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Broccoli & Stilton Soup Recipe

ByLumina Liu June 28, 2025June 23, 2025

That was me last Tuesday, staring into my refrigerator like it might magically produce a three-course meal.

The roast I’d planned to make was still frozen solid (rookie mistake), the fancy appetizer required ingredients I definitely didn’t have, and I was approximately one small crisis away from ordering pizza and pretending it was always the plan.

But then I spotted them: a slightly sad-looking head of broccoli that I’d bought with the best intentions five days earlier, and a wedge of stilton cheese that had been lurking in my cheese drawer since who-knows-when.

In that moment of pure desperation—the kind that breeds either disaster or unexpected brilliance—I remembered this broccoli & stilton soup recipe that had been bookmarked in my browser for months.

You know how it is: you save recipes with the earnest intention of making them “soon,” and then suddenly it’s been a year and you’ve completely forgotten they exist.

What followed was not just dinner party salvation, but the discovery of what might be the most satisfying, soul-warming soup I’ve ever made.

This isn’t just another broccoli & stilton soup recipe to add to your collection—it’s the one that turns a potential kitchen catastrophe into the kind of meal your guests will actually ask you to make again.

The Beautiful Simplicity of British Comfort Food

There’s something wonderfully unpretentious about British soup recipes, and this broccoli & stilton soup embodies that perfectly.

It’s the kind of dish that doesn’t try to be fancy or Instagram-worthy—it just focuses on being deeply, satisfyingly good. The combination of earthy broccoli and sharp, creamy stilton is classic for a reason: it works.

Stilton, for those unfamiliar, is Britain’s king of blue cheeses—creamy, pungent, and with just enough bite to make things interesting without overwhelming your palate.

When it melts into the warm, silky broccoli base, it creates this incredible depth of flavor that’s both comforting and sophisticated. It’s the kind of soup that makes you close your eyes on the first spoonful and think, “Oh, right. This is why people love food.”

The beauty of this broccoli & stilton soup recipe lies in its straightforward approach.

There are no exotic ingredients or complicated techniques—just good vegetables, proper technique, and that magical moment when the cheese meets the soup and everything comes together. It’s British comfort food at its finest: honest, warming, and absolutely delicious.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• 2 tablespoons rapeseed oil (or vegetable oil)
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 1 leek, sliced
• 1 medium potato, peeled and cubed
• 1 knob of butter
• 1 liter hot vegetable stock
• 1 head of broccoli, chopped (save the chunky stalk bits)
• 140g stilton cheese, crumbled
• Black pepper to taste

The Step-by-Step Journey to Soup Perfection

Here’s the steps:

Building the Flavor Foundation

Start by heating that rapeseed oil in your largest saucepan—and I mean it when I say largest, because this soup has a tendency to bubble up enthusiastically, and nobody wants to clean soup splatter off their stovetop (been there, learned that lesson the hard way). Add your finely chopped onion and let it cook on medium heat until it’s soft and translucent.

This is where patience pays off: don’t rush this step. If the onions start to catch and brown too quickly, add a splash of water to slow things down. You want them sweet and soft, not crispy and bitter.

Once your onions are perfectly softened—which should take about 5-7 minutes—add the celery, sliced leek, cubed potato, and that knob of butter.

I love this moment in the recipe because everything starts to smell incredible, and you can practically feel the soup coming together.

Stir everything until the butter melts completely, then cover with a lid and let the vegetables sweat for exactly 5 minutes. This sweating process is crucial—it’s where the vegetables release their moisture and flavors start to meld together.

The Simmering Stage

Remove the lid (prepare for a lovely aromatic steam cloud) and pour in your hot vegetable stock. Here’s where you add any chunky bits of broccoli stalk that you’ve saved—don’t waste those!

They’re full of flavor and will cook down beautifully. Let everything simmer together for 10-15 minutes until all the vegetables are fork-tender. You’ll know they’re ready when you can easily pierce the potato pieces with a knife.

Now comes the star of the show: add the rest of your broccoli florets and cook for just 5 more minutes. This shorter cooking time keeps the broccoli bright and prevents that gray, overcooked vegetable taste that nobody wants in their soup.

The Blending Magic

Here’s where things get exciting (and potentially messy). Carefully transfer your hot soup to a blender—and I cannot stress “carefully” enough. Hot soup and blenders can be a dangerous combination if you’re not paying attention.

Work in batches if necessary, and never fill your blender more than halfway with hot liquid. Blend until completely smooth and silky.

