The soup is made with an almost caramelized onion and garlic-based and thickened with a roux (butter and flour mixture) then simmered with veggie stock, broccoli, and carrots. At the very end, half & half and freshly grated cheddar cheese are added to give it a velvety smooth texture.
HOW TO MAKE BROCCOLI CHEDDAR SOUP (BETTER THAN PANERA’S)
To make this delicious cheddar cheese you will only need a handful of ingredients, a large pot, and 30 minutes. Gather all your ingredients and let’s get cooking!
Broccoli: Fresh broccoli florets along with the stems chopped into small bite-size pieces. A 12oz bag of frozen broccoli will also work. The instructions and cooking time are exactly the same.
Carrots: You will need about 1 cup of grated, finely minced, or julienned carrots. It is about 1 large carrot or 2 small carrots. This ingredient is optional and can be adjusted to your taste preference.
Cheddar: To get the best possible flavor, we like to use an 8oz block of mild or medium cheddar cheese. You can also use 2 cups of pre-grated cheddar cheese.
Half & Half: Half and half will yield a texture that is not too thick or too thin. It can also be replaced with milk for a light soup or heavy cream for keto dieters.
Stock: Veggie or chicken stock will work great and if you don’t have any on hand, replace the stock with water and add a bouillon cube.
- Course: Dinner
- Cuisine: American
- Keyword: broccoli, cheddar, cheese, Panera, soup
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Servings: 4 people
- Calories: 570kcal
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter ½ stick
- ½ medium onion chopped
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- 4 tablespoon AP flour
- 2 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp paprika or ground nutmeg, optional
- 3 cups broccoli florets or 1 large head, cut into small pieces
- 1 large carrot grated, julienned or finely chopped
- 2 cups half & half or milk or light or heavy cream
- 8 oz block grated cheddar cheese or 2 cups (mild, medium, or sharp )
Instructions
- Melt butter in a large dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook 3-4 minutes or until softened and light gold. Add the garlic and saute for another minute.
- Add flour and whisk for 1-2 minutes or until the flour begins to turn golden in color. Pour in the chicken stock, broccoli florets, carrots, and seasoning. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes or until the broccoli and carrots are cooked through.
- Stir in half & half and cheddar cheese and simmer for another minute. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Serve with toasted crusty bread or in a bread bowl if desired.
Nutrition
Serving: 1bowl (1/4th recipe) | Calories: 570kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 45g | Saturated Fat: 28g | Cholesterol: 134mg | Sodium: 1225mg | Potassium: 529mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 4381IU | Vitamin C: 65mg | Calcium: 603mg | Iron: 2mg
