Copycat Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup

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:

1. Cook the onion and set aside.
2. Make the roux, then whisk in the milk.
3. Add chicken stock and bring to a simmer and cook until thick.
4. Stir in the broccoli, carrots, celery, and saut?ed onion.
5. 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.

Cookdap Community Tips and Praise

"I made this recipe before and it was delicious," raves one Cookdap 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!”