Broccoli Cheddar Soup (Panera Bread Copycat)
This broccoli cheddar soup is a spot on copycat of the Panera favorite with rich, creamy texture and plenty of cheesy flavor. It’s an easy homemade comfort food recipe that’s perfect for chilly days and cozy dinners at home.
Panera’s broccoli cheddar soup is the ultimate in comfort food.
It’s rich, cheesy, and totally delicious.
And this broccoli cheddar soup delivers that familiar Panera-style flavor right from your own kitchen.
It’s creamy, cheesy, and throws in some broccoli for good measure.
The result is the ultimate in cozy comfort especially if you serve it with crusty bread or in a bread bowl.
And the whole recipe is much less expensive than taking two people out to Panera for lunch.
Can’t beat that!
Ingredients
To make this you’ll need:
- Butter– To saute the veggies in
- Vegetables– Diced yellow onion, diced carrot, and diced celery
- Garlic paste– You can find this in the produce section of most grocery stores
- Broccoli– Fresh broccoli chopped into small florets
- Broth– Chicken broth will give you the most authentic results but you could sub vegetable stock if needed.
- Spices– Nutmeg, salt, and pepper
- Cheese– Freshly shredded cheddar
- Thickeners– Flour and cornstarch
- Heavy cream– Don’t substitute a lighter dairy product or the soup won’t thicken properly
How to Make
This copycat Panera broccoli cheddar soup is pretty easy!
Just melt the butter in a Dutch oven or other heavy bottomed soup pot set over medium low heat.
Once the butter melts, saute the onion, carrot, and celery just until the veggies soften slightly.
Stir in the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
Then stir the broccoli and broth into the pot.
Bring the mixture to a boil then immediately reduce the heat and simmer it for 15 – 20 minutes.
Stir the nutmeg and cheese into the soup until the cheese completely melts.
In a small bowl whisk the flour, cornstarch, and cream together until evenly combined then stir the mixture into the soup.
Let the soup simmer on low, just until the soup’s thickened slightly.
Season with salt and pepper.
Ladle into bowls, serve and enjoy!
Storing
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Keep in mind the longer you store the soup, the thicker it will get.
Reheat the soup on the stove until it’s warm, thinning it out with more broth or cream if needed.
Tips and Tricks
- I recommend using freshly shredded cheese for the best results. You can use preshredded, but it’s often coated in starch to prevent clumping which can also prevent it from melting completely and smoothly.
- For a chunkier soup, serve as is. If you prefer a smoother soup then use an immersion blender to puree to your preference.
- Make sure to simmer the soup on low heat while melting the cheese. Higher heat can cause the cheese to become grainy when melting.
- Serve with hunks of crusty baguettes for the full authentic copycat experience.
Other Copycat Panera Recipes
This copycat Panera broccoli cheddar soup is a cozy meal that tastes just as good as the restaurant classic.
Make it and enjoy!
Looking for other copycat Panera recipes?
Try these:
If you’ve tried this BROCCOLI CHEDDAR SOUP with strawberries & cream cheese, or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
Broccoli Cheddar Soup (Panera Bread Copycat)
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 small yellow onion peeled & diced
- 1 large carrot peeled & diced
- 1 stalk celery diced
- 4 tsp garlic paste
- 4 cups fresh broccoli chopped into small florets
- 6 1/2 cups chicken broth
- pinch ground nutmeg
- 3 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 tbsp flour
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the butter to a Dutch oven, or other heavy bottomed soup pot, set over medium low heat.1 tbsp butter
- Once melted add the onion, carrot, and celery stirring until evenly combined. Saute just until the veggies have softened slightly.1 small yellow onion, 1 large carrot, 1 stalk celery
- Stir in the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.4 tsp garlic paste
- Add the broccoli and broth to the pot stirring until evenly combined.4 cups fresh broccoli, 6 1/2 cups chicken broth
- Bring the mixture to a boil then immediately reduce the heat and simmer for 15 - 20 minutes.
- Add the nutmeg and cheese to the soup, stirring until completely melted and smooth.pinch ground nutmeg, 3 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- In a small bowl whisk the flour, cornstarch, and cream together until evenly combined then stir the mixture into the soup. Simmer, on low, just until the soup's thickened slightly.2 tbsp flour, 2 tsp cornstarch, 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- Season with salt and pepper, to taste.salt & pepper to taste
- Ladle into bowls, serve warm, and enjoy!
Notes
- I recommend using freshly shredded cheese for the best results. You can use preshredded, but it's often coated in starch to prevent clumping which can also prevent it from melting completely and smoothly.
- For a chunkier soup, serve as is. If you prefer a smoother soup then use an immersion blender to puree to your preference.
- Make sure to simmer the soup on low heat while melting the cheese. Higher heat can cause the cheese to become grainy when melting.
- Serve with hunks of crusty baguettes for the full authentic copycat experience.
Nutrition