Return the blended soup to your saucepan and stir in the crumbled stilton cheese. This is the moment where the magic happens—watch as the cheese melts into creamy, tangy ribbons throughout the soup.

I like to let a few small lumps remain because they provide these wonderful little bursts of concentrated stilton flavor in each bowl.

Pro Tips for Broccoli & Stilton Soup Success

Bring the Broccoli & Stilton Soup Recipe to the next level with the following pro tips for me:

The Vegetable Stock Secret

While the recipe calls for vegetable stock, the quality here really matters. If you’re using store-bought stock (no judgment—we all do it), try to find one that’s low in sodium so you can control the saltiness yourself.

The stilton is already quite salty, so you don’t want to overdo it. If you have homemade vegetable stock, even better—it will make this broccoli & stilton soup recipe absolutely sing.

Stilton Selection and Storage

Not all stilton is created equal, and for this soup, you want something that’s creamy and spreadable rather than dry and crumbly.

A good stilton should have blue-green veining throughout and should smell distinctly pungent but not overwhelmingly sharp. If you’re buying it specifically for this recipe, ask the cheese counter person to let you taste a small piece—they’re usually happy to help.

The Blending Safety Protocol

I mentioned this earlier, but it bears repeating: hot soup and blenders require respect.

Always let the soup cool for a few minutes before blending, remove the center cap from your blender lid to allow steam to escape, and cover the opening with a kitchen towel.

Start blending on low speed and gradually increase. Trust me, discovering soup splattered across your ceiling is not the kitchen adventure you want.

Texture Perfection

The beauty of this broccoli & stilton soup recipe is its silky smooth texture punctuated by those melted cheese pockets.

If you prefer a slightly chunkier soup, reserve about a cup of the cooked vegetables before blending and stir them back in after you’ve added the cheese. It gives the soup a more rustic, homey texture that some people absolutely love.

Creative Variations to Make It Your Own

Eager to make some variations? Here are several you can try:

The Bacon Addition

For those who eat meat, try adding 4-6 strips of crispy bacon, chopped, right before serving. The smoky, salty crunch provides an incredible contrast to the creamy soup.

Cook the bacon in your soup pot first, remove it to drain, then use some of the rendered fat in place of the rapeseed oil for cooking your vegetables.

The Roasted Vegetable Version

For deeper, more complex flavors, try roasting your broccoli, onion, and potato in the oven at 400°F for about 25 minutes before adding them to the soup.

The caramelization adds this wonderful depth that makes the soup taste like you’ve been cooking all day (even though you haven’t).

The Lighter Take

If you’re looking for a lighter version of this broccoli & stilton soup recipe, you can substitute half the stilton with cream cheese or crème fraîche.

You’ll still get that tangy richness, but with fewer calories and a milder flavor that might appeal to those who find stilton too strong.

The Herb Garden Enhancement

Fresh herbs can completely transform this soup. Try stirring in some chopped fresh chives, parsley, or even a bit of fresh thyme just before serving.

The bright, fresh flavors provide a lovely contrast to the rich, earthy base. A small dollop of crème fraîche and a sprinkle of fresh herbs makes this soup look restaurant-worthy.

What to Expect (and Why It’s Worth Making)

Let me be completely honest with you: this broccoli & stilton soup recipe isn’t going to win any beauty contests.

It’s a gorgeous green color, yes, but it’s not the kind of dish that photographs particularly well (though it’s certainly Instagram-worthy in its own wholesome way). What it lacks in visual drama, it more than makes up for in pure, soul-satisfying deliciousness.

The first time you make this soup, you might be surprised by how quickly it comes together. From start to finish, you’re looking at about 45 minutes, and most of that is hands-off simmering time. It’s the kind of recipe that makes you feel like a competent cook without requiring any particularly advanced skills.

The flavor is what will keep you coming back to this recipe again and again. It’s deeply comforting without being heavy, sophisticated without being pretentious.

The stilton provides just enough sharpness to keep things interesting, while the broccoli base remains earthy and satisfying.

It’s the kind of soup that tastes even better the next day (and yes, it reheats beautifully), making it perfect for meal prep or planned leftovers.

Don’t be surprised if this becomes your go-to soup recipe for everything from casual weeknight dinners to impressive dinner parties.

It’s fancy enough to serve to guests but simple enough to make on a Tuesday night when you just want something warm and delicious. And honestly, isn’t that exactly what we all need more of in our cooking repertoires?