This bacon loaded broccoli soup is packed with hearty veggies, cheddar cheese, and hot bacon! It takes broccoli cheese soup to a whole new level.
One of our favorite soups, this balanced broccoli cheese soup is incredibly delicious. I serve this soup to company a lot, and it’s always a hit!
Start with Veggies
This loaded broccoli soup comes together in two parts: 1) the vegetables and 2) the cheese sauce.
Get cooking vegetables first! Boil in a sweet broth until soft.
- carrots
- celery
- ptatoes
- onion
- broccoli
All said and done there are ten cups of vegetables in this soup! And…a healthy amount of bacon and cheese, too. Balance in all things. 😉
Cheese Sauce
While the vegetables are boiling, make the creamy, cheesy sauce.
- Fry the chopped bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon from the plate and drain the excess fat.
- Add a little butter and flour to make a roux.
- Gradually whisk in the milk (a lump-free sauce is coming!). Cook until thickened.
- Add shredded cheese and a few simple spices.
I know it’s a pain to mess up two pots in the name of soup, but it’s worth it for this recipe. I tried endlessly to try this recipe to simplify the process, but It is *always* best to make the roux + cheese sauce in a separate pot.
When the vegetables and cheese sauce are ready, pour the cheese sauce into the vegetable/broth mixture.
Mix well, and cook for a few minutes. The soup may seem a little thin at first, but it will do completely hard as it cooks and cools to eat.
Add the reserved crumbled bacon. You can save a little to fill individual parts, too.
My Favorite Soup
This loaded broccoli soup gives the classic broccoli cheese soup a run for its money. Thick and hearty, it’s one of the best soups ever.
So the best soup I have EVER made!!!! Great flavors!! Thanks for sharing. ❤️ -Marsha
I just made this last night and all 5 of my kids from 19 to 9 and my husband absolutely loved it.. and getting a 19 and 15 year old to eat any kind of vegetables or soup is impossible so a lot . It was heartfelt and really hit the spot. I used gluten free rice flour instead of regular because I have celiac but it worked great if anyone else has this problem. I will be making this again. – Julie
This is my family’s favorite recipe, full of delicious ingredients. -Melanie
This was fun! Definitely “Do Over” which means that in our house it will be done over and over again. – Wait
Loaded with Broccoli Cheese and Bacon Soup
- 3 cups chicken broth (see note)
- 1 cup peeled and sliced carrots
- 1 cup celery
- 3 cups potatoes peeled and chopped
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 4 out of 5 cups chopped fresh broccoli
- 6 out of 8 pieces bacon, chopped (see note)
- 4 of spoons butter
- ⅓ cup all purpose flour
- 3 cups milk
- 4 cups sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 a teaspoon salt
- ½ a teaspoon pepper
- 1 a teaspoon dried mustard
Prevent your screen from going dark
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For the vegetables, in a 6-quart or larger pot, add the chicken broth, carrots, celery, potatoes and onions. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and hold for 10 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften. The vegetables will continue to cook in the next step.
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Add the broccoli. Cover and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes. (The pot may seem overstuffed with vegetables and not “soupy” enough, but it will be thinner if the cheese sauce is added.)
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In a separate medium saucepan over medium heat, fry the bacon until golden and crispy. Remove the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Drain the oil and return the pot to the stove.
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Add the butter and melt over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes until golden, stirring frequently. Slowly pour in the milk, stirring frequently, and cook until the mixture thickens and thickens slightly, 5-7 minutes.
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Add the cheese with one hand, stirring until melted before adding more cheese. Add salt, pepper and dry mustard.
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Pour the cheese sauce into the pot with the vegetables and stir to combine. Heat until steaming and warm.
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Add the reserved bacon once add more salt and pepper to taste, if needed. Add more milk or broth to thin the soup, if needed. The soup will continue to thicken as it cools.
Broth: increase the broth to four cups to get a small soup.
Serving: 1 worship, Calories: 476kcal, Carbohydrates: 31g, Protein: 24g, Oil: 29g, Saturated Fats: 17g, Cholesterol: 82mg, Sodium: 863mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 8g
Recipe source: adapted from a recipe my sister-in-law, Melissa, sent to me through her friend Meredith (thanks, Melissa!) – I made a ton of changes: the butter went down from 8 to 3 tablespoons, I increased the liquid and used broth instead of water, used real cheese instead of velveeta and changed the number of vegetables to name a few.
The recipe was originally posted in October 2013; updated December 2024 with new photos, recipe notes, etc.
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