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. 
I may earn commissions for purchases made through links on this post.
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
-
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.
-
Whisk in the half & half and chicken broth. You can also use heavy cream.
-
Add the broccoli florets 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 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.
-
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
Cheddar cheese is lower in lactose than most cheeses, you could try it with Fairlife whole milk which is lactose-free and doesn’t taste weird like lactaid. Heavy cream is also low in lactose so you could do part heavy cream part fairlife whole milk for the half and half part. I’m lactose intolerant and this usually works for me for dairy-heavy soups. Almond milk is probably gonna be way too thin and affect the texture too much but they do make vegan “cream” too in some grocery stores in the milk section.
Does this recipe freeze well? I live in WI and am looking for good soup recipes where I can freeze half the recipe for a later date. Being a full time nursing mother with older children as well, I don’t always have time to whip up a new meal.
People have frozen this but I have not personally
I made it with soy milk and vegan cheese and it’s perfect!
This is not a dish for someone lactose intolerant. Cheddar cheese has lactose, and almond milk is not a true milk. It is almond water with additives to keep it from congealing. I would google recipes for lactose intolerant friendly broccoli soup.
Can you double this recipe. I was going to make it the night before and keep it warm in a crock pot the next day to serve to the coworkers at work.
I double this all the time! Just make sure you have enough time to let it thicken if you’re doing it for a dinner. It’ll be fine in the Crock Pot.
Yes, you can double and put in a crockpot.
love it just would omit the nutmeg next time.
Very good, very easy. I’m now questioning is all these restaurants water their soups down, because this was so much more filling. I’m a baker, not a cook, but this one super straight forward and easy. I did use milk instead of 1/2 and 1/2 but the soup still came out thick and delicious
hahaha
I did the same thing.
Made it and ended up having to make triple the recipe before I could get some !! Fantastic!!!!
awesome
Tonight is the second time I’ve made this soup. Definitely staying in the rotation!
I have not made the soup yet. I am lactose intollerant. Could I use almond meal instead of half and half or can you recommend something?
Almond milk can work!
OMGosh! Delish! I used heavy whipping cream because I didn’t have half and half. My husband said put that on the meal rotation! Thanks for the recipe!
Turned out really good. Nice and creamy. I added 3 small finly diced redskin potatoes for a little more thickness and pulsed with a stick blender. I made a double batch for lots of leftovers.
Thank you!!
Lovely!!!!
This is it, ladies and gentlemen. I just made this soup tonight, and it’s a good thing I only had enough ingredients to make half a recipe! I would’ve eaten the entire pot! This soup was the best thing I have eaten in a very long time. I already added the ingredients for tomorrow’s shopping trip. 😃 Thank you so very much for sharing!
Thank you!!
This soup is so delicious! The shredded carrots was so easy. Just add what seasonings you like. I did s&p, buttery steak house seasoning, paprika and the nutmeg. I did add some minced garlic with the onions. I like my food pretty seasoned. I made soup bowls with it. This is the easiest soup I’ve ever made! Saved it, because i wont make any other broc cheddar soup recipe now.
Amazing! I’ve tried a few different brands but nothing was ever good as Panera’s. So I always just ended up forking over the $6-7 for a single bowl of this soup. However this recipe tops it. It’s so good and perfect for this chilly day. Just omitted the salt and pepper since I didn’t think it needed any.
Hi; I made this recipe today and it was absolutely delicious! In my opinion I liked it much better than Panera…I enhanced it a little bit, I added 20 jumbo shrimps cut into 4 pieces each and I added xtra 1/2cp cheese. Amazing!!! Thank you so much for sharing this great recipe
Delicious! I used paprika instead of the nutmeg as I didn’t have any, garnished with some parsley, and it turned out great.
Instead of flour or cornstarch, instant potato flakes make a nice thickener.
This was sooooooooo good , I did one and a half recipe but next time will double it . My question is when reheating your pot and you want to have a bit more liquid can you thicken it with corn starch slurry ? Thanks
Yes!
Are you suppose to bring everything up to a boil before turning it down to low for 20-25 minutes?
