Panera’s Broccoli Cheddar Soup
If you’ve never had Panera’s Broccoli Cheddar Soup you’re missing out. This recipe tastes just like it!
Creamy broccoli cheddar soup is comfort food at its best and this Panera’s Broccoli Cheddar Soup is an easy dinner that hits the spot.
PANERA’S BROCCOLI CHEDDAR SOUP
I know this Panera’s Broccoli Cheddar Soup recipe has made the rounds around the blogs but my job is to share recipes that I really love and this is one of them.
The reason I know that this recipe tastes just like the delicious Broccoli Cheddar soup at Panera is because I ate this at least once a week during my last pregnancy.
It was the ONLY thing that I looked forward to eating and I’m sure the peeps at Panera knew me by name. They serve this Panera’s Broccoli Cheese Soup with a warm crusty baguette. Oh my goodness.
It almost makes me want to get pregnant again.
I once was in charge of making soup for 250 women. Guess which soup went first? Nope. Not the chicken noodle.
Yes, you guessed it. The Broccoli Cheddar soup. I mean who doesn’t like broccoli and cheese? Not only is it a healthy soup recipe at only 417 calories a serving.
You’ll need about 3 cups of broccoli chopped into bite sized pieces. You’re supposed to julienne a carrot. I cook a lot and I do not have the patience to do that. 
They sell “matchstick” carrots in the produce section. Save yourself some sanity and time and just buy those.
It’s important to use sharp cheese here in this Panera’s Broccoli Cheese Soup recipe as it gives it more flavor than a milder cheese.
Then eat a couple of bowls of this delicious broccoli cheddar soup. After all, it is the first day of fall today.
Is this Panera’s Broccoli Cheddar Soup gluten-free?
Part of the thickening agent in this soup is the flour in the roux. There’s only 1/4 cup and you can definitely leave it out but your soup will not be as thick. You can thicken it at the very end if needed by creating a cornstarch slurry. Add a couple tablespoons of cornstarch to a small bowl and add water until it forms a paste. Whisk in this mixture at the end of cooking to thicken up the soup.
If you love this Panera’s Broccoli Cheddar Soup recipe, you’ll love these recipes:
Panera's Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- 1/2 medium chopped onion
- 1/4 cup cup melted butter
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 cups half-and-half cream
- 2 cups chicken stock or broth
- 1/2 lb broccoli (about 3 cups), chopped into bite size pieces
- 1 cup carrot , julienned (can buy matchstick carrots in produce section)
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 8 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese (2 cups)
- salt and pepper
Instructions
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Sauté onion in 1 tablespoon of butter. Set aside.
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Cook the 1/4 cup melted butter and flour using a whisk over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Stir constantly and add the half & half.
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Add the chicken stock and simmer for about 10 minutes.
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Add the broccoli, carrots and reserved onions. Cook over low heat 20-25 minutes.
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Add salt and pepper. You can leave the soup chunky or blend about 1 cup of the soup and stir it in for a smoother soup (that's what I did). Return to low heat and add the cheese. If your heat is too high your soup can get grainy. Stir in the nutmeg.
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Serve with crusty bread.
Recipe Notes
Source: http://www.food.com/recipe/panera-broccoli-cheese-soup-150384
Yum – thank you.
Oh yummy! This looks oh so good!
This looks absolutely perfect Can’t wait to try it!
Yay! We can finally have it at home! This looks delish!
Where is the nutrition information?
If you’re making this, you’ve already given up. 😀
I saw the nutritional facts, it says 417 calories per serving. I’m not concerned with calories, but would like to know what amount is considered a serving. I would like to make this for a luncheon and just need to know how much I need to make.
Thank you!
I’m sorry. It’s the whole recipe divided by 6 which is probably around 1.5 – 2 cups.
I would say this is for a small serving size; maybe 4 oz
cream is 40 cal per oz x 16oz=640cal
chicken broth 16oz oz 10 cal
flour 2oz 220 cal
brocoli 12oz 60 cal
cheese110 cal per oz x8=880
butter 100 cal per Tblspn x3 =300
add total calories =2100 (approx)
yield in oz approx 56 oz
divide 2100 by 56= 5
56oz divided by 5 =11.7 oz
that is just under 1 and 1/2 cups
I’ve made this twice and this seems about right
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I cannot get enough Broccoli Cheddar Soup!
