Panera’s Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Panera’s Broccoli Cheddar Soup is comfort food at its best and tastes just like Panera. This soup is an easy dinner that hits the spot and quick enough for a weeknight. 
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BROCCOLI CHEDDAR SOUP
This broccoli cheese soup competes for the #1 soup recipe on this blog with this crockpot potato soup.
I know this Panera’s Broccoli Cheddar Soup recipe has made the rounds around the blogs but my job is to share recipes that I really love and this is one of them.
The reason I know that this recipe tastes just like the delicious broccoli soup at Panera is because I ate this at least once a week during my last pregnancy.
It was the ONLY thing that I looked forward to eating and I’m sure the peeps at Panera knew me by name. They serve this Panera’s Broccoli Cheese Soup with a warm crusty baguette. Oh my goodness.
It almost makes me want to get pregnant again.
I once was in charge of making soup for 250 women. Guess which soup went first? Nope. Not the chicken noodle.
Yes, you guessed it. The Broccoli Cheddar soup. I mean who doesn’t like broccoli and cheese? Not only is it a healthy broccoli cheese soup recipe, it’s only 417 calories a serving all made in one pot with simple ingredients.
You’ll need about 3 cups of broccoli chopped into bite-sized pieces. You’re supposed to julienne a carrot. I cook a lot and I do not have the patience to do that.
They sell “matchstick” carrots in the produce section. Save yourself some sanity and time and just buy those.
It’s important to use sharp cheese here in this Panera’s Broccoli Cheese Soup recipe as it gives it more flavor than a milder cheese.
Then eat a couple of bowls of this delicious broccoli cheddar soup. After all, it is the first day of fall today.
Is this Panera’s Broccoli Cheddar Soup gluten-free?
Part of the thickening agent in this soup is the flour in the roux. There’s only 1/4 cup and you can definitely leave it out but your soup will not be as thick.
You can thicken it at the very end if needed by creating a cornstarch slurry.
Add a couple tablespoons of cornstarch to a small bowl and add water until it forms a paste. Whisk in this mixture at the end of cooking to thicken up the soup.
HOW TO MAKE PANERA’S BROCCOLI CHEDDAR SOUP
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Met the 1/4 cup butter and sautee the onions on the stove-top until soft. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture. Cook and stir over medium heat for 1-2 minutes.
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Whisk in the half & half and chicken broth. You can also use heavy cream.
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Add the broccoli florets and carrots. Cook over medium-low heat for 20-25 minutes or until the broccoli and carrots are tender.
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Add salt and pepper. You can leave the soup chunky or blend about 1 cup of the soup with an immersion blender and stir it in for a smoother soup (that’s what I do). Return to low heat and add the cheese. If your heat is too high your soup can get grainy. Stir in the nutmeg if desired.
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Serve with crusty bread.
OTHER SOUP RECIPES:
- Lasagna Soup
- Cauliflower Soup
- Creamy Potato Soup
- Easy Tomato Soup
- Chicken Gnocchi Soup
- Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Sausage and Tomato Cauliflower Soup
- Slow Cooker Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup
- Zuppa Toscana Soup
- Chicken Stew
- Egg Drop Soup
- Buffalo Chicken Soup
Panera's Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/2 medium chopped onion
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 cups half-and-half cream
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken stock or broth
- 1/2 lb broccoli, (about 3 cups), chopped into bite size pieces
- 1 cup carrot, julienned (can buy matchstick carrots in produce section)
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, (optional but brings out the flavor)
- 8 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese, (2 cups)
- salt and pepper
Equipment
Instructions
- Melt the 1/4 cup butter and sautee the onions in the butter until soft. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture. Cook and stir over medium heat for 1-2 minutes.
- Whisk in the half & half and chicken stock. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium.
- Add the broccoli and carrots. Cook over medium-low heat for 20-25 minutes or until the broccoli and carrots are tender.
- Add salt and pepper. You can leave the soup chunky or blend about 1 cup of the soup and stir it in for a smoother soup (that's what I do). Return to low heat and add the cheese. If your heat is too high your soup can get grainy. Stir in the nutmeg if desired.
- Serve with crusty bread.
