This chicken broccoli cheddar soup is everything a cozy weeknight dinner should be: creamy, hearty, and packed with flavor. Using pre-cooked shredded chicken (great for rotisserie chicken) and frozen broccoli keeps it wonderfully simple.
The soup comes together in about 40 minutes and has a rich, cheesy base that hits all the right comfort food notes.
Broccoli cheddar chicken soup is a great way to use up leftover chicken or turkey, and it’s surprisingly pantry-friendly. The ingredients are mostly fridge and freezer staples, making this one of those easy soup recipes you’ll want to keep on repeat all fall and winter.
For another easy chicken soup recipe, try my chicken farro soup.
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Shortcut Notes
- Pre-cooked chicken: Rotisserie chicken is my personal pick for making this soup because it has so much flavor. You can also meal prep shredded chicken in the slow cooker or use up leftover chicken or turkey.
- Frozen broccoli: No chopping or trimming required, and it cooks straight from the freezer.
- One-pot meal: Everything simmers in one pot, which means less cleanup.
Ingredient Breakdown
- Unsalted butter: Softens the onions and forms the roux once the flour is added.
- Onion: Finely chopped yellow onion adds savory depth to the soup base.
- Garlic: Minced fresh garlic or jarred garlic.
- All-purpose flour: Thickens the soup.
- Low-sodium chicken broth: Using low-sodium broth lets you have more control over the salt content.
- Whole milk: Adds creaminess and blends well with the broth.
- Heavy cream: Makes the soup extra rich and smooth.
- Frozen broccoli florets: Chopped if the florets are large. No need to thaw before using. If you don't like chunky florets at all, sometimes you can find frozen "chopped broccoli" that's in tiny pieces.
- Shredded cooked chicken: Rotisserie chicken or any cooked and shredded chicken works here.
- Shredded cheddar cheese: Sharp cheddar melts smoothly into the base and gives the soup its signature cheesy flavor.
- Seasoning: Salt, black pepper, mustard powder.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
- Sauté onion: In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 4–5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute more.
- Make a roux: Sprinkle in the flour and stir constantly for about 1 minute to remove the raw flour taste.
- Add liquids: Gradually whisk in the chicken broth, a little bit at a time, until smooth. Add milk and cream, whisking to combine. Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring often, until the mixture starts to thicken (about 5 minutes).
- Stir in the frozen broccoli florets. Simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes, or until tender. You can gently mash some pieces for a thicker texture if you like.
- Add chicken and cheese: Stir in the pre-cooked shredded chicken, 2 cups of cheddar cheese, salt, pepper, and mustard powder. Reduce heat to low and stir until cheese is melted and soup is creamy.
- Taste and serve: Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Ladle into bowls and top with the remaining cheddar cheese. Serve with crusty bread or warm rolls.
Substitutions
- Chicken: Use leftover turkey, canned chicken, or roughly chopped cooked skinless chicken breasts.
- Frozen broccoli: If you swap for fresh broccoli florets, chop it into small pieces to cook quickly and evenly. Start checking for tenderness around the 6- to 8-minute mark instead of 10.
- Heavy cream: Use half and half (or mix your own, half cream and half whole milk) for a similar texture.
Behind the Recipe
I love soup season, but I don’t always love all the chopping that comes with it. This version lets me skip a bunch of prep.
My top tip for shredding a rotisserie chicken is to shred it while it's still warm. The meat is much easier to pull apart when it's warm. You can use clean hands or two forks, whatever feels easier (I'm team hands!).
Did you make this recipe? I’d love to hear what you think! Please take a moment to leave a rating and review—it helps me create high-quality recipes and lets others know what to expect.
FAQ
Yes, just chop into small florets and add to the soup during the same step. It may cook slightly faster than frozen.
Sharp cheddar is the go-to for its strong flavor and smooth melt. It gives the soup that rich, cheesy flavor without being overly salty.
📖 Recipe
Chicken Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Ingredients
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 1 small yellow onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 12 ounces frozen broccoli florets about 3 cups, roughly chopped if large
- 2 cups shredded cooked chicken such as rotisserie
- 2 ½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese divided
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon dry mustard powder
Instructions
- Sauté onion: In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 4–5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute more.
- Make a roux: Sprinkle in the flour and stir constantly for about 1 minute to remove the raw flour taste.
- Add liquids: Gradually whisk in the chicken broth, a little bit at a time, until smooth. Add milk and cream, whisking to combine. Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring often, until the mixture starts to thicken (about 5 minutes).
- Add broccoli: Stir in the frozen broccoli florets. Simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes, or until tender. You can gently mash some pieces for a thicker texture if you like.
- Add chicken and cheese: Stir in the pre-cooked shredded chicken, 2 cups of cheddar cheese, salt, pepper, and mustard powder. Reduce heat to low and stir until cheese is melted and soup is creamy.
- Taste and serve: Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Ladle into bowls and top with the remaining cheddar cheese. Serve with crusty bread or warm rolls.
Notes
Nutrition
More Recipes with Pre-Cooked Chicken:
Looking for more chicken recipes? Try these:
Kelsey Smith says
I hope you all enjoy my soup recipe. Bookmark this for the next time you're at Costco staring down a hot rotisserie chicken.