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
I just made this! Found it much more flavorful than Panera’s but it was much thicker. Any suggestions on how to thin it out a bit? Blend all of it? I know I could add more liquid but don’t want to mess with ratios. Will definitely make again!
I would extra broth
Or try less flour
Made this and added a pkg of diced ham. Was a big hit!
I’m getting ready to make this soup for the first time for a potluck at work. Was hoping to make today to take to work tomorrow morning and keep warm in my crockpot for several hours tomorrow? Do you think this would still taste good to make today, refrigerate overnight and then warm tomorrow in a crockpot?
Shoot too late but yes you can do that.
Loved it. Loved it!! When using fresh veggies, which I do, used my salad shooter to grate/julienne cheese, carrots, and stems of broccoli for 1 of the 3 cups called for. Also, we like it creamier so subbed with 1 cup of whipping cream (for 1 cup of 1/2 &1/2. Perfect for us. Have made it several times.
This was very tasty. For those saying it tasted like flour, you didn’t cook the flour long enough. Do at least 4 minutes constantly stirring the flour. The flour will start to smell a bit nutty, that’s when it’s done. These are the basic proportions for a roux (equal parts fat and flour). I used 1 cup 1/2 and 1/2 and one cup heavy whipping cream. Used better than bouillon for my chicken broth. The broccoli and carrots did need to cook for about 32 minutes to be soft. Then I used an immersion blender to thicken it a bit. Once the veggies are soft, take it off the heat and add in your cheese. Start with half if you’re not a huge cheese fan. I think 6 oz would be great, but my husband preferred the 8oz. I forgot to add the nutmeg but I didn’t miss it. I served this with some homemade sourdough and it was scrumptious. I’ve never had the Panera version, but don’t imagine it’d be too much better.
Thank you!
Taste like flour soup, way too much flour and I copied exact recipe
Having read some of the comments, I was a lil hesitant to make this! Ignore the negativity of a select few!!! This soup is AWESOME! Thank you for your recipe!!!
I made this for my wife last night. I put the soup in bread bowls. We both loved the soup, we will have this again and again.
Thank you!
Made recipe almost as posted, and family loved it! Didn’t have two cups of half & half at home, so used 1 cup half & half and 1 cup 1% milk. This also made it a bit lighter which we appreciated. Loved the broccoli and carrots. Thank you for this recipe!
This recipe is so easy and delish! My husband accidentally bought frozen “chopped broccoli.” I used it for this soup. It worked perfect and cut down tremendously on prep time. I will definitely be making this again. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you!
This recipe was excellent, just like Panera! I took the soup off of the heat before adding the cheese and it melted perfectly. I used half mild and half sharp for the cheese. I’ll be making this recipe again, thank you Christy!
Thank you!
Excellent recipe! I’ve never had the Panera version but this is amazing.
Thank you!
I added some diced ham.
Thumbs up from my husband and kids!!!!
Thank you!
As written, absolutely delicious!
Can you use frozen broccoli?
yes
Like many others, I changed it a bit. I threw celery, carrots and onion and garlic in my food processor- then added a can of cream of chicken soup and followed everything else and it was perfect!
This receipe was good, but doesn’t taste like Paneras.
Something is missing 🙁 If you put the two side by side there is a big difference.
So delicious!:) I made a double batch
I would have given 5 stars but the cream is unnecessary fat. I uses 1% milk instead and it was great.
Delicious!
I followed your recipe to a T. My soup turned out delicious!! Thank you for another great recipe!!
Def missing something
Turned out extremely bland so I added extra cheddar and some chicken base/salt.
So delicious, healthy and easy to make:) thank you fir this recipe!!!
So DELICIOUS! Even my husband loves it and he never eats soup. Thank you for this amazing recipe.
Thank you!
Good, but next time I will use mild cheddar instead of sharp to give it more of a taste like Panera’s. It was much too sharp of a taste with sharp cheese and I tried adding more half and half and chicken stock to offset it, but it didn’t work. Otherwise it was really good!
This is so delicious. I didn’t use half and half – I used a 348ml can of 2% evaporated milk and topped up the rest with light cream (5%). I also omitted the nutmeg. Otherwise I was faithful to your recipe. A huge hit!
My soup looked great until I added the cheese. Used high quality block cheddar, added it in slowly over residual heat only. It totally curdled and ruined the soup. Now we’re eating ramen for dinner. I wish I was joking. Any idea what could’ve gone wrong?
