Quick Look: Simple Chicken Broccoli Cheese Soup
- Ready In: about 30 minutes!
- Serves: 8
- Main Ingredients: chicken thighs, fresh broccoli, sharp cheddar cheese, chicken broth, carrots, onion, garlic, and a non-dairy creamer (or half and half)!
- Dietary Info: tested gluten-free option
- Protein: over 30g per serving!
- Cooking Method: all in one pot on the stove top!
- Best For: an easy weeknight dinner on those chilly winter nights.
Share and summarize this recipe:
Why Your Weeknights Need This Soup
- One Pot Dinner: for easy preparation and minimal cleanup!!
- Perfectly Creamy just like a traditional broccoli cheese soup (& our dairy free broccoli cheese soup).
- Hearty and satisfying: tender, shredded chicken adds protein and makes this a complete meal.
- Great Leftovers: this soup reheats beautifully for an easy lunch or dinner the next day.
Key Ingredients + Substitutions
Be sure to see the recipe card below for a full listing of ingredients, instructions, and estimated nutritional information.
- Chicken Thighs – we tested this soup with both boneless, skinless chicken thighs and chicken breasts. Both work great, but we preferred the thighs because they stayed extra juicy and tender.
- Broccoli – we increased the broccoli from 3–4 cups to 5 cups during testing so you get plenty in every bite! A 12-ounce bag of pre-cut broccoli worked great for us. Just make sure the florets are cut into small, bite-sized pieces so they cook evenly.
- Sharp Cheddar Cheese – freshly grated sharp cheddar gives this soup its rich, cheesy flavor. We increased the amount during testing for that classic broccoli cheddar flavor. Highly recommend grating your own for the smoothest, creamiest texture!
- Flour – all-purpose flour works great, but we also successfully tested this soup with Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour.
- Creamer – highly recommend using NutPods non-dairy creamer to lighten up this rich and creamy soup. It gives the same texture but a noticeably lighter feel – regular half-and-half also works well.
How To Make Chicken Broccoli Cheese Soup
Step 1 – Sauté the onion, celery, and garlic in a little melted butter.
Step 2 – Add the remaining butter to melt and whisk in the flour to create a roux.
Step 3 – Keep it at a simmer while gradually adding the chicken broth and then creamer, simmering and whisking continuously.
Step 4 – Add the chicken thighs, broccoli, and carrots. Cover and maintain a gentle simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Do not boil.
Step 5 – Remove the chicken, shred with two forks, and return it to the pot. Reduce the heat to low and add the salt, pepper, and freshly grated cheddar cheese.
Step 6 – Stir gently until the cheese has melted and the soup is creamy. Serve immediately!
Erin’s Testing Tips: What We Learned
- Keep It At A Gentle Simmer: don’t let this soup come to a rolling boil! Too much heat can cause the creamy broth to separate. Keep the heat at medium-low as needed while the chicken cooks, maintaining a gentle simmer.
- Freshly Grated Sharp Cheddar: we increased the sharp cheddar during testing for a richer, cheesier flavor. Freshly grating your own cheese helps it melt smoothly. Turn heat to low before adding the cheese and stir gently until melted to avoid a grainy texture.
- Plenty Of Broccoli: we started with 3–4 cups of broccoli but increased it to 5 cups, so you get plenty in every bite! Cut the florets into small, bite-sized pieces so they cook evenly.
Best Ways To Serve Chicken Broccoli Cheese Soup
A bowl of this warm, comforting soup is best enjoyed with warm breadsticks, homemade garlic bread, or a big slice of buttered sourdough bread for dunking!
Other Chicken Soup Recipes You Might Like
Made this recipe and loved it?!
We would love it if you would take a minute and leave a star rating and review – it is also helpful if you made any substitutions or changes to the recipe to share that as well. THANK YOU!
Follow Us on Social
This Chicken Broccoli Cheese Soup is a creamy, comforting twist on classic broccoli cheddar soup! Made with fresh broccoli, freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese, and tender shredded chicken, it's a hearty family dinner that comes together in one pot in about 30 minutes. Serve with warm breadsticks for dipping!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 7 tablespoons butter, divided (sub plant-based)
- 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
- ½ cup celery, finely diced
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour, sub 1-to1 gluten-free flour
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups dairy-free unflavored, unsweetened creamer, sub half-and-half or heavy cream
- 5 cups fresh broccoli florets, cut into very small florets
- 1 cup carrots, shredded
- 1.25 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, sub boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 4 cups sharp cheddar cheese, freshly shredded
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Sauté: Bring a dutch oven to a medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon butter to melt. Sauté the diced onion, celery, and 1 teaspoon garlic for 1-2 minutes.
- Creamy Base: Add the remaining 6 tablespoons butter to melt. Whisk in 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour to create a roux. Keeping the pot at a simmer, slowing add 3 cups chicken broth (about ¼ cup at a time), whisking continuously. Gradually add 2 cups dairy-free unflavored, unsweetened creamer (or half and half) in the same way, continuing to whisk for a creamy texture.
- Simmer: Add 5 cups fresh broccoli florets, shredded carrots, and 1.25 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs to the pot. Cover and maintain a gentle simmer over medium heat for approximately 15 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Do not let the soup come to a rolling boil.
- Shred + Cheese: Remove the cooked chicken breasts from the pot and shred with 2 forks. Return the shredded meat to the pot. Reduce the heat to low and add the shredded cheese, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper. Stir gently until the cheese is completely melted and incorporated.
- Serve: Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve immediately!
Notes
- Cheese: for best results, we highly recommend freshly shredding the sharp cheddar cheese. It gives the best creamy, melty texture. Pre-shredded cheese can be used, but that freshly shredded cheese is next level.
- Broccoli Florets: make sure to cut the broccoli into small, bite-sized florets so they cook evenly and become perfectly tender in the allotted cooking time.
- Why Dairy-Free Creamer: there is obviously still cheese in this recipe so using a dairy-free creamer alone doesn’t make it dairy-free, but it does lighten it up, which we love! We use Nutpods unsweetened, unflavored creamer in so many of our soups and saucy recipes and it works so well. Of course, feel free to use regular half and half if you prefer!
- Storage: keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat over a low heat and feel free to add a splash of broth, if it is too thick. It is not recommended to freeze this creamy soup.
- Side Suggestions: homemade garlic bread and our house salad would both be amazing as sides here!
- Dairy Free: use a plant-based butter, the dairy free creamer, and a dairy free alternative for the shredded cheese – we haven’t tested a specific dairy-free cheese here so only use one you have successfully used before. Keep in mind the final texture may vary.
- Gluten Free: swap the all-purpose flour for a 1-to-1 gluten-free flour. We tested this recipe with Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour, and it worked great!
Calories 542kcal
Nutrition
Calories: 542kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 152mg | Sodium: 1059mg | Potassium: 620mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 3945IU | Vitamin C: 51mg | Calcium: 456mg | Iron: 2mg
Did you make this recipe?Tag @thewoodenskillet on Instagram!
Leave a Rating & Comment