Pioneer Woman Slow Cooker Broccoli Cheese Soup

Pioneer Woman Slow Cooker Broccoli Cheese Soup is a hearty American comfort food dinner made with frozen broccoli and sharp cheddar. This creamy recipe uses Velveeta and cream of celery soup to create a thick, velvety base that stays smooth in the crockpot.

The first time I made this, I blended the whole pot until it was completely smooth. Now I always leave about a quarter of the broccoli chunky because that’s what gives the soup a professional texture instead of feeling like baby food. If you over-process the vegetables, the soup loses its heartiness and the cheese flavor can feel a bit overwhelming.

I’ve tried a few versions of broccoli soup and this one from Ree Drummond is the one I keep going back to because the cayenne pepper adds a tiny back-end heat that cuts right through the heavy dairy. It isn’t spicy, but it stops the cheddar from tasting too flat or one-note. It’s the kind of meal that works perfectly on a rainy Tuesday when you want something filling but don’t want to stand over a stove stirring a roux for twenty minutes.

Pioneer Woman Slow Cooker Broccoli Cheese Soup Ingredients

• 1 lb. (455g) frozen broccoli florets
• 2 cups (225g) sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 1/2 lbs. (680g) Velveeta cheese, cubed
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 medium carrots, finely diced
• 5 cups (1.2L) low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cans (10.5 oz. each) cream of celery soup
• 1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

How To Make Pioneer Woman Slow Cooker Broccoli Cheese Soup

• 1. Prep the vegetables: Peel and dice the onion and carrots into small, even pieces so they cook through at the same rate. You don’t need to thaw the broccoli florets first, just toss them straight into the slow cooker from the freezer.
• 2. Combine the base: Pour the chicken broth and both cans of cream of celery soup over the vegetables in the slow cooker. Stir it well to break up the condensed soup so you don’t have thick clumps sitting at the bottom of the pot.
• 3. Season the liquid: Sprinkle in the seasoned salt, regular salt, black pepper, and cayenne. Give everything one last stir to distribute the spices before you put the lid on.
• 4. Slow cook: Set your machine to high and let it cook for four hours until the carrots are soft. If you’re heading out for the day, you can set it to low for six to eight hours instead, which helps the onion flavor melt into the broth even more.
• 5. Puree the soup: Stick an immersion blender into the pot and pulse it until about three-quarters of the mixture is creamy. Stop before it’s totally uniform so you still have some nice green flecks and small broccoli bites visible.
• 6. Melt the cheese: Drop the cubed Velveeta and the grated sharp cheddar into the hot liquid. Stir them in, put the lid back on, and turn the heat down to low for 15 minutes.

Don’t rush this part by keeping the heat on high. High heat can cause the cheddar to grain up or separate, so the gentle low setting is what keeps the texture silky.

• 7. Final stir: Remove the lid and give the soup a vigorous stir to incorporate any remaining cheese streaks. Taste a spoonful to see if it needs an extra pinch of salt before ladling it into bowls.

Recipe Tips

• Dice the carrots very small: Since they take longer to soften than frozen broccoli, keeping the carrot pieces tiny ensures you won’t hit a crunchy bit in an otherwise creamy spoonful of soup.
• Use low-sodium broth: Between the Velveeta, the canned soup, and the cheddar, there’s already a lot of salt in this recipe. Starting with a low-sodium base gives you more control so the finished dish doesn’t end up tasting like a salt lick.
• Grate your own cheddar: Pre-shredded cheese in bags is coated in potato starch to keep it from sticking, which can make your soup feel slightly gritty. Rubbing a block of sharp cheddar against a box grater only takes a minute and results in a much better melt.
• Thin it out if needed: If the soup sits on the “warm” setting for too long, it will thicken up significantly. Just whisk in a half cup of warm water or extra broth to loosen the consistency back to where you like it.
• Avoid over-blending the broccoli: If you use a standard upright blender instead of an immersion wand, only process half of the soup in batches. This prevents the friction from turning the broccoli into a dull grey-green puree.
• Add the cheese at the very end: Putting the dairy in too early during the long cook cycle can lead to scorching on the edges of the ceramic pot. Waiting until the vegetables are fully tender keeps the cheese flavor fresh and the color bright.

What To Serve With Pioneer Woman Slow Cooker Broccoli Cheese Soup

A thick slice of crusty sourdough or a warm baguette is a must for dipping into the cheese base. The acidity of sourdough bread works especially well with the richness of the Velveeta.

If you want something lighter, a crisp apple and walnut salad provides a refreshing crunch. You could also serve this in a hollowed-out bread bowl for a classic pub-style presentation at home.

How To Store Pioneer Woman Slow Cooker Broccoli Cheese Soup

• Fridge: Transfer the cooled soup to a container with a tight lid and keep it for up to 4 days. The soup will firm up as it chills, looking almost like a dip, but it will liquefy again once you apply heat.
• Reheat: Warm it up in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring frequently so the cheese doesn’t stick to the bottom. Avoid a rolling boil, as that can cause the dairy to break and look oily.
• Freeze: This soup doesn’t freeze well because the high fat content in the Velveeta and cream of celery soup tends to separate and become grainy when thawed. It’s best to eat this batch fresh or within a few days of making it.

Pioneer Woman Slow Cooker Broccoli Cheese Soup Nutrition Facts

Per serving (1 of 8):

• Calories: 410 kcal
• Protein: 19g
• Fat: 28g
• Carbohydrates: 22g
• Sugar: 9g
• Sodium: 1680mg

FAQs

Try More Recipes:

• Pioneer Woman Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili
• Pioneer Woman Slow Cooker Chicken And Dumplings
• Pioneer Woman Mexican Chicken Casserole