Skip the lunch rush and make this Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup in the comfort of your own home. This luxuriously creamy and savory soup, has a rich, velvety cheese base that coats tender bites of fresh broccoli giving this dish a comforting flavor that gets better with every spoonful.
Serve this copycat Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup Recipe in a bread bowl, (my favorite) or with your favorite side salad or half sandwich to complete the Panera experience!
Reasons You’ll Love This
Easy to Make – A soup with a roux can be difficult to get right, but this Panera broccoli cheese soup recipe is shockingly easy!
Nutritious and Delicious – This is a GREAT way to get some veggies in for you and your kiddos!
Picky Eater Approved – I don’t know about you but my family has never turned down anything covered in cheesy-goodness.
Copycat Recipe – There are a bunch of copycat panera broccoli cheddar soup recipes out there, but this is the first time I’ve noticed a significant similarity in the taste and texture!
Every time I go to Panera I have to get a cup of their broccoli cheddar soup, and if on the off chance I don’t, I spend the meal thinking I should’ve ordered it. There is something so delicious about their broccoli cheddar soup specifically. I wish I could eat it every day! However, that would get costly after a while so I figured out a way to make it myself and dare I say this recipe might be better!
Ingredient Info
- Onion – Yellow or sweet onion is my favorite but white onion or even shallot works well too.
- Milk – I like using whole milk because it’s creamier, but you can use 2% too. You can also use half and half for maximum creaminess.
- Chicken Stock – You can also use vegetable stock. If you are sensitive to salt, go with a low sodium chicken broth.
- Broccoli – I really love when broccoli cheddar soup has tiny bits of chopped broccoli throughout, but chop them to the thickness you enjoy.
- Carrots – I like carrots that are shredded or sliced into small matchstick sized pieces for this soup. Slice them however you like. If you want you can use frozen carrots, but you’ll want to thaw and chop them first, otherwise they will change the cook time as they will cool down everything.
- Celery – Honestly 1-2 stalks is good enough for this recipe. Add more or less depending on how much you like celery.
- Garlic – While you can leave this out if desired, the garlic blends so wonderfully with the cheese. I think it makes a huge difference.
- Cheese – Sharp cheddar cheese is the best (in my opinion) but mild cheddar, regular or even white cheddar is good! We’ve tried colby jack, but it was really stringy, though very delicious. It has to be freshly grated, otherwise it doesn’t melt down as well. Use a rotary cheese grater to save your arms and wrist.
- Worcestershire Sauce – Just a touch of this sauce helps give more depth to the soup.
- Ground Paprika – Regular paprika is perfect, but if you like smoked paprika it’s a great option!
Step by Step Instructions
- Sauté onion and celery in butter until translucent. Set aside. In a separate pot whisk flour and butter well to make a roux.
- Whisk milk slowly into the roux, then whisk in the stock. Combine and bring to a simmer. Simmer until thick.
- Add in the onion, celery, broccoli and carrots. Cover and simmer until veggies are tender.
- Stir in the cheddar cheese until melted. Serve and enjoy!
Tips & Advice
Christi’s Kitchen Tips
Smooth Move
Sauté Separately – For the best texture, the flour and butter should to be whisked together on their own, and the liquid needs to be added gradually. You *can* whisk the flour together with the onion and celery, but there’s a chance it won’t get evenly incorporated, and the soup turns out grainy.
Whisking the Roux – The KEY to creamy, thick soup that’s not grainy is whisking. To get the best texture, you have to use a roux, and to get the best texture of a roux you have to whisk constantly, like your life depends on it.
Time Saver – If you want to save a bit of time when making your soup, go ahead and prep your onion, celery, garlic, broccoli and carrots ahead of time, even the day before. You can grate the cheese as well. Just make sure to store things in containers or ziploc style bags to keep things fresh. This makes it much quicker to assemble your soup on a busy weeknight.
Storage – Store the leftover broccoli cheese soup in an airtight container in the fridge for about 3-4 days. To reheat, I recommend using the stovetop for an even temperature. Microwaving creamy soups can result in hot air getting trapped, and sometimes a mess.
Freezing – You can also freeze this soup (I love these Souper Cubes for freezing soup) and it should last in the freezer for up to a month. To reheat, either thaw in the fridge overnight, or pop a block of the frozen soup into a saucepan and reheat with a splash of milk or broth. While it can be frozen, it’s not quite my favorite to freeze as the texture can be a bit grainy when it is reheated.
Equipment
For the best results when making this Copycat Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup, here are some things you might need:
FAQs
You’ll find you might have issues if you add the cheese before the soup has had a chance to boil. The warm temperature helps the cheddar blend into the soup nicely. Also, I’ll emphasize again on how important it is to whisk the butter and flour well to create a smooth roux.
If you want your Panera broccoli cheddar soup to thicken up, you can mix 2-3 tablespoons of cornstarch with a few tablespoons of chicken broth and stir it into the simmering soup base. Do not add the cornstarch directly to the soup as you can end up with lumps – make sure to dissolve it completely into a few tablespoons of broth first. You can also add a few extra handfuls of cheese, but be careful not to add too much.
Recipes You’ll Love
It’s soup season all year round in my house because it’s one of those meals that makes a ton of servings, tastes good, and usually hits every food group needed for a nutritious dinner. If you want more soup recipes in your rotation, I have plenty more I think you’ll love. Check them out!
More Recipes You’ll Love!
Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 onion diced
- 1 stalk celery sliced
- 3 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups milk
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
- 1 1/2 cups broccoli florets chopped
- 1 cup carrots shredded
- 2 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese freshly shredded
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Start by melting a tablespoon of butter in a saucepan. Once melted add the onion and celery. Sauté until the onion is translucent. Add in minced garlic and cook until fragrant and just starting to turn light brown. Set aside.
- In a separate large pot or dutch oven, over medium-low heat, add melted butter then add flour. Use a whisk to constantly whisk the flour and butter together for at least 3 minutes. Turn the heat down if your flour starts to burn. The color of the flour when you’re done should be a nice golden brown.
- Add a little bit of milk at a time to the roux while still continuously whisking. Once all the milk has been added, gradually whisk in the chicken stock and worcestershire sauce until everything is combined. Lower the heat a bit and bring the soup base to simmer.
- Once simmering, cover and let it thicken for 15-20 minutes. Stir occasionally so the milk doesn’t burn. Once thick, add in the cooked celery, onion, broccoli and carrots along with paprika. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Once the veggies tender to your liking, stir in the freshly shredded cheddar cheese gradually until it's all combined. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Serve while hot, and top with extra cheese if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Disclaimer
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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