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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
A new family favorite! Next time I am going to add dry mustard to my flour and butter mixture like I do with my Mac n cheese. I also think that I will only use HALF a package of grated cheese. Loved having the chunks of broccoli. My daughter asked for more and more. I was able to feed myself, husband and 11 yr old daughter with enough for another small bowl leftover. Very flavorful and inexpensive to make on a chilly fall night!
Love this! I made it in my instant pot with riced broccoli. Added just a little extra white cheddar with the original. Amazing!!!
Wonderful recipe! I don’t know if it is anything like Panera’s, since I don’t eat there, but I imagine it is even better. After reading all of the comments, I did make a couple of tweaks. The first was with the broccoli. I used my scale to measure out 8 ounces, and my broccoli was very light. It came out to 3 or so cups when packed down. We love garlic, so I added a couple of cloves chopped up with the onions. My roux worked really well, so I thinned it out with an extra cup of chicken broth. I was skeptical about the nutmeg, but went ahead and put it in (I’m glad I did). I know cheddar cheese can vary, but I found an 8 ounce package of Kraft extra sharp cheddar was perfect. I made bread bowls from frozen dinner roll dough, and then topped them with crumbled bacon strips.
I just had this soup from Panera yesterday. I don’t think there are carrots in this. I didn’t see or taste any.
sheridan
This soup was excellent!!!!, my family enjoyed it, we had no left over for the 1st time ever!!!. Thanks for sharing
Is it okay to make the day before serving it? Trying to get a jumpstart on Easter food prep ?
Yes, of course! Happy Easter! Hoe did everything turn out?
I followed this recipe to the t and it came out perfect nice and thick thank you
now I really want to try this thx so much!
would I just follow recipe to triple the recipe? Making the soup for school luncheon and want to have enough.
Also, I like it thick but what would you recommend using to thin the soup?
Yes, you will create the same recipe three times. I would use more chicken stock to thin it out.
This soup was great!!! I had to hack it because I had no half and half so I used 2% milk, and it was still delicious. I doubled for my family of 8 and it was just enough, next time I will triple so we have leftovers. Thank you so much 🙂
This was delicious. My four year old is licking her bowl as I type this. I’ve made variations on this recipe for a few years but I think this is the only recipe that got the roux right. I followed the recipe completely. The only difference is that I think the 1 cup of broccoli is off. I used 2 cups. Thanks for the rainy night dinner idea. It’s going to be bookmarked from now on.
I didn’t have nutmeg so I read you can substitute it with cinnamon. Do NOT put either in it. It all tasted like cinnamon. Thanks consistency & everything else was fine.
I have made this soup twice now. The first time my changes were (1) using a combination of 2 cups Tillamook’s white sharp cheddar, 1.5 cups mozzarella and 1/2 cup Romano; and just cooked the onions in all of the butter – I didn’t bother melting it first. From then I followed the recipe as written. I’m guessing you adapted your recipe from this one since the instructions are pretty close?: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/235874/copycat-panera-broccoli-cheddar-soup/ I noticed with the Allrecipes version, though, they call for celery. I’m not sure how they made that work without sauteeing the celery. Anyway, even though I thought it was strange simmering the milk/cream as you instructed, I did it anyway and it was delicious. My husband asked me to make it again two days later and I decided to add celery but forgot to saute it early in the recipe with the onion. So I had to simmer the soup post-cream/milk addition about 10 minutes longer. I also added garlic. It was still amazing even with the milk and cream simmering all that time. However, my next try I’m going to saute the veggies first, then add the flour, then the broth, then cream, and once hot enough, add the cheese just to see how it turns out. Thanks for sharing this devine recipe!
I wanted to like this soup. I loved Panera’s Broccoli Cheese soup so I was excited to make this. Here are some of my personal thoughts on the process and results..
– 1 cup of Broccoli almost disappears in the soup. My feeling is 2 cups is necessary if you actually want to experience much Broccoli. I also used a WHOLE onion of a small/medium size.
– 8z of cheese is also not enough in my opinion. I ended up adding 16oz total because the soup just didn’t taste like anything to me with only 8oz. And even then, I used some spices to try to bump up the flavor. A bit of Harissa to lend a smokiness and some light “heat”, but it didn’t really come through and didn’t want to add too much
– If I make this soup again, I will NOT use the Sharp Cheddar, but a Medium Sharp. I found the sharp gave the soup a funky finish. Since I was using a good local brand (Tillamook) I know it wasn’t the quality of the cheese. I’m a cheese lover and no stranger to strong cheeses, but I feel the sharp just lends a sourness to the soup that I didn’t like. My adult daughter felt the same.
I appreciate the recipe since now I have a guideline. Was thinking of sauteing a minced Serrano chili with the onion for some real zing. next time. Wanted to give 3 stars, but all 5 lit up when I put my cursor over them and I couldn’t make it change.
This is what dreams are made of…serving this soup makes me look like a good cook!!! Only thing I did was add a little bit of garlic powder. Simple and easy to follow – spot on = Panera’s recipe! Thanks for sharing!
Your broccoli cheddar soup was so delishious thank so much