This vegetarian broccoli-cheddar soup is made with water rather than stock and tastes super flavorful thanks to onions, garlic, spices, Cheddar cheese, and a small amount of yogurt. It’s a one-pot, prep-as-you-go job and is so comforting on a cold day.
With heaps of cheese, half-and-half, butter, and sometimes bacon, recipes for broccoli-cheddar soup often resemble Super Bowl queso more than soup.
Not this one, which calls for water, as opposed to stock or milk, and which is thickened by puréed broccoli stalks and potato, as opposed to a roux. A small amount of Greek yogurt, stirred in at the very end, gives it a lovely tang.
What’s more, it’s a one-pot, prep-as-you-go job: while you sweat the onions and garlic, you chop the broccoli and potato; as you simmer the broccoli and potato, you grate the cheese. It all comes together in about an hour.
I love this soup because it tastes like — wait for it — vegetables! But there’s a richness and heartiness to it, too, thanks to a good amount of Cheddar cheese and the puréed potato-broccoli base. It has some nice heat, too, thanks to crushed red pepper flakes and as much freshly cracked black pepper as you wish.
PS: ALL the Soups .
How to Make Broccoli-Cheddar Soup, Step by Step
First, gather your ingredients.
Chop up some onions and garlic, and sweat them slowly, covered, with crushed red pepper flakes and butter.
Meanwhile, trim the florets from the broccoli stalks. Roughly chop the stalks.
Peel and roughly chop a potato.
After 15 minutes of sweating, add the broccoli stalks, potato, and water to the pot. Simmer for about 25 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
Add half of the florets, and cook, covered, for about 5 minutes.
Purée until smooth.
Add the remaining florets and cook, covered, for another 3-5 minutes.
Add 2 cups of grated Cheddar cheese.
Add 1/2 cup of Greek yogurt. Stir to combine. Taste. Adjust with salt and pepper to taste. Keep soup over low heat while …
… you toast up cubes of days-old bread in olive oil in a skillet.
Ladle broccoli-Cheddar soup into bowls, top with croutons, and lots of freshly cracked black pepper.
Description
This vegetarian broccoli-cheddar soup is made with water rather than stock and tastes super flavorful thanks to onions, garlic, spices, Cheddar cheese, and a small amount of yogurt. It’s a one-pot, prep-as-you-go job and is so comforting on a cold day.
Notes:
Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit
As with so many soups, this one tastes better by the day, so don’t be afraid to make it ahead of time.
If you are making this for children, omit the crushed red pepper flakes or cut it back to 1/4 teaspoon.
For the soup:
- 3 tablespoons butter, salted or unsalted is fine
- 2 onions, roughly chopped (to yield about 4 cups )
- 4 garlic cloves, smashed and roughly chopped
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, see notes above
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1½ pounds broccoli (2-3 heads, roughly)
- 1 medium russet potato (9-11 ounces, roughly)
- 6 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated to yield about 2 cups
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
For the croutons:
- day-old bread
- olive oil
- flaky sea salt, such as Maldon
- Melt the butter in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion, garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes (or less or none at all if serving to children). Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir to combine, then cover pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and just starting to take on color, 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, trim the bottoms of the broccoli stalks. If stalks are thick, peel the outer layer. Using a knife, separate the hefty stalks from the florets (the thin, little stalks attached to broccoli tops are fine to leave intact). Set aside florets. Coarsely chop the stalks.
- Peel the potato, and coarsely chop it.
- Add broccoli stalks and potato to pot and stir to combine. Pour in 5 cups water, add 1 tablespoon kosher salt, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and keep at a simmer. Cover pot and cook until broccoli stalks and potatoes are completely tender (test with a paring knife), 20 to 25 minutes.
- Meanwhile, chop reserved florets into small pieces. Add half of the florets to pot, cover, and cook until bright green, 3–5 minutes. Purée soup with an immersion blender or, if using a traditional blender: transfer soup in small batches to the blender, let cool for 5 minutes, and purée until smooth, taking care to remove the center lid from the cover, and to use a kitchen towel to cover and allow steam to escape (and avoid explosions) while you blend.
- Return soup to medium heat and add remaining florets. Cover pot and cook until bright green, another 3–5 minutes. Add 2 cups cheddar cheese and stir until smooth. Reduce heat to low.
- Remove soup from heat and stir in ½ cup plain Greek yogurt. Season generously with black pepper; taste for salt.