I did, but only for a second. Once I saw bubbles, rolling bubbles, right down to low it went.
In regards to my previous answer. It depends on how big or small your broccoli is. I enjoy a large cut, so boiling for a second helped it become tender. If your cuts are small, you probably don’t need to.
yes
Absolutely amazing. No matter how much I make there is never any left to freeze! My fiance wanted me to add bacon to it. Weird I know, but is sooooo good.
I followed the recipe to a tee. I grated a block of Cabot new york sharp cheddar. This is the best soup I’ve ever had. My wife loved it too.
Thank you for such a wonderful recipe, will definitely be in my regular rotation.
Thank you!!
making it today can I use heavy cream instead
Yea, it would just make it creamier, if you don’t want it super creamy but only have heavy cream, then do a little less heavy cream and more chicken stock/broth 🙂
yes!
ve been gluten free for years and never use flour. What i do when i am thickening something like a sauce or stew is I will use arrowroot powder. Bobs red mill is a good brand and you should be able to find it at any grocery store. Should be a white fine powder that looks sort of like flour.
It’s really easy to use it in anything you want to thicken. Just make sure you mix it in something cold and liquid first. So for instance in this recipe, I would hold a little chicken stock back from the recipe (maybe about a cup or so? Or set some extra aside. And then you want to do about 1/2 of the amount of liquid you have. So to 1 cup its about 1/2 arrowroot powder. This is your ‘roux’ whisk/mix it throroughly. Itll seem difficult at first but then quickjly becomes easy to mix and the final result will look suspiciously like milk or cream. Now add that mixx slowly, a little at a time, to your HOT soup mixture and keep stirring.
You should have no clumps and be able to stop at any point in this process, right when the soup is just as thick as you like it.
Depending on your crockpot or what device your using, the stovetop might be needed. My crock pot gets hot enough but different brands could matter. The point is the arrowroot activates and thickens once it is heated thoroughly.
I just used this trick to make swedish meatballs and to thicken the gravy. It works on everything and has no aftertaste or off flavor. It is virtually undetectable.
Enjoy!
oh and P.S. If you thicken something too much with arrowroot dont panic! just add back in more liquid. =)
This recipe is amazing!! I chopped the head part of the broccoli into small chunks, and put the stalks along with matchstick carrots into a food processor before cooking. It had the perfect consistency of creaminess with little bites throughout. I will make again!
Made it! So easy so delicious and the family ate it all in one night. Now making second batch because they want it again, its so good!
Since almond flour doesn’t have gluten in it, I don’t think so. Since the flour acts as a thickening agent to make a roux in this soup, a gf option could be a flax egg!! But I’d add the flax egg in the last 10 minutes, skip the flour step, and use 2 flax eggs for this recipe.
We are 100% gluten free. I use Bobs Red Mill 1:1 gluten free flour in every recipe and its always perfect every time. Another great one is King Arthur gf flour also 1:1
Try arrowroot powder to thicken at the end. Like a slurry. Works for me
does it taste like paneras soup
Does this freeze well
Made this tonight tor dinner and it came out fabulously.
Great recipe!
Can you use frozen broccoli?
Love the soup. I always go t Panera Bread when I want Broccoli & Cheddar soup, now I can make same version at them. 🥰🥰
Thank you!
Could this be cooked in the crockpot?
Yes but the veggies can easily get overcooked so cook for maybe 4 hours.
I made this tonight. I keep reading the recipe to make sure I did it right. My problem is the broccoli is still tough. I had it simmering in my Dutch oven for over an hour. And I cut my broccoli small. Is the broccoli supposed to be hard? I’ve never had the Panera soup. Anyway the soup without the tough vegetables is amazing! I’m going to put it in a blender tomorrow and then enjoy!😊
Very good! Cooked the carrots and broccoli about double the time but otherwise followed all directions.
I had been craving broccoli cheese soup for about a week and finally decided to make it myself. This recipe was so easy, quick and delicious! I cut the broccoli up fairly small and used matchstick carrots, so it took a little less than 20 minutes of simmering for mine to be ready.