I will be making this soup this weekend! I just have to sub vegetable stock in place of the chicken stock. Otherwise, I am going to follow your recipe! to a T!
I added the nutritional info below the recipe.
Did it turn out okay with the vegetable stock? I’ve been a vegetarian my entire life but having a soup with chicken stock isn’t the worst of my nightmares, just not preferable.
It should be fine with vegetable stock.
I made it with vegetable stock! Came out very good! 😋👍👌
Good to know!
My favorite soup at Panera! I’ll even eat it when it’s 100 degrees outside it’s so good!
Oh my goodness, have mercy on my waistline! This will do me in I’m sure, but it looks worth it. : )
I’m missing out! I’ve never had it but I’m totally making this!!!
I made this today and it was a good tasting soup but it has wayyyyyy too much cheese in it. I would recommend cutting it back to only 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups of cheese.
I didn’t realize there was such a thing as too much cheese 😉
reducing the cheese by 2 or 3 oz for the entire pot wouldn’t make that big of a difference. Just like increasing the cheese with 2 or 3 more oz wouldn’t. I’ve put an oz of cheese on top with bacon bits in each bowl, and I have had no complaints so far.
Never had the soup, but it sounds yummy. I make a zucchini creamy which has similar ingredients. If you blend the cheese with some or part of the soup in a blender it will not get grainy if it boils a bit
Just made this and it’s incredible! I didn’t have half and half so I used 2% milk and it still thickened up perfectly. Thanks for a terrific recipe!
Oh my goodness! I made this with Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 baking flour so it would be gluten free and it was so amazing! Best broccoli cheese soup ever!
Could I make this in a crockpot on low?
I’ve never tried it so I’m not sure. You definitely would want to stir in the cheese at the end so it doesn’t overheat and get grainy.
If your gonna try this, I would substitute 1/4 cup instant potatoes at the end for a thickener instead of the flour. If the soup isnt thick enough, just and some more instant potato flakes. What I would suggest instead of the crock pot is to steam your broccoli, and cook your carrots with the onions when you saute them. the whole thing took me about 20 minutes after I steamed the broccoli and it was ready to serve immediately. I had added a little extra cream, so I thought it was a little thin. I simply added the potato flakes to thicken it up. Worked like a charm! Oh, I also substituted the all spice with garlic. I simply sauted it with the onions at the very end for a couple of minutes.
This was amazing. I’ve already sent it off to three people. Next time I’m doubling the recipe!
Yay! Love hearing that!
Can you add potatoes along with the broccoli and carrots that are in this already?
You can. It’s pretty thick already though so you might have to add some chicken broth to thin it out.
Delicious!!! My family loved it!!
I changed a few things about this recipe because #1 my fiancé is picky and #2 I thought I had nutmeg and fresh onion on hand but I didn’t.
I used onion powder instead. Omitted nutmeg. Omitted carrots (fiancé doesn’t like them in broccoli cheese soup). Used 2.5 cups each of half n half and organic chicken broth. 3 cups broccoli. 8 oz sharp cheddar.
Overall it was really delicious. I don’t really love sharp cheddar so next time I think I’ll use medium. It was a little thick and I’ll probably use 3 cups of broth next time. I would have tried the recipe as is and probably loved it. I think this is a really solid recipe and easy to make changes if your short on ingredients or just trying to use what’s in the pantry. Definitely a keeper.
Do you grate the cheese yourself or just buy the already shredded sharp cheddar? I’ve heard the already shredded doesn’t melt as well.
I used preshredded cheese but you are absolutely right that when you grate it yourself it is much creamier.
Hey…I’m wondering if you used pizza cheese or the kind with cream cheese in it if it might be creamer???
At any rate…I will be trying this FOR SURE. (Sorry for yelling…I got a little excited 🙂 )
I did not use the creamy kind but I’m sure it would be good. haha. And yelling? I would too!
Just like Panera’s! Perfect for a cold, blustery evening such as tonight.
Yay!!
Can you use fat free half n half or lactose free milk 2% or whole milk?
Yes. You can sub those it just won’t be as thick.
This soup was yummy, but way too thick. I added nearly twice as much chicken stock as the recipe called for and that helped a lot. All in all it was a good soup, but it doesn’t taste like Panera’s broccoli cheese soup at all.
