Italian Broccoli Cheese Soup
Classic Broccoli Cheese Soup made with delicious Italian flavors. A few simple cheese substitutions and herbs fill this soup with Italian flavors we all love. I used a combination of Mozzarella cheese, Italian cheese mix, and grated Parmesan cheese to give it that Italian twist. I’ve also added fresh Italian parsley and oregano. Top this soup off with some Parmesan croutons or serve it with some bread sticks.
When you’re a fan of Broccoli Cheese Soup, like I am, you make several version of it. Try my Asiago Broccoli Cheese Soup or my Bacon Broccoli Cheese Soup and see which one you like best.
BROCCOLI CHEESE SOUP
No matter how many fancy soups we try and make, we always come back to the classics. One of the best classic soups out there is the Broccoli Cheese Soup.
You can’t go wrong with soup that is loaded with cheese and veggies at the same time. For many of my family members, that is pretty much the only way to get them to eat broccoli. So I make sure to pack it with broccoli as much as possible.
There are many debates on whether to use Velveeta in Broccoli Cheese Soup or not. Personally, I’ve made it both ways and they are both great. Being a cheese lover though, I like to pack my soup with several different flavorful cheeses.
This Italian Broccoli Cheese Soup is a delicious variation made without Valveeta. I used a combination of shredded creamy Mozzarella cheese, shredded Italian cheese mix, and fresh grated Parmesan cheese. Parmesan cheese is actually mixed inside and on top of each bowl.
Fresh Italian parsley, oregano, and red pepper flakes make the perfect herb additions here.
TIPS FOR MAKING BROCCOLI CHEESE SOUP
Broccoli cheese soup is super easy to make but there is one step that many people find tedious, that is blanching the broccoli. I got a little tired of getting an extra pot, boiling water, and blanching broccoli so I use a cheat to make it all much easier.
Simply dice broccoli and spread it in one even layer on a large plate. If you have a microwave steam bowl with a lid, that’s perfect. I use a microwave plate cover but if you don’t have one, you can use another plate turned upside down to cover with just leave a little crack for steam.
The goal here is to steam the broccoli in the microwave for about a minute and a half. This will cut down on time and extra cookware.
Prep the ingredients and chop veggies ahead of time because this soup is actually quite fast moving once you start cooking. Preparing them ahead of time will keep you from frantically looking for the next ingredient.
Add cheese and broccoli at the end so it’s not cooked for a long time. Cook just until cheese is melted and then take the pot off heat.
You can choose to leave the soup chunky or you can quickly use an immersion blender to blend the soup right in the pot.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH BROCCOLI CHEESE SOUP
You can top this soup off with some Parmesan croutons for a hearty, delightfully crunchy bite.
Make some easy garlic bread sticks out of prepared pizza dough while soup is cooking. That’s always a crowd pleaser.
If you don’t want to serve bread and want a healthier option, save the stems that were cut off of broccoli, chop them up, and top the soup with it. Broccoli stems will add that much desired crunch to each bite.
CAN THIS BROCCOLI CHEESE SOUP BE GLUTEN FREE?
Absolutely! This soup can be thickened with all purpose gluten free flour or corn starch.
If choosing to use all purpose gluten free flour, simply use it as recipe directs it in place of regular four.
If choosing to use corn starch, the process is a little different. Saute the veggies as recipe directs it, add chicken stock right to the veggies. (So you’re skipping the flour step.) Let the stock and veggies heat through. Mix 1 1/2 tbsp of corn starch with a little bit of cold stock and stir it into the pot. Keep stirring until soup starts to thicken.
Make sure the cheese mixes you use are gluten free.
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Italian Broccoli Cheese Soup
Ingredients
- 1 lb broccoli (3 stalks)
- 2 tbsp olive oil or canola oil
- 1 Vidalia onion
- 2 medium carrots
- 3 large garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 3 cups chicken stock (or vegetable broth)
- 1 1/2 tbsp minced Italian parsley
- 1 1/2 tsp dry oregano
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes more or less if you wish
- salt
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup shredded creamy Mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup shredded Italian cheese mix
- 1/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
- more grated Parmesan cheese for topping
Instructions
- Easy and fast way to steam broccoli is in the microwave. Dice broccoli and spread it in one even layer on a large plate. If you have a microwave steam bowl with a lid, that’s perfect. I use a microwave plate cover but if you don’t have one, you can use another plate turned upside down to cover with just leave a little crack for steam. Microwave for about a minute and a half and set aside.
- In a medium pot, heat up oil over medium heat. Add diced onion and shredded carrot. Saute until onion is transparent.
- Smash and dice garlic and add it to the pot. Saute until fragrant.
- Sprinkle flour and mix until veggies are coated with flour.
- Slowly pour in stock while constantly but slowly stirring. Let it heat through. Add heavy cream and stir.
- Add salt, crushed red pepper flakes, parsley, and oregano. Stir well.
- Let soup heat through and get to simmer. Once it starts to simmer, start adding cheeses.
- Add cheeses while slowly stirring. Cook and stir slowly until cheeses are all melted.
- Stir in broccoli. Lower the heat to low and cook for about 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Top each bowl with some grated Parmesan cheese and your choice of croutons of bread.
Notes
Nutrition
All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe.
Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.
I couldn’t finish my bowl.
Did you not like it?
I followed the recipe to a T. Soup was amazing. Will definitely make again
Wish I could ask this off-line, but here goes…..Would I ruin the soup if I added 1/2 pound cooked Italian sauage. to this Recipe????
The recipe as is sounds truly amazing, but I’m a meat loving women. Although I do love a good Broc and cheese soup.
Thanks, Jan
Hi Janet,
That would work just fine! I think it would be delicious!
Delicious! I subbed cream cheese for the heavy whipping cream. So flavorful. Served with garlic rolls made from Hawaiian rolls!
Hi, Ash! So glad you liked it! 🙂
WOW wonderful soup. I did use my hand blender but it
turned out so thick and nice. Loved all the cheesy flavor.
Had croutons in the freezer so thawed them for the top.
Will make this one many times again.
Turned out really good! I didn’t have much hope because I had to substitute a lot of ingredients, used whatever I had on hand (havarti instead of mozzarella, beef stock nstead of chicken broth, etc). Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe with us!
I’m SO glad you like it and it came out good with the substitutions 🙂
Those are not very big substitutions, so don’t worry if you have to do it again!
Thank you, Kseniya!