Slow Cooker Broccoli Cheese Soup

Name: Slow Cooker Broccoli Cheese Soup
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 4 h
Total time: 4 h 5 min
Yield: 12 serving(s)
Ingredients: 1 lb. frozen broccoli florets; 1 whole medium onion, diced; 2 whole carrots, finely diced; 5 c. low sodium chicken broth; 2 cans cream of celery soup; 1/4 tsp. seasoned salt; 1/4 tsp. salt, more to taste; 1/2 tsp. black pepper; 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper; 1 1/2 lb. velveeta; 2 c. grated sharp cheddar cheese

A couple of shortcut ingredients make this soup a cinch!

By Ree DrummondPublished: Dec 12, 2023

4.5

19 Ratings

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Photographer: Danielle Daly; Food Stylist: Simon Andrews

I’m sort of making friends with my slow cooker this year. And I’m being kind of bratty about it, too! My goal is only to cook with a slow cooker when I can pretty much just sling a bunch of stuff into it and push the button. I don’t want to brown or sear or season or otherwise prep anything ahead of time. I just want to sling it in the slow cooker and be done. I’m obstinate that way!

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Yields:: 12 serving(s)
Prep Time:: 5 mins
Cook Time:: 4 hrs
Total Time:: 4 hrs 5 mins

Ingredients

1 lb.
frozen broccoli florets
1
whole medium onion, diced
2
whole carrots, finely diced
5 c.
low sodium chicken broth
2
cans cream of celery soup
1/4 tsp.
seasoned salt
1/4 tsp.
salt, more to taste
1/2 tsp.
black pepper
1/8 tsp.
cayenne pepper
1 1/2 lb.
velveeta
2 c.
grated sharp cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Step 1Add the broccoli, onion, carrots, chicken broth, cream of celery soup, seasoned salt, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to the slow cooker. Stir, place on the lids, and set the slow cooker on high for 4 hours.
2. Step 2After 4 hours use an immersion blender or masher to puree 3/4 of the soup. (If you use a regular blender, blend only 1 cup at a time and use extreme caution.) Add the cheese, turn the slow cooker to low, and place on the lid for 15 minutes.
3. Step 3Stir to melt the cheese and mix it in. Taste the soup and add more salt and pepper as needed.
4. Step 4Serve warm! Soup keeps great in the fridge for a couple of days.

The Pioneer Woman

The only prep you need to do is chop an onion…

And dice up a carrot as fine as you’d like.

Man, that was difficult!

Ha.

Now it’s over to the slowcooker! Add a 1-pound bag of frozen broccoli…

Some chicken broth…

The onion…

And the carrot.

Now. I’m getting ready to add an ingredient that some humans might take issue with. But rest assured, I have another recipe for broccoli cheese soup on my website, and it does not contain this ingredient that some humans take issue with.

But before I show you the ingredient that some humans might take issue with, let me warn you that a little ways down this recipe, it’s going to happen again with another ingredient.

I’m glad we had this talk!

Crack open a couple of cans of cream of celery soup. (Oh, and use whatever dang brand you want. I just happen to have this one!) It adds flavor and creaminess and a little thickness without the need of a roux, which I think defeats the whole purpose of slow cooker cooking! I like to throw everything in and go live the life I was born to live, not watch the clock and try to remember when to make a flour paste and add it to the slow cooker.

Life is too short for such roux-related specificity!

Add the soup…

Then add salt and pepper…

Seasoned salt and cayenne. You’ll probably need to season the soup more a little more later, but this is a start.

Now set it on high for 4 hours, Pookie Head.

This is a little less than 4 hours, but I was chasing daylight.

Any foodblogger could entitle his memoir “Chasing Daylight.”

The struggle is real.

You can leave the soup as is, but I think pureeing it a bit brings out the broccoli wonderfulness. An immersion blender is great, a little masher is great. Or you could puree very small batches (like a cup at a time, since blending hot liquids is dangerous!) in a blender.

I didn’t go crazy and puree it completely—just enough to break up all but a few large pieces of broccoli and some of the onions.

And now.

*WARNING*

Here comes that second ingredient I warned you about earlier.

Drop in some Velveeta! I’m sorry. I mean “processed cheese product.” You don’t have to, of course. You can just use cheddar or Monterey jack or whatever other normal cheese you want! Ha.

But Velveeta will make it…well, creamy and smooth like there’s no tomorrow.

*THIS IS NOT A PAID ADVERTISEMENT!*

*I SWEAR!*

*IT’S JUST THAT I’M NOT AFRAID TO BREAK OUT THE V-VIDDY FROM TIME TO TIME!*

Please love me. Please?