Broccoli Cheddar Soup, Creamy and Lump-Free
The comforting combination of fresh broccoli and melted cheese, thickened with a proper roux.
Two technical points carry the whole soup. Cook the roux for two full minutes before any liquid goes in — that is what removes the raw flour taste and guarantees a velvety thickening rather than a lumpy one.
And the Cheddar goes in off the heat. Take the pot off the burner completely before adding it: over direct heat the cheese splits and the soup turns greasy instead of creamy. Grate it fresh, too — pre-shredded cheese is coated with anti-caking starch that fights the melt.
Ingredients
- 500 g fresh broccoli florets, cut small
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 1 medium carrot, finely grated
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 50 g butter
- 50 g all-purpose flour (plain flour)
- 500 ml hot vegetable stock
- 500 ml warm whole milk
- 250 g good Cheddar, coarsely grated fresh
- 100 ml heavy cream (double cream), optional
- Salt, freshly ground black pepper and a pinch of sweet paprika
Method
- 1
In a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, melt the 50 g of butter. Add the diced onion and the grated carrot and cook for about 5 minutes, until tender. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more without letting it burn.
- 2
Sprinkle the 50 g of flour over the vegetables. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes over low heat. Cooking the blond roux is what removes the raw flour taste and secures the thickening.
- 3
Pour in the hot stock and the warm milk a little at a time, whisking constantly to dissolve the roux completely and avoid lumps. Raise the heat and bring it to a boil; you will feel the base start to thicken.
- 4
Add the finely cut broccoli florets. Season with salt, pepper and sweet paprika. Lower the heat, cover and cook for 15 minutes, until the broccoli is completely tender but still bright green.
- 5
Texture: leave it chunky if you like, or blend it in short bursts with a stick blender for the classic restaurant texture — the idea is to purée part of it and leave the rest.
- 6
Turn off the heat and take the pot off the burner completely — this matters. Add the grated Cheddar in two batches, stirring in a steady circular motion. Over direct heat the cheese would split and the soup would turn greasy. Stir in the cream at the end if you are using it.
Broccoli and Cauliflower
Two versatile, forgiving vegetables that earn a fixed place in the weekly menu. In many dishes you can swap one for the other without changing anything else.
