Broccoli Cheddar Soup served in a sourdough bread bowl is the perfect comfort food for any season. This creamy, cheesy soup paired with chewy sourdough bread makes for a delightful meal that’s both hearty and satisfying. Whether you're making it for a cozy dinner or serving it to guests, this soup is sure to impress.
Try my recipes for Creamy Asparagus Soup, Corn Chowder with Bacon and Roasted Serrano Peppers, Chicken Tortilla Soup and Creamy Potato Leek Soup with Truffle Oil.
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Ingredients
Bread Bowls
- Small round sourdough bread loaves
- Olive oil or melted butter
Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- Fresh broccoli
- Kosher salt
- Unsalted butter
- Yellow onion
- Jalapeño peppers
- Garlic cloves
- All-purpose flour
- Vegetable broth or chicken broth
- Black pepper
- Whole milk or heavy cream
- Sharp cheddar cheese
- Water
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Bread Bowls
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Slice off the top of each sourdough loaf and hollow out the center, leaving about 1-inch of bread on the sides and bottom. Brush the inside of the bread bowl with olive oil or melted butter and place in the oven for 10 minutes. This helps crisp up the inside of the bread and prevents it from becoming soggy.
Broccoli Cheddar Soup
In a medium pot, add 4-6 cups of water and 1½ teaspoons of kosher salt and bring to a boil. Add the broccoli florets and cook for 2 minutes. Remove the broccoli florets and plunge them into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Remove the florets from the ice water and place them on a paper towel to drain.
In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the diced onion and jalapeño pepper and sauté until the onion is fragrant and translucent, about 8 minutes. Then, add the minced garlic and cook for 1 additional minute.
Add the flour and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly, to create a roux. Slowly whisk in the broth, ensuring there are no lumps. Add the ½ teaspoon kosher salt and the black pepper. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until thickened, about 20 minutes.
Stir in the milk or heavy cream. Then, gradually add the shredded cheddar cheese, stirring continuously until the cheese melts and is fully incorporated. Reserve 8 broccoli florets and add the rest to the pot. Simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes.
Carefully remove 2 cups of the soup and place in a blender. Don’t fill the blender more than halfway. Work in batches if necessary. Place the lid on the blender, cover with a kitchen towel, and blend on low speed for about 30 seconds. Be careful, the mixture will be very hot.
Add the blended soup back to the pot and stir to combine. Adjust the thickness by adding a little water if necessary. Ladle the hot soup into the prepared sourdough bread bowls. Garnish with a few broccoli florets and extra shredded cheese.
Serve immediately and enjoy!
Substitutions
If small sourdough bread loaves are hard to find, serve the soup in traditional soup bowls with a side of crusty bread.
Variations
To make it vegetarian, use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
Storage
Store leftover broccoli cheddar soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Top Tip
For extra creaminess, use heavy cream instead of milk.
Final Thoughts
This homemade broccoli cheddar soup in a sourdough bread bowl is the ultimate comfort food. The rich and creamy texture combined with the chewy, flavorful bread makes for a truly indulgent experience. Give this recipe a try, and enjoy every delicious bite!
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Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with this recipe.
📖 Recipe
Texas Broccoli Cheddar Soup Recipe
Ingredients
Bread Bowls
- 8 small round sourdough bread loaves
- 2 tablespoon olive oil or melted butter
Soup
- 4 cups broccoli florets divided
- 2 teaspoon kosher salt divided
- 6 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 onion small finely diced
- 1 jalapeño pepper stemmed, seeded and minced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups sodium-free chicken broth or vegetable broth
- ½ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
- 2 cups whole milk or heavy cream
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- ¾ cup water as needed for consistency
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Slice off the top of each sourdough loaf and hollow out the center, leaving about 1-inch of bread on the sides and bottom. Brush the inside of the bread bowl with olive oil or melted butter and place in the oven for 10 minutes. This helps crisp up the inside of the bread and prevents it from becoming soggy.
- In a medium pot, add 4-6 cups of water and 1½ teaspoons of kosher salt and bring to a boil. Add the broccoli florets and cook for 2 minutes. Remove the broccoli florets and plunge them into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Remove the florets from the ice water and place them on a paper towel to drain.
- In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the diced onion and jalapeño pepper and sauté until the onion is fragrant and translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 additional minute.
- Add the flour and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly, to create a roux. Slowly whisk in the broth, ensuring there are no lumps. Add the ½ teaspoon kosher salt and the black pepper. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until thickened, about 20 minutes.
- Stir in the milk or heavy cream. Then, gradually add the shredded cheddar cheese, stirring continuously until the cheese melts and is fully incorporated. Reserve 8 broccoli florets and add the rest to the pot. Simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes.
- Carefully remove 2 cups of the soup and place in a blender. Don’t fill the blender more than halfway. Work in batches if necessary. Place the lid on the blender, cover with a kitchen towel, and blend on low speed for about 30 seconds. Be careful, the mixture will be very hot.
- Add the blended soup back to the pot and stir to combine. Adjust the thickness by adding a little water if necessary. Ladle the hot soup into the prepared sourdough bread bowls. Garnish with a few broccoli florets and extra shredded cheese.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
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