Broccoli Cheddar Soup

American creamy broccoli soup with sharp cheddar: a 1990 cultural landmark

Origin: United States

From the journey of Broccoli.

In 1990, President George H.W. Bush publicly declared he hated broccoli and banned it from Air Force One: generating weeks of national media coverage. Campbell's Soup seized the moment and launched broccoli cheddar soup the same year; Panera Bread later popularised their version into one of America's most iconic restaurant menu items. Food historians consider this the moment broccoli was fully absorbed into mainstream American food culture, transformed from an Italian immigrant vegetable into a national comfort food symbol that now appears on menus from Maine to California.

Ingredients

  • 600 g broccoli, roughly chopped (reserve some small florets)
  • 200 g sharp cheddar cheese, grated
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 carrots, grated
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 60 g unsalted butter
  • 40 g plain flour
  • 800 ml chicken or vegetable stock
  • 400 ml whole milk
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • pinch nutmeg
  • salt
  • black pepper

Method

  1. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion and grated carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened and translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
  2. Add the flour and stir constantly for 1–2 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste.
  3. Gradually whisk in the stock, then the milk, ensuring no lumps form. Bring to a gentle simmer.
  4. Add the chopped broccoli (reserving a handful of small florets for garnish). Simmer for 15 minutes until the broccoli is very soft.
  5. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth or partially smooth, according to preference. Return to low heat.
  6. Stir in the grated cheddar a handful at a time, allowing each addition to melt before adding the next. Add the Dijon mustard and nutmeg. Season well with salt and pepper.
  7. Serve topped with the reserved broccoli florets (briefly blanched), extra cheddar, and crusty bread.

Notes

The Dijon mustard is not optional: it sharpens the cheddar flavour and prevents the soup from tasting flat. White cheddar produces a cleaner-looking soup; orange cheddar is more traditionally American.

The Gastrographer

The Gastrographer

Mapping Culinary History

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Journey Point Map Key

Ingredient originTrade or transit route
Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control
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