Easy Crockpot Broccoli Cheese Soup (Tiktok Recipe)
This Easy Crockpot Broccoli Cheese Soup is a semi-homemade recipe made with simple ingredients and is a hearty, delicious meal that you can enjoy this Fall or on cold winter nights! It’s the perfect comfort food that is trending on Tiktok and for good reason!
Crockpot Broccoli and Cheese Soup
This is not a recipe I get to make often because my husband is a diehard “meat and potatoes” kind of guy, so a soup with no protein does not appeal to him.
But every now and then, sneak this easy recipe into our meal plans, and while he pretends otherwise, I’m pretty sure he loves this cheesy, creamy soup! Even my picky eaters love this soup and go back for seconds!
Crockpot Broccoli Cheese Soup
Panera’s Broccoli Cheese soup is the first I ever remember eating and I could not get enough of it. I decided to come up with a Crockpot Broccoli Cheese soup recipe of my own so I could have it at home without the tedious cooking process.
You might consider this Panera Copycat Broccoli Cheddar soup, but for me, this is a delicious recipe that is not quite the same as Panera’s delicious soup. They’re both good – but this is my go-to recipe when I want to stay home.
Reasons you’ll love this Slow Cooker Broccoli Cheese Soup
- The best part is this Easy Broccoli Cheese soup requires only 30 minutes of prep time.
- It’s a semi-homemade recipe that is perfect for busy nights and a great recipe to prep ahead on the weekends.
- This is Velveeta Broccoli Cheese Soup, so of course it has Velveeta, but for the best flavor, also some shredded cheddar.
Tools Needed for Velveeta Broccoli Cheese Soup
- 6-Quart Crock Pot (or larger)
- Cutting Board
- Knife
- Immersion Blender (optional)
- Measuring Cups and Spoon
- Ladle
Crock Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup Ingredients
This recipe has really common ingredients that are easy to find at any grocery store.
Note: I don’t have the shredded cheese included in the photos but I almost always include it in the recipe. Adding some shredded sharp cheddar cheese makes the texture and flavor so much better!
- Frozen Broccoli (you can use more if you wish)
- Shredded Carrots (you can use more if you wish)
- White Onion (diced)
- Minced Garlic
- Salt and Pepper to Taste
- Corn Starch
- Chicken Broth or Chicken Stock
- Heavy Cream
- Velveeta Cheese, cut into cubes
- Fresh Shredded Cheddar (optional) – the best cheese is sharp cheddar in my opinion!
Find the complete recipe with ingredient measurements in the recipe card below.
Substitutions
There are a few substitutions you can make if you want to make this Broccoli Cheese Soup with Velveeta.
Broccoli – I used frozen chopped broccoli, but fresh broccoli florets work too.
Garlic – I keep a jar of minced garlic in my fridge but you could use fresh garlic or sub in ¾ teaspoon garlic powder.
Broth – If you want to make this soup vegetarian, skip the chicken broth and use vegetable broth instead.
Heavy Cream – if you don’t have any heavy cream on hand, you can do a 1:1 substitution of evaporated milk instead. You’ll lose a little bit of richness, but you can stir in 1–2 tablespoons melted butter per cup of evaporated milk to add that creaminess and rich flavor back.
Fresh Shredded Cheddar – pre-shredded cheese will work okay but fresh real cheddar cheese is so much better. Grate it yourself to ensure it melts perfectly and doesn’t make the soup grainy. You could use mild, medium or sharp cheddar, or even opt for Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack.
How to Make Crockpot Broccoli Cheese Soup
This is a yummy, cheesy soup that the whole family will love – even those who are not big broccoli fans!
- Start by adding your broccoli, shredded carrots, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper to a crockpot. Mix until well combined.
- Dump in 3 cups of chicken broth. In a separate small bowl, mix the last cup of broth with your corn starch to form a cornstarch slurry. Add the final cup to the crockpot.
- Cook on high for 4 hours. Add in heavy cream and Velveeta cubes. If you want a thick soup, add additional shredded cheese.
- Cook on high for an additional hour or low for two hours. Until broccoli and carrots are tender.
