Add the butter to a large pot over medium heat. Once melted, add in the onions, garlic, and leeks and cook until lightly browned and translucent, which takes about 8 to 10 minutes while frequently stirring.
Next, stir in the flour until combined in to make a roux.
Add in the broccoli and chicken stock and bring to a boil and cook the broccoli just until al dente, or slightly crunchy.
Using a hand blender pulse the soup until it becomes slightly chunky or until the desired chunkiness or smoothness is achieved.
At this point ensure the soup is thick. If it’s not, you may need to make a separate roux or slurry and whisk it in.
Pour in the heavy cream and stir in in to combine over low heat.
Mix in the cheddar cheese until combined and melted in.
Finish by seasoning with sea salt, pepper, Worcestershire, and Tabasco sauce.
Serve with extra shredded cheese.
Notes
Make-Ahead: You can make this soup up to 1 day ahead of time. When ready to serve, reheat on the stovetop in a pot.How to Store: Cover and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. This will freeze well and be covered for up to 6 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating.How to Reheat: Add the desired amount to a pot and heat up over low heat until hot. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper and add a ¼ cup of chicken stock if it is too thick and needs to be thinned out.For a more intense cheese flavor, try adding in aged white or yellow cheddar.If you do not have a hand immersion blender, add half the soup to a blender and pulse it a few times on high speed to help smooth out some of the soup but still have some chunkiness.This soup serves many people so feel free to cut it in half.