Easy Broccoli Cheddar Soup

This creamy broccoli cheddar soup recipe is extra cheesy and packed with broccoli! It is made without flour and gets its thick, creamy base from a potato! This soup is lighter in calories and has all the flavor you’d expect!

I love broccoli cheddar soup so much, especially this one, which skips the flour and butter base common in many other recipes. Instead of extra butter and flour, I use a potato to thicken our soup and make it creamy.

Ingredients:

• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 4 medium garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil
• 2 pounds broccoli with stalks
• 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, omit if sensitive to spice
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 medium-to-large potato, peeled and chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 cups chicken broth, veggie broth, or water
• 1/2 cup cream, optional
• 2 cups (226g) grated sharp cheddar cheese, 8 ounces
• Thinly sliced chives, for serving, optional
• Fish sauce, optional