Video
OMG. This is amazing. Definitely a keeper. I made this and my family thought it was from panera.
I’m planning to make this soup for my family over the holidays. How far in advance could I make it to have in the fridge ready for heating up?
Hey! I’m planning to do this recipe for my culinary final, but we aren’t allowed to make too big of a portion we need at most 4 6oz portions. How big is each portion in ounces?
Excellent recipe, the only thing I did was add a couple bottle caps worth of lemon juice to it!
Yum!
Great! I used frozen broccoli and cooked it for 15 minutes.
This turned out very good. Can you freeze it?
Sure!
Made your recipe tonight, so delicious!
Thank you so very much for such an easy to follow recipe with perfect results!
Thank you!
I added a couple potatoes to this recipe and it was the perfect touch! So good!
Great addition!
This was so yummy! I’m new(ish) to cooking and this was a quick easy recipe. I watched the video a couple times to make make sure I covered the soup at the right times extra. Highly recommend watching that before starting!
Souuuuper yummy! I cooked my carrots with the onions till soft. Then I added 2 minced garlic cloves and 2 tsps Dijon mustard (not a nutmeg fan). I also blended the entire soup before adding the cheese- WOAH. What a hit, hubby is on bowl #2 as I type this.
Awesome to hear!
Thank you for sharing a GREAT Recipe!! I made it. Video and pic on TikTok. Lots of food creators over there.
Thx Meliss!
Just tried this for the first time. No carrots and substituted celery. Added a little red pepper flakes. Delicious.
YUMMY! Even my husband who doesn’t typically like soup thought it was wonderful. We did add a bit of chopped fresh garlic to the onions.
Thank you!
LOVE this recipe so much! I found it last year and have made it several times. I passed it on to my sister, and her family also loves it. I’d give you 1,000 stars if I could!
Thank you!
My grandson is autistic so you have to make healthy food that he recognizes so I spend alott of time being extremely creative with food today I wanted this so I made sure he saw me making it he loves broccoli and cheese so this was a BIG HIT with my family today thank you sooooo much this MiMi appreciates it.
aw that is so awesome to hear!
This was delicious. Made it just as instructed.very easy and comforting. Thank you
Delightful soup for a cool day to snuggle up with a throw and a bread bowl of Broccoli Cheese Soup. Yummy! Nothing better.
Thank you!
Delicious and easy to make!!
Thank you!
Delicious !!
Thank you!
What can i use to substitute the flour? And same amount? Thank you Cristin your recipes are awesome and delicious!!!
You can use gluten free or leave it out and use cream cheese to thicken or cornstarch
Potato starch works nicely as well but half the amount.
Delish!! Made it exactly as you instructed!!
Thank you!
I, had this broccoli and cheddar cheese once in Florida, my daughter bought it at Panera.
It was delicious. Love ❤️ it and always wanted to try making it myself.
So I googled the recipe and will try making such
.
Ok followed the recipe exactly and it still was grainy beyond wanting to eat it. Why? Thoughts?
Cheese can get grainy if it’s overheated. Was your heat on low?
I’ve made this soup several times because it’s my son’s favorite and I have to shred a fresh block of cheese and not the bagged pre shredded cheese because it gets very grainy.
Did you use bag cheddar or did you use block and shred it yourself? The anticaking agents in the bagged shredded cheese can also cause it to be grainy.
I just made this for my family and it is a huge hit!!! I will definitely be making this again.
Thank you!
This sounds really good, but my wife is allergic to all Brassica plants. Going to try this with asparagus. Do you think this will work as a one-to-one substitution, or do I need to adjust things?
Absolutely perfect!
Thank you!
Yesssss! This turned out so so good! The only changes I made was 1 cup heavy whipping cream, 1 cup 1/2&1/2 and I added 1 stalk of celery thinly sliced. I used a dash of nutmeg and used my immersion blender before I added the cheese (white NY chef). Amazing! Thank you!!
Thank you!