- To make the croutons: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat a hefty splash of olive oil (2 to 3 tablespoons). Add the cubed bread and a good pinch of sea salt. Let cook, undisturbed, for one minute. Check one cube. If it’s beginning to turn golden, give the cubes a stir or flip each one over with tongs or forks. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until cubes are evenly golden and beginning to crisp. Pile into a bowl and serve alongside the soup.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
This vegetarian broccoli-cheddar soup is made with water rather than stock and tastes super flavorful thanks to onions, garlic, spices, Cheddar cheese, and a small amount of yogurt. It’s a one-pot, prep-as-you-go job and is so comforting on a cold day.
With heaps of cheese, half-and-half, butter, and sometimes bacon, recipes for broccoli-cheddar soup often resemble Super Bowl queso more than soup.
Not this one, which calls for water, as opposed to stock or milk, and which is thickened by puréed broccoli stalks and potato, as opposed to a roux. A small amount of Greek yogurt, stirred in at the very end, gives it a lovely tang.
What’s more, it’s a one-pot, prep-as-you-go job: while you sweat the onions and garlic, you chop the broccoli and potato; as you simmer the broccoli and potato, you grate the cheese. It all comes together in about an hour.
I love this soup because it tastes like — wait for it — vegetables! But there’s a richness and heartiness to it, too, thanks to a good amount of Cheddar cheese and the puréed potato-broccoli base. It has some nice heat, too, thanks to crushed red pepper flakes and as much freshly cracked black pepper as you wish.
PS: ALL the Soups .
How to Make Broccoli-Cheddar Soup, Step by Step
First, gather your ingredients.
Chop up some onions and garlic, and sweat them slowly, covered, with crushed red pepper flakes and butter.
Meanwhile, trim the florets from the broccoli stalks. Roughly chop the stalks.
Peel and roughly chop a potato.
After 15 minutes of sweating, add the broccoli stalks, potato, and water to the pot. Simmer for about 25 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
Add half of the florets, and cook, covered, for about 5 minutes.
Purée until smooth.
Add the remaining florets and cook, covered, for another 3-5 minutes.
Add 2 cups of grated Cheddar cheese.
Add 1/2 cup of Greek yogurt. Stir to combine. Taste. Adjust with salt and pepper to taste. Keep soup over low heat while …
… you toast up cubes of days-old bread in olive oil in a skillet.
Ladle broccoli-Cheddar soup into bowls, top with croutons, and lots of freshly cracked black pepper.
Description
This vegetarian broccoli-cheddar soup is made with water rather than stock and tastes super flavorful thanks to onions, garlic, spices, Cheddar cheese, and a small amount of yogurt. It’s a one-pot, prep-as-you-go job and is so comforting on a cold day.
Notes:
Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit
As with so many soups, this one tastes better by the day, so don’t be afraid to make it ahead of time.
If you are making this for children, omit the crushed red pepper flakes or cut it back to 1/4 teaspoon.
For the soup:
- 3 tablespoons butter, salted or unsalted is fine
- 2 onions, roughly chopped (to yield about 4 cups )
- 4 garlic cloves, smashed and roughly chopped
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, see notes above
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1½ pounds broccoli (2-3 heads, roughly)
- 1 medium russet potato (9-11 ounces, roughly)
- 6 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated to yield about 2 cups
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
For the croutons:
- day-old bread
- olive oil
- flaky sea salt, such as Maldon
- Melt the butter in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion, garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes (or less or none at all if serving to children). Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir to combine, then cover pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and just starting to take on color, 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, trim the bottoms of the broccoli stalks. If stalks are thick, peel the outer layer. Using a knife, separate the hefty stalks from the florets (the thin, little stalks attached to broccoli tops are fine to leave intact). Set aside florets. Coarsely chop the stalks.
- Peel the potato, and coarsely chop it.
- Add broccoli stalks and potato to pot and stir to combine. Pour in 5 cups water, add 1 tablespoon kosher salt, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and keep at a simmer. Cover pot and cook until broccoli stalks and potatoes are completely tender (test with a paring knife), 20 to 25 minutes.
- Meanwhile, chop reserved florets into small pieces. Add half of the florets to pot, cover, and cook until bright green, 3–5 minutes. Purée soup with an immersion blender or, if using a traditional blender: transfer soup in small batches to the blender, let cool for 5 minutes, and purée until smooth, taking care to remove the center lid from the cover, and to use a kitchen towel to cover and allow steam to escape (and avoid explosions) while you blend.
- Return soup to medium heat and add remaining florets. Cover pot and cook until bright green, another 3–5 minutes. Add 2 cups cheddar cheese and stir until smooth. Reduce heat to low.
- Remove soup from heat and stir in ½ cup plain Greek yogurt. Season generously with black pepper; taste for salt.