My husband is gluten free, so I swapped the regular flour with tapioca flour ( about 3 tbsp) and it came out perfect. I also used the vegetable better than bouillon paste mixed with water for the broth. It thickened up once cooled and refrigerated but I just added a little water when reheating the next day and it was good as new!
It still came out perfect with mg modifications and I’m definitely saving this to make again!
Love hearing that.
If I used chicken broth instead of chicken stock, what would the difference in flavor be? I know using broth is ok, I’m just wondering what the difference would be in taste.
In my local store they have stock in either full flavor or no sodium, but no low sodium. They have low sodium broth though.
You would be ok using chicken broth instead and the difference should be minimal.
Your site is my very, Very, VERY favorite recipe resource!! All your recipes I have made are so good!
Thank you for keeping it up!!
Aww thank you
Idk what they changed about their soup but it was great now it’s runny and doesn’t have broccoli taste at all. I was buying this soup daily but now I can no longer stand the taste
Tried this recipe the second time today. It’s the best recipe, and it’s better than Panera soup, they need to adjust their recipe ))).
It’s only a bit thicker to my taste, but it’s not a problem at all, next time I’m going to add either more broth, or even just water.
Thank you!
Very good recipe. Thank you for posting this. I did a little cayenne pepper to spice it up a little but that’s a personal taste.
Perfect Easy Delicious meal!
So glad you liked it!
Delicious and easy to make. Much better than Panera’s in our opinion. Got some cooking now and about to do a grilled cheese sandwich for my daughter to go with hers. Thank you for the recipe.
So glad you liked it!
Ok. I’ve been stirring. I can’t figure out why my cheese and stock aren’t mixing together. It’s weird. Otherwise the flavor is really good.
Are you adding your cheese with the pan still on the heat?
Sounds like your cheese has separated which means the heat was too high
Disregard my last comment!!! It was my stupid phone! For some reason wasn’t allowing me to scroll any further!
This soup is amazing. My entire family loves it. I always grate my own cheese as the flavor is more bold. The sharper the cheese the better it is. I also added a little bit of velveeta cheese that I had in the fridge added a little creaminess. The nutmeg is definitely key. Delicious 😋
My previous comment should read how much is a serving not a saving. Autocorrect 😂
How much is a saving? It says 1g. Is that correct? 🤔🤔
sorry it says 1/6 of the recipe
Paired with a garlic bread baguette. Delicious soup! Followed recipe to a tee. Will make again.
Thank you!
What type of onion do you recommend?
I used a standard yellow onion. Worked just fine.
yellow or white
Love love this soup
Thank you!
I just made it and it’s amazing! Love it!
SPECTACULAR! I will make this WEEKLY. Not that there will be any leftovers, but can I freeze this??
Sure!
Great and simple soup , using easy to find ingredients! I doubled the nutmeg for a bit of kick…
Thank you!
I just made it tonight and it is delicious!!! I had no idea it would be this easy to make, either!! Thank you!!
Thank you!
I can’t find a detailed list of ingredients….for example, it mentions half and half & chicken stock but I can’t find the amounts ?
2 cups half-and-half cream
2 cups chicken stock or broth
The ingredient list is complete
Hi everyone! I made this recipe and it just doesn’t have the cheesiness of Panera’s and I can’t figure out why. I followed the recipe exactly. Any suggestions?
You need sharp cheese otherwise the flavor isn’t strong enough. I add a little Gruyère to mine to get that extra sharpness!
Can you use corn starch instead of flour?
Sure. You would use less though
Ridiculously delicious!, love the way the onions caramelize on the potatoes, this recipe is a keeper, thank you 🙏🏻
Sorry guys, the review above was meant for another recipe I made today, but I made the Panera’s Broccoli Cheddar soup yesterday and it was amazingly delicious also, better than Panera’s because it’s homemade and more hearty, plus leftovers!! Thank you for this recipe 😊
You’re welcome
This recipe was so good! We used to have Panera bread broccoli cheddar soup all the time and I tried this recipe today and my family loved it!! Only thing which was my mistake is that I added a dash too much salt. Any recommendations how I can make the soup less salty?
