Make sure to PIN This Recipe or Repin 
My whole family loves Panera bread … For some reason especially the coffee. This recipe “warms your soul” as my husband puts it. Very easy to make and full of veggies. Instead of half and half skim milk can be used. Easily made gluten – free by using gluten – free flour.
Look!!! Panera Bread Tweeted Budget Savvy Diva’s Recipe!
Everyday at 1 pm PST/ 4pm EST Budget Savvy Diva posts a NEW RECIPE I might miss this time every now or then – but I know you understand
Make sure to follow Budget Savvy Diva on Facebook
Find Copy Cat Restaurant Recipes HERE
Find Crock Pot Recipes HERE
Find Gluten Free Recipes HERE
Find more Recipes HERE
What You Need
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups half-and-half ( or skim milk)
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 pound fresh broccoli ( florets only)
1 cup carrots, julienne
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon pepper
8 ounces grated cheddar cheese
What To Do
Saute onions in a little butter in a small pan – set aside.
In a large stockpot ( I accidentally used a medium-size pan) – melt butter. Add flour and mix for 3 minutes.
Slowly add half- half – mixing the entire time.
Slowly add chicken stock- mixing the entire time.
Let simmer on low for 20 minutes.
Add broccoli, carrots; onions and cook on low for 25 minutes.
Season with salt, pepper; nutmeg.
Place soup in a blender or use an immersion blender and puree.
Heat soup over low heat and add cheese and mix till melted.
Serve ( hopefully in a bread bowl) and Enjoy
- ½ medium onion, chopped
- ¼ cup melted butter
- ¼ cup flour
- 2 cups half-and-half ( or skim milk)
- 2 cups chicken stock
- ½ pound fresh broccoli ( florets only)
- 1 cup carrots, julienne
- ¼ teaspoon of salt
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 8 ounces grated cheddar cheese
- Saute onions in a little butter in a small pan – set aside.
- In a large stockpot ( I accidentally used a medium-size pan) – melt butter. Add flour and mix for 3 minutes.
- Slowly add half- half – mixing the entire time.
- Slowly add chicken stock- mixing the entire time.
- Let simmer on low for 20 minutes.
- Add broccoli, carrots; onions and cook on low for 25 minutes.
- Season with salt, pepper; nutmeg.
- Place soup in a blender or use an immersion blender and puree.
- Heat soup over low heat and add cheese and mix till melted.
- Serve ( hopefully in a bread bowl) and Enjoy
Source – HERE
 |
{ 58 comments… read them below or add one }
I stumbled upon this recipe on Pinterest. Do you have a bread-bowl recipe to go with this broccoli-cheese soup?
The bread-bowl they usually put it in is a sourdough bread bowl (or a neo-tuscan bread bowl if you want a sweeter bread). I don’t have any recipes but those are the bread names.
I love your site! Your recipes are always so easy to follow.
Can I freeze this?
Someone else said yes you can
I am psyched to try this recipe ~ I love a good cheddar broccoli soup anyday!!
I am sad, however, that none of the previous comments have answers to the questions as I have the same questions….maybe a quick email? Thanks!
I tried this recipe tonight and I don’t know what I did wrong. It was very runny and gritty. I followed the recipe to a T but I must have done something wrong. I did use the skim milk instead of half and half because that is what I had on hand. Could that account for it being so runny? I also want to know if the veggies should be mushy before you blend them? I was cooking on low for 25 minutes but they were still firm when I blended. I didn’t want to mess up the recipe so I just followed what was stated. Please let me know, I love Panera Bread Broccoli and Cheese soup and would be so excited if I could replicate it.
Did you bring the roux up to a boil before letting it simmer on low for 20 minutes? That will make a huge difference in thickness. HTH!
Is the roux supposed to boil?
Make sure you let the flour/butter mixture started to bubble before you start your 3 min. Also, with any thickening agent (roux, in this case) you have to bring it to a boil for it to work. So once you have added your half-n-half and broth…..bring to a boil and then turn it down to low.
Also I ran my veggies through my food processor before putting it in the soup to cook. More surface area=faster cooking time. I still had to cook it for 25 min…..but my veggies weren’t still crunchy.
Hope this helps.
I made this recipe tonight. I also used skim milk and it wasn’t runny. So, Jessica, that wasn’t it. It tasted exactly like Panera’s, but not as creamy. I’m wondering if I used half and half if it would be more creamy. I used this recipe for my bread bowls (no kneading) http://heart-hands-home.blogspot.com/2011/06/five-minute-bread-refrigerator-mix.html and they turned out great!
