The Best Broccoli Cheese Soup — 🥦🧀🤤 Make the best soup of your life at home in 1 hour! It’s creamy, CHEESY, and loaded with tender pieces of broccoli! Beyond words amazing and WAY better than Panera!
Table of Contents
This is the best broccoli cheese soup. Not only that, it’s some of the best soup I’ve ever tasted, period.
If you like Panera’s broccoli cheddar soup, this blows the pants off it.
It’s an easy soup to make and is ready in 1 hour. It’s absolutely perfect comfort food and I couldn’t stop eating it. I ate it for lunch and dinner for a couple straight days until it was gone. I loved this soup beyond words.
I kept the soup vegetarian by using low-sodium vegetable stock rather than chicken stock, and lightened it up by using fat-free half-and-half. But you’d think that it was made with heavy cream based on how thick, rich, and truly decadent it tastes.
Broccoli Cheese Soup Ingredients
For this better-than-Panera copycat cheesy broccoli soup recipe, you’ll need:
- Unsalted butter
- Yellow onion
- Garlic
- All-purpose flour
- Vegetable broth or stock
- Half and half
- Broccoli florets
- Carrots
- Spices
- Extra sharp cheddar cheese
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Broccoli Cheese Soup
This is a very easy cheese and broccoli soup recipe, but there are a few fast-moving stages. Read the recipe before you start making the soup so you know what’s coming up next.
- In a small saucepan, add a little butter, the diced onion, and sauté until the onion is translucent and barely browned. Add the garlic, cook, then remove from heat.
- In a large heavy-bottom pot, add the remaining butter, flour, and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until flour is thickened.
- Slowly add the vegetable stock, whisking constantly, then the half and half. Let simmer over low heat until it has reduced and thickened some.
- Add the broccoli, carrots, spices, and the onion and garlic you previously set aside.
- Allow soup to simmer for about 20 to 25 minutes.
- While soup simmers, grate the cheese. After simmering about 20 to 25 minutes, add most of the cheese, reserving a small amount for garnishing bowls.
Tip for Softening the Vegetables
If you prefer very soft broccoli and carrots, you can either steam them before you add them to the pot and/or make sure the broccoli florets are quite small and the carrots are cut into very thin pieces.
I’ve never found pre-steaming necessary because the soup continues to simmer for 20-25 minutes after adding the broccoli and carrots, which is ample time for me personally for them to soften to my liking. However, in case you prefer very soft vegetables, steaming and/or paying closer attention to their size is an option.
Soup FAQs
Use a high-quality cheddar cheese that you grate yourself. Don’t use the cheapest cheese you can find because the flavor just isn’t there. I prefer extra-sharp, although sharp may be used. Pre-grated cheese in ziptop bags is resistant to melting and won’t incorporate well.
You could try, but it will be mushy. I hate mushy vegetables so I personally never would use frozen broccoli in this soup being that the broccoli is the star of the show.
I love broccoli and used plenty because I prefer big chunks of broccoli in every bite but you can use less. I also used some stalks to make use of the entire head and not waste any, but you can use florets only if preferred. Even people who ‘don’t like broccoli’ should love broccoli when it’s bathed in a creamy, cheesy broth.
There are a few optional spices like smoked paprika, mustard powder, and cayenne pepper. They’re not mandatory if you don’t keep them on hand, but they do add extra depth of flavor, albeit subtle. The cayenne doesn’t make the soup hot in the least, it makes it not taste boring.
Storage and Reheating
To store: Soup will keep in an airtight container for 5 to 7 days in the fridge. I don’t recommend freezing the soup because I feel like the cheese and half-and-half will not do well upon thawing and soup could break, but I haven’t actually tried freezing it.
To reheat: Reheat gently in the microwave for 30-second intervals. I find the soup is less likely to ‘break’ or separate when reheated in the microwave rather than on the stovetop, but do what you think is best.
Recipe Video Tutorial
Pin This Recipe
Enjoy AverieCooks.com Without Ads! 🆕
Go Ad Free
The Best Broccoli Cheese Soup (Better-Than-Panera Copycat)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon + 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1 small or medium sweet yellow onion, diced small
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced finely
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups low-sodium vegetable stock, chicken stock may be substituted
- 2 cups half-and-half, *
- 2 to 3 cups broccoli florets, diced into bite-size pieces
- 1 cup broccoli stems, diced into bite-size pieces (optional)**
- 2 large carrots, trimmed, peeled, and sliced into very thin rounds, about 1/16th-inch
- ¾ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika , (or regular paprika) optional and to taste
- ½ teaspoon dry mustard powder, optional and to taste
- pinch cayenne pepper, optional and to taste (doesn’t make soup spicy and serves to enhance flavor)
- 8 ounces grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese, with a small amount reserved for garnishing***
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, add 1 tablespoon butter, the diced onion, and sauté over medium heat until the onion is translucent and barely browned, about 4 minutes. Stir intermittently.