Agree
I use extra-sharp cheddar and homemade turkey broth. I also add thyme, rosemary, parsley, garlic, worcestershire, and a fat pinch of cayenne. It is absolutely fantastic! I rated it 5 stars as-is, but you can easily bump it to a 10+. One of my very favorite things.
Thanks for your feedback!
NOTHING like Panera’s. I had to choke most of it down, to be honest. I had such high hopes for this recipe but unfortunately will not be making again.
Man. I don’t know what went wrong. What was different about it?
Ha-ha! Sure ya did.
Do you think it would be ok to freeze for future meals?
I haven’t tried it to be sure so I can’t give you a solid answer. I’m sorry.
It definitely freezes well. I put it in a gallon size zip lock then when I’m ready, I thaw it in the fridge overnight, then pour it into a microwavable bowl, and bon appetite. Don’t need to add nothing to it
Yes you can freeze it. I put it in freezer bags then into one of those Ziploc container.
This recipe is absolutely delicious! I made it last night and had requests for it again tonight. Amazing!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I made this for my family last week and it was a hit! It really does taste just like Panera’s. One of my favorite recipes now.
So glad you liked it!
Made it tonight, Easy & delicious!
Good to hear!
Just got done making this delicious recipe and when I asked my husband if it tasted like Panera Bread’s,
he moaned in delight and said it’s even better! Only thing I did different was sauté one celery stalk along with the onion. Yummy!
Yay!!! Happy to hear that!
Awesome recipe!! Very yummy!! My husband always gets this soup at Panera, he says “It’s very similar, yet better than Panera’s”.
Good to hear!
I made this for dinner tonight. EVERYONE loved it. They said I should have doubled the recipe.
Glad you loved it!
Wayyyy too much broccoli & carrots & not enough cream soup & cheese. Will be looking for a different broccoli cheese soup recipe. This wasn’t that good. 🙁
sorry you didn’t like it!
I’m making this for a potluck tomorrow should I double it or just do one batch?
Definitely double!
Soooo good! I roast my broccolli in the oven at 350 for 10 minutes, use half veggie broth and half chicken broth, and add a pinch or two of cayenne pepper and it’s amaaaaaazing! My kids love it also!!!!! I have to start making a double batch for leftovers….but then again not sure my thighs would like that….hahahaha
Ooh. I need to try roasting it!
HOw long and at what temp do you roast broccoli?
This soup is amazing! I even made it lactose free for my daughter by using Lactaid milk instead of the half and half and Cabot sharp cheddar cheese (which is lactose free).
I forgot to also mention that I substituted the butter with margarine.
Glad it worked with the substitutions!
Is the nutritional information for a cup of soup or some other amount? Thanks
It’s for 1/6 of the entire recipe. You can also cut back calories by using all milk.
I made this soup exactly according to the recipe and I’m enjoying a bowl of it now. This recipe tastes great and its easy too. I’ll definitely be making this again.
Thank you!
Mine turned out so bad we couldn’t eat it. The broccoli and carrots were raw. I tried cooking longer, didn’t make a difference. I tried blending it, didn’t make a difference. Flavor was also gross, I would suggest omitting nutmeg or taste it before you put full amount that it calls for. Also, i would stem the broccoli and carrots before putting in soup.
This recipe is delicious. I will defintely be making it again! No complaints here!
Thanks Mackenzie!
8 ounces = 1 cup… Is it one cup or 2 cups of cheese? I’ll try with one. Looks tasty!
8 ounces fluid is different then 8 ounces in weight. 8 ounces in weight of cheese is 2 cups shredded so 2 cups!
It was okay to start- I doubled recipe because I feed teenage boys. For more flavor I added garlic, onion salt, white pepper and Parmesan cheese. I also blended about 3/4 of the soup. Turned out pretty tasty:)
Teenage boys would gobble this.
This was great! So easy and quick to make. It did come out a bit thick. I added a little more milk and then the texture was fine. Bacon bits added a bit of extra flavor. My husband and I really loved it! Thanks for such a great recipe.
You’re welcome!
Thank you for posting this recipe, you are a sweetheart !!! 🙂
Haha. You’re welcome!