Just made this for Sunday night dinner. I did add some extra cheese, American and Swiss because I love cheeese and never feel I have enough. I’m serving it with flaky biscuits because I don’t have crusty bread. Husband says it’s delish. He’s adding parm and croutons to his second helping! Also I used a 4 qt stainless steal pot. I was worried it wouldn’t be big enough but it fit perfectly with an inch to spare. Enjoy everyone! Great recipe!
Thank you!
When do you add the cheese🤣😅
Best to do before blending once broccoli/carrots have simmered. Too sticky if you add cheese beforehand. So in Step 4, I see what you mean it should be it’s own step to be clear 🙂 Hope that helps.
Wrong.
It says to add in step 4
Is it 1 cup or 2 cups of cheese? The recipe says 8oz (2 cups) but 8oz is 1cup.
80z of block cheese ends up being around a cup. I thought the same before shredding the block of cheese I have
It’s 8 oz by weight, which ends up being around 2 cups grated.
You’re confusing liquid measurements with solid measurements. It’s weight, it volume.
8 oz of liquid is 1 cup. This is true in all cases.
8 oz of dry ingredients depends on the ingredient and will vary because not all dry ingredients weigh the same.
Thank you!
This was a hit! I love how quick and simple this was to make. I forgot to add the nutmeg but it was soooo delicious. I will have to double this next time. This recipe was barely enough for my family of 4. 2 adults and 2 kids (4 & 5). But both of my kids gave it 5 stars which made me feel super accomplished as yall know how picky little kids can be.
Yay I love hearing that.
Good base recipe. I added garlic, ground mustard and paprika.
I peeled my carrots like you peel a potato and then use scissors to chose those even smaller – much easier than cutting and really tastes great this way. Made this a few times the cutting and matchstick way, but peeling the carrots then cutting with scissors is hands down, the best version. Also added some chopped with mushrooms into the soup when cheese was added and some (cooked separately) shrimp scampi as a topping – YUM!!! Thanks for the recipe!
Yum! Thanks for the tips!
The carrot tip was a game changer!
This was delicious and very easy to make. My only change was to use 1/2 heavy cream and 1/2 half-and-half, but that was only because I had the heavy cream and wanted to use it up. I appreciated you giving an approximate weight for the broccoli, as then there was no confusion as to how much. This one is definitely going into my soup rotation.
Delicious. I have a pot on the stove right now – ready in 10 minutes. Going to have garlic knots with it. I’ve made it before and it never fails. Better than Panera.
Thank you!
I tried a small amount of the soup with the nutmeg and I didn’t care for it, so I left it out. For those who are wondering how much salt and pepper to add, I found that 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper was just enough to add flavor but not overpower. Also, for those asking when to add the cheese, typically any time that you’re adding cheese to a soup or sauce, you remove it from the heat first, then immediately stir in the cheese. Never boil the cheese. It does not turn out well! Lol!
Looks scrumptious
Thank you!
Great flavor but takes time to make it but worth the effort.
Absolutely delicious! I found four bags of frozen broccoli while I was cleaning out my freezer. This was the perfect use for them. I’ve tried other recipes in the past that were only so, so. This one was perfect! Creamy and flavorful!
Thank you!
Making this now. So at what point are you supposed to add the cheese???
Lol I see it now. I don’t know how I missed that 😂😂
Amazing recipe. Followed exactly
I get requested to make this often
Thank you!
Easy to follow and So So So yummy thank you
Thank you!
Amazing !! I added one of those Chicken Seasoning Cubes and an extra 1/4 of flour because I like thicker soups , and about a Pound of Shredded chicken but other that , I followed to the T and I’m in love !
Oh and I add broccoli and mixed veggies
Perfect and super easy to follow! I’ve made this several times, delicious. Thanks!!!
Thank you!
Can you use frozen broccoli? If so, should it be thawed first?
You shouldn’t have to thaw it!
Just made the broccoli cheddar soup. Nice. Does it freeze and stay good?
Yes you could freeze it!
If you freeze this because of the dairy it will not be the same when dethaw it. I’ve tried many times with things with dairy and it doesn’t really work
Well written, nothing left out, completely understandable… where are these people coming from who can’t follow simple instructions. But what is very distressing is some of the nasty and mean comments. It’s amazing how ugly some people can get. If you can’t read, that’s on you. This is the best Cheese and Broccoli soup I’ve made so far. The only mistakes here are coming from commenters. Obviously beginners or idiots. You did fantastic. This recipe is staying where I can grab it anytime I want a great soup.
