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Crockpot Broccoli Cheese Soup with Ham

Name: Crockpot Broccoli Cheese Soup with Ham
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 360 min
Total time: 370 min
Ingredients: 16 ounces frozen broccoli florets; 1 medium onion, diced; 1 large russet potato, peeled and diced into bite-sized pieces; 2 whole carrots, peeled and diced; 4 cups low sodium chicken broth; 1 cup water; 2 (10.5 ounce) cans condensed cream of celery soup, NOT diluted; ½ teaspoon kosher salt; ½ teaspoon ground black pepper; 1 pound Velveeta cheese, cubed; 2 cups grated cheddar cheese; 12 ounces (about 2 cups) diced, cooked ham

Published: Dec 2, 2021 by Blair Lonergan

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Crockpot Broccoli Cheese Soup is a cozy slow cooker dinner recipe for busy nights -- and a great way to use up leftover ham! This hearty, satisfying soup combines broccoli, cheese, carrots, potatoes, onion, and ham in every bite. Serve the easy broccoli cheese soup alongside a loaf of crusty bread, a basket of buttermilk biscuits, or a pan of honey cornbread for a delicious family meal!

Broccoli and Cheese Soup

For as long as I can remember, my Mom has served a ham on Christmas Day. Don't you just love holiday traditions? It's fun to anticipate certain treats that we might not otherwise enjoy throughout the year, and a ham (with Dad's homemade biscuits) is definitely one of those fond childhood memories that I have continued with my own family.

Even better, since Mom knows how much we enjoy the ham, we almost always come home with plenty of leftovers to stash in the freezer, to use on sandwiches, or to toss into a soup. Ham, cheese, and broccoli are the perfect combination, so I combined them all in this simple and satisfying Crockpot Broccoli Cheese Soup!

The soup tastes a lot like the broccoli cheddar soup that we love at Panera, with the addition of salty, smoky, flavorful meat. Better yet, this version could not be easier, since it's essentially a dump-and-go slow cooker recipe that requires very little hands-on effort!

Ingredients

This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you'll need for the best broccoli cheese soup recipe. As always, specific measurements and complete cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.

Frozen broccoli florets: I like the bag of frozen broccoli for ease, but you can also use 3-4 cups of fresh broccoli florets if you prefer.
Onion and carrots: extra vegetables that add flavor to the soup.
Potato: thickens the soup, adds flavor, and makes the dish more filling. I use a large russet potato, but you can substitute with about 8-10 ounces of other potatoes instead (such as Yukon gold).
Chicken broth: the liquid base of the soup.
Water: extra liquid to thin the soup without adding more salt.
Cream of celery soup: thickens the broth, provides a creamy texture, and adds great flavor.
Velveeta cheese and cheddar cheese: provide the rich flavor and thick texture that give this soup its name! The Velveeta provides a smooth, creamy texture, while the cheddar adds nice flavor. Use sharp cheddar cheese for a bolder flavor, or mild cheddar for a more subtle touch.
Ham: use leftover ham from a holiday meal (like Christmas or Easter!), or purchase ham steaks or diced ham at the grocery store. You can also omit the ham if you prefer.
Salt and pepper: to enhance the other flavors and give the soup more complexity.

How to Make Broccoli and Cheese Soup in a Crock Pot

This crockpot broccoli cheese soup only requires about 10 minutes of prep for the ultimate comfort food! There's no need to make a roux with flour and butter, and instead you can just dump in the ingredients and go about your day. Loaded with veggies, potatoes, ham, and cheese, it's a true one-pot meal that the entire family will love.

Place frozen broccoli florets, onion, potato, carrots, chicken broth, water, cream of celery soup, salt and pepper in a Crock Pot.
Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or on HIGH for about 3 hours, until the vegetables are very tender.
Use a handheld stick immersion blender to purée some of the mixture (leaving some of the chunky vegetables for texture). If you don't have an immersion blender, you can transfer about 1-2 cups of the soup to a regular blender or food processor, blend until smooth, and then return to the slow cooker and combine with the rest of the soup.
Stir in the cheeses and the ham, and continue cooking for about 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese melts smoothly into the broth. The end result is an easy, cheesy Velveeta Broccoli Cheddar Soup!

What to Serve with Broccoli Cheese Soup

This creamy crockpot broccoli cheese soup recipe pairs nicely with a crisp green salad or a Caesar salad. It also goes well with saltines or oyster crackers, homemade buttermilk biscuits, a loaf of crusty bread, a baguette (just like at Panera Bread), 3-ingredient sour cream muffins, corn sticks, or a pan of cornbread for dipping.

Storage

Properly stored in an airtight container, the soup will last in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

To Reheat: Place the soup in a pot and warm over a low flame, just until heated through. Be careful not to let the soup boil, or the cheese may curdle.

Can you freeze broccoli cheese soup?

I do not recommend freezing this soup. While it works okay in a pinch, I find that the texture of the soup is a bit more grainy when thawed. That's because dairy-based soups tend to separate or curdle after freezing, resulting in an undesirable texture.

Slow Cooker Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe Variations

Instead of the frozen broccoli florets, substitute with about 3-4 cups of fresh broccoli florets.
If you don't have leftover ham, you can purchase ham steaks or diced ham at the grocery store. You can also omit the ham if you prefer.
For a vegetarian soup, omit the ham and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
For another protein option, substitute with 1 lb. of ground beef (cooked and drained), 2 cups of cooked, chopped chicken or 2 cups of cooked, chopped turkey.
Swap out the cream of celery soup for a different flavor condensed soup, such as cream of chicken soup or cream of mushroom soup. This will give the recipe a slightly different flavor, though. You might want to add some diced celery to the slow cooker so that it still has that classic taste.
For a stovetop broccoli cheese soup, try this recipe. You can add ham to that version as well!

Tips for the Best Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe

To prevent your broccoli cheese soup from becoming grainy or curdled, make sure that the soup doesn't get too hot. You don't want to boil the soup, or the proteins in the cheese tighten up, squeeze out the fat, and give you that unpleasant curdled texture.
Velveeta provides (by far!) the best, smoothest, creamiest texture for a cheesy soup. Yes, you can substitute with other types of cheese...but the soup will not have the same taste or mouthfeel.
This soup is not low-carb or keto-friendly, as it contains 9 grams of carbohydrates per cup.

More Crock Pot Soup Recipes to Try

If you love the convenience of slow cooker soup recipes, be sure to sample some of these other great options:

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