I’m so sorry. Sounds like the cheese was too hot?
I like one of the previous reviews that said that “recipes are suggestions, and not gospel”. I just finished making a double batch of this recipe and it came out as expected. The key to a consistent texture is to make sure you continue to stir the roux until it is thickened. A couple of changes I made: (1) I added four cloves of garlic to the onion and butter, a tablespoon of bacon fat, along with salt and pepper; (2) when I added the half and half and broth, I also added a little of each paprika, sage, poultry seasoning, and chopped crispy bacon; (3) instead of sticking strictly with cheddar, I also added two cups of a taco cheese – both of which were room temperature (it melted easily this way). At the end, I added just a sprinkle of McCormick’s Sriracha Seasoning – it was just the little bit of heat needed…if you haven’t tried this dry seasoning, you really should!
Made it family like it a lot
If I’m being honest, I knew this would be incredibly bland as written for my family. So I decided I’d use 8oz extra sharp, 8oz double cheddar, 8oz mild cheddar, and 8oz smoked Gouda. For seasonings, I used smoked paprika, cayenne, dry mustard, nutmeg, season salt & pepp, as well as garlic powder, and a tablespoon of chicken bouillon. I also tossed in a dash of worcestershire sauce, it took much longer than 20min to simmer the veggies semi soft. I emulsified some of the soup and served with fresh baked sour dough. It was a perfect comfort food tonight here in IL, as we got a little bit of snow fall finally.
holy pretentious…could’ve omitted the first sentence. I don’t give a hoot what kind of fancy cheese your family prefers. Most of us are here because we love Panera’s version, which this recipe is a ‘copycat’ of.
Why not just write your own cooking blog as you feel a need to totally bastardise the original recipe.
This recipe is amazing and is wonderful as originally written 😋
This soup reminds me of a snowy Winter day in Chicago, a fire in the fireplace, warm, crusty sourdough bread, jazz on the stereo, a glass of wine. The only thing I changed when making this delucious soup was to use half sharp/ half extra-sharp cheddar, and fresh-grated nutmeg. (Also, julienninng the carrots by hand is half the fun!) 😊 Many, many thanks for this superlative recipe! ❤️
Could’ve used more cheese and spices!!
Never had the Panera soup but decided to give this a try and the results were fantastic ! The nutmeg added a mysterious spice and I kicked it up with some Bacon Bits. Thanks for posting.
Very Good. I change it up due to health issues. Double veggies, add chopped celery and if I have leftover cauliflower I toss that in. I use 4 cups broth. After blending add 1/4-1/2 c heavy cream and 1-1-1/2 c shredded sharp cheddar. Thin as needed with additional broth. My version probably isn’t as Panera-ish but better for me😊
Soup was ok…a little too much broccoli and not enough sharp cheddar for our taste. Also a little too thick.
I made this soup today and it came out perfectly smooth. I added some garlic to it because I love garlic. I’m always looking for recipes to try and this one was quick and I enjoyed making it. Yummy….
How many servings does this make? I did not see that information.
It’s in the top left corner of the recipe card. This serves 6
I made this as written and it was delicious. Devoured by three grown men and a toddler.
Thank yoU!
I think of recipes as suggestions, not gospel. I made this soup tonight but added onions, potatoes and sage. Also, I’m sure some other spices were sitting on the counter and I threw them in too. I am never going to eat a bland food. Wake up cooks. We got this one life, why not make it the best? By the way, the soup was MARVELOUS. My family raved!
My family and I LOVE this soup. It is our go to favorite on a cold day. Broccoli/cheddar soup is definitely comfort food, and that’s exactly what it does! It makes us feel cozy on a blustery day. Scoop out a bowlful and go sit by the fire! Yum! This recipe for broccoli/cheddar is easy and the best one out there! Enjoy!
Thank you!
I love soups. Even in the summer. The first time I made this to the directions and found it to be too cheesey, if that is possible, hence the four stars. I used extra sharp cheese. I LOOOOVE cheese too so I find it odd that I am mentioning it to be too cheesey. I made it a second time and cut the cheese quantity in half. I also reduced the 1/2 + 1/2 to one cup, and then used 1 cup heavy cream. PERFECTION! I used low sodium chicken stock and let people add s+p to taste. This is my go to recipe from now on. I’ve been searching for years for a good broccoli cheddar soup and you cracked the code! I don’t know why other people are having issues with their veggies. Mine were perfect and tender. I would recommend to those people having veggie issues is to add the dairy last, and to cook the broccoli on medium in the chicken stock. Adding the dairy last will prevent it from scolding when cooking at medium. Add the cheese, stir to melt, then serve.