- Serve with croutons, bread, or additional shredded cheese. Enjoy! Panera at home.
Pro Tips
Smoother Soup: we like our soup to have texture, with smaller pieces of broccoli in it. But for a smoother soup, you can use an immersion blender to puree some of the soup and break up any large pieces of broccoli. I like our soup chunky, so I scoop out some of the chunks, blend up what’s left, then add the remaining soup back to the pot.
Otherwise, you risk blending all the chunks out of it, which ruins the texture of the soup, but that’s our preference. You could also use a potato masher in a pinch but the stick blender does a much better job!
Add Cheese at the End: To prevent the cheese from becoming stringy or oily, if you’re going to add the cheddar cheese, do it near the end of the cooking time (during the last 20 to 30 minutes). Stir and let the cheese melt for the best Crockpot Broccoli Cheddar Soup.
What to Eat with Broccoli Cheddar Soup
For a full meal, this soup is terrific served in bread bowls but I rarely have time for that! Instead, I love to serve with saltine crackers and extra shredded cheese!
Things to serve with this Simple Broccoli Cheese Soup:
- Bread Bowl
- Croutons
- A Loaf of Crusty Bread with Garlic Herb Butter
- Green Salad
- Crackers
Storage Suggestions
Refrigerator. Keep leftover soup in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3–4 days.
Reheating. Reheat Cheesy Broccoli Soup the next day on the stove over low heat, stirring occasionally, until warmed through. You can also reheat it in the microwave.
More Soup Recipes…
- Mac & Cheese Chicken Soup
- The Best Squash Soup Recipe
- Easy Taco Soup
- Kitchen Sink Minestrone Soup
- 25 Amazing Soup Recipes You’ll Love!
- Instant Pot Black Bean Soup
- Brett’s Brunswick Stew
- Cream Cheese Potato Soup
Easy Broccoli Cheese Soup
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: 10 servings
Description
This Easy Crockpot Broccoli Cheese Soup is a semi-homemade recipe made with simple ingredients and is a hearty, delicious meal that you can enjoy this Fall or on cold winter nights! It’s the perfect comfort food that is trending on Tiktok and for good reason!
Ingredients
- 24 oz. of Frozen Broccoli ( you can use more if you wish)
- 10 oz. of Shredded Carrots (you can use more if you wish)
- 1 White Onion (diced)
- 2 tablespoons of Minced Garlic
- Salt and Pepper to Taste
- 3 tablespoons of Corn Starch
- 4 cups of Chicken Broth
- 1 cup of Heavy Cream
- 16 oz. of Velveeta Cheese
- 1 and 1/2 cups of Shredded Cheddar (optional)
Instructions
- Start by adding your broccoli, shredded carrots, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper to a crockpot. Mix until well combined.
- Dump in 3 cups of chicken broth. In a separate small bowl, mix the last cup of broth with your corn starch to form a cornstarch slurry. Add the final cup to the crockpot.
- Cook on high for 4 hours. Add in heavy cream and Velveeta cubes. If you want a thick soup, add additional shredded cheese.
- Cook on high for an additional hour or low for two hours. Until broccoli and carrots are tender.
- Serve with croutons, bread, or additional shredded cheese. Enjoy Panera at home.
Notes
- Smoother Soup: we like our soup to have texture, with smaller pieces of broccoli in it. But for a smoother soup, you can use an immersion blender to puree some of the soup and break up any large pieces of broccoli. I like our soup chunky, so I scoop out some of the chunks, blend up what’s left, then add the remaining soup back to the pot.
- Otherwise, you risk blending all the chunks out of it, which ruins the texture of the soup, but that’s our preference. You could also use a potato masher in a pinch but the stick blender does a much better job!
- Add Cheese at the End: To prevent the cheese from becoming stringy or oily, if you’re going to add the cheddar cheese, do it near the end of the cooking time (during the last 20 to 30 minutes). Stir and let the cheese melt for the best Crockpot Broccoli Cheddar Soup.
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 5-6 Hours
- Category: Soup
- Method: Cooktop
- Cuisine: American