- To make the croutons: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat a hefty splash of olive oil (2 to 3 tablespoons). Add the cubed bread and a good pinch of sea salt. Let cook, undisturbed, for one minute. Check one cube. If it’s beginning to turn golden, give the cubes a stir or flip each one over with tongs or forks. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until cubes are evenly golden and beginning to crisp. Pile into a bowl and serve alongside the soup.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Description
This vegetarian broccoli-cheddar soup is made with water rather than stock and tastes super flavorful thanks to onions, garlic, spices, Cheddar cheese, and a small amount of yogurt. It’s a one-pot, prep-as-you-go job and is so comforting on a cold day.
Notes:
Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit
As with so many soups, this one tastes better by the day, so don’t be afraid to make it ahead of time.
If you are making this for children, omit the crushed red pepper flakes or cut it back to 1/4 teaspoon.
For the soup:
- 3 tablespoons butter, salted or unsalted is fine
- 2 onions, roughly chopped (to yield about 4 cups )
- 4 garlic cloves, smashed and roughly chopped
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, see notes above
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1½ pounds broccoli (2-3 heads, roughly)
- 1 medium russet potato (9-11 ounces, roughly)
- 6 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated to yield about 2 cups
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
For the croutons:
- day-old bread
- olive oil
- flaky sea salt, such as Maldon
- Melt the butter in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion, garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes (or less or none at all if serving to children). Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir to combine, then cover pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and just starting to take on color, 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, trim the bottoms of the broccoli stalks. If stalks are thick, peel the outer layer. Using a knife, separate the hefty stalks from the florets (the thin, little stalks attached to broccoli tops are fine to leave intact). Set aside florets. Coarsely chop the stalks.
- Peel the potato, and coarsely chop it.
- Add broccoli stalks and potato to pot and stir to combine. Pour in 5 cups water, add 1 tablespoon kosher salt, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and keep at a simmer. Cover pot and cook until broccoli stalks and potatoes are completely tender (test with a paring knife), 20 to 25 minutes.
- Meanwhile, chop reserved florets into small pieces. Add half of the florets to pot, cover, and cook until bright green, 3–5 minutes. Purée soup with an immersion blender or, if using a traditional blender: transfer soup in small batches to the blender, let cool for 5 minutes, and purée until smooth, taking care to remove the center lid from the cover, and to use a kitchen towel to cover and allow steam to escape (and avoid explosions) while you blend.
- Return soup to medium heat and add remaining florets. Cover pot and cook until bright green, another 3–5 minutes. Add 2 cups cheddar cheese and stir until smooth. Reduce heat to low.
- Remove soup from heat and stir in ½ cup plain Greek yogurt. Season generously with black pepper; taste for salt.
- To make the croutons: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat a hefty splash of olive oil (2 to 3 tablespoons). Add the cubed bread and a good pinch of sea salt. Let cook, undisturbed, for one minute. Check one cube. If it’s beginning to turn golden, give the cubes a stir or flip each one over with tongs or forks. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until cubes are evenly golden and beginning to crisp. Pile into a bowl and serve alongside the soup.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Find it online : https://alexandracooks.com/2020/02/07/lighter-better-broccoli-cheddar-soup/
Lukas Volger, author of Bowl and Veggie Burgers Every Which Way , has a new book out: Start Simple. It’s filled with “the types of recipes and tools that will help to make everyday cooking a habit.”
The subtitle sums it up best: “Eleven Everyday Ingredients for Countless Weeknight Meals.”
Included among the eleven everyday ingredients are beans (canned and dried), a stack of tortillas, a head of cabbage, essential hearty greens, crowns of cauliflower and broccoli, a block of tofu, and …
… friends! Can you feel my heart racing exploding? It’s ALL of my favorite foods.
I felt very distracted flipping through the book the first time around because I wanted to make every recipe I came across. And when I landed on the “pile of mushrooms” chapter, I thought I might lose my mind. I dogeared nearly every recipe — shiitake lettuce cups, skillet mushroom strata, mushroom and radicchio pasta with nutty gremolata, to name a few.
But I kicked off the experiments with this roasted mushroom polenta bake, and I’m so happy I did.
This is exactly the kind of meal I crave this time of year: when I’m done with winter, but when I still need warming, comforting food. When I feel I just. can’t. roast. another. root. (Though I definitely will. Tomorrow.) When I want something hearty, but don’t feel like chopping all day. This, I think, is when mushrooms, meaty and earthy, never pull their weight more.
With minimal prep and chopping, this dish comes together quickly. You don’t even, in fact, have to chop the mushrooms — you simply tear them into irregular shapes. How nice? Then, you dress them with both olive oil and vinegar, and roast them for about 20 minutes.