This recipe is so infuriating. Followed the directions to a tee – but the broccoli and carrots were absolutely rock hard after 25 min on low. I even cut them in very very small pieces. I have now upped the heat and been cooking this for 2 hrs and the vegetables are STILL hard. Are you joking??? We are absolutely starving and waiting around for this soup to cook is maddening. Do not follow this recipe if you ever want to actually eat it bc it never cooks.
I don’t know what kind of veggies you used, but that’s not normal 🤷
I buy a head of broccoli and chop it myself and use a cheese grater to shred the carrots. It takes about 15 minutes for it to finish but I let the liquid thicken before I put those in for about 6-8 mins.
Sorry I have no idea why the veggies are still hard. That is very strange
“Bite-size pieces”. My suggestion woukd be to chop the brocoll a little smaller, and julienne the carrots finer ( there a numerous instructional videos on YouTube on how to julienne carrots, I do them super small for this recipe. I bring to a low boil on slightly higher heat, then turn the heat down to medium-low, just to a gentle bubble, and check/stir frequently. Hope you will try again, because this soup is fabulous.
This is an amazing soup recipe. I doubled it, or fed our family of 7 plenty and we used the last bit of leftovers on a baked potato 😋 yum!!
happy to hear that
I would absolutely recommend NOT cooking this on low for 20-25mins. The broccoli was still hard and not cooked…and let’s not mention all the carrots which took over the soup! The flavor was nonexistent and had to add a ton of pepper/salt to make it edible. We had French bread to help us get through this awful disaster. We will not be cooking this again nor adding this to our rotation of things to cook for dinner.
I can already see what kind of cook you are, this soup cannot be spoiled, it is delicious if you can season it well.
Can I use frozen broccoli?
Yes!
Forgot to drop 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you!
I would rename this BETTER THAN Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup! Delicious.
MAKE IT!!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
So very good.
This soup is absolutely wonderful. I’ve made it many many times and I always have to double it because it’s so delicious! I use heavy cream instead of half and half to make it a little richer. Otherwise it is perfect as is!
Thank you!
Forgot to give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you!!!!
I am not sure what some in the comments are doing wrong, but this soup is perfection. Tonight is the second time I’ve made it and really the only thing different I do is double it because it’s so good. Lol I do use extra sharp block cheddar (just what I prefer) and grate it myself. The chicken stock I use is the Better Than Bouillon base. And I omit the carrots because I’m not a huge fan. Maybe trying different brands of cheese and stock will help! But this is fantastic and is just like Panera’s! Great recipe ♥️
Is there any way to cut down on the sodium?
I like to use low sodium chicken broth, but the store may even carry no sodium.
I always use low-sodium better than bouillon base.
Very tasty! Definitely had to cook for longer than 20 minutes. But it was worth it!
I noticed some of the comments about cooking the broccoli first, I didn’t find that necessary. If you cut the broccoli pieces small enough it works out perfect. The liquid ratio was perfect, flavor was great. I did add a bit of cayenne, fresh thyme, paprika and a bit extra black pepper. You HAVE to cook the flour for a couple of minutes to get it a bit thicker, just like stated in the recipe. Delicious!
Thank you Tracy!
My daughter recommended we have this tonight and it was great.
Thank you!!
You’re welcome!
I made this soup tonight and it’s delicious! Thanks for sharing this with us!
You’re welcome Gloria!
Made this tonight, super yummy and easy to prepare. Will be adding to my regular recipes!
Thank you!
Wonderful soup, I leave out the onion, but it’s sooooo good.
Thank you!
Recipe is great! Can confirm though that soup will take HOURS to make if you don’t pre cook the broccoli and carrots before adding them. Soup was still cold after the 25 minutes recommended cook time at low heat. Kept it at medium and the vegetables did not soften until almost hour 3 of cook time. Recipe tastes great, really recommend it, but calculate in ALOT of cook time if you follow word for word like I did.
I just made this delicious soup and I recommend it wholeheartedly. The directions must be followed with the roux or the soup will taste like flour. I am delighted with the creamy texture this recipe produces. This soup is easy to make. I had my ingredients prepped and ready and it was a breeze. I used julienne carrots, purchased at the grocery store. I finely chopped the broccoli crowns and my veggies were perfectly cooked. I also used my immersion blender about 10 minutes before cooking time was up and made the soup as smooth as my family desired- this along with the small size of my veggies contributed to them being cooked on time. My soup was creamy, delicious and flavorful- using the ingredients listed and served with garlic sticks, fresh from the oven. This soup will be made often in our home.
