Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Bean (Printable)

Velvety blend of broccoli, beans, sharp cheddar, and veggies for a nourishing, comforting dish.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
02 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
03 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
04 - 4 cups broccoli florets, chopped
05 - 1 medium carrot, diced
06 - 1 celery stalk, diced

→ Beans

07 - 2 cups cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

→ Liquids

08 - 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
09 - 1 cup milk or unsweetened plant-based milk

→ Cheese

10 - 1.5 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded or plant-based cheese alternative

→ Seasonings

11 - 0.5 teaspoon dried thyme
12 - 0.5 teaspoon salt
13 - 0.25 teaspoon black pepper
14 - Pinch of nutmeg

# How To Make It:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add diced onion, carrot, and celery. Sauté for 5 minutes until vegetables begin to soften.
02 - Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Stir in broccoli florets and cook for 2 minutes.
04 - Add drained cannellini beans and pour in vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes until vegetables are tender.
05 - Remove pot from heat. Using an immersion blender, purée soup until smooth and creamy. Alternatively, blend in batches using a countertop blender and return to pot.
06 - Stir in milk, shredded cheddar cheese, dried thyme, salt, black pepper, and nutmeg. Return to low heat and stir constantly until cheese melts and soup is heated through.
07 - Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve hot, garnished with additional cheddar cheese or steamed broccoli florets if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in under 45 minutes, which means you can go from hungry to contentedly spooning soup before dinner time rushes kick in.
  • One pot and an immersion blender is all you really need, making cleanup almost as easy as the cooking itself.
  • The texture is naturally creamy without heavy cream, so you get that luxurious mouthfeel with actual vegetables doing the work.
  • It's flexible enough to swap in whatever you have on hand, yet sturdy enough that it always turns out delicious.
02 -
  • Don't skip the rinsing step with canned beans because the liquid they come in can make your soup taste metallic and cloudy instead of clear and appetizing.
  • If you blend it too much you'll end up with something that tastes more like baby food, but blending it just enough gives you that elegant creaminess where you can still detect actual vegetable pieces.
  • Adding the cheese to a pot that's too hot can cause it to get grainy and separate, so return to low heat and stir patiently until it melts into silk.
03 -
  • Buy your cheddar from the block and shred it yourself rather than using pre-shredded, because the anti-caking agents in bagged cheese can make the final soup slightly grainy instead of silky.
  • Taste as you go and season in small increments because salt concentration builds as the soup simmers, and it's way easier to add more than to rescue something that's become too salty.
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