Thank you so much for posting your bread recipes… I am going to LOVE your blog! Can’t wait to try the bread…. first I need to buy a big container.
Tried this recipe out tonight. I had to simmer and cook on low about 15 minutes longer than the recipe stated. Also, I found the nutmeg to be overpowering. The rest of the soup was great, but I will be backing down the nutmeg next time. Thanks!
How many servings is the soup for?
I havent tried this yet but i may next week. Has anyone tried to freeze this? It would be nice to have some put away for an evening I don’t have time to cook!
Can this be frozen? At least for a few days to take camping and then thaw out to warm on the stove?
I have never tried… I am really not sure
Yes you can freeze it
This was sooooo easy and good. I used skim milk and skipped the puree step. I also had no nutmeg and had to use cinnamon and ginger. Loved this…actually am making it a second time right now!
Loved this. Used skim milk and didn’t use blender. I also had to substitute cinnamon and ginger in for the nutmeg. Making it again right now. So easy and so yummy
Sounds delish, can’t wait to try!
I brought the broth to a low boil before I lowering it to a simmer and did it again when I added the veggies. My soup came out nice and thick and the veggies tender. I like it better with less cheese and the pepper is a little to much for me, but I thought it was yummy.
Thanks!
I really liked this soup! I’ve tried a couple other recipes for broccoli cheese soup and this is my favorite.
) I cooked the onions in the 1/4 c. of butter and then added the flour so I combined that first step and also added a minced clove of garlic to the onion. Since I already had my food processor out to grate cheese and carrots, I chopped up about 3/4 of the broccoli in that before I cooked it, leaving some in bigger pieces, and that way I didn’t have to puree the hot soup. It was really good! I wish I had made a bigger batch! 
)
Perfect! I will make this again. It was so good. I did purée the entire mix and I would probably like a few chunks of broccoli.
Just made this! Yumm! Left out the nutmeg & added garlic. Creamy & filling. Next time I’ll make a double batch!
This is the best soup I have EVER made. Thanks for the recipe!!
I just made this for my family and they LOVED it! I substituted the nutmeg with allspice, and added some chopped chicken breast just before I served it (my husband won’t call it a meal unless there’s meat in it, lol). This is definitely a new favorite!
This recipe was excellent. The only thing I would do different is cook the veggies longer. I put mine in the food processor instead of blender and I guess I didn’t puree long enough but I think it may be because the veggies weren’t cooked long enough
Yumm! Loved this recipe! I skipped the blender and added egg noodles… Because come on, why not a few more carbs!
thank you so much this is a big hit!
I made this recipe and it was awesome! I will double it next time. I used whole milk instead of half and half and chopped the fresh broccoli in my good processor. I left out the nutmeg because I’m not a fan of this….delicious!!!
Just made this. I used half and half and it turned out great. I did turn the heat up a bit to cook the veggies since low wasn’t really cooking them. The only change I will make is to not puree all of the broccoli. Two little pulses and it was all so small that there isn’t anything left of the broccoli
I just made this and WOW is the only word I can say. I knew I wasn’t going to puree anything because I wanted chunks of broccoli in it, so I cut them bite sized in the beginning, along with some larger chunks. They still broke down to small pieces by the end and I’m not sure how to correct this. Good that they were tender, but bad because I like huge chunks. I also brought everything to a boil before I would simmer it. Only used half the cheese but will use a little more next time. I completely left out the nutmeg because I’m not familiar with cooking with it and was worried it would be too powerful. I also used GLUTEN FREE baking flour and there was no difference at all. WIN!
I always make it with gf flour — never taste the difference
Have my bowl of this right in front of me as I type this comment. This soup is nothing short of amazing. I left mine a little chunky with the broccoli and I shredded the carrots so that I didn’t have to puree anything. I also added a can of Campbell’s cheddar cheese soup just to add a more cheesy taste to it. I will probably make this before I go back to Panera especially since my total cost of ingredients was probably only around 10 bucks and the cost of a cup of their soup is around 4 dollars where I live. Love the site! Have tried several recipes so far and have yet to have one let me down!!! Thanks for this recipe… Will be a new hit in my home!
I am so glad you liked the recipe
This sound wonderful and I plan to add it to my menu for next week. One question though, Do have to puree the soup? Typically when i get this from Panera, I have tons of broccoli in mine and it’s not pureed.
I prefer to use shallots instead of onions, and I use skim milk but got a creamier texture by stirring in a couple dollops of cream cheese.
