Description
This incredible mac and cheese soup combines tender vegetables, pasta shells, and a triple-cheese blend for the most comforting bowl of soup you’ll ever taste. Perfect for busy weeknights!
Ingredients
For the Soup Base:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 large carrots, diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1½ teaspoons black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon mustard powder
- A pinch of nutmeg
- 6 cups vegetable broth, divided
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups uncooked pasta shells (or another small pasta)
For the Creamy Cheese Base:
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 (8-ounce) block cream cheese
- 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Optional Garnishes:
- Fresh chives, chopped
- Green onions, sliced
- Cooked bacon, crumbled
Instructions
Get your biggest pot out (you know, the one that’s probably buried under three other pans) and heat up that olive oil over medium heat. Toss in your chopped onion, carrots, and celery – don’t worry if your dice job isn’t Instagram-perfect, nobody’s judging here. Let them cook for about 4-5 minutes while you clean up your cutting board. Whatever you do, don’t wander off to check your phone because I’ve definitely burned vegetables that way before.
Time to throw in that minced garlic along with all your spices – the black pepper, salt, cayenne, mustard powder, and that tiny bit of nutmeg. Stir it all around and let it cook for another 3-4 minutes. This is when my kitchen starts smelling so good that my neighbor’s dog shows up at my back door looking hopeful.
Pour in about a cup of your vegetable broth and sprinkle that flour over everything. Now stir like you’re trying to win a stirring contest for 1-2 minutes until it’s all smooth and starts getting thicker. I used to skip this step and wonder why my soup was watery – turns out there’s actually a reason for all these steps!
This part requires some patience, which isn’t my strong suit, but slowly pour in the rest of your broth while stirring constantly. I’m talking turtle-slow here, not “I’m running late for dinner” speed. Add those pasta shells and let everything bubble away for 8-10 minutes until the pasta has some bite left to it. My kids always try to fish out pasta pieces to test them, which drives me slightly crazy but also means they’re invested in the process.
Here’s where the magic happens and why we’re all really here. Stir in that cream first, then start adding chunks of cream cheese and watch them slowly disappear into creamy goodness. Finally, add your shredded cheddar handful by handful – don’t dump it all in at once unless you want cheese clumps floating around like little orange islands. My husband always hovers around the kitchen during this step because he knows we’re about five minutes away from soup perfection.
Grab your favorite bowls and ladle this gorgeous soup into them. I like to go crazy with toppings – chives for color, green onions for a little zing, or bacon because everything’s better with bacon. Sometimes I put out all three and let everyone build their own bowl. Fair warning: you might find yourself scraping the pot with a spoon when you think nobody’s looking. I definitely haven’t done that. Multiple times.
Notes
- Real talk about cheese: Skip the pre-shredded stuff if you possibly can. I know it’s more work, but those weird powdery coatings they put on bagged cheese can make your soup feel gritty. I usually grate my cheese while the vegetables are cooking – takes maybe 3 minutes and makes such a difference.
- Don’t overcook the pasta: Cook those shells until they still have a little firmness because they’re going to keep cooking in that hot soup. I served mushy pasta soup to my book club once and I’m still not over the embarrassment.
- Cheese patience is key: Add your cheese slowly, like you’re coaxing it into the soup instead of forcing it. A handful at a time, lots of stirring, and don’t rush it. This is what separates okay soup from “can I have the recipe” soup.
- Fixing thickness issues: Too thick? Add more broth. Too thin? Let it simmer uncovered for a bit longer. Both things have happened to me more times than I care to admit, but both are totally fixable.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American