This Amazing 30 Minute Smoked Gouda Broccoli Soup is warm, silky and made with simple ingredients you likely already have in the kitchen. Broccoli florets, white onion, carrot, garlic and chicken stock create the base for this hearty soup. Unlike other cheese soups, this recipe uses shredded smoked Gouda to deliver rich, cheesy flavor in every spoonful.
This broccoli soup recipe will generously serve four as a main course, or up to eight when served as a small side cup of soup. Since it only takes 30 minutes to prepare, this recipe is a perfect midweek dinner option. And if you are one to take your lunch to work or school, you’ll have enough left over for the next day.
My kitchen smelled amazing the whole time I was developing this recipe – so much so, that I had to utilize “the child gate” to keep my nosy husband out of the kitchen while I worked. However, the only thing more satisfying than this soup’s aroma is a warm bowl in hand in just 30 minutes. Needless to say, he was very happy when I finally let him have some.
Jump to RecipeFirst things first. How do you pronounce Gouda?
When I was 19 years old and in college, I worked for a short time in the deli section of a specialty food and beverage store in Ann Arbor, Michigan. I was young and didn’t know much, if anything, about cheese at the time and I just happened to help a nice lady from the Netherlands. As we chatted our way through her deli order, she was kind enough to educate me on how to pronounce Gouda. I never forgot.
In America, you’ll often hear it called “Goo-duh”, but the locals pronounce it “How-da”. That’s not to say I don’t slip up from time to time, because I do. However, if I ever find myself in Rome – or the Netherlands since we’re talking about a good Dutch cheese here – I’ll be sure to pronounce it like a local so as not to completely embarrass myself.
If you’d like to learn more about Gouda, Smoked Gouda or other cheeses, check out Cheese.com. It’s a great resource for all things related to cheese, including cutting tips, how to properly store your cheeses, pairing recommendations and other recipes with smoked Gouda cheese.
What makes this Amazing 30 Minute Smoked Gouda Broccoli Soup so delicious?
I know I’m supposed to build suspense with my writing – it’s trade craft 101 – but it’s the cheese! There, I said it! It’s the smoked Gouda….that amazing, smoky, wonderfully, creamy cheese.
I love Gouda cheese. Gouda with caraway seeds. Gouda with horseradish and chives. It’s all delicious to me. But smoked Gouda…that’s something a little extra. If you’ve never had smoked Gouda, promise me this will be the year you will give it a try.
Consisting of approximately 45 percent butterfat, smoked Gouda has a delightfully creamy texture when served at room temperature, and pools into absolute cheese heaven when melted.
You may have seen Gouda sealed in wax. Although you can’t eat the wax, the smoke rind is completely edible and delivers bold, smoky flavor for those who crave it. Smoked Gouda pairs beautifully with ham, potatoes, pasta, eggs, apples or straight up snacking. Honestly, it’s just delicious no matter how you serve it.
Although I typically will enjoy the rind when I eat smoked Gouda straight, the smoky flavor was too forward in the first version of this soup. For this reason, I recommend peeling the rind from the cheese before shredding it. You’ll still get a rich smoky flavor, but it won’t overpower the soup as it did in my first test version.
A simple process for building big flavor in 30 short minutes
The process for making this 30-minute soup relies on building flavors quickly in a single pot. We start by sauteing finely chopped onions, carrots and garlic in butter over medium-high heat for approximately 3 minutes – or until the vegetables begin to soften.
From there, we add the flour and build a simple roux with the butter that is already in the pot. The flour coats the vegetables, ensuring that the flour – the thickener for this soup – is evenly distributed throughout the mixture. This step takes two minutes.
Fond will develop on the bottom of the pan at this point, and that’s perfectly fine. These brown, borderline burnt bits of flavor will be released when we add the chicken stock to the mix. I prefer to use chicken stock in this recipe because it has a richer flavor than broth. With only 30 minutes, we need to build flavor quickly, so stock is our preferred liquid.