During this time, the polenta materializes stovetop. When the mushrooms finish roasting, they unite with the polenta along with a sprinkling of fresh thyme and grated parmesan. The pan then returns to the oven, where the roasted mushrooms toast up even more as they simultaneously melt into the polenta, which thickens up further and crisps at the edges. It’s ready when the whole sphere of polenta and mushrooms gently undulates, as though, if given enough time, it might lift up out of the pan all together.
I like drizzling the finished dish with a little more olive oil and cracking lots of pepper over top, and while I think it is delicious as is, I can’t help think about where else it could go? Showered with toasted walnuts? Topped with poached eggs? Loaded with sautéed greens? The possibilities are endless with this perfect simple start.
PS: Oven-baked polenta (a miracle ) with poached eggs .
Here’s the play-by-play: Roast about a pound of mushrooms, dressed with olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper, for 15 to 20 minutes or until …
golden and tender.
Meanwhile, pour a cup of polenta into …
… 5 (or 6… see recipe) cups of water and bring to a simmer.
In 20 minutes or so, it should be thick and bubbling. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Chop up some thyme.
Sprinkle the roasted mushrooms and thyme over the polenta.
Grate some parmesan over top if you wish.
Return pan to the oven for another 15 minutes.
Serve immediately, passing more parmesan and pepper on the side. A drizzle more of olive oil is nice, too.
Lukas Volger’s Start Simple , such a good one:
Description
From Lukas Volger’s Start Simple
Recent Updates 1/17/2025: Most recently I’ve started using 6 cups of water instead of 5 cups, which makes for a creamier final product. I now keep the oven at one temperature the entire time: 425ºF.
Notes:
Mushrooms: I’ve been using a mix of mushrooms, some from the Asian market, and some pre-sliced “wilds” and creminis (also called “Baby Bellas”) from the grocery store. The few times I’ve made this, I’ve used more like 1.25 lbs. of mushrooms, so know that you can use a little more if you have them on hand.
Vinegar: Use anything such as white, red, apple cider, or white balsamic, which is what I most often use.
Parmigiano Reggiano: The original recipe calls for drizzling the dish with 2 tablespoons heavy cream right before baking it, which sounds delicious, and should I have some on hand the next time I make this, I will give it a go. I’ve been using parmesan in its place because I always have it on hand, and I mean, mushrooms + polenta + parmesan is hard to beat.
Non-Dairy Substitute: If you are avoiding dairy, you can simply leave out both the cream and the cheese. Lukas suggests drizzling the assembled polenta bake with a bit more olive oil before transferring to the oven.
Other thoughts: I think toasted walnuts or hazelnuts would be a nice addition here, and if you’re looking to add protein, a poached or fried egg would be perfect.
For the mushrooms:
- 1 to 1.25 lbs. mushrooms, any variety or a combination, see notes above
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons vinegar, see notes above
- kosher salt (Diamond Crystal brand)
- freshly cracked black pepper
For the polenta bake:
- 1 cup polenta
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- the roasted mushrooms
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- grated Parmigiano Reggiano, to taste, or heavy cream, see notes above
- Heat the oven to 425ºF.
- Trim off and discard any tough stems from the mushrooms (such as those from shiitakes). Cut or tear the caps into roughly 1-inch pieces. Arrange the mushrooms on a baking sheet (parchment-lined for easy clean-up). Drizzle with the 2 tablespoons olive oil, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. (I use a teaspoon of Diamond Crystal kosher salt for a pound of mushrooms. Use half as much if you are using Morton.) Toss to combine, then spread into an even layer. Transfer pan to the oven and cook until the mushrooms are just beginning to take on some color at the edges, about 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven.
- Meanwhile, prepare the polenta: In a large, wide, shallow oven-safe skillet, bring 6 cups of water to a simmer. While whisking constantly, slowly pour the polenta into the water in a steady stream. Whisk for a couple of minutes or until the polenta is incorporated. Turn the heat to the lowest setting. Add a teaspoon of kosher salt. (I use 2 teaspoons of Diamond Crystal kosher salt, but I love salt, so add to taste.) Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until the polenta has thickened and the grains are tender. Stir in the 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Taste, being careful to let the polenta cool before you do so. Adjust with more salt and pepper to taste. (I add a sprinkling of sea salt at this point.)
- Remove the polenta from the heat. Spread the mushrooms in an even layer over the polenta. Sprinkle the thyme over top. Season with pepper to taste.
- Transfer pan to the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes more or until the polenta is bubbling and the mushrooms are browned at the edges. Shave more parmesan over top if you wish. Serve immediately, passing salt, pepper, and more parmesan on the side. I like drizzling my bowl with a little bit more olive oil, too.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Oven, Stovetop
- Cuisine: American, Vegetarian
