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I recently had lunch at Panera and decided to try to make Copycat Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup. I am happy to report that this copycat recipe turned out creamy and delicious. It is the best comfort food.
Copycat Broccoli Cheese Soup Panera Recipe:
Not that long ago I had lunch at Panera with a friend and I ate their broccoli cheese soup. It was delicious and of course it got me thinking, how can I recreate this?
Well, I am happy to report that I have a wonderful Panera Bread copycat recipe Broccoli Cheese Soup. Just like my Copycat Chicken noodle soup I think you are going to love this easy soup recipe.
I love being able to enjoy great meals at home for a fraction of the price. Plus, it is just not always that convenient to go out. Now, I can make delicious soup at home anytime I want
Ingredients
- Melted Butter
- Onion
- Flour
- Half and Half Cream
- Chicken Broth
- Broccoli
- Carrot
- Nutmeg
- Cheddar Cheese
- Salt and Pepper to taste
How to Make Panera’s Broccoli Cheddar Soup:
- Step 1 – Make the Roux – In a large pot, sauté the onion in 1 tablespoon melted butter until onions are soft. Add in the flour and ¼ cup melted butter. Stir with the onions over medium heat for about 3-4 minutes.
- Step 2 – Add in Liquids – Slowly whisk in the half and half and chicken stock. Let this simmer for about 20 minutes on the stove-top.
- Step 3 – Mix in Vegetables – Add the broccoli florets and carrots. Simmer on medium-low for about 25 minutes until the broccoli and carrots are tender.
- Step 4 – Stir in Cheese – Add nutmeg, salt, pepper and sharp cheddar cheese. Let the cheese melt and then serve. For a smoother soup you can puree with a immersion blender. But we love the bite size pieces!
- Step 5 – Serve and Enjoy – Serve this soup in regular bowls or a bread bowl. Add extra sharp cheese to the top when serving.
Is this Panera’s Broccoli Cheddar Soup gluten-free?
No, it is not due to the flour in the soup. You can try using a gluten free flour as a substitute in the soup if you need to make it gluten free.
Broccoli Cheddar Soup Panera Recipe Tips:
- Combining the Ingredients – We recommend allowing the soup to simmer. This allows the soup to thicken as the vegetables soften.
- Slurry – If the soup needs to be thicken, make a cornstarch slurry. Mix together 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with water and combine. Then mix into the soup to allow it to thicken.
- Cheese – We recommend shredding the cheese yourself instead of using pre-shredded cheese. Pre-shredded cheese has added ingredients that may not make the cheese to melt well.
- Add Flavor – Feel free to change the seasoning to what you prefer. You can add in garlic, paprika, or ground mustard.
- Vegetable Stock – If you prefer you can use vegetable stock instead of chicken broth.
What to Serve with Panera Bread Broccoli Cheddar Soup Recipe?
- Copycat Panera Strawberry Poppyseed Salad
- Slow Cooker Dinner Rolls Recipe
- See What to Serve with Broccoli Cheese Soup for more side dishes
Try these Other Easy Copycat Recipes:
- Hot Chocolate Starbucks CopyCat Recipe
- Copycat Panera Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
- Panera Strawberry Poppyseed Salad
- Panera Bread Tomato Soup Recipe
Try these Other Soup Recipes:
- Crock pot Cheeseburger Soup Recipe
- Easy Crock pot Lasagna Soup Recipe
- Crockpot Black Bean Cilantro Soup
- Easy Crock pot Lasagna Soup Recipe
Print this Copycat Panera Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe:
Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp melted butter
- ½ medium onion chopped
- ¼ cup melted butter
- ¼ cup flour
- 2 cups half-and-half cream
- 2 cups chicken broth
- ½ lb fresh broccoli (I used one frozen 10 oz bag and it was perfect)
- 1 carrot (julienned (I used a food processor on pulse for nice slices))
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 8 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large pot, sauté the onion in 1 tablespoon melted butter until onions are soft. Add in the flour and ¼ cup melted butter. Stir with the onions over medium heat for about 3-4 minutes until the onions are soft.
- Slowly whisk in the half and half and chicken stock.
- Add the broccoli and carrots. Simmer, covered on medium-low for about 25 minutes until the broccoli and carrots are tender.
- Add nutmeg, salt, pepper and sharp cheddar cheese. Let the cheese melt and then serve. For a smoother soup you can puree it in a blender… but we love the chunks!
- Enjoy!
When do you add the extra 1/4 cup butter and are there extra onions or is this just a typo? (Instruction #3)
Kari – Thank you! It was a typo. I have corrected the post. The 1/4 cup melted butter is added when the flour is added. Also, there are not extra onions to be added so I have removed that duplication. Thank you for letting me know! 🙂
Do you think this soup can be frozen? It sounds delicious! I can’t wait to try it!! 🙂
Can I freeze leftover soup?
What is a serving size?
Can you freeze some for later?
Could I make this in the crock pot? If so what settings and time would you suggest? Thank you!
Yes, I think it would work great. I would cook it on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 3 hours in the crock pot. Let us know how it turns out. Thank you!
Just made this and absolutely loved it ??
Carrie,You are a wonderful cook. Thank you for your recipes.
That is one of my fave meals!