At this stage, we add the broccoli and the stock. Frozen broccoli is both acceptable and cost effective. The florets are already blanched and any thick, fibrous stalks have been removed. Save the fresh stuff for another meal and use frozen broccoli in this recipe.
When adding the stock to the roux and vegetable mixture, add it gradually. This will allow the liquid to slowly hydrate the roux and create a smooth paste. Add a little more stock and stir until it is absorbed. Continue in this way until the full two cups have been added. If you were to add the stock all at one time, clumps of flour would form in the soup. Adding a little of the stock at a time, ensures a smooth, creamy texture.
Next we add the salt, half of the pepper and the paprika to the mix. Bring the soup to the boil and then immediately reduce to a simmer. Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. The color will appear quite dark at this point, but it will lighten when we add the cream and Gouda cheese to this broccoli soup recipe.
We’re now ready to finish the soup. In early versions, I used two cups of half and half. It was very thick and delicious, but I prefer this version which calls for one cup of half and half and one cup of skim milk. There’s still plenty of body and flavor to the soup, but it’s a little lighter, which I like. Once the dairy has been added, allow the soup to warm back up to a simmer before adding the smoked Gouda.
It’s important to gradually add the shredded smoked Gouda to the soup and stir until completely melted into the soup mixture – approximately 1/4 cup at a time. This technique ensures the cheese has completely melted into the soup.
At this point you can adjust the seasoning by adding extra pepper if desired. You’re now ready to dig in and enjoy!
Soup to warm the body and nourish the soul
I think one of life’s simple pleasures is a bowl of soup. When the weather turns chilly, soup makes for a very satisfying meal. There’s just something about holding a hot bowl of soup in your hands and feeling the warmth transfer into your fingers, the aroma of the soup coming up from the bowl to greet and warm your nose.
Another of my favorite soups to make in the winter is my recipe for Easy 30 Minute Creamy Potato Leek Soup. It’s a fast and easy mid-week dinner. Not a bad lazy weekend meal either – just saying. There’s no meat in either of these recipes; however, you could add some crisp, diced ham if you’re craving it. A nice pancetta or bacon can also be substituted. But honestly, both soups are so good, you won’t miss the meat at all.
Soup is comfort food in its simplest form. It’s beautiful, elegant and flavorful. And like all good soups, this one is even better the second day. Enjoy!
Amazing 30 Minute Smoked Gouda Broccoli Soup
Course: MainCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy4
servings10
minutes20
minutesCreamy cheese soup consisting of broccoli florets, white onion, carrot, garlic, chicken stock and smoked Gouda.
Ingredients
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/2 cup white onion, 1/4 inch dice
1/2 cup carrots, shredded or chopped fine in a food processor
1 small garlic clove, minced (1/2 tsp)
4 Tbsp. A.P. Flour2 cups frozen broccoli florets, thawed and cut fine
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 – 1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. paprika
2 cups unsalted chicken stock
1 cup half and half
1 cup skim milk
2 cups shredded smoked Gouda, approximately 4 ounces without the rind.
Directions
- In a 5 quart sauce pan, melt the butter over medium high heat. Add the onions, carrots and garlic and saute for approximately 3 minutes until the vegetables start to become tender.
- Add the flour and stir until the vegetables are completely coated. Cook for another 2 minutes.
- Add the broccoli, salt, paprika and 1/4 tsp. of black pepper to start. Stir to incorporate.
- Add the chicken stock a little at a time. Stir until the liquid is absorbed into the flour and a smooth paste is formed. Add a little more stock and stir until it is absorbed. Continue in this manner until the stock is completely incorporated. Bring the soup mixture to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.
- After the soup has simmered for 15 minute, add the half and half and milk. Stir until the dairy is incorporated and the temperature of the soup has come back up again.
- Gradually add the shredded smoked Gouda to the soup and stir until completely melted into the mixture – approximately 1/4 cup at a time. Once the cheese has completely melted into the soup, add the additional pepper if desired.
- Remove from the heat and serve immediately.
