoliโ€”make it bite-size.

๐Ÿง€What cheese to use?

The recommended cheese is a good quality sharp cheddar cheese. But other types of cheddar cheese may be used or

I admit to liking some Velveeta for the smooth texture when melted and the mild taste. So here, I generally use sharp cheddar cheese and Velveeta. But choose the cheeses you like to vary the flavor.

Use 2 cups of shredded cheese, which is 8 oz. Frequently, I add more cheese, but it is not needed. If I use Velveeta, I weigh the amount and cut it into small cubes.

โ™จ๏ธOther crock pot soup recipes you will like

For a small crock pot, check out Easy French Onion Soup, Homemade Vegetable Beef Soup, and Crock Pot Chicken Noodle Soup. Or, for a larger crock pot, see the classic Crock Pot Ham Bone and Bean Soup.

This recipe is part of Our Best Soups and Smaller Crock Pot Recipe Roundup.

Copycat Panera's Broccoli Cheese Soup

If you want to copycat Paneraโ€™s Broccoli Cheese Soup, add one cup of matchstick-cut carrots and one stalk of thinly sliced celery at the same time as the broccoli.

Bacon Broccoli Cheese Soup

If you want to copycat Paneraโ€™s Broccoli Cheese Soup, add one cup of matchstick-cut carrots and one stalk of thinly sliced celery at the same time as the broccoli.

โ†•๏ธHow to adjust the size and using a mini 2-quart crock pot

This recipe makes a bit over 6 cups of soup for 4 servings of 1 ยฝ cups and fits nicely in a 2 ยฝ quart or larger crock pot. Perfect for our "for two" household since we love leftovers.

To use a 2-quart crock pot for a full recipe, leave out 1 cup of broth until the last hour of cooking. A half recipe works fine in a mini 2-quart crock pot.

To adjust the recipe size:

  1. Use the recipe card and adjust the servings from 4 to the amount you want.
  2. Use the amount of ingredients in the ingredient list, not the instructionsโ€”those do not adjust.
  3. The half recipe will fit in a 2-quart mini crock pot.
  4. A double recipe fits in a 5-quart or larger crock pot.
  5. Cooking and endpoint remain the same.

๐ŸฅฃHow to serve

Serve with homemade bread, yeast dinner rolls, or crackers like Sesame Crackers.

โ„๏ธStorage of Leftovers

Your soup is good in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. And good stored in an airtight container in the freeze for 3-4 months.

โ“FAQs

Should I use an immersion blender to make the soup smooth?

The soup texture is a personal taste question. Some will like the soup more as a puree. You can use the immersion blender to get the consistency you want. I want only a little of that, so I suggest some smashing with a potato masher.

How to thicken crock pot broccoli cheese soup?

If you want a thicker soup, I suggest using cornstarchโ€”a slurry of 4 tablespoons of cornstarch stirred into an equal amount of cool water. Mix in a small bowl until smooth, then blend the mixture into the crock pot and turn the crock pot to high for 20-30 minutes. ADD THE CHEESE AFTER THIS ADDED COOKING.

You can make a roux with butter and flour on the stovetop, then mix it into the hot soup. That works great, but it seems to scare people. To make a roux, use ยฝ cup each of flour and butter. See How to Make Gravy from Scratch for more discussion about making a roux.

The suggested amount of thickening will be enough for most people, but if you want very thick, increase the thickener by 50% to 100%.

Why did my cheese separate?

A few users have seen this. There are two possibilities.

First, the cheese is of poor quality. Some generic cheese won't melt well.

Second, prolonged cooking of the cheese at a high temperature. Some crock pots run too hot on high, or the soup is cooked too long with the cheese. So, add the cheese at the very end of cooking.

Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect

This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.

101's Best Recipes, Crock Pot Recipes, Healthy Recipes, Low Carb/Keto Recipes, Low Fat Recipes, Mini Crock Pot Recipes, Small Crock Pots Recipes, Soup Recipes

Have you tried this recipe, or have a question? Join the community discussion in the comments.