This soup is the only way my 7 yo eats broccoli! It’s a huge hit in our house! It’s one I keep going back to. Thanks!
Good to hear. That’s a victory for everyone.
Damn this was soooo on point! This was better than the cafe version. I sauteed onion, garlic, red bell pepper for a few minutes (with salt, pepper and other seasoning). I added in some cubed and seasoned chicken thighs. Then I added fresh broccoli and, eventually carrots. I simmered in some homemade chicken stock and then took out a cup of veggies and broth to blend. Added that back in and then added the h/h milk/cream and the cheese. Since I didn’t use flour as a roux/hickener…the 1 1/2 tablespoon of cornstarch with a 1/4 cup of broth brought this soup to the perfect consistency. This was WONDERFULLY DELICIOUS!!! I will definitely make again!!!
So glad you loved it!
Made this last night and it was GREAT! My fiancé hates onions so I didn’t put any onion, but we both are huge mushroom lovers and added about a cup and a half of mushrooms and it was even better! Will be making again!
Yum! Sounds tasty!
I just made it mmmmmm it tasted and smells so good
Can you freeze this soup? I’m the only one likeing broccoli soup.
Oh no. I haven’t tried freezing it but others have with success!
Just made this soup and it was great. Nice and quick. I used frozen chopped broccoli since I was pressed for time and I just forgot the nutmeg when I was preparing it but it was still good. My boyfriend loved it too! I will def be using this recipe again. Thanks!
Glad you loved it!
We have a Panera about a mile from our house and I was soooo hungry for soup. Hubby went down and we got soup, YUK, it was so grainy and just a little on the burned taste. Think they left it in theri “pot” too long without stirring. I’m hoping this is what I’m craving. Getting ready to make it now.
Haha. Yes, it happens to the best of us. Hope you enjoy it.
..love your recipes
Reads
Gisi
Thanks. I added you!
This recipe is spot on for Panera’s soup! Im not sure what planet those who said this recipe was bad are on, but they clearly not on earth where brocolli cheese soup tastes amazing. lol I live in the UK, so any time I find a recipe for a comfort food from home I am all in! Thanks so much for sharing!
Oh you’re so welcome!
Went to Panera for the first time on Monday, my daughter’s spur of the moment idea. We had the cheese and broccoli soup. Was so surprised as how good it was.
Found this and planning on making it in the next couple of days. Will make a double batch to share with her.
Now any ideas how their bread is made?
This by the way is an awesome recipe!!
Their bread makes me weak in the knees. Wish I knew how it was made.
They sell panera French baguette bread at hy vee.
Absolutely delicious!! Used fat free half and half and it worked perfectly!! Thanks for sharing!
You’re so welcome!
This was very good and very filling. I’ll be making it with evaporated milk next time though so it isn’t as fattening. I also added some processed cheese to this as well.
I made this recipe last night. It was wonderful. Served it with some sourdough bread. 11 year old girl loved it, finally. Thanks.
Sourdough with this would be awesome!
Is frozen broccoli ok to use?
It’s okay but definitely not preferred. The texture is different.
Hi, I was looking to make this soup for my work’s Soup Day and to feed about 20 people or so, can you recommend what changes you would make and would it turn out the same if I made it the night before and then heated it before lunch?
Any advice you could give would be super helpful!
If you do make it the night before be careful to reheat it on very low heat. Often when soups are reheated (even Paneras) they can break down and be runny or grainy due to too high heat.
Made this last night, absolutely perfect! Even the non-soup eater in the house snuck a bowl 🙂 Pair with french baguette. Delicious. Thanks!
The baguette makes it!!
This soup is delicious. I used low sodium chicken broth, 2 % milk and added 2 small potatoes.
Thank you for this scrumptious recipe.
You’re welcome!
thanks for delocious soup!!
thhanks for delicious soup!!!
You’re welcome!
I just shredded carrots with my box grater and it worked just fine. Less expensive that way.
Excellent recipe taste just like Panera. The nutmeg is the secret ingredient. I cooked everything in one pot. No need for extra dishes. Just added the 1/4 cup of butter to salted onion and and added the flour for the thickening. I used 1 cup of 2 % milk and 1 cup of half & half. Its delicious!