- Add the garlic and cook about 30 seconds, stirring constantly so it doesn’t burn. Remove from heat and set pan aside.
- In a large heavy-bottom pot (I use this Le Creuset Signature Enameled Cast-Iron 6-3/4-Quart Oval French (Dutch) Oven) add 4 tablespoons butter, flour, and cook over medium heat for about 3 to 5 minutes, whisking constantly, until flour is thickened. You are making a roux and it’s very important the mixture is thick or soup will never thicken properly later.
- Slowly add the vegetable stock, whisking constantly.
- Slowly add the half-and-half, whisking constantly.
- Allow mixture to simmer over low heat for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until it has reduced and thickened some. Whisk intermittently to re-incorporate the ‘skin’ that inevitably forms, this is normal.
- While mixture is simmering, chop the broccoli and carrots. After simmering 15 to 20 minutes, add the broccoli, carrots, and the onion and garlic you previously set aside.
- Add the salt, pepper, optional paprika, optional dry mustard powder, and optional cayenne. If you don’t have these seasonings on hand, it’s okay, but they do add subtle depth of flavor. Stir to combine.
- Allow soup to simmer over low heat for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until it has reduced and thickened some. Whisk intermittently to re-incorporate the ‘skin’ that inevitably forms, this is normal.
- While soup simmers, grate the cheese. After simmering about 20 to 25 minutes, add most of the cheese, reserving a small amount for garnishing bowls. Stir in the cheese until melted and incorporated fully, less than 1 minute.
- Transfer soup to bowls, garnish with reserved cheese, and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
©averiecooks.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
More Creamy Soup Recipes:
30-Minute Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup — Why have regular chicken noodle soup when you can have CREAMY instead? Pure comfort food at its finest! Ready in 30 minutes, an instant family favorite, and PERFECT for chilly weather!!
Beer Cheese Soup — The BEST recipe for decadent beer cheese soup that’s loaded with flavor, including two different types of cheeses! A comfort food family favorite soup that’s perfect for chilly weather.
Jalapeno Popper Soup — If you like jalapeno poppers, you’re going to LOVE this EASY soup that’s ready in 30 minutes! Hearty, comforting, loaded with bacon, potatoes, and jalapeno in a creamy, cheesy, rich broth!
Creamy Chicken Pot Pie Soup with Biscuits — All the comfort food feels of pot pie, but in soup form! Rich, hearty, creamy and ready in just 30 minutes!
Loaded Baked Potato Soup — In this loaded baked potato soup, potatoes are baked until tender before being simmered with garlic, milk, cheese, sour cream, bacon, and green onions.
Loaded Cheesy Chicken Chowder — Potatoes, chicken, carrots, corn and more!! Thick, creamy, rich, and wonderfully cheesy!! Fast and easy comfort food that everyone loves!!
I Made this for the first time today. I made a double batch and the only deviation I did was used frozen broccoli and matchstick carrots from the grocery store. It is delicious!!! My oldest son (who doesn’t even like soup) tried it and can’t wait to eat some tomorrow for lunch! I will definitely make this again soon!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad that the frozen broccoli worked out and that your son loved the soup!
Would love to have this converted to an instant pot or pressurized version. I saw another recipe where they put all in the pot without the milk for the pressurized part but that one didn’t use flour. I think this would work using the sauté function, add all but the milk/cream to pressurize then add the milk. Not adventurous myself to try but perhaps you or someone else could. Sounds so good so I will cook as toast suggest.
The thing is that this recipe is ready in 40ish minutes and while you probably could speed it up in an instant pot, I don’t know what would happen with the milk/half-and-half (milk under high heat doesn’t tend to do well and curdles/breaks/separates) so I haven’t found that it would be worth it for me personally to do it in an instant pot and am fine with the stove since I would maybe save 10ish minutes. If you tinker around with it, yes I would add the milk at the very end.
Soup came out great. I blended about half and put back into the pot for a smoother soup.
Glad it came out great for you!
