Broccoli Cheese Soup

Broccoli Cheese Soup ~ creamy, loaded with tender fresh broccoli in every bite and plenty of cheddar cheese. This delicious Panera Bread copycat recipe is ready in just 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.

I’ve been on a soup kick lately and I’m not mad about it one bit. When the snow it flying like it is here today, a delicious hearty soup is pretty much all I can think about. If you’ve been looking for a recipe for Broccoli and Cheese Soup to warm you from the inside out, look no further.

This Broccoli Cheese Soup recipe is a dead ringer for the one from Panera Bread. I highly recommend serving it either in a bread bowl -or- adding a few thick slices to go along with it.

What’s in broccoli cheese soup?

• butter
• onion
• celery
• carrots
• all purpose flour
• half and half
• chicken stock (may use vegetable stock)
• fresh broccoli
• grated sharp cheddar cheese
• salt and pepper

how to make broccoli cheese soup:

Add the butter to a soup pot and once it melts, drop in the onions, celery and carrots then season with salt and pepper.

Cook over medium heat 2-4 minutes or until the onions are soft then sprinkle the flour over the top. Stir to blend and cook one minute. Adding flour to the mixture is how we’re going to thicken the soup.

Whisk in the chicken stock and once it’s blended, add the half and half and the broccoli. Cover and cook over low heat 15-18 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. 

Turn the heat to low then blend in the cheese and season with salt and pepper. I start with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper (add more according to your taste). 

The soup is ready to eat at this point but if you like a smoother blend like you see in the photos, use an immersion blender and pulse in several areas of the pot until it’s the consistency you like.

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. 

what goes with broccoli cheese soup?

Bread! Crusty outside, soft inside – good quality bread or sliced baguette. A salad would also be delicious or for heartier appetites, a grilled ham sandwich would go perfectly with this soup.

can you freeze this soup?

Yes – you can freeze the soup up to 3 months. I like to 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 WILL THIS SOUP KEEP IN THE REFRIGERATOR?

This soup will keep refrigerated up to three days. Let it cool completely then store in an airtight container.

looking for more easy, tasty 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

Better than Panera, creamy Broccoli Cheese Soup with fresh broccoli and plenty of cheese. Whips up in 30 minutes!

Print Pin Rate

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: broccoli cheese soup, broccoli cheddar soup, cream of broccoli soup, panera bread copycat soup recipe

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Servings: 5

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 small onion chopped
• 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 may use vegetable stock
• 4 cups fresh broccoli cut in bite size pieces
• 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese grated (8 ounces)
• salt and pepper to taste

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Instructions

• Add the butter to a soup pot and once it melts, drop in the onions, celery and carrots then season with salt and pepper.
• Cook over medium heat 2-4 minutes or until the onions are soft then sprinkle the flour over the top. Stir to blend and cook one minute.
• Whisk in the chicken stock then add the half and half and broccoli. Cover and cook over low heat 15-18 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. 
• Turn the heat to low then blend in the cheese and season with salt and pepper. 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.