Easy Cheesy Broccoli Crockpot Soup

As the weather begins to cool and the last blooms of summer fade, my thoughts turn to….soup! Nothing like a good belly-warmer on a chilly day, especially one that takes advantage of farm market finds.

Soup really is a wonderful thing. For me, it brings so many memories of my dad, the master soup-maker. His greatest joy, besides gardening, was to spend an entire day tenderly tending his soup pot. I can still see the days when our dog would be sitting right on Dad’s feet as he pulled chicken he’d simmered for soup, hoping for a dropped piece. She definitely knew Dad’s soup was worth waiting for!

Topping the soup list were Dad’s beef vegetable and chicken noodle, which cured every ailment, and of course chili.  I don’t remember Dad ever making cream soups, though. I suppose that’s because Mom was the perpetual dieter. Cream soups were always “diet taboo.”

I, on the other hand, love a rich and creamy soup. I also love recipes that don’t require me to spend hours in and out of the kitchen. So, I set out to craft a slow cooker creamy soup loaded with summer harvest bounty. As usual, this is made with my preferred ingredients using four other recipes’ instructions and tips. The result is super easy; just load the slow cooker and let it go.

Handy Tips

• I use frozen shredded hash browns to provide the thickener for the soup, instead of having to work with a slurry of some sort. Easiest in the interest of dump and go, and I don’t need to worry about any flour flavored undertones.
• If you like texture, there’s no need to blend the soup before adding the cheese. The broccoli breaks down really well, but you will “feel” the grain of flower bits if you don’t blend (my sister, the texture queen, doesn’t like the feel of the broccoli bits!)
• For a smooth soup, when you hit the final 30-minute mark, carefully transfer soup to a blender in small batches and blend until smooth. Or, use an immersion blender like I do. That’s the easiest.
  • IMPORTANT! If you’re using a blender, be sure to work in small batches, pulse on low and partially vent the lid. When you put hot liquid in a blender, then blend, steam can build up, blow the lid off and the contents skyward, which could scald you!
• If you like larger chunks of broccoli, simply add 1-2 additional cups of broccoli florets in the last 20 minutes of cooking.
• The soup packages well for refrigerator and freezer. If freezing, I suggest not adding the cheese until you’re actually going to serve it. Melted cheese doesn’t tend to hold up well in the freezer. In any case, you’ll want to have some chicken broth or milk handy to thin it once it’s been refrigerated or frozen. It gets quite thick.