Name: Copycat Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon butter; 0.5 onion, chopped; 0.25 cup melted butter; 0.25 cup flour; 2 cups milk; 2 cups chicken stock; 1.5 cups coarsely chopped broccoli florets; 1 cup matchstick-cut carrots; 1 stalk celery, thinly sliced; 2.5 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese; salt and ground black pepper to taste

Prep Time:

15 mins

Cook Time:

45 mins

Total Time:

1 hr

Servings:

8

Jump to Nutrition Facts

There's nothing like a warm bowl of broccoli Cheddar soup (served in a bread bowl, of course!) to soothe your soul. With this top-rated broccoli Cheddar soup recipe, you can have a bowl-full of comfort in your own home!

How to Make Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Making copycat Panera broccoli Cheddar soup is easier than you think. You'll find a detailed ingredient list and step-by-step instructions in the recipe below, but let's go over the basics:

Broccoli Cheddar Soup Ingredients

These are the simple ingredients you'll need to make this broccoli Cheddar soup recipe:

Butter: You'll need butter to cook the onion and to make the roux.
Flour: This broccoli Cheddar soup starts with a roux made with all-purpose flour and butter.
Milk: A cup of milk is whisked into the roux, creating a rich and velvety soup.
Stock: Use store-bought or homemade chicken stock.
Vegetables: You'll need an onion, carrots, celery, and (of course) broccoli.
Cheese: It's best to shred your own sharp Cheddar cheese, but you can use pre-shredded cheese if you must.
Seasonings: The broccoli Cheddar soup is simply seasoned with salt and black pepper.

How to Make Broccoli Cheddar Soup at Home

Here's a brief overview of what you can expect when you make homemade broccoli Cheddar soup:

Cook the onion and set aside.
Make the roux, then whisk in the milk.
Add chicken stock and bring to a simmer and cook until thick.
Stir in the broccoli, carrots, celery, and sautéed onion.
Add the cheese and stir until melted, then season before serving.

Tip from gildawen: "There are tons of variations and options to make this soup your own. You can add extra veggies, different cheeses, garlic to your onions, a little nutmeg to the finished soup, green onions, sour cream, etc. The list goes on and on!"

What Goes With Broccoli Cheddar Soup?

For a truly restaurant-worthy experience, serve the broccoli Cheddar soup in a bread bowl and with French baguettes for dipping. If you think that's a lot of carbs, try a garden-fresh salad to complete the meal — explore our collection of 15 Best Side Salad Recipes.

How to Store Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Store your leftover broccoli Cheddar soup in a shallow, airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days.

Allrecipes Community Tips and Praise

"I made this recipe before and it was delicious," raves one Allrecipes community member. "I doubled the recipe and I froze half of it. Two weeks later I took it out of the freezer and to my surprise, it was just as good as when I first cooked it."

"Everyone loved it in my house," says sams. "Just added some chili flakes for a little zing ... thanks. Absolutely delicious."

"This recipe is on point," according to ly.sally916. "It's so delicious that I probably ate enough for four people! The recipe is perfect as-is. I'm a veggie person so I added more broccoli. I'm definitely making this again!"

Editorial contributions by Corey Williams

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter
½ onion, chopped
¼ cup melted butter
¼ cup flour
2 cups milk
2 cups chicken stock
1 ½ cups coarsely chopped broccoli florets
1 cup matchstick-cut carrots
1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
2 ½ cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook and stir until tender and translucent, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
Whisk 1/4 cup melted butter and flour together in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Continue to whisk and cook, adding 1 to 2 tablespoons of milk if necessary to keep the flour from burning, 3 to 4 minutes.
Gradually add milk while whisking constantly; stir in chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Cook until mixture is thickened, about 20 minutes. Add broccoli, carrots, celery, and sautéed onion; simmer until all the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.
Stir in Cheddar cheese until melted; season with salt and pepper to taste before serving.

Tim Jeghers

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

304	Calories
23g	Fat
11g	Carbs
14g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 8
Calories 304
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 23g	29%
Saturated Fat 14g	72%
Cholesterol 71mg	24%
Sodium 624mg	27%
Total Carbohydrate 11g	4%
Dietary Fiber 1g	5%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 14g
Vitamin C 18mg	88%
Calcium 403mg	31%
Iron 1mg	4%
Potassium 277mg	6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.