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I promise that with just one bite of this copycat Panera Bread Broccoli Cheddar Soup, you’ll be hooked! It’s ultra creamy with broccoli, shredded carrots, and a hint of nutmeg, all cooked together with melted cheese. This soup is delicious and easy to make!
A Reader’s Review
This recipe is AWESOME!!! Love this soup, easy to make, follow recipe exactly and it comes out perfect! Is better than Panera!!
Why This Soup Is Even Better Than Panera
- Restaurant Quality at Home: Every spoonful tastes just like Panera. The perfect balance of cheese, broccoli, and a velvety cream base.
- Cozy and Comforting: Made all in one pot with simple ingredients, and ready in just 30 minutes.
- Picky Eater Approved: This soup is a tried and true classic that I can always count on my family to love!
Broccoli Cheddar Soup Ingredients
- Cream Substitute: Swap half-and-half with heavy cream for a thicker soup or whole milk for a lighter one.
- Shred Cheese from the Block: Skip pre-shredded. Freshly shredded cheese melts smoothly, giving a silky, lump-free texture.
- Broccoli: I use fresh broccoli, but if you use frozen, cook it in the microwave first, then add it once the veggies are done sauteing.
- Nutmeg: Start small ⅛ teaspoon, then taste and add more, ⅛ teaspoon at a time.
- Vegetarian Option: Use vegetable broth instead of chicken to make it vegetarian. Flavor stays rich and savory.
- Make It Gluten-Free: Use gluten-free flour or a cornstarch slurry instead of all-purpose flour for the roux.
- Add Some Heat: Stir in a pinch of cayenne or red pepper flakes for a little kick.
How to Make Broccoli Cheddar Soup
This broccoli cheese soup comes together super easily, and it’s a great meal to make ahead of time and eat for lunch or dinner. Few things beat a warm bowl of soup, homemade rolls, and a crisp salad on a cold day.
- Make a Roux: Sauté the onion in 1 tablespoon of melted butter and set aside. In a large pot, stir the melted butter and flour over medium heat for about 3-4 minutes.
- Whisk: Slowly whisk in half and half of the chicken stock. Let it simmer for about 20 minutes.
- Add Vegetables: Add the broccoli, carrots, and onions. Let them simmer on medium-low for about 25 minutes until the broccoli and carrots are tender.
- Add Seasonings and Cheese: Add nutmeg, salt, pepper, and sharp cheddar cheese. Let the cheese melt, and then serve. For a smoother broccoli cheddar soup, puree it with an immersion blender.
Alyssa’s Pro Tip
Nutmeg: I list ½ teaspoon of nutmeg in the recipe, but start small ( ⅛ teaspoon) and add more to taste. Nutmeg can sneak up on you. If you’re sensitive to it, even a little too much can take over the flavor.
Broccoli Cheese Soup Slow Cooker Instructions
- Make a Roux: Whisk together the flour and butter to make a roux.
- Combine: Add all of the ingredients to your slow cooker, but leave out the cheese and milk.
- Cook: Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 5-6 hours.
- Add in Dairy Ingredients: About 20 minutes before the soup is done, add in the milk and cheese to the slow cooker. Cook everything together for about 20 minutes. It’s ready to serve when the cheese is all melted.
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Copycat Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1/2 medium white onion, chopped
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 3 cups half-and-half
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups fresh broccoli florets
- 1 cup carrots, shredded
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 3 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Sauté 1/2 medium white onion, in 1 tablespoon unsalted butter and set aside. In a large pot, whisk together the melted 1/4 cup unsalted butter, and 1/4 cup all purpose flour over medium heat for about 3-4 minutes.
- Slowly whisk in 3 cups half-and-half and 3 cups chicken stock. Let it simmer for about 20 minutes.
- Add 2 cups fresh broccoli florets, 1 cup carrots,and sautéed onions. Let them simmer on medium-low for about 25 minutes until the broccoli and carrots are tender.
- Add 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste, and 3 cups sharp cheddar cheese,. Let the cheese melt, and then serve. For a smoother soup, you can puree the soup.
Video
Notes
Storage & Reheating Instructions
- In the refrigerator: Let the soup cool completely, then transfer it to an airtight container. Store in the fridge for 4–5 days.
- In the freezer: Once cooled, pour the soup into a labeled ziplock bag and lay it flat in the freezer. It keeps well for up to 1 month.
- Reheating: Warm the soup in a saucepan over low to medium heat for 4–5 minutes, or microwave in 1–2 minute increments, stirring between each until heated through.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
More Delicious Soups To Try
Excellent! I followed the recipe with one exception, I used one can of evaporated milk in place of part of the half and half to make it a bit healthier. It was delicious and even better on days 2 & 3!
