This Cheesy Vegetable Chowder is thick, cheesy and loaded with all kinds of veggies. Even without meat, it’s hearty and plenty filling!
We have a few entrees that make for great meatless comfort food, including this dish. For more ideas, try our Asparagus Risotto, Spinach Quiche, or Veggie Pizza.
All Veggies and Rich Flavor
We’ve been really under the weather… for the past week and a half. Which basically feels like an eternity when you’ve got two sick kids… and you’re sick too. Soup has been our best friend (and so has take-out) along with anything else I can taste, which isn’t much.
I made this chowder a few weeks back, but we loved it so much I had to make it again. It is absolutely packed with vegetables, and the soup base is so thick and creamy, the kids don’t even notice it’s all veggies! It’s perfectly filling, despite the fact it’s meatless.
Basically, it’s the perfect comfort food for chilly days, or if you’re feeling under the weather like we are! Give it a try and let us know what you think.
Worth the Prep Work
It’s packed full of veggies- including a new favorite: celeriac aka celery root. It’s also loaded with cheese, so it kind of balances all the good stuff out. Wait, what? Cheese IS the good stuff! 😉
It’s pretty heavy on the prep work. There are lots of veggies to peel, slice, chop and dice. But it’s totally worth it. You’ll see.
SAUTE. In a large pot over set over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of butter. When the butter has melted, add the carrots, celery and onion and saute for 4 minutes. Add garlic and saute for a minute longer.
SIMMER. Stir in the chicken broth, potatoes, celery root, thyme, salt, pepper, paprika and cayenne. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium, cover and allow to simmer for 15 minutes (or until the potatoes are almost tender). Stir in the broccoli and cauliflower, cook for 5-7 minutes longer or until veggies are tender.
BASE. Meanwhile, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook, whisking constantly for about a minute. Slowly pour in the milk, whisking vigorously as you add the milk little by little.
WHISK. Whisk until smooth. Constantly whisk as the mixture comes to a gentle boil.
COMBINE. When it begins to thicken, add the half & half, then remove from heat and pour into the soup (after the veggies are fully cooked). Stir everything together, then turn the heat off.
CHEESE. Gradually add the cheddar, stirring until the soup is nice and smooth.
Try serving the soup with some sides such as:
Variations
Try adding some additional vegetables to the chowder such as:
- Mushrooms
- Bell peppers
- Corn
- Red potatoes
Can you use frozen veggies? You can easily use frozen veggies! Steam the veggies according to the package before incorporating them into the soup.
Instant Pot: Sauté the onion and garlic on the sauté function in the instant pot. Add in your veggies and broth and cook on high pressure for 8 minutes before releasing the pressure.
Crockpot: Pop everything in the crockpot except your milk, cream, and cheese. Cook on low for 4-6 hours or on high for 2-3 hours. Then add in your dairy products 30 minutes before serving.
Storage Tips
I was glad this soup made so much, because it stores really well. It also reheated really well the next day, which was awesome, because you can bet I didn’t feel like making lunch.
Keep leftover soup STORED in the fridge in an airtight container. REHEAT large servings on the stovetop and small servings in the microwave. This soup isn’t ideal for freezing because he has a good amount of dairy in it.
For more creamy chowder, try:
Cheesy Vegetable Chowder Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 tbsp butter - divided
- 3 large carrots - chopped
- 3 stalks celery - chopped
- 1 yellow onion - diced
- 4 cloves garlic - minced
- 4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 3 russet potatoes - peeled and cut into 1/2-¾ inch cubes
- 1 celery root - peeled and cut into ¼ inch cubes
- 2 medium heads broccoli - chopped into florets
- 1 small head cauliflower - chopped into florets
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- pinch paprika
- pinch cayenne pepper
- 6 tbsp all purpose flour
- 3 cup milk - 1%, 2%, or whole
- 1/2 cup half and half
- 2 cup medium cheddar cheese - OR sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions
- In a large pot over set over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of butter. When the butter has melted, add the carrots, celery and onion and saute for 4 minutes. Add garlic and saute for a minute longer.
- Stir in the chicken broth, potatoes, celery root, thyme, salt, pepper, paprika and cayenne. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium, cover and allow to simmer for 15 minutes (or until the potatoes are almost tender).
- Stir in the broccoli and cauliflower, cook for 5-7 minutes longer or until veggies are tender.
- Meanwhile, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Stir in the flour and cook, whisking constantly for about a minute. Slowly pour in the milk, whisking vigorously as you add the milk little by little. Whisk until smooth. Constantly whisk as the mixture comes to a gentle boil.
- When it begins to thicken add the half & half, then remove from heat and pour into the soup (after the veggies are fully cooked). Stir everything together, then turn the heat off.
- Gradually add the cheddar, stirring until the soup is nice and smooth.
I made it his soup today. I added the cheddar cheese plus I added a cup of verveeta to make it a bit more cheesy. So so good. I’ll freeze the rest and reheat at a later date.
Hi Sandy, glad you loved it. Thanks for sharing your changes!
this sounds delicious! Can this be frozen and reheated later well?
Hi Victoria, this soup isn’t ideal for freezing because he has a good amount of dairy in it, but you can give it a try.
I tried with most ingredients (some were missing at home for example celery). Still the chowder came out rich and yummy. Thanks for the recipe.
The best soup I have ever tasted!!
I’m so glad you gave it a try and loved it!
Just got done making this soup. Per my taste test…DEEELISHHH!!! I used two boxes of Chicken Stock and cut the roux to 3/4 flour, 1 stick of butter, and 2 cups of milk. I also could not find celery root at my store so that is missing also. I had some green beans that needed to be used up so I threw those in as well. I have not yet added the cheese and am considering not as I think it tastes fantastic right now and I thought I might save on some calories? We will see. I LOVE all the veggies and no meat in the soup! For those of you that are uncertain of measurements…it is really hard to screw up soup! If you like something and it isn’t in there, add it. If you don’t like something or couldn’t find it as in my case, omit it. LOVE something? Add more…like garlic 🙂 I will be making this again for sure!
That makes me so happy to hear! Thank you for sharing that!