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Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Name: Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Prep time: 29 min
Total time: 29 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: unsalted butter — 54 g; yellow onion — 110 g; carrots — 120 g; garlic — 9 g; all-purpose flour — 40 g; low-sodium beef broth — 946 g; regular milk — 473 g; broccoli florets — 454 g; heavy cream — 118 g; sharp white cheddar — 227 g; salt — 5 g; freshly ground black pepper — 3 g; nutmeg — 1 g

Broccoli Cheddar Soup reads richness 5.8, umami 4.6 and allium 4.5 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a American main, about 29 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

Umami & Savory — 5.3 / 10
Sweet & Fruity — 3.7 / 10
Sour & Bright — 1.2 / 10
Bitter & Earthy — 2.2 / 10
Rich & Fat — 6.2 / 10
Aromatic & Spice — 4.9 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Richness 5.8 · Umami 4.6 · Allium 4.5 · Salinity 4.5 · Sweetness 3.4 · Earthy 1.9 · Herbaceous 1.9 · Funk & Ferment 1.7 · Bitterness 1.7 · Warm Spice 1.6 · Nutty 1.2 · Sourness 1.0 · Fruity 0.9 · Floral 0.8 · Heat 0.5

What's in it (13)

unsalted butter — 54 g
yellow onion — 110 g
carrots — 120 g
garlic — 9 g
all-purpose flour — 40 g
low-sodium beef broth — 946 g
regular milk — 473 g
broccoli florets — 454 g
heavy cream — 118 g
sharp white cheddar — 227 g
salt — 5 g
freshly ground black pepper — 3 g
nutmeg — 1 g

Time & effort: about 29 min · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 107.1 kcal, 8.1 g protein, 3.8 g fat, 14.4 g carbs

Dietary: Contains dairy — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (9 steps)

Melt the butter in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and carrots and sauté until softened and the onion is translucent, 5-6 minutes.
Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir constantly to coat, cooking out the raw flour taste until it smells lightly toasted, 1-2 minutes.
Slowly whisk in the vegetable broth, then the milk, scraping the bottom to work out any lumps. Bring to a gentle simmer, whisking often, until the soup thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, 6-8 minutes.
Add the broccoli, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Partially cover and simmer over low heat until the broccoli is tender but still bright green, 8-10 minutes.
Remove the pot from the heat. Using an immersion blender (or working in batches in a stand blender), puree about half the soup, leaving the rest chunky, then stir everything back together for a soup that's creamy with real broccoli bite.
Stir in the heavy cream.
Return the pot to low heat and stir in the cheddar a handful at a time, waiting for each addition to melt smoothly before adding more, 3-4 minutes total; keep the heat low and don't let the soup boil once the cheese is in, or it will turn grainy.
Taste and adjust the salt and pepper, then ladle into bowls and serve hot.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

Escarole Soup With Chicken And Rice — Greek
Southern Chicken Pot Pie with Cornbread Crust — Southern
Italian Wedding Soup — Italian
One-Pot Chicken and Dumplings — American
Buttermilk Chicken and Dumplings — Southern

Keep reading: what richness, umami, allium mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.