Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Instructions
- Chop the broccoli florets into small, bite-sized pieces and scatter them at the bottom of your slow cooker. They’ll get extra tender and soak up all the flavor as they cook.
- Layer the shredded carrots, diced onion, cubes or dollops of cream cheese, and freshly minced garlic right over the broccoli. Those veggies will soften and mingle as everything simmers.
- In a bowl, whisk the cornstarch into the chicken broth (or veggie broth if you’re going meatless) until no lumps remain. Pour this mixture evenly over the other ingredients in the pot. Give it all a gentle stir to start combining the flavors.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for a few hours, or LOW for a good stretch—until the broccoli is fork-tender and your kitchen smells incredible.
- Switch the heat to LOW. Stir in the milk and all that glorious shredded cheddar. Let it cook a little longer so everything becomes thick, melty, and rich. Listen for the cheese bubbling and look for the soup to turn silky.
- For the perfect texture, use an immersion blender to blitz part of the soup directly in the slow cooker—just enough to smooth things out while leaving plenty of chunky bites. This creates that ideal creamy-with-chunks balance.
