I found when I chopped the broccoli to the size that fit on a spoon, after the broccoli cooked it falls apart. My family prefers chunks of broccoli in the soup rather than tiny pieces. Cooking the broccoli in large chunks then chopping it allows it to cook in the slow cooker, be the right size for a spoon, and not fall apart. If you don't mind large pieces of broccoli in the soup you could skip chopping the broccoli after cooking.