This soup is amazing! You were right about better than Panera! The only changes I made were to cook the carrots, garlic and I added celery with chicken stock till soft, then I blended and added it to d soup! Thanks for sharing a fantastic recipe!
Thanks for trying the recipe, glad you loved it, and that you also agree it’s better than Panera!
Simply amazing. I’m enjoying this broccoli cheese soup as we speak. Made it yesterday and left overs reheated well in the microwave. I like soups but hardly ever order them while out due to the high sodium content. Love that I know this soup is healthier. Thanks for the tasty recipe, it’s a keeper!
I am the same way with soup – I won’t order it out because of all the salt! Glad you are loving this homemade version with lower sodium!
This was delicious! My family loved it and ate it all in one night! I added a few potatoes for a heartier soup. Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you with the potatoes, too!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad you loved it with the potatoes!
I made this today for my sister who just had surgery. She loved it! My nephew loved it as well. I don’t like broccoli but tried a bite and thought it wasn’t bad. ? I’ve never made a cream soup like this before and it was definitely very easy to make. Thank you for the great recipe, I’ll be making it again I’m sure.
Hope your sister is on the mend and glad you will make it again!
I made this recipe with just a couple of tweaks and it is EXCELLENT! I add Worchestire sauce, prepared spicy or dijon mustard instead of the powdered, and a touch of nutmeg. Thank you for sharing this Averie. This is my go-to for sure from now on. We had tried to make cheesy broccoli three times and had nearly given up. This taste real. The processed nature of most of these types of soups turn me off. NICE JOB!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! Glad it’s your new go-to!
I made this with gluten free 1 to 1 flour and instead of fresh broccoli I used the frozen bag we already had on hand. I also used the bagged shredded cheese because that’s also what we had, and it worked great (no pun intended, LOL). This recipe was a MAJOR hit with my celiac daughter. She kept saying, “This is really good!” Thank you so much for the amazing recipe! I’m going to have to double the recipe next time so I can send some home with my other daughter who is out of luck in getting any from this batch. The leftover is going for work lunches tomorrow. I give this recipe 5 out of 5 stars!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! And that your celiac daughter loved it and that you’re going to double it next time!
Do you have a suggestion on how to make this in the crock pot?
I haven’t ever done it that way but there are a ton of recipes out there for this soup as a slow cooker version. You could cross reference those with the ingredients used in mine.
For me, being that the soup is ready in under 30 minutes, it’s actually easier to just do it on the stove than in the slow cooker but I know everyone is different.
I made this soup last night, but found after I added the vegetables, it turned into more of a thick dip than a soup. I ended up adding around a cup more of milk and it thickened up nicely while keeping a soup consistency. Maybe I added too much broccoli, but it was an easy fix.
I think you added a bit too much broccoli, yes, but as you said an easy fix. That’s the great thing about soups – if they get a little thick you can always add more broth.
I couldn’t help it, we like broccoli!
The soup was a big hit with my wife, who had texted me earlier in the day asking for broccoli cheese soup, kind of like Panera. I had never before made this kind of soup, so your recipe made me look very good!
I’m excited to try this recipe. I don’t have a dutch oven though, will it work in just a regular large pot?
It should be fine, you just want something big enough to contain the volume of it all.
This soup of is delicious but I wouldn’t call it low carb as it has 22 grams per serving.
Made this today. Also added celery along with the onion, and just added the roux ingredients to that. Skipped cooking the roux, just added everything after my butter and flour were blended. Didn’t have any half and half, so used half milk half heavy cream. Simmered for about 10 minutes till my broccoli was tender. Was DELICIOUS!!! Will make again and double the recipe!! Thank you for a yummy soup.
Glad your method worked out great and half milk/half heavy cream sounds about exactly like what half-and-half is. I am glad you loved it and will make it again as a double batch!
Made this soup tonight. It was so delicious and creamy! The only problem was everyone wanted seconds and there was not quite enough to go around. Next time I will double the recipe.
Glad it was awesome and that everyone wanted seconds and that you’ll double it next time!
I make the broccoli and cheddar soup often and cannot eat enough of it. I am curious about trying the cauliflower replacement. I use cauliflower to make my pizza crust and mashed like potatoes. I think the the cauliflower might get mushy compared to the brollocli. I would like to hear a response if you end up using it.
I think that cauliflower definitely will get mushier faster than broccoli so if you are trying it, I would recommend adding it later in the game than you would with broccoli. Glad you love this soup!