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Broccoli cheddar soup is the cozy, cheesy bowl that makes a rainy day feel like a warm hug, and this copycat Panera version became our most requested dinner the first chilly weekend the girls came in from playing outside and asked for soup in a bread bowl. If you love a comforting copycat like our Chili’s chicken enchilada soup, this rich, velvety broccoli cheddar soup tastes just like the restaurant favorite for a fraction of the price.
It comes together in about 40 minutes on the stovetop with simple ingredients, and that creamy, cheesy flavor is impossible to resist.
Broccoli Cheddar Soup Quick Look
- 🕐 Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🍴 Cook Time: 30 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 40 minutes
- 🍽 Serving: 8 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 224kcal per serving
- 🌶 Flavor Profile: Rich, creamy, and ultra cheesy with tender broccoli and carrots in a velvety sharp cheddar base
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, on par with our easy homemade wonton soup
Quick Answer
Cook diced onion, celery, and garlic in butter, then set them aside. Make a roux with butter and flour, whisk in milk until thick, then add chicken stock, broccoli, carrots, and the cooked aromatics. Simmer about 30 minutes until the vegetables are tender, then stir in freshly shredded sharp cheddar off the heat until smooth. Blend half the soup for a creamy texture and serve warm, ideally in a sourdough bread bowl.
Jump to:
- Broccoli Cheddar Soup Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why This Recipe Works
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to Make Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Serving Ideas and Suggestions
- Broccoli Cheddar Soup FAQs
- Other Recommended Soup Recipes
- Copycat Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Why This Recipe Works
Click to read why this recipe works
- Starting with a butter and flour roux is the secret to a soup that is thick and velvety instead of thin and watery. Cooking the flour for a minute first gets rid of any raw, pasty taste.
- Freshly shredded sharp cheddar melts smoothly and tastes far better than the pre shredded bagged kind, which is coated in anti caking agents that make soup grainy.
- Cooking the onion, celery, and garlic separately builds a deep flavor base, and setting them aside keeps them from burning while you build the creamy roux.
- Simmering the broccoli and carrots right in the soup lets them turn perfectly tender while flavoring the whole pot. No need to cook them separately.
- Blending just half the soup gives you the best of both worlds: a creamy, thick base with plenty of tender broccoli and carrot pieces still left for texture.
- Adding the cheese off the heat is key. Stirring it in after the pot comes off the burner keeps the cheese silky and smooth instead of clumpy or greasy.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It tastes just like Panera. This copycat nails that rich, cheesy, restaurant style broccoli cheddar soup right in your own kitchen.
- It is ready in about 40 minutes. This is a cozy, from scratch soup that is quick enough for a busy weeknight, a lot like our award winning chili on a cold night.
- It is total comfort food. Serve it in a bread bowl or with a hunk of crusty bread and you have the ultimate cozy lunch or dinner the whole family loves.
Key Ingredients
- Broccoli: The star of the soup. Use fresh chopped broccoli for the best color, flavor, and tender bite.
- Sharp Cheddar Cheese: Freshly shred it yourself from a block. Sharp cheddar gives the boldest cheesy flavor and melts into the soup beautifully.
- Butter and Flour: Together they make the roux that thickens the soup into that signature velvety texture.
- Milk and Chicken Stock: Whole milk makes it rich and creamy while chicken stock adds savory depth. Use vegetable stock to keep it vegetarian.
- Carrots, Onion, Celery, and Garlic: Matchstick carrots add classic color and sweetness, while the aromatics build a deep, savory flavor base.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
- Make it vegetarian: Swap the chicken stock for vegetable stock and you have a fully vegetarian broccoli cheddar soup.
- Add more cheese: Stir in a handful of shredded Gruyere or Monterey Jack along with the cheddar for an even richer, more complex flavor.
- Make it heartier: Add cubed cooked chicken or diced ham to turn this into a filling main dish soup.
- Heavy cream swap: Use half and half or a splash of heavy cream in place of some of the milk for an extra luxurious texture.
- Skip the blending: Leave the soup completely chunky if you prefer, or blend it all the way smooth for a silky restaurant style finish.
How to Make Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- Cook the aromatics. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large pot and cook the onion and celery until tender, then stir in the garlic for one minute and set aside.
- Make the roux. Melt the remaining butter in the pot and whisk in the flour until combined, cooking about one minute.
- Whisk in the milk. Slowly pour in the milk, whisking constantly, until the mixture is smooth and thickened.
- Add broth and veggies. Stir in the chicken stock, broccoli, carrots, and the cooked onion, celery, and garlic.
- Simmer, then add cheese. Simmer about 30 minutes until tender, then remove from the heat and stir in the cheddar, salt, and pepper until melted.
- Blend until creamy. Pulse about half the soup in a blender, return it to the pot, and serve warm with crusty bread.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Shred your own cheese. This is the number one tip for smooth, creamy broccoli cheddar soup. Pre shredded cheese will not melt the same way.
