Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- Savory
- Creamy
- Stovetop
- Oven
A creamy stovetop soup with tender potatoes, soft broccoli and a smooth cheddar finish. The potatoes break down to thicken the broth, so every spoonful is rich without being heavy.
- Total
- 45 min
- Prep 15 · Cook 30
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Sweating · Simmering
Instructions
-
Peel the onion and chop it into 1 cm pieces. Peel the potatoes and cut them into 2 cm cubes. Cut the broccoli into small florets and slice the stems into 1 cm pieces. Grate the cheddar.
~15 min
-
Warm the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and 0.5 tsp of the salt and cook, stirring, until soft and translucent, about 6 minutes.
~6 min
Sweating the onion gently in oil draws out moisture and softens it without browning, building a sweet base rather than a bitter, charred one.
Sweating Cook the onion over medium heat with a pinch of salt until translucent, not browned. If it starts to color, lower the heat; browning too early makes the soup bitter.
-
Add the potatoes and the vegetable stock. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook until the potatoes start to soften, about 10 minutes.
~10 min
A gentle simmer keeps the potatoes intact enough to soften evenly, while covering traps steam so they cook through faster.
Simmering Keep the liquid at a lazy bubble, not a rolling boil, so the potatoes soften evenly without breaking apart. Adjust the heat if it starts to foam up.
-
Add the broccoli and cook uncovered until the broccoli is tender and the potatoes mash easily against the side of the pot, 8 to 10 minutes.
~10 min
Cooking uncovered lets some liquid evaporate and concentrate the broth, while the broccoli stays bright green instead of turning dull and mushy.
Simmering Keep the liquid at a lazy bubble, not a rolling boil, so the potatoes soften evenly without breaking apart. Adjust the heat if it starts to foam up.
-
Mash roughly a third of the potatoes and broccoli against the side of the pot with the wooden spoon to thicken the soup, leaving the rest chunky.
~2 min
Mashing releases the potatoes' starch into the broth, thickening it naturally while the unmashed pieces keep a hearty, chunky texture.
-
Lower the heat and stir in the 250 ml milk. Add the cheddar a handful at a time, stirring until it melts before adding more. Season with the remaining 0.5 tsp salt and the black pepper, then ladle into bowls.
~2 min
Adding cheese gradually over low heat lets it melt smoothly; too much heat at once makes the proteins clump and the soup turn grainy.
