Panera’s Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Panera’s Broccoli Cheddar Soup is comfort food at its best and tastes just like Panera. This soup is an easy dinner that hits the spot and quick enough for a weeknight.
This broccoli cheese soup competes for the #1 soup recipe on this blog with this crockpot potato soup.
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 broccoli cheese soup recipe, it’s 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.
HOW TO MAKE PANERA’S BROCCOLI CHEDDAR SOUP
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Met the 1/4 cup butter and sautee the onions in it until soft. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture. Cook and stir over medium heat for 1-2 minutes.
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Whisk in the half & half and chicken stock.
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Add the broccoli and carrots. Cook over low heat for 20-25 minutes or until the broccoli and carrots are tender.
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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 do). Return to low heat and add the cheese. If your heat is too high your soup can get grainy. Stir in the nutmeg if desired.
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Serve with crusty bread.
OTHER SOUP RECIPES:
- Cauliflower Soup
- Creamy Potato Soup
- Easy Tomato Soup
- Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Sausage and Tomato Cauliflower Soup
- Slow Cooker Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup
- Zuppa Toscana Soup
- Egg Drop Soup
- Buffalo Chicken Soup
Panera's Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- 1/2 medium chopped onion
- 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, (optional but brings out the flavor)
- 8 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese, (2 cups)
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Melt the 1/4 cup butter and sautee the onions in it until soft. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture. Cook and stir over medium heat for 1-2 minutes.
- Whisk in the half & half and chicken stock.
- Add the broccoli and carrots. Cook over low heat for 20-25 minutes or until the broccoli and carrots are tender.
- 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 do). Return to low heat and add the cheese. If your heat is too high your soup can get grainy. Stir in the nutmeg if desired.
- Serve with crusty bread.
Omg it came out so good I can’t wait to make it for my girlfriends next month with chicken salad sandwiches. Go for it you won’t be sorry.
I just made this! Found it much more flavorful than Panera’s but it was much thicker. Any suggestions on how to thin it out a bit? Blend all of it? I know I could add more liquid but don’t want to mess with ratios. Will definitely make again!
I would extra broth
Or try less flour
Made this and added a pkg of diced ham. Was a big hit!
I’m getting ready to make this soup for the first time for a potluck at work. Was hoping to make today to take to work tomorrow morning and keep warm in my crockpot for several hours tomorrow? Do you think this would still taste good to make today, refrigerate overnight and then warm tomorrow in a crockpot?
Loved it. Loved it!! When using fresh veggies, which I do, used my salad shooter to grate/julienne cheese, carrots, and stems of broccoli for 1 of the 3 cups called for. Also, we like it creamier so subbed with 1 cup of whipping cream (for 1 cup of 1/2 &1/2. Perfect for us. Have made it several times.
This was very tasty. For those saying it tasted like flour, you didn’t cook the flour long enough. Do at least 4 minutes constantly stirring the flour. The flour will start to smell a bit nutty, that’s when it’s done. These are the basic proportions for a roux (equal parts fat and flour). I used 1 cup 1/2 and 1/2 and one cup heavy whipping cream. Used better than bouillon for my chicken broth. The broccoli and carrots did need to cook for about 32 minutes to be soft. Then I used an immersion blender to thicken it a bit. Once the veggies are soft, take it off the heat and add in your cheese. Start with half if you’re not a huge cheese fan. I think 6 oz would be great, but my husband preferred the 8oz. I forgot to add the nutmeg but I didn’t miss it. I served this with some homemade sourdough and it was scrumptious. I’ve never had the Panera version, but don’t imagine it’d be too much better.
Thank you!
Taste like flour soup, way too much flour and I copied exact recipe
Having read some of the comments, I was a lil hesitant to make this! Ignore the negativity of a select few!!! This soup is AWESOME! Thank you for your recipe!!!
I made this for my wife last night. I put the soup in bread bowls. We both loved the soup, we will have this again and again.
Thank you!
Made recipe almost as posted, and family loved it! Didn’t have two cups of half & half at home, so used 1 cup half & half and 1 cup 1% milk. This also made it a bit lighter which we appreciated. Loved the broccoli and carrots. Thank you for this recipe!
This recipe is so easy and delish! My husband accidentally bought frozen “chopped broccoli.” I used it for this soup. It worked perfect and cut down tremendously on prep time. I will definitely be making this again. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you!