Thank you for this recipe, it is wonderful!!
You’re welcome!
Sorry mine never takes that long. 3 hours for veggies to soften sounds like something is wrong
Delicious! Does it freeze well?!
Yes!
Omg so very good. I did not blend mine and used extra shape cheese. Perfection indeed
Thank you!
Would’ve been 5 stars in my book, except in m my opinion , it should direct to cook veggies first, then adding milk. I actually add a healthy pouring of heavy cream in mine. I also take a bit out, blend it, and add it back in. Delicious!!!
Can you use gluten free flour to thicken it?
Yes, or xanthum gum
i added some bacon pieces on top, it added a lovely flavour to it.
I added a ton of extra cheese and more flour to get the right consistency for Broccoli Cheddar Soup. Very good base however.
Was delicious..but think cooking veggies before adding milk.would be better..carrots didn’t get soft at low heat
Yes definitely cook longer if they are not tender
Delicious.. i love the broccoli cheddar soup from Panera and it tastes just like it.. my only problem was I’d like to have it a little thinner. It was very thick. What can I add to thin it? Thanks
You can definitely add more chicken broth or milk
The soup part is good, but even leaving the broccoli and carrots cooking on low for an extra 5 minutes, they still weren’t soft. What should I do differently, or are they intended to be kind of firm?
No. they should be soft. Either up your heat just a bit or cook longer.
This is absolutely delicious but SUPER think. I followed the recipe perfectly. Is there a way to thin it? Should I just add more cream and broth? I know. Silly question, but I don’t want it mess up the flavor. It’s SO good!
Hi Tanya, I just made this recipe and it was thicker than I prefer as well. You can add more heavy cream for a creamier soup, or add more chicken stock for a thinner soup. I did about half a cup of chicken stock and it was perfect.
I know not everyone has one but I use my instant pot to get my veggies soft first.
Oh my gosh this was incredible!!! I actually just used an immersion blender on it and pulsed it a few times and the soup was perfect and still chunky! Made home made bread bowls with it and it just couldn’t have been better
Sounds delicious!
You said 8oz of cheddar but never said which stage to add it so I assumed it was when you add the cream and let it melt before adding broccoli and carrots. Save some of the cheese for garnish.
Step 4 says to return to heat and add the cheese.
Absolutely amazing! I didn’t have half and half cream so I substituted with light cream. I also added garlic, Thyme and celery to the recipe. Overall very good! Thankyou
You’re welcome!
Oh. My. God.
Delicious times a million!
THank you!
Spot on!!!! Easy to make & great for us, because it will last for a few lunches.
Thank you! Great recipe-gonna be a regular in an our house❤️
yay!
Bomb soup ! It’s perfect yummy and creamy !
Shame on you. You know this is panera’s broccoli cheese soup. You just worded it different. It’s the exact recipe of panera.. For shame.
Ha bobbie how do you know? Do you work there? It’s just a guess but I’m glad I’m close
This is always good. Good recipe. Forget Panera Bread. They called me Kral when my name is Karl. They are kicked outta the heard. I should be thanking then for the Kral-hap tho cuz my soup(or your soup) is better. Long live the cheddar
Haha thanks for making me laugh.
Can I double the recipe and freeze leftovers?
Thank you!
Many have done this successfully.
Amazing recipe! Tweaked it slightly based on what I had on hand, and it really hit the spot for soup! I’ve never made broccoli and cheddar soup, but this was super easy to make and even easier to customize! 10/10
Thank you!
Have made this recipe half a dozen times and it’s always good, even with substituted ingredients. For 2 adults and 6 kids, I usually double the recipe and have leftovers. I also use frozen bread dough to make bread bowls which makes it more filling and feels like Panera. Thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome!
You need a list of ingredients
Needs more cheddar, add 1 T of minced garlic. I doubled the cheese.
What broth would you use to make this vegetarian or vegan?
Vegetable broth
Vegetarian broth works great.
I used Trader Joe’s Organic Low Sodium Vegetable Broth. It turned out great. I also used some coarsely chopped cilantro with the stems.
I would use better than bouillon “no chicken” base. Add to water and make your own broth. It’s amazing!! I use it with everything that is supposed to have chicken broth.