Panera Copycat Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Updated
Updated
This delicious and easy Broccoli Cheddar Soup recipe is a homemade version of the popular Panera soup. Simple to prepare, I’ve used pantry staples and cooked it all in one pot for a hearty, creamy soup that boasts the most incredible flavor! I love serving it for lunch or a light weeknight dinner.
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5 STAR REVIEW
Easy Broccoli Cheddar Soup Recipe
I’ve never lived close to a Panera Bread. Because of that, I’ve only eaten there three times in my entire life. But each time I always got the same thing, their Broccoli Cheddar Soup. Have you ever had it? It’s amazing.
We’re big lovers of broccoli and cheddar cheese, especially when they’re together! So I knew trying to recreate a homemade version of this soup would be a big hit with the family. And it is.
With broccoli florets throughout and fresh sharp cheddar cheese, this soup is hearty and crazy flavorful. The texture is like velvet and every spoonful practically melts in your mouth!
Panera Copycat Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Ingredients
- 5 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
- 1 small sweet onion, diced small
- ¼ cup flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1½ cups coarsely chopped broccoli florets
- 1 large carrot, cut into matchsticks (1 cup)
- 1 stalk celery, thinly sliced (½ cup)
- 10 oz. sharp cheddar cheese*, shredded (2½ cups)
- ¾ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp ground mustard
- pinch cayenne pepper
Instructions
- In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, melt 1 tbsp of the butter; add the onion and saute, stirring, until translucent, 3-4 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and melt the remaining 4 tbsp of butter. Add the flour and whisk until dissolved and combined.
- Gradually add the milk, whisking constantly until no lumps of flour remain, then whisk in the chicken broth.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a gentle bubble, whisking occasionally for 5 minutes.
- Add the broccoli, carrot, and celery; gently simmer until vegetables are tender, about 10-15 minutes.
- Reduce heat to low; stir in the cheese until melted, about 1 minute. Stir in the salt, pepper, ground mustard, and cayenne.
- Ladle into bowls and serve immediately.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.
Did you make this? Leave a rating below!How To Make Broccoli Cheddar Soup Step by Step
Cook the onion: Melt some of the butter in a large saucepan and sauté one onion until softened and fragrant.
Make the soup: Lower the heat, melt more butter, add ¼ cup of flour, and whisk until completely dissolved.
Add 2 cups of milk, whisking constantly until no lumps of flour remain. Whisk in 2 cups of chicken broth.
Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, whisking occasionally for 10 minutes.
Add the veggies: Add in 1½ cups of broccoli florets (you can also use some stalks for less waste), 1 carrot, and 1 celery stalk. Gently simmer until the vegetables are tender.
Add the cheese: Reduce the heat to low; stir in 10 oz. of cheese until melted. Finally, add ¾ tsp kosher salt, ½ tsp black pepper, ¼ tsp ground mustard, and a pinch of cayenne pepper.
Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls, serve immediately, and enjoy!
Recipe Variations
- Make it vegetarian. Swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth to make it vegetarian.
- Reduce the calories. Use low-fat milk instead of whole milk to cut back on calories, but keep in mind it won’t be as thick and flavorful.
- Try a different cheese. While this is a broccoli and cheddar soup, you can use a different cheese like Colby Jack or Pepper Jack.
- Omit the cayenne pepper. Although I highly discourage you from doing so! It’s only a pinch and does not make this recipe spicy, but rather lends more depth of flavor.
What To Serve With Broccoli Cheddar Soup
I like serving this soup with beer bread or this easy to make Dutch oven bread, which are both great to dip in the soup or mop up anything left at the bottom of my bowl! If I want to do a soup and salad combo, I serve it with a simple side salad or Caesar salad.
How to Store
Once completely cooled, you can store this soup in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
You can reheat broccoli and cheddar soup in the microwave for a couple of minutes, stirring occasionally, or heat it on the stove over medium-low.
I don’t recommend freezing this soup. Soups that contain milk or cream don’t tend to freeze very well; their texture can become grainy and separate when defrosted.
This is so good. My granddaughter helped me prepare the veggies and we made this to go with our steak, and twice baked potatoes. This was our Christmas dinner this year. The recipe is easily doubled, and I recommend doubling it because everyone is going to want more!
This is my go too now! I love this!
Restaurant quality, delicious.
This might be the most amazing soup I have even eaten. WOW. Thank you for sharing!
I love this recipe, so good! I used almond flour in place of the regular flour.
This was easy and excellent.
Love this recipe. The only change I made was omitting the flour and easy a brick of cream cheese as the thickener instead.
Whole family loved this recipe so much – thanks for sharing!