๐Ÿ“–The Recipe Card with Step-by-Step Instructions

Broccoli cheese soup in a spoon

Crock Pot Broccoli Cheddar Cheese Soup

4.25 from 4 votes
From Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Rich and creamy, this easy Crock Pot Broccoli Cheddar Cheese Soup is made with frozen or fresh broccoli, cheddar cheese, and common ingredients in only a few minutes of prep before going in your slow cookerโ€”the perfect comfort food for a cold winter day.
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours hours 20 minutes minutes
Total Time: 4 hours hours 30 minutes minutes
Servings #/Adjustable :4 1 ยฝ cup servings
Print | Pin | Email share | Like and save for later Saved!

Ingredients

US Customary - Convert to Metric
  • 12-16 oz frozen broccoli - about 3 cups, cut to spoon size
  • 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
  • 2 cups milk - low fat is fine
  • 1 onion - small or ยฝ medium
  • ยผ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ยฝ teaspoon salt
  • ยฝ teaspoon pepper
  • 8 oz shredded cheddar cheese - or other cheese

To Thicken - optional

  • 4 tablespoons corn starch - in a slurry of cold water

Other optional ingredients

  • 1 cup carrots- cut matchstick
  • 1 stalk celery chopped
  • 3 strips bacon-crumbled

Step-by-Step Instructions
 

  • Chop one small or ยฝ medium onion.
    chopped onion on a black board
  • In a smaller crock pot (3-4 quarts), mix 1 can (about 2 cups) of chicken broth, the chopped onion, ยฝ teaspoon salt, ยฝ teaspoon pepper, ยผ teaspoon garlic powder, and 2 cups of milk.
    adding milk to the crock pot
  • Add about 3 cups of frozen or fresh broccoli cut into spoon-sized bites. Mix well and cook on low for 4-5 hours or high for 2-3 hours. Check that the broccoli is tender. If not, extend the cooking time by 30-60 minutes. All crock pots cook differently.
    pouring frozen broccoli into the crock pot
  • Optional: Mash about half the broccoli with a potato masher while still in the crock pot. The exact amount is more your taste and your broccoli. You may also use an immersion blender if you want.
    using a potato masher to break up soup in crock pot
  • If thickening, in a small bowl, mix 4 tablespoons of cornstarch with about an equal amount of cold water. Mix until smooth.
    mixing corn starch into a slurry
  • Then, stir the cornstarch mixture slowly into the hot soup. Increase the crockpot to high and cook covered for another 20-30 minutes until thickened.
    pouring the corn starch slurry into the crock pot
  • After any thickening is complete, add 2 cups (8oz.) of shredded sharp cheddar cheese or the cheese of your choiceโ€”serve when the cheese is melted.
    pouring shredded cheese into crock pot

Recipe Notes

Pro Tips:

  1. Sharp cheddar is the standard, but choose the cheese you like.
  2. If you want to copycat Panera Broccoli Cheese Soup, add 1 cup of matchstick-cut carrots and 1 stalk of thinly sliced celery at the same time as the broccoli.
  3. Make it Bacon Broccoli Cheese Soup. Everything is better with bacon. Chop 3 strips of bacon into ยฝ inch squares and fry until done. Drain and add along with the cheese.
  4. The broccoli needs to be small or chopped small enough to fit in a spoon. I suggest starting with Birdeye Baby Broccoli Florets, which has smaller florets already.
  5. 4 hours will usually be enough to get the broccoli tender, but check and add more time if needed. Do not proceed until it is tender. Every crock pot is different.
  6. Great as leftovers. Good refrigerated for 3-4 days. You can also freeze for 3 months.
  7. Using low sodium broth will decrease the sodium by about 150mg per serving.
  8. If you want Keto or Low Carb, then skip the corn starch. The taste is great, but it will be thinner.
  9. Nutrition is calculated on about 1 ยฝ cup servings made with skim milk and lower-fat cheese.

Your Own Private Notes

Click here to save your own private notes only you will see. These will print and be saved for your next visit.

To adjust the recipe size:

You can adjust the number of servings above; however, only the amount in the ingredient list is adjusted, not the instructions.