- Add the cheese off the heat. Too much heat makes cheese clump or turn greasy, so always pull the pot off the burner before stirring it in.
- Do not rush the roux. Cook the flour and butter for a full minute before adding liquid so the soup does not taste pasty.
- Chop the broccoli small. Smaller florets cook faster and give you broccoli in every spoonful.
- Adjust the thickness. If the soup gets too thick, thin it with a splash of stock or milk. If it is too thin, let it simmer a few more minutes.
- Taste before serving. Cheese and stock both add salt, so taste at the end and adjust the seasoning before you serve.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
The most iconic way to serve broccoli cheddar soup is in a sourdough bread bowl, just like Panera. Hollow out a round loaf, ladle in the hot soup, and tear off pieces of the bread to dip as you go. It is pure comfort and the kids absolutely love it.
If bread bowls are not your thing, serve big mugs of soup with a side of crusty bread or warm rolls for dipping. A slice of our copycat Cheesecake Factory brown bread is amazing alongside a bowl of this cheesy soup.
Round out the meal with a simple green salad or a half sandwich for the classic soup and salad or soup and sandwich combo. It is a cozy, satisfying lunch or light dinner, and it pairs perfectly with another comforting bowl like our Chili’s chicken enchilada soup on your weekly soup rotation.
Broccoli Cheddar Soup FAQs
No, blending is optional. Pulsing about half the soup in a blender gives you a creamy base while leaving plenty of tender broccoli and carrot pieces. Leave it completely chunky if you like more texture, or blend it all the way smooth for a silky, restaurant style finish.
Two things usually cause grainy or clumpy cheese. First, pre shredded bagged cheese is coated in anti caking agents that keep it from melting well, so always shred from a block. Second, adding cheese while the soup is too hot can make it seize, so pull the pot off the heat before stirring it in.
Not at all. Bread bowls are the classic Panera presentation, but this soup is just as delicious served in regular bowls or mugs with crusty bread, rolls, or a side salad for dipping and rounding out the meal.
Store leftover broccoli cheddar soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Reheat it gently on the stovetop over low heat, stirring often, and add a splash of milk or stock if it has thickened too much in the fridge.
You can, but the texture changes because dairy based soups tend to separate when frozen and thawed. If you want to freeze it, cool it completely, freeze for up to 2 months, then thaw in the fridge and reheat slowly while whisking. It may need a little extra milk to come back together.
The butter and flour roux is what thickens this soup. If you want it even thicker, let it simmer a few extra minutes to reduce, add a little more shredded cheese, or stir in a small slurry of cornstarch and water. To thin it back out, add a splash of stock or milk.
Other Recommended Soup Recipes
If you make this copycat Panera broccoli cheddar soup, please leave a star rating and a comment below to let me know how it turned out. I love hearing how it went, and your reviews help other readers find the recipe too. Happy cooking!
Copycat Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Ingredients
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- 1 small onion small diced
- 2 stalks celery small diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 3 cups chopped broccoli
- 1 cup matchstick carrots
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 3 cups freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Melt 2 Tablespoons of butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and celery, cook until tender and transparent for about 5 minutes.½ cup + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 small onion, 2 stalks celery
- Add garlic and cook for one additional minute. When finished cooking, remove from the pan and set aside.2 cloves garlic
- Melt the remaining ½ cup of butter in the pan and whisk in ½ cup of flour until thoroughly combined, for about one minute.½ cup all-purpose flour
- Slowly add the milk, stirring constantly.The mixture should be smooth and thick.2 cups whole milk
- Add the chicken broth, broccoli, carrots, cooked onions, garlic, and celery.3 cups chicken stock, 3 cups chopped broccoli, 1 cup matchstick carrots
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and cook for about 30 minutes or until the broccoli and carrots are tender, uncovered.
- Remove from the heat and add the cheese, salt, and pepper and stir until melted and evenly distributed.½ teaspoon kosher salt, 3 cups freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese, ¼ teaspoon pepper
- Place half of the soup in a blender and give a few quick pulses, then return to the pan.
- Serve with a side of sourdough bread or in a sourdough bread bowl for a classic Panera-style meal.
Video
Notes
- Adding the broccoli and matchstick carrots later in the recipe helps them keep a bit of their texture.
- You can adjust the sodium level of this recipe by using low sodium chicken stock and omitting the salt.
- Make sure to use matchstick carrots for this recipe to ensure they cook through.
- Easily double this recipe to serve a larger family or a larger crowd.
- Use freshly shredded cheese in this recipe to ensure that your cheese melts well.
- This can be frozen, see my tips above.
- We recommend blending your soup but it is optional.
Nutrition
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I made this for dinner tonight and it was absolutely delicious!