Broccoli Cheddar Soup with Chicken
All of the flavors you know and love from a creamy and cheesy broccoli cheddar soup, but with the addition of savory pulled chicken to create a more complete meal!
Servings: 6
Equipment
- Immersion Blender or regular blender
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 lb Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
- Kosher Salt & Black Pepper to taste
Other Soup Ingredients
- 4 tablespoon Unsalted Butter divided
- 1/2 Yellow Onion chopped
- 3 cloves Garlic minced
- 1/3 cup All Purpose Flour all purpose
- 2.5 cups Chicken Broth
- 1 cup Half and Half or use all milk for a lighter soup
- 1 cup Whole Milk or use all half and half for a richer soup
- 1/4 cup Celery finely chopped
- 1/2 cup Carrots julienned or buy matchstick carrots
- 12 oz Broccoli can use fresh or frozen florets
- 1.5 cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese freshly grated
- 1 cup Pepper Jack Cheese freshly grated; or use all sharp cheddar cheese
Seasoning Blend
- 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne more or less based on spice preference
- 1/4 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon Dry Mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
- Kosher Salt & Black Pepper to taste
Instructions
Chicken
- Heat olive oil in Dutch Oven or large pot over medium-high heat. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Cook the chicken for about 8 minutes a side. Set aside to a plate to cool and then shred or cut into chunks.
Soup
- Meanwhile, in the same pan, melt 1 tbsp butter over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook for about 3-4 minutes until soft and translucent.
- Add the remaining 3 tbsp of butter. Once the the butter has melted, sprinkle in flour. Mix together and continue mixing frequently for 2 minutes until combined and slightly golden in color.
- Pour in chicken broth, half and half, and milk. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally to get rid of any clumps.
- Add celery, carrots, broccoli, and all spice blend ingredients. Stir to combine. Cook and cook over low heat for about 20 minutes until vegetables are fork tender.
- Use an immersion blender to blend the soup right in the pot into a smoother consistency. You could also transfer to a regular blender and add the soup back to the pot.
- Stir in shredded cheese until melted and well combined. Add the shredded cooked chicken and stir to combine.
Nutrition
Calories: 509kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 132mg | Sodium: 545mg | Potassium: 773mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 3123IU | Vitamin C: 54mg | Calcium: 482mg | Iron: 2mg
