Description
A comforting and creamy slow cooker broccoli and cheese soup made with tender broccoli, potatoes, mature cheddar, and a touch of cream. Perfect for a cozy meal served with crusty bread for dipping.
Ingredients
Scale
Soup Ingredients
- 1 tbsp vegetable or sunflower oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed or finely grated
- 250g potatoes, roughly chopped
- 1 broccoli (around 325g), roughly chopped
- 750ml chicken or vegetable stock
- 150g mature cheddar, cut into cubes
- 125ml single cream, plus extra to serve
- Toasted or crusty bread, to serve
Instructions
- Sauté Onion and Garlic: Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium-low heat and fry the chopped onion for 10-12 minutes until soft but not golden. Stir in the crushed garlic and fry for 1 minute to release its aroma.
- Cook Potatoes Slightly: Add the roughly chopped potatoes to the pan and cook for a few minutes to start softening them. Then transfer everything into the slow cooker.
- Add Broccoli and Stock: Add the roughly chopped broccoli and the chicken or vegetable stock to the slow cooker. Season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Slow Cook: Cook the mixture on high for 3 hours or on low for 5 hours until the broccoli is tender but the stalk still has a slight bite.
- Add Cheese and Cream: Stir in the cheese cubes until melted, then mix through the single cream to give the soup a rich and creamy texture.
- Blend Soup Smooth: Carefully pour the soup into a blender and blend until smooth and velvety. Be cautious of the hot liquid to avoid splatters.
- Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls, add a swirl of extra cream and a grind of black pepper on top. Serve immediately with toasted or crusty bread for dunking.
Notes
- For a vegetarian version, use vegetable stock and ensure the cheese is vegetarian-friendly.
- You can substitute mature cheddar with a milder cheese like Red Leicester or a sharp cheese like Parmesan for a different flavor.
- To make the soup gluten-free, ensure the stock and bread are gluten-free or omitted as needed.
- If you prefer a chunkier texture, blend only half the soup and stir the rest through instead of blending it all.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours on high or 5 hours on low
- Category: Soup
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: British
Keywords: broccoli soup, cheese soup, slow cooker recipes, comfort food, creamy soup, vegetarian soup, easy soup recipe