Are you using low-sodium chicken broth? it’s a must
Delicious soup but it got weird the next day.
Is this a same day soup? Lol
Besides that it was good right after prepared!
I never have any left to see
This was so easy to make and soooo delicious! My family absolutely loved it. They said it was better than Panera’s. I’m making it for my family again tonight. Thanks for the recipe.
You’re welcome!
I had never had broccoli cheddar soup before of any kind and omg! If I had known that this recipe existed I would have been eating it for years! I’ve made it twice in 10 days 😂 the first batch I doubled but it all disappeared quickly, my husband had 3 bowls so the second batch I tripled so that I could actually have enough to enjoy. I didn’t change anything in the recipe except that I have a serious love of cheese so I added extra. Thank you for putting this recipe out there for people like me!
You’re welcome!
This recipe is good the only thing I did was put frozen carrots and broccoli did not use half and half and still came out good and added mixed cheese
Thank you!
My family is OBSESSED with this recipe. Pairs perfectly with homemade sourdough bread.
Thank you!
I have some frozen broccoli that I need to use to make room in my freezer. Can I use is this recipe if I thaw and drain well. Would the cooking time be shorter. Previously made with fresh broccoli and it was wonderful.
Yes! Cook time will be shorter
Wonderful, did not see the rating at first!
This soup was awesome on a cold Missouri day! Did not have nutmeg, but will try this again with nutmeg but still turned out to be delicious and very flavorful. Thank you!
Thank you!
Can I put it in the blender for someone who cannot chew?
You sure can!
Use an immersion blender if you have one. They’re quick and easy and no transferring hot liquids back and forth to worry about.
Yes!
Very good flavor, but the veggies are way crunchier than panera’s version. If you like the texture of panera’s like my kiddo, you’ll want to cook this for twice as long as recommended, maybe more, which would probably require more broth. That’s how I’m going to make it next time!
you could also try steaming the broccoli first
Love this soup… quick and so yummy!!!
Quick and easy to make!
Thank you!
Made this exactly according to the recipe and I wouldn’t change a thing except maybe to double it. This soup is so easy to make but it’s so delicious. I used an immersion blender to make it half chunky half smooth. Delicious!
This is the best broccoli soup ever! I used 2 leeks instead of the onion. I agree with the comment to double it!
Thank you, Christy, this is AMAZING!!! Better than Panera! I had to adapt a little since I didn’t have the exact ingredients (didn’t quite have 2 cups half & half, so had to add milk to get to 2 cups, had medium cheddar cheese and some of the 8 oz was already gone). I know it will be even better using the full amount of half & half and sharp cheddar cheese and all 8 ounces. Also, I ended up cutting the broccoli into smaller pieces since it took longer to get tender. Next time I will chop it into very small pieces before adding it to the soup. And, people, you MUST put in the nutmeg. It totally makes it! Next time I may use fresh nutmeg and grate it because it is so amazing! Thank you for this delicious and easy to make soup!
This was absolutely delicious! The only thing I would do different is double the recipe so we would’ve had leftovers!
Omg so good!!! Thank you so much for the recipe. I will definitely be making this again. My husband even liked it and he doesn’t like broccoli cheddar soup.
very good! i personally found 2 cups of half and half to be excessive so I subbed whole milk. I also stirred in abt a quarter cup of Greek yogurt to add some protein and help thicken. perfect and simple.
I do not have chicken broth for the Panera Bread brocoli soup recipe. What can I use in place if it?Charmaine Lipa
Hi! You could use bullion and hot water to make broth.
You could use Vegetable broth instead or some type of instant bouillon prepared according to directions
You can use more half in half or cream
WOW-stupenda!!! thank you for providing this recipe. Made two batches one for myself and one for my mother. She loves the Panera one but it’s too salty. My mom is an old school Italian who survived WW2 hiding in bunkers in mountains. She’s my biggest “constructive” critic when it comes to baking and cooking. Her quote, “mamma mia, è meglio di Panera” (…better than paneras). Grazie mille!
Omg it came out so good I can’t wait to make it for my girlfriends next month with chicken salad sandwiches. Go for it you won’t be sorry.
Thank you!