Sauté

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and minced garlic, and sauté until the onion is softened and translucent, about 5 minutes.

Simmer

Add the chicken or vegetable broth to the pot, followed by the broccoli florets. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook until the broccoli is tender, about 15-20 minutes.

Blend

Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can transfer the soup in batches to a regular blender. Be sure to blend in small batches and hold the lid down with a kitchen towel to avoid any hot splashes.

Add Cheese and Cream

Return the blended soup to the pot. Stir in the shredded cheddar cheese and heavy cream until the cheese is completely melted and the soup is well combined.

Season

Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot, garnished with extra shredded cheese or croutons if desired.