Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup - The Chunky Chef (2024)

FAQs

Why is my broccoli cheese soup clumpy? ›

When it's time to add the cheese into the soup, sprinkle it in in batches, stirring until each batch is melted before adding the next batch vs dumping it all in at once. This will ensure there are no clumps in the final soup.

Thicken the Soup

Melt a few tablespoons of butter in a separate saucepan. Stir in the flour, then the milk. Cook the milk mixture until it's thick and bubbly, then add it to the soup. Finish it off with a dash of pepper (and the other seasonings of your choosing).

Pre-shredded cheeses include anti-caking agents that will prevent them from melting properly in your soup. If you shredded your own cheese and it's still not melting, it may just need more time on the stove.

Your soup may become grainy if the cheese or dairy curdles. With a recipe like the one that follow you shouldn't have trouble because the cheese is added as a finishing component, off heat. But to avoid “breaking” the dairy while reheating (or with other dairy-rich soups), take it low and slow.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup Tips

Curdling in a cream soup usually occurs when the milk or cream is added at too high of a heat. As you incorporate the milk and broth into the cooked onion and flour mixture, keep the heat at medium and stir continuously with a whisk.

How do you prevent cheese from clumping in soups? MDP: The key is to add cheese at the very end, with just residual heat -- either after turning off the heat or at the very end. It's a similar technique as with pasta, how you have the burner very low or turned off.

Add more cheese – The more cheese you add, the thicker your broccoli and cheese soup will be!

Adding/mixing water in the soup makes the soup less thick. (discrepencies apply. You could use more vegetables/fruits/ingredients with water in them in your soup or just plain ol' pour in water, though ratio applies. Some ingredients have more water than others.

Add Flour Or Cornstarch

You can thicken soup by adding flour, cornstarch, or another starchy substitute. For the best results, never add flour or cornstarch directly to your soup. If you do, it will clump up on top. Instead, ladle a small amount of broth into a separate bowl and let it cool.

Use low heat: For the cheese to melt smoothly without clumping or burning, it's important to use low heat. High heat can cause the cheese to seize and become stringy. Slowly heat the soup and cheese mixture over low to medium heat, stirring constantly until the cheese reaches its melting point.

How to fix curdled cream cheese in soup? ›

Method 1 adding a starch. such as cornstarch or flour. I added flour. and began reheating once the flour was mixed in.

Vegetables high in fructans , can cause difficulty tothose with sensitive digestion issues, contributing to bloating, gad and pain. Cruciferous veggies like brussels spouts and broccoli can cause bloating and excess gas for some people.

Mild cheddar, Colby, Monterey jack, mozzarella, Swiss and queso blanco can all work well. “The best cheeses to melt into soups are cheeses that are higher in moisture and have a lower melting point,” says Bauer. In addition to cheddar and Monterey jack, he recommends Fontina and Gruyère.

Add a small amount of fresh herbs to the soup and stir until well combined. Acidic ingredients like lemon juice, vinegar, or tomatoes can also help to reduce the saltiness of soup. Add a small amount of acid to the soup and stir until well combined.

Use low heat: For the cheese to melt smoothly without clumping or burning, it's important to use low heat. High heat can cause the cheese to seize and become stringy. Slowly heat the soup and cheese mixture over low to medium heat, stirring constantly until the cheese reaches its melting point.

"The majority of issues with a creamy soup come from undercooking the vegetables," explains Rick Martinez, associate food editor at BA. They should be uniformly soft, with no resistance or "bite"—otherwise, they will not stand up to the blender. You'll be left with a soup that's watery in portions and lumpy in others.