Broccoli Cheddar Soup
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Recreate Panera’s gloriously cheesy broccoli cheddar soup in your own kitchen with this quick and easy copycat recipe—perfect for warming up on a chilly day.
If you’re a fan of Panera’s broccoli cheddar soup, you’ll love this homemade version. Though broccoli gets top billing in the name, make no mistake—this soup is all about the cheddar! It’s rich and cheesy with just the right amount of broccoli and other vegetables for texture and flavor.
This soup recipe is simple to prepare. With only 15 minutes of cooking time and minimal prep, it’s ideal for a cozy weeknight dinner. You can enjoy it as is, or add homemade croutons or shredded chicken for more heartiness. Pair this broccoli cheddar soup recipe with crusty artisan bread or dinner rolls—or even better, my homemade sourdough bread recipe—for a meal that truly hits the spot.
“I made this soup during our snowfall here in Philly and it was extremely comforting and absolutely DELICIOUS!!”
What You’ll Need To Make Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- Butter, onion & garlic: This trio builds a flavorful base for the soup; the butter softens the onion and garlic as they cook, then does double duty as the foundation for the roux that thickens everything up.
- Shredded carrots & broccoli: These veggies give the soup its body and color. The carrots add a hint of sweetness and a nice pop of color, while the broccoli cooks down into tender, hearty bites. Together they make the soup feel comforting and wholesome. Pre-shredded carrots are a great shortcut if you don’t feel like pulling out the box grater.
- All-purpose flour: Teams up with the butter to thicken the soup, giving it a creamy, satisfying texture.
- Chicken broth & heavy cream: These form the base of the soup—the broth adds depth and a savory backbone, while the cream makes it rich and silky. Swap in vegetable broth if you’d like to keep it vegetarian.
- Salt, pepper & nutmeg: Salt and pepper keep everything in check, while a pinch of nutmeg adds a subtle, cozy undertone that pairs especially well with the broccoli and cheese.
- Sharp Cheddar Cheese: The star flavor that ties the soup together, giving it that tangy, cheesy bite. You don’t need a fancy block, but it’s worth buying a good refrigerated brand like Cabot or Tillamook. Even if you go with pre-shredded cheese, quality makes all the difference.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1. Cook the aromatics and carrots. In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened and translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and shredded carrots (if using) and cook for 1 minute more, being careful not to let the garlic brown.
Step 2. Add the flour. Add it to the veggie mixture, stirring constantly for about a minute, to smooth out any lumps and cook off the raw flour taste.
Step 3. Add the broth and broccoli. Slowly pour in the chicken broth, whisking to keep it smooth, then stir in the broccoli florets, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
Step 4. Simmer and finish. Bring to a gentle boil, then lower the heat, cover, and simmer for about 10 minutes until the broccoli is tender. Stir in the cream and bring back to a simmer, uncovered. Gradually stir in the cheese until it’s completely melted and the soup is creamy and smooth.
Pro Tip: Don’t rush adding the cheese—sprinkling it in gradually while stirring helps it melt evenly and keeps it from clumping or turning grainy.
Step 6. Taste and serve. Adjust seasoning if needed, then ladle into bowls. Add extra cheese on top, if you’d like. The soup is best fresh, but leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Video Tutorial
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Panera's Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped (1 heaping cup)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup shredded carrots (optional)
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups chicken broth
- ½ lb broccoli florets, cut into bite-sized pieces (about 4 cups)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups (8 oz) shredded sharp cheddar cheese, plus more for serving if desired
Instructions
- In large soup pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and carrots (if using) and cook 1 minute more. Do not brown.
- Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Gradually add the chicken broth, whisking constantly. Add the broccoli, salt, pepper, and nutmeg and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the cream and bring back to a simmer, uncovered. Gradually stir in the cheese until completely melted. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with more cheese, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Love Gina and all your recipes! This was a miss for me too. Way too watery. Followed recipe as directed. I’m a good cook. I’d suggest a much thicker roux and follow recipe as written from there. Up the seasoning as per your taste and enjoy with cheese bread. Yum!
If you love Gina, why don’t you go to her website
Great recipe! I followed the recipe as is, and it is divine. I love broccoli soup, and this is the best I ever had and will be my go-to from now on. It is the perfect quick comfort food, and I will make it often. Thank you for sharing this recipe and many others.
Great recipe!! I only had vegetable broth not the chicken broth.I will try it with chicken broth next time.
This soup is delicious. I got distracted by guests and overcooked the soup! To my surprise it now tastes EXACTLY like Panera’s! Leftovers heat up great, with an extra splash of broth. Everyone loved it!
It really taste like Panera, but of course..better! Thank you for the recipe.
Second time making this delicious soup..I used “Baby Broccoli and their stems chopped up… plus one cup of shredded carrots..even better and “sweeter” taste w/ baby broccoli😎
What a winner! I got fresh broccoli at Aldi…1.5 pounds, and made this soup for my self and a neighbor, as my husband is a “ never broccoli” kinda guy…l love broccoli so I used all of it in this soup, pureeing half of the florets, and leaving half in the soup…outstanding! I used extra sharp cheddar…perfect! It’s hard to believe there is so much flavor from a very simple recipe!
This broccoli soup is the best one I have ever made. Delicious! Also, I had most of the ingredients on hand and the recipe was so easy to come together. My family loved it. Will be making it again. Thanks for a great recipe!
This was SO GOOD and will definitely make this again. I used about 5 cups of broccoli instead of 4 and felt like this recipe could even handle 1 cup more (6 cups total).
The first time I try any recipe I’m pretty disciplined about sticking to it as written. With this soup, I felt like there wasn’t quite enough butter and flour to make a fully formed roux (I used exactly 1 cup of diced onion and just a tad under 1 cup of shredded carrots). My instinct for the next time I make this is to 1) increase the butter to 6 Tbsp from and then increase the flour to 1/3 cup from 1/4; 2) possibly increase the shredded carrots from 1 cup to 1 1/2; and 3) increase the garlic from 3 cloves to 4.
I’m curious to hear what your thoughts are on this, Jenn.
Hi Jeffrey, so glad you enjoyed it! Regarding the roux you have to be careful not to add too much, as it can create a pasty texture. Also, you mentioned that you added an additional cup of broccoli – if you’re looking to make the soup a bit thicker, that actually could work against you as broccoli contains so much water. Please LMK if you have any other questions I can help with.
Excellent point, Jenn. I’ll definitely keep that in mind when wanting to increase the amount of broccoli.
I should have gone into a bit more detail in my previous post. After I had stirred the flour in with the onions and shredded carrots for a minute (and right before I added the stock) it looked as if they were merely coated by the roux and that there wasn’t enough of the roux itself to assimilate into the stock. It by no means looked bad. I’m just being a bit overanalytical – lol.
In any event, I will definitely report back after I make this again. 😉
what can i use instead of heavy cream ?
Hi Jan, the soup won’t be as thick, but you can use half & half in place of the cream. Please LMK how it turns out!