Broccoli Cheese Soup ~ creamy, loaded with tender fresh broccoli and plenty of cheddar cheese. Delicious (better than) Panera Bread copycat recipe – ready in 30 minutes!
Please tell me you’ve had Panera Bread’s Broccoli Cheese Soup. If not, you’re still going to love this recipe but if you have – you’ll instantly recognize how much this one tastes like it!
I even serve it up at home with a couple slices of crusty baguette – a much needed accessory to dunk or sop up every last drop.
What I love about this Broccoli Cheddar Soup:
- Creamy, cheesy, comforting, irresistible!
- Skip the long lines and overpriced meals!
- Cozy weeknight meal all winter long.
- Simple, fresh ingredients. Ready in just 30 minutes!
- It’s a dead ringer for Panera’s version. I highly recommend eating it out of a bread bowl or serving it with some thick sliced bread to go with it.
What’s in Broccoli Cheese Soup?
- butter
- onion
- celery
- carrots
- all purpose flour
- half and half
- chicken stock (can sub vegetable stock)
- fresh broccoli cut in bite size pieces
- grated sharp cheddar cheese
- salt and pepper
How to make Broccoli Cheese Soup:
Melt butter in a soup pot then drop in onions, celery and carrots. Season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat 2-4 minutes or until the onions are soft then.
Sprinkle flour over the top. Stir to combine and cook one minute.
Whisk in chicken stock then add half and half and broccoli. Cover and cook over low heat 15-18 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
Blend in cheese and season with salt and pepper. Note: I start with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper (add more to your taste).
The soup is ready to eat at this point but if you like it smoother like you see in the photos, use an immersion blender to pulse in several areas of the pot to your preferred consistency.
If you don’t have an immersion blender transfer about one cup of the soup to a standard blender, puree then return to the pot.
Best side dishes with Broccoli Cheese Soup:
Air Fryer Grilled Ham and Cheese Sandwich
Can I use frozen broccoli?
Yes you can substitute a 12-16 ounce bag of frozen broccoli. Add it frozen to the soup and continue with the remaining instructions.
Does this soup freeze well?
Yes – you can freeze this soup up to 3 months. I store mine in individual containers (16-20 ounces each) – perfect for quick and easy lunches. Freezing may cause the soup to be a little thinner than originally, but still delicious.
How long does Broccoli Cheddar Soup last in the fridge?
Cool completely then store in an airtight container in the fridge up to three days.
More comforting soup recipes:
Lasagna Soup – ground beef, mushrooms and spinach in a rich tomato broth topped with mozzarella and ricotta. 30 minute AND slow cooker options.
Roasted Cauliflower Soup – delicious creamy, hearty soup loaded with bites of roasted cauliflower and other veggies.
Turkey Lentil Soup – made with ground OR leftover turkey. Easy, hearty tasty healthy recipe with lentils and vegetables.
Enjoy!
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Broccoli Cheese Soup
Equipment
- soup pot or dutch oven
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 small onion diced
- 1/2 cup celery diced
- 1 cup carrots diced
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 2 1/4 cups half and half
- 2 cups chicken stock can sub vegetable stock
- 4 cups fresh broccoli cut in bite size pieces
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese freshly grated (8 ounces)
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Melt butter in a soup pot then drop in the onions, celery and carrots. Season with salt and pepper.
- Cook over medium heat 2-4 minutes or until the onions are soft then sprinkle flour over the top. Stir to combine and cook one minute.
- Whisk in the chicken stock then add half and half and broccoli. Cover and cook over low heat 15-18 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
- Blend in the cheese a little at a time then season with salt and pepper. NOTE: I start with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper (add more to your own taste).
- The soup is ready to eat at this point but if you like a smoother blend (shown in photos), use an immersion blender and pulse in several areas of the pot until it’s the consistency you like then eat right away.
- NOTE: if you don’t have an immersion blender transfer about one cup of the soup to a standard blender, puree then return to the pot.
Beautiful flavor and texture. Just right for a winter day.
Thank you Remo! It’ll definitely be on repeat at our house over this long winter! 🙂
Taste is wonderful! However, recipe doesn’t indicate when to add the broccoli! I just threw it in with the veggies at the beginning and all was good!
OMG Jeannie – thank you so much for the (much needed) extra set of eyes on the recipe. How could I forget the darn broccoli?! I fixed the recipe – so glad you enjoyed it and were able to make it despite my oops! Take care ~ Bernie
8/5 stars. So easy/quick and SO delicious!! I can struggle with recipes and this one was very easy. Perfect for this cold day
Ha! Thank you Lauren! So glad you liked the recipe so much. I’m looking outside today at the snow falling wishing I had another bowl of it! Thank you for the kind words.
ITS GOOD SOUP
Thank you so much! It’s one of my favorites – so comforting 🙂
Loved how simple and tasty this
Version is. This will be a repeat
Meal
Thanks so much Lane! I appreciate the kind words. So glad you enjoyed the recipe. It’s one of my favorites too ~ Bernie
Just made your recipe for broccoli cheese soup and it is outstanding! Panera bread bowl worthy! So easy and delicious…..it’s a keeper. Thank you. Terry Frill
Hi Terry – I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe so much! It’s one of my favorites and one my whole family can actually agree on! 🙂 I appreciate you taking the time to comment. — Bernie
Absolutely delicious!
Used 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Topped with extra shredded cheddar and crumbled bacon. Yum!!!!!
Thanks so much Katie! This is one of my favorite soups – always so comforting. I absolutely LOVE your idea adding crumbled bacon – will be trying next time I make it — thanks for the inspo and the kind words! — Bernie
OMG.. absolutely delicious !!! Only thing I did different was I added 4 garlic cloves and a cup of diced cauliflower as well as everything else you did then I put it in blender after cooking to make it smoother and let me tell you…..I’m in 7th yummy heaven 😊👍
Hi Judy – oooh I love the addition of cauliflower and extra garlic – that sounds fantastic. So happy you enjoyed the recipe. I appreciate you taking time to comment. — Bernie