Try this Slow Cooker Broccoli Cheese Soup recipe
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon italian seasoning
- 5 tablespoons flour
- 2 ounces cream cheese
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 3 cups milk (i like fat free half & half use your favorite. the higher the fat content - such as heavy cream - the creamier and richer your soup will be)
- 3 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth for vegetarian)
- 3-4 cups chopped broccoli florets (just the bushy tops - di
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (yellow)
- 2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
- 1-4 teaspoon black pepper (or to taste)
- optional: extra cheese for topping
- Carbohydrate 13.2359896667668 g
- Cholesterol 46.095362718081 mg
- Fat 16.3995653920442 g
- Fiber 0.0860897847652294 g
- Protein 1.12951296195902 g
- Saturated Fat 10.0366201756166 g
- Serving Size 1 1 -6 (46g)
- Sodium 1290.41611621178 mg
- Sugar 13.1498998820016 g
- Trans Fat 1.50611463903754 g
- Calories 200 calories
Step-by-step
- In a large sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat.
- When melted, stir in the flour until mixture clumps up.
- Very gradually whisk in the milk until all milk has been added and a thick white sauce forms.
- Add chopped onions, broccoli, garlic, Italian seasoning, and cream cheese to your slow cooker.
- Add the sauce from the pan, and the chicken broth.
- Stir to combine.
- Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 4-6 hours.
- Uncover soup and add the sharp cheddar cheese, salt, and pepper.
- Stir until the cheese melts into the soup.
- Taste and add salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve warm and top with additional shredded cheese if desired.
- Enjoy!
Can this dairy-heavy soup actually survive a trip through the freezer? The short answer is yes, provided you alter your cooking expectations for emulsion stability. Broccoli cheddar preparations trace their roots back to mid-century American comfort food trends, heavily reliant on commercial processed cheese blocks before shifting toward scratch-made roux bases. When freezing milk-and-cream-based soups, proteins tend to coagulate and separate upon thawing, leaving a grainy texture behind. To combat this physical breakdown, undercook the broccoli florets slightly by shaving ten minutes off the slow cooker duration, then store the base without the final cheddar addition. Reheat the thawed base slowly over medium-low heat in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisking constantly to re-emulsify the fats before stirring in the fresh sharp cheddar at 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Higher fat dairy such as heavy cream handles freezing significantly better than fat-free alternatives because milk solids provide a protective buffer against separation. Dice the yellow onions uniformly to one-quarter inch so they soften completely without turning mushy during the four-hour high heat cycle. Whisk the milk into the roux very gradually, pouring in a steady stream while beating vigorously to prevent lumps from forming in the starch matrix. Keep a microplane grater ready for adjusting seasonings at the table.