Thank you Karin!
Have made this several times and everyone in the family loves it…even me who is not a huge broccoli fan.
Thank you!
Just breathe!! Thank you!! It was wonderful. I’m from down south and instead of salt I added Tony’s not that that’s important. Thank you so much for making my dinner easy!!! Forget the butt heads and keep it up! Do what you love ❤️
This was super easy and so good. Thank you
Thank you!
You put your cooking ingredients out there and don’t let people hate on them. I’m sorry. You are very nice to share. Keep it up. I’m going to make this for my family. Don’t let those other people tell you nothing else. Screw them.
Thank you!
This recipe is excellent! It doesn’t get any better than this!
Thank you!
This recipe is incredible! I’ve made it several times already and plan to double the recipe next time. I’m curious if anyone has tried storing it in the freezer for future meals? I’m finally giving meal prep a shot. Exciting stuff! Lol
So glad you liked it!
Soup is great. Simple directions and comes together very fast. I am shocked at how many people are saying they don’t get it and that the instructions aren’t clear. Maybe stay out of the kitchen? I think reading comprehension is a big issue. You know the thing they teach in 2nd grade?
It doesn’t say when to add the cheddar cheese???
Opps. Scrap that.. needed to open my eyes I think
I work full-time, but when I have weekends off, I try to cook so I made this one weekend and it was so good. I shared it with some friends of mine and they loved it as well. Thank you for sharing..
Thanks Valerie!
DO NOT ADD 2 CUPS OF STOCK IT MAKES IT SO LIQUIDY INSTEAD OF CREAMY
I’m guessing you had problems cooking your flour. If you had done, the soup would thicken despite the stock.
By far the best broccoli cheddar soup I have tried. I always double the recipe for a family of 5. Everyone loves this soup. Thanks for the delicious recipe l.
Thank you!
Decent recipe. Would be nice to know if it’s about 3 cups of Broccoli BEFORE it’s chopped and same with carrots.
It’s a very coarse chop so yes 3 cups before it’s chopped.
Not good, waste of my precious time
I’m sorry you didn’t like it. What was wrong with it?
Really easy to make! Great instructions! The nutmeg is a must- gives the dish that something extra.
Decent recipe but the written instructions make zero sense. It says reduce to medium heat when it doesn’t tell you a beginning heat and then it says medium heat like 2 other times. Then it says to stir in the soup? Which doesn’t make sense because it’s already soup! Some fixes would be greatly appreciated
Do you know how to read? There is nothing confusing at all. It says that you can blend a cup of the soup with an Emerson blender then pour it back it to make it more smooth. It makes perfect sense if you have reading comprehension. And it wasn’t updated since your review so that’s not an excuse. It was last updated in 2023 and your review is 2024. Just read the directions. They can’t be any easier. My gosh
It was great! Doesn’t really say when to add in the cheese so I did it part way threw. At the end it said something about adding a can of soup for it to be smoother I’m not really sure what that was about
Did you read the directions? It says you can use an emersion blender to blend up a cup of the soup then add it back in to make it smoother. Nowhere does it say anything about adding a can of soup. It also does say when to add the cheese. It’s say it in step 4
I’m not sure if I follow. I don’t see that.
This was a huge hit in my house! Absolutely delicious! Thank you for sharing! The only thing I did differently was skipped the nutmeg, only because I did not have any!
Great to hear!
Is it salted or unsalted butter?
You can use either. Just add salt to taste.
There’s no amounts on half the shit and you mention needing stuff in the recipe that’s not recalled for on the ingredientnlist. Get your shit together
Go make your own food blog then 🙄
Sorry not sure what recipe you are looking at but all of the quantities are there.
Well from the looks of your comment spelling and punctuation aren’t your strong suit. You can add that to reading comprehension because if you read the instructions every measurement is clearly marked. So I’d suggest going back to school and get you some education before you leave comments that make you look like a fool.
What an uneducated person you must be to talk to someone like that you should apologize to her!