Shrimp Broccoli & Cheese Soup, a kicked up broccoli and cheese soup!
Shrimp Broccoli & Cheese Soup recipe, an easy homemade soup recipe. In case you were wondering, it’s still quite cold and wintery here in the northeast. Ok, you probably weren’t wondering, but bare with me. Been on a soup “kick” lately which is probably my way of coping with the horrible winter weather. I love broccoli and cheese soup but always hate making soups using cups and cups of heavy cream. So instead, I like to use evaporated milk. It still tastes really good and has less calories and fat which is a nice bonus! You won’t miss the cream!
I used my immersion blender to process the soup but you can use blender or food processor or leave the soup chunky. Be sure to chop the broccoli into really small pieces.
Since I was saving some fat and calories with the evaporated milk, I went with regular cheese, but a good melting light or lowfat cheese would also work well. Also love topping this soup with cheese and bacon. Ok, maybe I should have just gone with the cream!
I was a little hesitant about adding shrimp to the soup and was a little unsure about the combination but thought it worked just fine. The soup would be great without the shrimp or would also be great with precooked chopped chicken.
The soup would also be good with bacon, sour cream, and/or chopped green onion. Or a combination of all of them! So many options, so little time!
I made a HUGE batch of this Broccoli & Cheese Soup and froze it in 2-cup containers for quick lunch and dinner options. If you’re not looking to make a huge batch you might want to cut back on the ingredients.
Your yield may vary a little if you change the recipe or protein. Hope you enjoy this warm comforting soup and hopefully the weather will be spring like soon so I can get over my soup kick!
You might also like this Cheesy Pumpkin & Sausage Soup for another delicious soup recipe or this Creamy Parmesan Cauliflower Soup!
Shrimp Broccoli & Cheese Soup
Ingredients
- 12 cups chicken broth
- 48 ounces evaporated milk (4 – 12 ounce cans)
- 8 cups broccoli florets finely chopped
- 3 pounds raw shrimp (small or medium), peeled, & deveined
- 4 cups shredded cheddar cheese (2 – 8 oz. bags), or any kind of shredded cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- Optional (for thicker soup): 1/2 cup cornstarch & 1/2 cup cold water
- Toppings options: bacon, sour cream, chopped green onion, shredded cheese
Instructions
- Pour chicken broth and evaporated milk into a very large saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, then reduce heat to low to simmer. Add broccoli and cook about 5-7 minutes or until broccoli just starts to soften. Stir in cheese and shrimp and cook another 3-5 minutes or until shrimp is pink and cooked through and cheese has melted. Stir in garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste.
- Using an immersion blender, process the soup until desired consistency. If you don’t have an immersion blender, pour soup in batches into a food processor or blender and process (make sure to leave the top slightly off for the steam to get out) then pour back into pan over heat.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl whisk together cornstarch and water until smooth. Slowly mix into soup until desired thickness. Top as desired.
Notes
Nutrition:
(Nutrition data is provided when available for informational purposes only and calculated using an online nutritional calculator. For the most accurate information please calculate based on specific ingredients and brands you use as well as any changes you made to the recipe. I am not a certified nutritionist or registered dietician and any nutritional information provided should only be used as a general guideline and estimate.)
About Lisa Huff
Lisa Huff is a Cookbook Author, Freelance Recipe Developer, Food Photographer, Blogger/Writer, and award-winning home chef. She loves creating unique recipes from healthy to decadent including cocktails, appetizers, main dishes, dessert recipes and more and has appeared on various shows, publications, and websites.
Sounds wonderful. Is this soup freezer friendly? My husband is a otr driver so I am home alone most of the time so I don’t cook much. I am doing freezer meals and would love to have this in my freezer.
Unfortunately with all the dairy I don’t think it would freeze well. You can freeze it but think the consistentency is going to be off when it defrosts.
Excellent flavor. I used whole milk and 1/2 the cheese was American processed. We added bacon and shrimp heated in the bacon grease. To make the broccoli a little smaller, I used a handheld blender (just a few submersions).
Definitely recommend this recipe since it allows for alternations.
Thanks Joan! :)
My husband loved it! Its perfect for his low carb diet…and plenty of leftover portions that he can reheat. Thanks Lisa!
Perfect soup! It has been cold here this week too.