A correction should be made that 8 oz of sharp cheddar cheese is not 2 cups. It is 1 cup
The recipe is correct, 8oz of shredded cheese is 2 cups. 🙂
Made the Panera Bread Broccoli Soup it was yummie to our tummies!!!!
Glad you loved this!
Everytime I make this, as soon as j add the cheese… It’s almost like the fat separates. Any way to fix that or why that happened?? I’ve made it four times and have done it step by step EXACTLY how the recipe says… And it always seems extra oily everytjme ONLY as I add the cheese!! HELP!
What kind of cheese are you using? Brand? Low-fat?
Broccoli Soup: too high in saturated fat and cholesterol. If that a copy of Panera’s, I’m not going there any more.
Broccoli Soup: Saturated fat = 97% of daily value, cholesterol = 32% of daily value, sodium = 416 mg, 17% of daily value. If that’s a copy of Panera’s, I’m not going there any more. The main nutritional value is in the broccoli, which I can eat without all the killer ingredients.
The shredder blade on a food processor will make quick work of shredding the carrots or the cheese. It is cheaper than buying the prepackaged type and way less work than using the julienne tool. I love cheddar broccoli soup! I have a huge pot of loaded baked potato soup on now, but this is definitely going on the menu next week!
I agree! That makes it a whole lot easier!
So I can use my food processor to shred cheese? Which blade is my shredder? I haven’t had it for very long and I’m still learning how to use it. We’ve made this recipe twice now and love love it. I sauté minced garlic with the onions. I’m thinking of using Lactaid Milk instead of the half/half this time – do you think I would just need to add a bit more flour to thicken it up?
Amazing recipe! You can’t go wrong with broccoli and cheese! I must try it, my family will love it! – Love, Anna
I am a man. I will do it today. I will let you know the taste 🙂 I will cook it for my sick son. He has been throwing up since yesterday night. Hopefully it will help him out.
I’m so sorry to hear that. I hope he feels better.
Hey I got all the ingredients yesterday after reading your receipe and now I only find this Panera one. The reciepe I read yesterday had smoke paprika and cayenne pepper in it. Help!
Not sure what recipe you looked at but this one hasn’t changed…it’s good!
I don’t usually go back and comment, but this soup is so amazing I had to! Tastes just like Paneras, or maybe even a little better in my opinion! It’s sooo good. I did it exactly as described (except used an immersion blender in the pot for about 20 seconds instead of blending a cup) and it was perfect!!
Thanks for the positive feedback!
How does this soup freeze??
I haven’t tried it. Anyone else?
What does it mean to blend when making soup.
You stick the mixture in a blender. Hope that helps.
Hi Christy. Before I make this recipe (which sounds absolutely delicious), I want to verify the amount of grated cheese. Is the quantity 8 ounces (1 cup) or 16 ounces (2 cups)? Can’t wait to try it.
Sorry if it’s confusing. Yes, there are 8 ounces in a fluid cup like milk. But with cheese it’s measured by weight. So if you shredded an 8 ounce block of cheese it would fill 2 cups. Hope that makes sense.
Just made this, my tastebuds thank you very much for this recipe.
You’re welcome!
Amazing!!! i have made this for my family many times. My daughter requested I make it and bring it with my when i visit her at college. Thanks for the recipe!
Oh wow! I love hearing that.
Do you put the cheese in while it’s cooking for 25 minutes or at the end right before you eat?
Stir it in right before at the end.
I NAILED this.. but i used more onion than what it called for, and also added a couple of chicken bullion cubes because the carrot was overpowering the soup.. (I did not use match stick, i used baby carrots that i cut into 4s lengthwise.) I also added both velveeta and sharp cheddar.. cant wait for my the hubs to get home so we can feast!!
A few questions because I’m making the brocolli soup right now and it isn’t working right for me. After the half and half do you need to bring it to a boil or something before you simmer it because it never seemed to get hot enough to simmer? Also, are you supposed to stir it for those ten minutes that it’s simmering. I didn’t and all the flour ended up in gobs in the bottom of the pan. I had to scoop all the flour globs out. Now I’m worried the soup isn’t going to be thick enough or set up right.
You definitely need to make sure you whisk in the chicken broth so that the flour is fully incorporated. A simmer is usually a small bubbling so yes, if it’s not doing that turn up the heat.
