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    Home » Recipes » Soups & Stews

    Slow Cooker Chicken Broccoli Cheese Soup

    Published: Jan 24, 2021 · Modified: Feb 23, 2021 by Heather · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. · 703 words. · About 4 minutes to read this article.

    Jump to Recipe
    Slow cooker chicken broccoli cheese soup recipe.
    Slow cooker chicken broccoli cheese soup recipe.
    Slow cooker chicken broccoli cheese soup recipe.

    Slow cooker chicken broccoli cheese soup is a hearty meal prepared entirely in your slow cooker. This creamy cheese soup is filled with shredded chicken breasts, broccoli, and carrots.

    Bowl of chicken broccoli cheese soup with a spoon.

    Slow cookers are a great time saver when it comes to making a home cooked meal. This chicken broccoli cheese soup is made entirely in the slow cooker, with no stove top cooking involved.

    This creamy cheese soup is filled with flavorful herbs, spices, vegetables, and shredded chicken. A great weeknight meal or hearty homemade dinner on the weekends.

    Broccoli, onion, and carrots are added to the slow cooker, then topped with boneless, skinless chicken breasts. The creamy, cheesy sauce comes together in the last 30 minutes of cooking.

    Ingredients and substitutions

    Ingredients on a counter top.

    For this recipe, you'll need a pound of boneless, skinless chicken breasts. I find that most chicken breasts run very large nowadays, so you may only need two or three for this recipe.

    Broccoli florets can be substituted with frozen broccoli. This may slow your cooking time slightly.

    Half & half can be substituted with whole milk for a slightly thinner soup.

    I highly recommend using freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese off the block for this recipe. Pre-shredded cheeses are often coated in anti-clumping powders. When melted, these powders will cause your soup to have a grainy texture. For this reason, I do not recommend using pre-shredded cheese.

    Sharp cheddar can be substituted with pepper jack cheese for a kick of heat, or monterey jack or gruyere cheeses for a milder, creamy flavor.

    Cooking chicken soup in slow cooker.

    What kind of chicken to use

    Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are ideal for this recipe. They will cook in the same amount of time as the vegetables added to your soup.

    If using thinner cuts of chicken, like thin sliced chicken breasts or chicken tenders, your soup will need much less cooking time and your vegetables may not cook through entirely.

    Chicken breasts can be substituted with boneless chicken thighs if desired.

    I do not recommend using bone-in chicken breasts because they'll take longer to cook through and your vegetables will over-cook in that time.

    What size slow cooker to use

    To make the recipe as written for four servings, I recommend a 3 quart slow cooker (as shown in the photos above).

    If doubling this recipe, you'll want to use a 5 or 6 quart slow cooker.

    Shredded cheese melting on top of a creamy soup.

    Leftovers and reheating

    This soup keeps fairly well as a leftover for 2-3 days in a sealed container in the refrigerator. To reheat, pour into a saucepan and heat over medium heat until hot throughout, about 10 minutes.

    I do not recommend freezing dairy-based soups as they tend to separate when thawing and reheating.

    Bowl of chicken broccoli cheese soup with a spoon.
    Print Recipe
    4.91 from 11 reviews

    Slow Cooker Chicken Broccoli Cheese Soup

    Slow cooker chicken broccoli cheese soup is a hearty meal prepared entirely in your slow cooker. This creamy cheese soup is filled with shredded chicken breasts, broccoli, and carrots.
    Prep Time20 minutes
    Cook Time4 hours 30 minutes
    Total Time4 hours 50 minutes
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 592kcal
    Author: Heather

    Ingredients

    • 16 ounces boneless skinless chicken breasts
    • 4 cups broccoli florets
    • 1 onion, diced
    • 2 carrots, grated
    • 2 cups chicken broth
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon pepper
    • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
    • ½ teaspoon paprika
    • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
    • 2 cups half & half
    • 2 cups freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese

    Instructions

    • In a slow cooker, add onion, broccoli florets, carrots, chicken broth, salt, pepper, paprika, and thyme. Stir to combine. Add chicken breasts in a single layer on top.
    • Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours, or until chicken is cooked through. Cooking time will depend on thickness of chicken beasts.
    • Remove chicken breasts, shred with a fork, then return chicken to slow cooker.
    • In a bowl, combine cornstarch with about ¼ cup of your half & half and whisk into a smooth slurry. Add cornstarch mixture, remaining half & half, and shredded cheese to slow cooker and stir to combine.
    • Cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes on low before serving.

    Equipment Recommendations

    • 3-Quart Slow Cooker
    • Measuring Spoons
    • Pyrex Liquid Measuring Cups
    • Red Spoonula Set

    Notes

    • I recommend using freshly shredded cheese from a block, not pre-shredded bagged cheese. Pre-shredded cheeses are coated in anti-clumping powders that will make your soup grainy when melted. 
    • Half & half can be substituted with whole milk for a slightly thinner soup.
    • Leftovers will keep for 2-3 days in a sealed container in the refrigerator. 
    • I do not recommend freezing dairy-based soups, they tend to separate when thawed.

    Nutrition Estimate

    Calories: 592kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 45g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Cholesterol: 177mg | Sodium: 1596mg | Potassium: 1152mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 6814IU | Vitamin C: 96mg | Calcium: 606mg | Iron: 2mg
    Course: Main Course, Soup
    Cuisine: American

    More chicken soup recipes

    • Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup
    • Chicken Vegetable Soup
    • Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup
    • Cajun Chicken Noodle Soup

    More Soup and Stew Recipes

    • Slow Cooker Spicy Bison Chili
    • Rotisserie Chicken Noodle Soup
    • Kielbasa Potato Soup
    • Corn Zucchini Chowder

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    1. Lori

      November 12, 2022 at 1:24 pm

      My daughter made it and it was fantastic

      Reply
    2. Noelle

      October 22, 2022 at 3:07 pm

      Making this tonight. It will go well with some crusty bread. Thanks for the recipe!

      Reply
    3. Aim

      January 26, 2022 at 10:05 pm

      Hi there, can I use frozen broccoli for this or is it fresh? Thank you so much for your time and help!!

      Reply
      • Heather

        January 27, 2022 at 7:53 am

        Broccoli florets can be substituted with frozen broccoli. This may slow your cooking time slightly.

        Reply
        • Aim

          January 28, 2022 at 10:01 pm

          So you are saying fresh is the only way to go?!

          Reply
          • Heather

            January 28, 2022 at 10:15 pm

            I'm saying that fresh broccoli can be substituted with frozen broccoli.

            Reply
            • Aim

              January 29, 2022 at 11:07 am

              Thank you so much. You are a huge help!! I will be making this very soon and I will report back.
              By the way....how do you think Mexican cheese will turn out instead of cheddar?

            • Heather

              January 29, 2022 at 11:50 am

              You can find a list of cheeses substitutes in the post, but any melty cheeses, like pepper jack or gruyere would work well. As long as it's not a pre-shredded, bagged cheese. They're coated in anti-clumping powders that get grainy when melted.

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    Heather of The Toasty Kitchen

    Hi, I'm Heather of The Toasty Kitchen. I love cooking with real, unfussy ingredients, and I want to help you make homemade meals with ease.

    More about me →

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