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Loaded Broccoli Cheese and Bacon Soup

5.00 Mitt(s) 8 Rating(s)8 votes, average: 5.00 out of 58 votes, average: 5.00 out of 58 votes, average: 5.00 out of 58 votes, average: 5.00 out of 58 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5

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Level: Easy

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Description

This soup is luxurious. Cheesy and creamy and so incredibly hearty and delicious.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
  • 1 cup Peeled And Chopped Carrots, Diced Small
  • 1 cup Chopped Celery, Diced Small
  • 3 cups Peeled And Chopped Potatoes, Diced Small
  • ½ cups Finely Chopped Onion
  • 5 cups Broccoli Crowns, Diced Small (about 2 Heads Of Broccoli)
  • 5 strips Bacon, Chopped
  • 3 Tablespoons Butter
  • ⅓ cups Flour
  • 3 cups Milk
  • 4 cups Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese (about 16 Ounces)
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • ½ teaspoons Pepper
  • 1 teaspoon Dried Mustard

Preparation

1. In a large saucepan, combine the chicken broth, carrots, celery, potatoes and onion. Bring the mixture to a boil, cover and simmer for 10 minutes, until the vegetables are starting to get tender.
2. Add the chopped broccoli. Cover and simmer for another 10 minutes. The pan is going to be very full of vegetables and it might seem like it isn’t “soupy” enough since the vegetables overpower the broth but I promise it will all work out when you add the cheese mixture.
3. In a separate medium saucepan, saute the bacon until golden and crisp. Remove the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Drain the grease and wipe out the saucepan.
4. Melt the butter (in the same saucepan you cooked the bacon in) over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes until golden, stirring constantly. Gradually whisk in the milk and cook until the mixture is bubbling and is slightly thickened, 5-7 minutes.
5. Stir in the cheddar cheese one handful at a time, adding another handful after the cheese that has been added has melted. Stir in the salt, pepper and dry mustard.
6. Slowly stir the cheese sauce into the hot broth and vegetables, whisking to combine well. Stir in the reserved bacon and add additional salt and pepper to taste, if needed. If you want the soup a bit thinner, stir in a little extra broth or milk a bit at a time until you get the consistency you are looking for.

Note: Recipe adapted from a recipe my sister-in-law, Melissa, sent me by way of her friend Meredith. I made a ton of changes: decreased butter from 8 tablespoons to 3, increased liquid and used broth instead of water, used real cheese instead of Velveeta and changed up the quantities of vegetables, to name a few.

2 Comments

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Carolina HeartStrings on 11.20.2013

The family will love this addition to our fall/winter soup collection. Looks fantastic!

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Dax Phillips on 11.20.2013

That sounds and looks awesome!

8 Reviews

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K-Dub on 2.19.2018

YUM!!! What a fantastic recipe. I made it for the first time tonight and can’t wait to have the leftovers tomorrow. The only change I would make is………add more bacon!! But that’s because I’m a bacon lover and just wanted more…
Definitely 5 mitts in my book if you got my 4 year old AND 14 month old to clean their plates!

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Nikki Jones on 6.14.2014

This soup is outrageously good! I recently had my 93 year-old mother move in with me and she loves Panera broccoli cheddar soup. I decided to try to make the soup for her and found this recipe. She now declares that this soup is the best soup she has ever had and is so much better than Panera! I have to make another batch as we have eaten it all, much to Mother’s dismay. Who cares that it is mid-June in central Florida. We are making soup!!!!
There is a lot of prep for this recipe but it worth the effort!! I made the recipe according to directions but used about six thick sliced bacon. (Thanks for suggestion peenut!) The soup came out perfect. When reheating I add a little half and half the Mother’s bowl (she can use the extra fat) and some milk to mine as soup is very thick.
This has made me hungry……gotta go make some more soup!

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peenut on 2.14.2014

Oh my! This was amazing!! Only adjustment I would make is to add just another strip or 2 of bacon. Will definitely be making this again!

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WestieMom on 1.15.2014

Hearty, warm, delicious. Perfect!

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Rebecca Bess on 12.17.2013

This was really delicious! Our family loved it.

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