Nutrition Estimate (may vary)

Calories : 199.8 kcal (10%)Carbohydrates : 17 g (6%)Protein : 23.1 g (46%)Fat : 5.1 g (8%)Saturated Fat : 2.8 g (14%)Polyunsaturated Fat : 0.4 gMonounsaturated Fat : 1.6 gCholesterol : 15.6 mg (5%)Sodium : 752.6 mg (31%)Potassium : 658 mg (19%)Fiber : 2.8 g (11%)Sugar : 9.3 g (10%)Vitamin A : 899 IU (18%)Vitamin C : 77.9 mg (94%)Calcium : 449.5 mg (45%)Iron : 1.2 mg (7%)

Originally Published September 20, 2019. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.

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  1. Katrina Stirn says

    September 15, 2022 at 11:17 am

    What size crockpot are your recipes made in? 1.5 Qt, 2 Qt?)

    Reply
    • Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says

      September 15, 2022 at 11:23 am

      Hi Katrina,

      Each recipe is different, and you will find a discussion in the post. This recipe states 3 quarts or larger. Also, you will usually find discussion within the post of any accommodations that are needed to adjust the recipes.

      Dan

      PS I use a 3.5 quart but the 1-2 qt. seem to always have heat control issues, so be careful. Also, I find making very small amounts has too much work and waste for the results.

  2. JamesAdam says

    July 31, 2022 at 12:14 pm

    5 stars
    Yumm, mmmmm, heavy grunt!
    Translated from Caveman to English:
    "The Broccoli Cheese Soup is pretty good"

    Reply
  3. April says

    January 19, 2021 at 6:16 pm

    2 stars
    Disappointed with this recipe. The cheese didnโ€™t melt, and was just clumpy. I see in the comments now that it was the brand that I must have used, but Iโ€™d recommend adding that to the notes. The soup also didnโ€™t thicken, even though I added the cornstarch. There were also too many onions for my liking.

    Reply
  4. Taylor says

    January 31, 2020 at 5:01 pm

    I followed the recipe EXACTLY but somehow my cheese ended up chunky and gross ... any idea what happened? Iโ€™m fairly new to cooking so I have no clue!

    Reply
    • Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says

      January 31, 2020 at 5:19 pm

      Hi Taylor,

      Welcome to the blog.

      That is caused by the type/brand of cheese you are using. Things like generic, store-brand shredded cheese are the most common. They have too much wax and some are coated to keep them from clumping in the bag and can make some of them unpredictable. Also, those cheeses have an experation date and that does matter some. But it can happen with other cheese. I tend to use 50% Velvetta that is made to melt and then a brand name shredded cheddar and never have a problem.

      As a side note, the reason I add the cheese at the end is to prevent this sort of thing. Some cheeses don't cook well.

      Hope that helps.

      Dan

  5. Donna Bowlin says

    January 28, 2020 at 6:51 pm

    5 stars
    Absolutely DELICIOUS! We added some cauliflower as we didn't have enough broccoli and it's the perfect balance. Next time I'll use my older smaller crockpot since this big one I used was I think too big & it didn't get hot enough fast enough but still it was SUPER easy and tasty. A WINNER WINNER BROCCOLI DINNER

    Reply
  6. Asraf abid says

    January 22, 2020 at 11:33 pm

    Can i make this recipe without broccoli, as i like to use cauliflower?

    Reply
    • Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says

      January 22, 2020 at 11:36 pm

      Hi Asraf,
      Welcome to the blog.
      On the stovetop version of this recipe, somebody did if I remember correctly. I have not do it but it should work and cook about the same.
      Dan

  7. Amy in MI says

    October 15, 2019 at 4:30 pm

    5 stars
    This is awesome! The broccoli and onion was nice and tender-crisp, and the cheese sauce was just right. We added the bacon, too. A great, warm, hearty soup for a cool autumn day.

    Reply

DrDan imageHi, I'm DrDan.
Welcome to 101 Cooking for Two, the home of great everyday recipes with easy step-by-step photo instructions.
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