Potato Broccoli Soup

Thick and creamy potato broccoli soup is easy to make and full of wholesome ingredients. In this recipe potatoes, broccoli, onions, celery, and garlic combine to make a tasty soup. We top it with cheese, bacon, and green onions to add even more delicious flavor.

I’m a huge fan of soups. They’re one pot meals so clean up is easy, plus It’s an effortless way to sneak vegetables in.

Soup recipes make fantastic dinners when paired with a piece of crusty bread or salad and they make great lunches. Just like this potato and broccoli soup, our potato corn chowder and this simple white bean soup are hearty and budget friendly.

Ingredients

• Dairy – Butter (use regular or unsalted) and shredded cheese. We use yellow cheddar cheese. Other good options include gouda, Swiss, and Monterey jack.
• Produce – Potatoes, here we use russets because it’s what we have on hand. Substitute yellow, Yukon, or red potatoes if that is what you have. Fresh broccoli florets get added at the end because they cook so quickly. Onion (use yellow or white), celery, and garlic are used to add another layer of flavor and green onions (or chives) are added for garnish.
• Spices – The soup is simply seasoned with salt (we use kosher salt) and black pepper.
• Pantry – Flour (all-purpose) and chicken broth. Use reduced sodium broth if you are sensitive to salt. If you want to make this soup meatless then use vegetable broth and eliminate the bacon.
• Meat – Bacon slices, cooked crispy and chopped. If you need a recipe, try this easy oven bacon. You can also use store-bought bacon bits as a topping.
• See the recipe card for quantities and preparation.

Instructions

1. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and celery. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring often.
2. Next, add the garlic, salt, and black pepper. Cook for 1-2 minutes while stirring.
3. Add the flour and stir well. Cook for 1 minute to get the raw taste out of the flour. Stir almost constantly.
4. Slowly add the chicken broth while stirring. Continue stirring until the flour mixture dissolves in the liquid.
5. Next, add the diced potatoes. Raise the heat to high and bring the liquid to a boil. Lower the heat, cover, and cook for 20-25 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Stir occasionally.
6. Add the broccoli. Stir well and raise the heat to get the broth simmering again. Lower the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 4-5 minutes or until the broccoli reaches the desired tenderness.

Top tips

The potatoes should be so tender that a fork or knife slides in and out easily without any resistance. The soup will not cook much longer once the broccoli is added so it needs to be done at that point.

Also, the broccoli will continue to cook in the hot soup even if you take it off the heat. Keep that in mind so you don't overcook it.

Finish the soup

Taste the soup and add salt if needed. As a reference we added ½ teaspoon to ours. If you are topping the soup with cheese and bacon keep it in mind before adding extra salt.

Serve in individual bowls and top with the shredded cheese, crumbled bacon, and chopped chives or green onions.

Cook’s notes

• Use reduced sodium chicken broth, low sodium bacon, and unsalted butter if you are sensitive to salt. Adjust the salt to taste at the end.
• Keep the potato pieces small, about ½ inch to 1 inch. And keep them roughly the same size so that they cook at the same rate.
• If you want to make the soup thicker use a masher or the back of a wooden spoon to mash some of the potatoes right in the pot. However, keep in mind it will thicken further as it cools.

Storing and reheating instructions

Store leftover soup in an airtight container, in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Freeze it by cooling it quickly and place it in an airtight freezer-safe container. Leave enough room at the top to allow for expansion (1-2 inches). Freeze for up to 2 months.

Gently reheat the soup in a saucepan or the microwave until hot all the way through (at least 165° F.). The soup may thicken when cooled so add 2-3 tablespoons of broth (per serving) to loosen it when reheating.

For more information on food storage and safety guidelines visit U.S. Department of Agriculture and foodsafety.gov.

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📖 Recipe

Potato Broccoli Soup

Elizabeth Rodriguez

Thick and creamy potato broccoli soup is easy to make and full of wholesome ingredients. In this recipe russet potatoes, broccoli, onions, celery, and garlic combine to make a tasty soup.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Course Soup

Cuisine American

Servings 4

Calories 535 kcal

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Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 3 tablespoons Butter
• 1 medium Onion finely diced
• 1 Celery Rib diced
• 2-3 Garlic Cloves minced
• ½ teaspoon Salt plus extra at the end if needed
• ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
• 2 tablespoons Flour all purpose
• 4 cups Chicken Broth
• 2 pounds Russet Potatoes peeled and diced into ½ -1 inch cubes (yellow, Yukon, or red potatoes can be substituted)
• 12 ounces Broccoli Florets cut into small pieces
• ¾-1 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese for serving (or use your favorite cheese)
• 4 Bacon Slices cook crispy and chopped or crumbled
• 1-2 tablespoon Green Onions or Chives

Instructions

 

• Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and celery. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring often.
• Next, add the garlic, salt, and black pepper. Cook for 1-2 minutes while stirring.
• Add the flour to the vegetables and stir well. Cook for 1 minute to get the raw taste out of the flour. Stir almost constantly.
• Slowly add the chicken broth to the flour mixture while stirring with a wooden spoon or whisk. Move around the pot in small circles. Continue stirring until the flour mixture dissolves in the liquid.
• Next, add the diced potatoes to the pot. Raise the heat to high and bring the liquid to a boil (will take about 4-5 minutes).
• Lower the heat to medium-low, cover the pot, and cook for 20-25 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. They should be so tender that a fork or knife slides in and out easily without any resistance. Stir occasionally to make sure they are not sticking to the bottom of the pot.
• Add the broccoli. Stir well and raise the heat to get the broth simmering again. Then lower it to medium-low, cover and cook for 4-5 minutes or until the broccoli reaches the desired tenderness. Keep the broth at a simmer. Raise or lower the heat as needed.
• Also, keep in mind that the broccoli will continue to cook in the hot soup even if you take it off the heat.
• Taste the potato broccoli soup and add salt if needed. As a reference we added ½ teaspoon to ours. If you are topping the soup with cheese and bacon keep it in mind before adding extra salt.
• Serve in individual bowls and top with the shredded cheese, crumbled bacon, and chopped chives or green onions.

Notes

• Keep the potato pieces small, about ½ inch to 1 inch and make them roughly the same size so that they cook at the same rate.
• Use reduced sodium chicken broth, low sodium bacon, and unsalted butter if you are sensitive to salt. Add salt at the end if needed.
• If you want to make the soup thicker use a masher or the back of a wooden spoon to mash some of the potatoes right in the pot. However, keep in mind it will thicken further as it cools.

Nutrition

Calories: 535kcalCarbohydrates: 55gProtein: 19gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 14gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 70mgSodium: 1610mgPotassium: 1414mgFiber: 6gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 1167IUVitamin C: 92mgCalcium: 300mgIron: 3mg

The nutritional information above is computer generated and is only an estimate. There is no guarantee that it is accurate. This data is provided as a courtesy for informational purposes only.

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