Well, even with my screw up (with the flour globbing and having to scoop it out) it still thickened up nicely. I blended half and added the cheese and cream. It’s thicker and creamy just like I like. The nutmeg is a nice touch. If you can still let me know what I did wrong with the other questions I had I would appreciate it. It’s a nice soup and I’d like to make again, but correctly.
Sooo yummy 💓😃I just made this for lunch your recipes never dissappoint! Thank you for another hit 😍
Delilah,
Awww. Thanks!
This is now one of my “go to” recipes. I substitute the half and half for almond milk to make it lighter in calories. Tastes fabulous to me!
Thank you. Yes, you can definitely get away with making it lighter.
Came over to your blog from Stone Soup for Five blog. And so glad I did! I made the soup tonight (I can’t have any since I can’t eat gluten and dairy) and my family loved it! My son said it was the best thing I’ve ever made 🙂 I’m glad I doubled the recipe!
So glad you loved it!
You could sustitute the flour for another thickener and i read that you could use the coconut fat from coconut milk. And almond milk. I’m wondering how it would taste. I think delicious but probably different. If you make it with substitutions let me know. If I make it I’ll let you know.
We made this tonight in the Instant Pot – start to finish it was about 25 mins!!
My wife said that it was a little off from Panera’s, we sat and talked about it for a few minutes and figured out that it needed just the smallest dash of Curry Powder (just a hint of that sweet syrupy flavor) – that nailed it!
We’ll be making this on a regular basis.
Interesting. I would never think to put that in! Glad it works!
This recipe was terrible. I through it in the trash. Panera’s soup doesn’t have sauted onions or nutmeg!
Sorry you felt that way. SO many others have loved this.
Actually Panera does have nutmeg in the soup my son worked there.
thanks Jodi!
Thank you for creating and sharing this recipe! I prepared it this afternoon and am enjoying right now! I’ve never eaten Panera’s soup, so I can’t compare but I can say with certainty that this soup is delicious. I’ve tried several broccoli cheese soup recipes on Pinterest and yours is head and shoulders above the rest. In fact, I just deleted all of the other recipes I saved!
woo-hoo! So nice to hear from someone who has tried them all.
Can this be frozen?
I have not tried it. I’m so sorry. I never have any left to freeze.
can I freeze this soup
I have not tried so I cannot tell you for sure.
Thanks for the recipe. I was delish. My family loved it! I has too much dairy but hey that’s my own opinion. I don’t tolerate much dairy but still had it and loved it! I did it once and we had it for dinner but before I could sit down to enjoy it I had to stqrt making it again. But this time I doubled the recipe. I ran out of beed stock (I didn’t have chicken stock) so I used 1 cup water and 1 cup milk (still tasted good). Now I want to freeze the rest.
Thanks for leaving your feedback!
Not sure what I did wrong, my cheese essentially didn’t melt. The best way to describe it is that it blanched and basically looked curdled. It still tasted good but I missed out on the creamy texture. Feedback?! I would like to try again, but not sure what went wrong.
Was the rest of the soup warm? That’s really odd. You could also grate your own cheese since they put additives on the preshredded cheese to keep it separated.
I kept if VERY low after I added the veggies – I took it off of the heat after I added the cheese
Maybe that would help?
Yes, I agree!
Has anyone made this yet? Any feed back?
Made it last night and was grainy and had no flavor….not sure what I did wrong!
Usually grain is a result of overheating and the cheese and milk start to break down.
This looks delish and i’m going to try it. If you look on the ingredients from panera tho they have mustard and paprika and tumeric and some other ingredients. Do you miss all that in yours? Just wondering. I don’t even know what Tumeric tastes like- I’m going to try yours this week tho.
I’m not a fan of tumeric but I could go for the mustard!
Cleaning out the freezer and made this with a frozen broccoli/cauliflower/carrot mix – SOOOOO good!!! Thank you!
You’re welcome!
This soup sounds and looks, so good! Can’t wait to try this recipe. I will be sharing a link to your recipe in my upcoming post, Easy Healthy Lunch Ideas (on a Budget). I am sure my readers will love your recipe too!
Thank you for sharing Tina.
As a follow-up – the next day, I stirred quite a bit of whole milk into the soup as I was reheating it and then once warm I added more sharp cheddar. This helped it quite a bit – although I had to add quite a bit of soup to thin it and smooth it out. But, at least the leftovers were much better!!
