Name: Vegetarian Broccoli Cheddar Soup with Carrots
Prep time: 7 min
Cook time: 25 min
Ingredients: ¼ cup unsalted butter; ½ cup white or yellow onion (diced); 1.5 cups carrots (shredded or matchstick ); 2.5 cups broccoli florets (cut into small pieces); 3 cloves garlic (minced); 1.75 cups vegetable broth; 1 cup whole milk; 1 cup heavy whipping cream; ¼ cup flour; 1 tsp salt ((plus more, to taste)); ¼ tsp mustard powder; ½ tsp onion powder; ½ tsp smoked paprika (regular paprika is okay too!); 1 pinch nutmeg; 1 pinch red pepper flakes (add more if you prefer it spicy); 2 cups sharp cheddar (shredded (do not use bagged...shred the cheese from the block yourself))

Broccoli cheese soup. Just saying it conjures an image a rich, creamy soup you want to dive head first into. And today, I'm sharing my vegetarian broccoli cheddar soup recipe with carrots that will be your new favorite...it's even got two surprise ingredients to take the flavor up an extra notch!

Similar to French onion soup, broccoli cheddar soup is one of those recipes that really is just as delicious when it's vegetarian...you really don't notice the difference using vegetable broth instead of chicken broth (or beef broth in the case of French onion soup).

The rest of the ingredients are also pretty straight forward, and chances are you'll have most of them on hand!

My broccoli cheddar soup recipe is...

Ultra thick and creamy
Filling
Flavorful
Super easy to make
Vegetarian!

Ingredients

So, if you want to make broccoli cheese soup from scratch, here's what you'll need:

Unsalted butter
Vegetable broth
Whole milk (3.25%)
Whipping cream
Sharp cheddar (You must grate it yourself! Do not use bagged cheese for this recipe!)
Broccoli (cut into small pieces, stems removed)
Shredded carrots (You CAN buy matchstick carrots to make it easier, or use your cheese grater to grate whole carrots)
Garlic
Diced onion
Flour
Salt and pepper
Mustard powder
Onion powder
Smoked paprika (Regular paprika works too but smoked really kicks it up!)
Nutmeg...just a pinch!
Red pepper flakes...another pinch.

How much is a pinch?

When it comes to cooking and baking, a pinch is about 1/16 to ⅛th of a teaspoon. I really just use my fingers to actually "pinch" the ingredient from the container!

Instructions

Tip: I like to start by measuring and setting out all my ingredients ahead of time so they're ready for me when I need them. This also seems to make much less of a mess while I cook!

Melt butter in a large saucepan/pot over medium heat. Add the grated or matchstick carrots, minced garlic, diced onion, and broccoli pieces. Stir occasionally and let cook for about five minutes, until garlic and onion is fragrant and the broccoli brightens up.

Add the whipping cream, whole milk, and vegetable broth. Stir it up!

Sprinkle on the flour, mustard powder, onion powder, salt and pepper, nutmeg, red pepper flakes, and smoked paprika. Stir, and bring to a gentle simmer. Turn head to medium low and let cook for 15-20 minutes, until soup is perfectly thick and the veggies are tender.

Turn off the heat, and add the shredded cheese. Stir gently. Taste test and add more salt and pepper to your taste! Serve hot and enjoy.

This recipe will make four main course servings, or six sides. You can serve it on its own, or with crackers or grilled cheese. Yum!