Broccoli Cheese Soup

This creamy delicious TikTok Broccoli Cheese soup (easily made on the stove top) has fresh broccoli florets, tons of cheddar cheese and is the perfect weeknight meal that makes flavorful and 2nd day worthy left overs.

Served with simple slices of crusty French bread, this broccoli soup is 30 minutes from start to finish and even BETTER than a restaurant.

In fact, when we tested out this viral tiktok recipe, we had no idea how good it really was gonna be. I mean…such simple ingredients, how could it be GOOD. But…it is.

This broccoli cheese soup is great actually, better than Panera Bread – and viral for a reason!

College Student Easy Broccoli Cheese Soup

Now before we get started, we want to give credit where credit is due! While broccoli cheese soup recipes are plenty all over the internet and most simple and 5 ingredient soups are close to the same, we were inspired to try this broccoli cheese soup in our own home from TikTok user @hanahanayang.

She loves making this college kid-friendly broccoli cheese soup and we know why! Her voice is super adorable and you should go over and follow her account asap!

• Seasonings – garlic, salt, pepper
• Vegetables – broccoli florets, shredded carrots
• Liquids – vegetable stock, half and half
• Flour
• Shredded Cheese

Making Viral Broccoli Cheese Soup

This recipe has basically 3 parts to it.

Make the Roux – Any good soup adds what is called a “roux”. A roux is a flour base that thickens up the soup and keeps it from being too runny. If only vegetable or chicken stock was added, the soup would be almost straight liquid. Roux is made super quickly, with butter and flour, so its best to prep ALL ingredients before starting. That way once the roux is ready, you can add the additional liquids and avoid pans burning.

Add the Vegetables – Once the roux is ready, its time to add the fresh broccoli and fresh carrots. The vegetables sit in the vegetable stock and simmer for just about 15 minutes, getting soft, but not too soft.

Add the Creams – In the final stage of broccoli cheese soup, the half and half and lots of cheese is added, stirred and finally combined into that beautiful creamy soup. Dairy always goes at the end so it doesn’t curdle.

What type of cheese goes best in Broccoli Cheese Soup?

• Cheddar Cheese – this is what the tiktok video had and our choice is sharp cheddar cheese.
• Shredded Gruyere
• American Cheese
• White American Cheese
• Colby Jack Cheese

How can I thin out broccoli cheese soup?

Add a bit more half and half or a bit more vegetable stock.

Can frozen broccoli be added over fresh?

Yes, you can use frozen broccoli over fresh in broccoli cheese soup. That being said, we still recommend fresh as the carrots are also fresh and need about the same amount of time to get tender.

If you add FROZEN broccoli, once its thawed, its pretty much cooked. That means the broccoli may lose some of that al dente bite and be really tender and fall a part when the soup is ready.

There is nothing wrong with super tender or broken down broccoli, but the larger cuts of florets in this soup versus a softer sorta immersion blended version is so much more flavorful for the broccoli lover.

Is this Broccoli Cheese Soup a Copycat Panera Bread Recipe?

There is no doubt that the Panera Bread Broccoli Cheese soup is a popular menu item. And it is delicious and we do recommend it. I do not want to call this TikTok recipe a copycat as most recipes are quite similar with similar ingredients and a similar base. One large change that most restaurant soups have is that they really dice down the broccoli to be a lot smaller and in this soup, the florets are much more visible and enjoyable.

If you are hiding the broccoli from your kids, you may want to pulse is in a food processor before adding.

Can this broccoli soup be made in a crock pot?

Yes, but if following this recipe, you would still need to keep the half and half and cheese separate till the end. Basically add the vegetables, seasonings and roux to a crock pot on low for 2 hours and then add the half and half and cheese for an additional hour or until hot.

This soup is meant to be made and eaten fresh and keeps the broccoli more al dente than overly cooked so please note that the longer broccoli is cooking the more tender and fall apart it will become.

What is a good side dish for soup?

Nothing is better with a side of soup than homemade croutons, French Bread or Crostini.

How to serve Soup

Serve TikTok Broccoli Cheese soup in a hollowed out bread bowl or in a large soup bowl with extra cheese on top.

• Shredded chicken also makes a great base for this soup should you want to add extra protein. Just add COOKED shredded or grilled chicken at the end and mix in.
• Top with bacon, bacon bits, or croutons.