I have made this before and used an immersion blender and it turned out very gritty and had a very poor consistency…any suggestions?
Did you happen to cook it over too high of heat. As soon as the cheese is melted you should keep it on low heat.
Also has anyone made this in a crockpot?
I have. The only issue is that the broccoli gets too cooked for me. It gets soft but then starts smelling weird like when you cook it too long.
Made this tonight for out-of-town guests It went down really well. I doubled the recipe, but stuck with just the 8oz of cheese. It was excellent.
So glad you loved it!
This soup is right on the spot~tastes just like it!!!! Thankyou for sharing and for $10.00 I can have an entire potfull instead of just a cup!
Yes, totally!
Thank you, thank you! My family and I live in Peru and while we love the food here, we do miss some of our favorites from back home. When we are in the states my teenage daughter and I love to go to Paneras for broccoli cheese soup in a bread bowl. This soup was spot on, we can’t get cheddar cheese here but there is an Andean cheese that is pretty close. Thanks for bringing us a little taste of home. (Now if I can only figure out the bread bowl 😋)
Oh that makes my heart smile! Thank you!
So yummy! I am in my third trimester and this is satisfying my cheese craving. I used a Colby jack mix cheese because that’s all I had on hand and it taste great! I’ve made three other recipes that called for way more ingredients but this is my new favorite.
thanks Kym and good luck with your baby.
The way you write your fractions made this a little bit of a common sense guessing thing. However, it turned out delicious! I made this recipe totally “clean.” Everything was either organic or GMO free. My half and half was raw cream and raw milk from my local dairy farm. My chicken stock was bone broth made with the bones of a chicken that is range free, antibiotic free, and only fed organic grain when needed. Chicken was also grown locally. I used non-bromated flour. Thank you for a recipe that was easy on my food choices!
You’re welcome! I’ll have to check out my fractions!
This is a solid broccoli cheese soup. Anytime I make a roux I constantly am watching/whisking. This soup took me about an hour with prep/cook time and my eyes were on it the whole time and it paid off. I’ve learned from past recipe failures that if you don’t follow directions – surpise – something might go wrong.
I followed the recipe with the exception of frozen broccoli and a little more broth. It is very thick and delicious!
I saw someone post something about this not being healthy which I find funny because no one should be looking up a cream/cheese based soup if they’re looking for something healthy lol. This soup is meant to be indulgent and it certainly is.
Very, very good!!
Haha. Thank you. Great point. Cheese soup – yeah, hard to be healthy.
I’ve made this before but grated the carrots and never used the matchstick. Tried it today and won’t be using them again. The carrot was too overpowering. I give it 5 stars with the grated carrot. 2 with the matchstick.
Made this recipe for the first time – really one of the best soups I’ve made in a long time!! I added 3 bay leaves (cause everything savory is better with bay leaves!) but otherwise followed as directed. Will make this again and again!! Thank you!
Ooh. I’ll have to try bay leaves.
Double the recipe or you will regret it.
Hahaha~
Outstanding! Followed exact recipe as stated.
Thank you!
How many servings does this make?
About 6
This soup was totally delicious. Made it on a cold 6 degree winter day. It hit the spot. Will definitely make again.
I get this soup all the time at Panera. I made it exactly as the recipe stated (except I doubled everything so I could freeze the extra) and it was great!
I love the name of your blog 🙂 The soup looks amazing; I am going to tweak it though so that it is gluten free (corn starch instead of flour).
Just made the shop. Very good. I would make this again.
This soup is absolutely amazing! Thick and yummy. Better than what they are serving now at Panera. (A relative who works there says that newer version is more watered down than the original recipe.) I used a Braun electric hand held blender to puree some of the broccoli and carrots right in the pot and it gave the soup a perfect texture.
I did double the recipe so we would have some leftovers for lunches. If you reheat it the next day, you may want to add extra broth as it gets incredibly thick and stays that way after it cools.
Tastes good but way too thick. I kept adding chicken stock and milk and it still was like a paste almost.
Did you add too much cheese? Or cook too long? You definitely can add more broth to think it out.
Delicious, I used fat free half and half and frozen broccoli plus a pinch of cayenne. Using a stick blender I was able to break up any pieces of broccoli that were still too chunky after cooking and got the perfect consistency.