Overall the soup is delicious. I did add chicken bouillon to the chicken stock to give it flavor. I just added until it tasted how I like it. I did leave it chunky with a creamy texture. I also cut the recipe in half.
This was incredible! Very similar to Panera Bread, but in my opinion even better. I shared this recipe with my sister-in-law with my notes regarding: onion flake substitution, buying shredded carrots and block cheese, soup thickness, veggie amount and texture. I’ve copied those notes below as well.
“The only thing I did different was look up how to substitute in onion flakes instead of onion (my onion had gone bad). I skipped the sautéing step and added 1 tbsp of them at the cream/stock simmering step. I may do this again in the future since it eliminates a step and blended in so nicely.
There’s an option to use shredded carrots rather than shredding them yourself. Definitely do this. There’s not much cost difference, the uniformity of them is beautiful in the soup, and you can add what’s left to salads for a nice crunch.
For the cheese I shredded one full 8 oz block, which I always recommend when a recipe calls for shredded cheese if it’s going to be cooked or melted. Pre-shredded cheese has a coating that keeps the pieces from sticking to each other in the bag, but also prevents it from melting as nicely.
I worried as it was cooking that it would be too thin, but the texture turned out perfect.
Ours turned out delicious. Very similar to Panera; maybe even better because the broccoli texture was so perfect. There is a little more soup-to-veggie ratio, which I actually really liked, but if you want it denser, I’d up the veggies by 1.5x (3 cups broccoli florets, 1.5 cups shredded carrot).
Enjoy!”
The nutmeg is crucial to this soup!
This is a great soup recipe but like all good cooks, the addition of a few ingredients can raise the bar on any soup recipe. I doubled the recipe. I always put a leek or two in all of my soups. I also added 3 minced cloves of garlic & 3 types of cheese: Colby jack, sharp cheddar & Velvetta. The Velvetta adds to the creaminess.
Thanks for a great recipe!
This looks delicious. I wish you’d offer a 0.5 multiplier to half the recipe since I live alone and it’s too much. I can do the math myself, it just would be nice to have the option.
What a great idea, I’ll have to see if this is something I can add to the recipe card!
What ingredient causes it to have .3mg of trans fat? Are there any substitutes? The recipe sounds delicious!
The cream in the half and half as well as the butter. You could use olive oil and then low fat or non-fat milk instead!
Would you please share original recipe, my family loved the last version that I just made and now it’s changed
I have made this several times in the past month…We love it! I made it exactly according to the recipe. I’m here now because I’ll be making it again today.
I had some leftover rotisserie chicken and broccoli. I sauteed the onions with the with all the butter then made the rouge with the onions included( because I’m a lazy cook) also used Better than Bullion(chicken) and 2% milk. I’m a vegetarian so I did not eat it but it looked and smelled divine! My son is super picky about soup and he gave it 5 stars! I saved it for the future when I’ll be making the veg version so I can eat it too!
I tried this recipe. It actually made enough for four . It was delicious, but I followed the instructions that say make the roux add half and half and chicken stock and simmer for 20 minutes. Then add the veggies and cook for another 25 minutes.after watching the video, when making this again I wouldn’t simmer the broth for 20 minutes before putting in the veggies. I will be making this again.
This soup is incredible! Thanks for recipe. I’m just wondering what a serving size is? Thanks Alyssa!
It says 8 but in all honesty it’ll barely feed the 4 of us tonight. Making it now and it looks like it serves 4, at most.
Never mind, it’s a lot more than it looked like! Disregard.
I made this for dinner tonight and it is delicious. I will share this recipe with everyone! Yummy good!
Very good. Made it in the crock pot. Used 3 cups broccoli and a mix of yellow and white cheddar. I thought it was even better the next day.
In all fairness to the original post, I don’t eat Panera foods much, and it’s been awhile since I had their Broccoli and Cheese soup. However, broccoli was on sale, so I bought a bunch which is what prompted me to find a recipe that looked good. I followed most of it, but followed the suggestions of another reviewer to add some Better Than Bouillon Chicken instead of salt, as well as more nutmeg and some curry, and to blend it all (immersion blender) before adding the cheese. I also added cooking sherry which, I think, was mentioned by a few other reviewers. After following all that, I found myself reaching for the Worcestershire Sauce, which was what made this dish finally “sing”. Thanks for the inspiration, and to everyone who took the time to share their edits. The recipe is certainly a great one for jumping off into doing your own tweaks …. and thank you for that!
What great ideas!! I can’t wait to try all of these new suggestions!
It was ok.Next time I need to triple the batch. This is only for two people,at most. I’d use heavy cream next time. Too thin.
Awesome recipe and sooo good!!
After making this a few times, I tried making it with cauliflower- and it, too, was absolutely delicious. Next, I may do half broccoli and half cauliflower.
Nonetheless, my husband said it is one of the best soups I’ve ever
Thanks Alyssa