Broccoli Cheddar Soup
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Recreate Panera’s gloriously cheesy broccoli cheddar soup in your own kitchen with this quick and easy copycat recipe—perfect for a cozy evening at home.
If you’re a fan of Panera’s broccoli cheddar soup, you’ll love this homemade version. Though broccoli gets top billing in the name, make no mistake—this soup is all about the cheddar. It’s gloriously cheesy with just the right amount of broccoli and other vegetables for texture and flavor. The soup is easy to prepare, too. With only 15 minutes of cooking time and minimal prep, it’s ideal for a warm and cozy weeknight dinner. You can enjoy it as is, or add homemade croutons or shredded chicken for more heartiness. Pair this broccoli cheddar soup recipe with crusty artisan bread or dinner rolls for a cozy and satisfying meal.
“I made this soup during our snowfall here in Philly and it was extremely comforting and absolutely DELICIOUS!!”
What You’ll Need To Make Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- Butter: Used for sautéing the onions and garlic, creating a flavorful base. It also helps form the roux, which thickens the soup.
- Onion and Garlic: These aromatics are essential for building the soup’s foundational flavors.
- Shredded Carrots: Added for a pop of color and a hint of natural sweetness. Pre-shredded carrots from the produce department are a great shortcut.
- All-Purpose Flour: The key ingredient for making the roux, which thickens the soup and gives it a creamy texture.
- Chicken Broth: Forms the liquid base of the soup, offering depth and richness to the overall taste. Feel free to substitute vegetable broth for a vegetarian version.
- Broccoli Florets: Adds vibrant color, a hearty texture, and healthy nutrients.
- Heavy Cream: Used to thicken the soup further and add a rich and silky consistency.
- Sharp Cheddar Cheese: Gives the soup its characteristic cheesy, tangy flavor.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
In large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened and translucent, about 3 minutes.
Add the garlic and shredded carrots (if using) and cook 1 minute more. Do not brown.
Add the flour to the veggie mixture.
Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
Gradually add the chicken broth, whisking constantly.
Add the broccoli florets, salt, black pepper, and nutmeg.
Bring to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes until the broccoli is tender. Add the cream and bring back to a simmer, uncovered.
Gradually stir in the 2 cups cheese until completely melted.
Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with more cheese, if desired. Perfect comfort food!
Frequently Asked Questions
Broccoli cheddar soup is best enjoyed fresh, but leftover soup can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To reheat, gently warm the soup over low heat on the stove, stirring occasionally. Avoid boiling the soup, as high heat can cause the dairy to separate.
Unfortunately, broccoli cheddar soup does not freeze well due to all the dairy. Cream and cheese-based soups tend to become grainy when frozen and thawed.
You don’t have to splurge on a fancy cheddar, but do choose a high-quality brand from the refrigerated cheese section of the supermarket. I personally love Cabot or Tillamook. (This also applies if you’re using pre-shredded cheese—a top-notch brand, like Tillamook thick-cut cheddar, is essential.)
Video Tutorial
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Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Recreate Panera’s gloriously cheesy broccoli cheddar soup in your own kitchen with this quick and easy copycat recipe—perfect for a cozy evening at home.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped (1 heaping cup)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup shredded carrots (optional)
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups chicken broth
- ½ lb broccoli florets, cut into bite-sized pieces (about 4 cups)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups (8 oz) shredded sharp cheddar cheese, plus more for serving if desired
Instructions
- In large soup pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and carrots (if using) and cook 1 minute more. Do not brown. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Gradually add the chicken broth, whisking constantly. Add the broccoli, salt, pepper, and nutmeg and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the cream and bring back to a simmer, uncovered. Gradually stir in the cheese until completely melted. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with more cheese, if desired.
- Note: This soup is best enjoyed fresh, but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To reheat, gently warm the soup over low heat on the stove, stirring occasionally. Avoid boiling the soup, as high heat can cause the dairy to separate. Freezing is not recommended due to all the dairy.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 461
- Fat: 37 g
- Saturated fat: 22 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Sugar: 6 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 16 g
- Sodium: 768 mg
- Cholesterol: 107 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Love Gina and all your recipes! This was a miss for me too. Way too watery. Followed recipe as directed. I’m a good cook. I’d suggest a much thicker roux and follow recipe as written from there. Up the seasoning as per your taste and enjoy with cheese bread. Yum!
Great recipe! I followed the recipe as is, and it is divine. I love broccoli soup, and this is the best I ever had and will be my go-to from now on. It is the perfect quick comfort food, and I will make it often. Thank you for sharing this recipe and many others.
Great recipe!! I only had vegetable broth not the chicken broth.I will try it with chicken broth next time.
This soup is delicious. I got distracted by guests and overcooked the soup! To my surprise it now tastes EXACTLY like Panera’s! Leftovers heat up great, with an extra splash of broth. Everyone loved it!
It really taste like Panera, but of course..better! Thank you for the recipe.
Second time making this delicious soup..I used “Baby Broccoli and their stems chopped up… plus one cup of shredded carrots..even better and “sweeter” taste w/ baby broccoli😎
What a winner! I got fresh broccoli at Aldi…1.5 pounds, and made this soup for my self and a neighbor, as my husband is a “ never broccoli” kinda guy…l love broccoli so I used all of it in this soup, pureeing half of the florets, and leaving half in the soup…outstanding! I used extra sharp cheddar…perfect! It’s hard to believe there is so much flavor from a very simple recipe!
This broccoli soup is the best one I have ever made. Delicious! Also, I had most of the ingredients on hand and the recipe was so easy to come together. My family loved it. Will be making it again. Thanks for a great recipe!
This was SO GOOD and will definitely make this again. I used about 5 cups of broccoli instead of 4 and felt like this recipe could even handle 1 cup more (6 cups total).
The first time I try any recipe I’m pretty disciplined about sticking to it as written. With this soup, I felt like there wasn’t quite enough butter and flour to make a fully formed roux (I used exactly 1 cup of diced onion and just a tad under 1 cup of shredded carrots). My instinct for the next time I make this is to 1) increase the butter to 6 Tbsp from and then increase the flour to 1/3 cup from 1/4; 2) possibly increase the shredded carrots from 1 cup to 1 1/2; and 3) increase the garlic from 3 cloves to 4.
I’m curious to hear what your thoughts are on this, Jenn.
Hi Jeffrey, so glad you enjoyed it! Regarding the roux you have to be careful not to add too much, as it can create a pasty texture. Also, you mentioned that you added an additional cup of broccoli – if you’re looking to make the soup a bit thicker, that actually could work against you as broccoli contains so much water. Please LMK if you have any other questions I can help with.
Excellent point, Jenn. I’ll definitely keep that in mind when wanting to increase the amount of broccoli.
I should have gone into a bit more detail in my previous post. After I had stirred the flour in with the onions and shredded carrots for a minute (and right before I added the stock) it looked as if they were merely coated by the roux and that there wasn’t enough of the roux itself to assimilate into the stock. It by no means looked bad. I’m just being a bit overanalytical – lol.
In any event, I will definitely report back after I make this again. 😉
what can i use instead of heavy cream ?
Hi Jan, the soup won’t be as thick, but you can use half & half in place of the cream. Please LMK how it turns out!