Ooh! Yummy! I made it tonight too.
I will definitely make it again!
Nowhere in the recipe or accompanying text are we told how many servings this recipe makes. We are told how many calories per serving. Thanks for a thoroughly delicious,decadent soup.
Sorry. Unless I measure out the soup after made. It makes 4-6 servings.
Only one HUGE problem…it doesn’t make enough! 😉 So very delicious and I will definitely double the recipe next time!!!
Hahaha Sorry!
I used instant potato flakes instead of flour and butter to thicken the soup and also had a no salt chicken stock. I guess it will be a few less fat calories, gluten free, and reduced sodium. Came out great
Make this recipe all the time.. I don’t change a thing and comes out great everytime.. my family is big on soups, so I make a variety of different soups and freeze them in freezer containers for my children to come and raid the freezer. Only thing I do change is, tripling the recipe 😊
Me too! I seriously make it once a week!
Very good, surprisingly good. I could do without the nutmeg but that’s because I just don’t like nutmeg. I do feel like there is something missing like a dash of a spice but I can’t put my finger on it. Hands down, though, one of the best recipes the mimic panera’s.
Thanks Lorry! Maybe garlic? I don’t know. We love it.
I just made this ,love it , followed the recipe, expect i did not add the nutmeg, didn’t have in pantry. I plan on making again and adding the nutmeg, I wonder how it will improve this recipe. Very tasty . Oh, I put all of it in blender for a few seconds, I prefer smooth consistenty. I served with yellow corn bread muffins. Thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome. Nutmeg is commonly used in cream sauces to bring out the flavors.
I love this soup 😍
It’s so good!
This soup was absolutely delicious. I did not have any nutmeg and we did NOT miss it. As good as Panera’s. Next time I may try to slim down on the calories. Use low fat cheese and less half & half and some low fat milk but it was outrageously good
Thanks! So glad you liked it.
Thank you! Thank you! This was a huge hit! Especially with the husband! He never says much either way but all I heard was mmmm, wow, this is really good and he had seconds.
I love hearing that!
Can you use frozen broccoli for this soup
Yep! You can use frozen broccoli.
Thank you
Just wanted you to know that I’ve made this dozens of times, always DELICIOUS…..thank you…..it’s a shame that there are some people that have nothing better to do than leave a nasty comment……..the soup is the BOMB….if it’s not that’s on you……thanks again
Thank you!! I appreciate it.
I hate both broccoli and carrots, but still made this soup for hubs. Oh my lands, it is fabulous!! I actually ate all of it and didn’t “dig out” anything. And to think that when I was a kid, I would sit at the dinner table for hours refusing to eat these veggies … mom will be proud of me! Thanks so much for posting the recipe!!
You’re welcome!
I don’t understand the flour/butter part. It just turned into a dough-like clump the never would mix into anything.
Yes, the clump part is the start of a roux. Then you whisk in the chicken stock. The roux thickens the soup.
This was easy and delicious!
Sadly I’m with the minority and was left a little disappointed. Followed the recipe to a T and the carrots and broccoli were still crunchy, even after 45 minutes of simmering with the broth. While prepping, I even put the broccoli in the food processor because I thought this might be a problem…turns out I should have cooked both them and the carrots with the onion before. The one saving grace was the broth, I added garlic, a little cayenne, Tapatio and some tarragon and it was fantastic. Too bad the veggies were still crunchy. I imagine this will be great leftover since the veggies have time to really marry with the broth in the fridge.
Mandy, what size pan did you use? There’s no way the veggies should be hard after 45 minutes? You should cut the broccoli smaller and use a deeper pan so that the broth covers the veggies.
This soup was amazing my family loved it. DEFINITELY making this again!
We make it once a week!
Can I use chicken broth instead of chicken stock?
Yes of course!
I made this and it was really good, I did use heavy creme instead of half and half, also I added about a tablespoon of better than bullion, and it had an excellent flavor, I’m not big on the nutmeg, bit to each their own 😊
Yes, you can leave it out!
Today I made the Tomato soup and the Brocolli cheese soup, awesome we loved both, so easy to make and inexpensive .
So glad you liked them!
This was absolutely the best! Thank you!!
You’re welcome!