I made this tonight and my family went crazy over it! It was absolutely delicious! I doubled the recipe and used non-fat half n half, less pepper, half the cheese and it was still wonderfully cheesy. I also didn’t blend it but had diced the veggies up tiny. Thank you for this awesome recipe!
I just made this and WOW! It tastes just like it! I am gluten-free/trying to switch to the Paleo diet so I made a couple changes:
- I used arrowroot powder in place of flour. I only needed about 1 1/2 tablespoons because it is a much more potent thickener than flour.
- I used 1 cup of organic unhomogonized whole milk and 1 cup of organic heavy whipping cream.
My roommate and I love it! Thanks so much for this recipe!
This recipe was AMAZING! So easy to make and delicious! I doubled the recipe and it came out nice and thick and cheesey. I hope I have leftovers for tomorrows lunch! Thanks so much for the recipe. Iwill definitely be making this again!
This is my second time making this soup and after reading the other comments, I brought the broth to a boil before the vegetables and again after adding them. I used 1/2 mild cheddar and 1/2 white cheddar and it was AMAZING. I didn’t use the nutmeg and plan to freeze half of it. I’ve also used 2% milk and it came out nice and thick. Served with garlic bread. My husband who hates broccoli likes it too! Thanks for the recipe!
I ate this at Panera last night. LOTS of chunks of fresh broccoli florets in it. Don’t understand the purée step. But it’s GOOD!
I’ve been wanting to make this, but I actually don’t have a blender. So I read the reviews yesterday about a blender not being necessary, and it definitely isn’t! I followed the recipe exactly otherwise, I just sort of shaved the tops of the broccoli off, and left a few larger pieces. Shredded the carrots. Perfect! So delicious. Thanks!
Can this be made with frozen broccoli?? I have a ton frozen from the garden that I’d like to use up!
Yep
If I’m planning on purreing the soup anyway, can I sneak in some kale? Or would it leave the soup too bitter?!
Made this tonight using gluten free flour. I admit, I was worried, but it was AWESOME! Broccoli cheddar has always been my favorite soup, but I’ve never been successful making it at home. This was perfect. I left it a bit chunky even. I’m thinking next time I’ll add cauliflower.
Just made it again, it turned out great With the kale, so this week, I added cauliflower AND kale, will let you know how it turns out!
Just made this soup, cant stop eating it caus its so delicious just WOW!!!
Thank you for sharing this recipe!!!
this is how mine turned out —- > http://borrowidea.blogspot.com/2013/03/copy-cat-panera-bread-broccoli-cheese.html
So good
and I just cut up my veggies small and used a potato masher to break them up, worked great just had to simmer for about 35 minutes instead of 25. Thanks again !
Hello, I have made this recipe several times and it has been perfect every time. However, I read somewhere, to keep the milk products from curdling you need to use products with higher fat content, such as half and half or whipping cream so that is what I use. I have been using whipping cream lately, but I have used half and half also. Also I add just a little more chicken stock than it calls for (mainly because I usually freeze two cups at a time). Also, I don’t puree the soup. To make sure the broccoli is not crunchy I cut the spears into smaller pieces and microwave them in a bowl with a tiny bit of water in the bottom for about 2 minutes (basically I steam them in the microwave to soften them), then finish the cooking process when I put the broccoli in the soup to simmer for 20 – 30 minutes. After adding the half and half and the chicken stock, I do bring the soup just to a boil (barely) then turn the heat down to medium, then when it comes to a boil again, I turn it down to medium low, continuing to watch it and stirring frequently, and if it boils again, turn it down to low. I also cover the pot while it is cooking. As far as the cheese I use, I have been purchasing the block of medium cheddar made by Kraft and putting in about 6-7 ounces (saving an ounce or two for my son or husband to snack on). This soup is absolutely delicious. And although I haven’t tried making any other type of cream soup, it seems when you get to the part to add broccoli, that you could add potatoes, mushrooms, celery or any other item, if you wanted to make a different cream soup. Just a thought.
This sounds so good! Do you know how many calories with using skim milk or 1%?
skim
Absolutely amazing! And you can buy the bread bowls from panera for less then 2 dollars each!
Thank you, thank you, thank you. I have wanted this recipe for years.
I found all of the comments helpful, (gluten free, lowering the fat, adding more veggies, not having a blender). Will be following your page for sure. Thanks again.
I am going to use my unsweetened almond milk -
{ 14 trackbacks }