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!
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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
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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.
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I haven’t tried the panera bread soup since I don’t live near any outlets, so I can’t attest to the copy-cat aspect, but this soup is amazing! Absolutely delicious! Looking forward to eating the leftovers.
Thanks for the five star review and glad you think it’s amazing! Now you don’t need to even try the Panera version :)
Fantastic soup!! Easy to follow and I have never made a roux but it was super easy. My daughter and I loved it and will make again. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for the five star review and glad you will make it again!
Absolutely delicious. Just got up from the dinner table. Rich and creamy and so flavorful. Thank you!
Thanks for the five star review and glad it’s absolutely delicious!
I make this all the time! Big comfort food for me. I double the batch and I put in crockpot and keep on warm until serving with oven fresh bread. I shred my carrots and sauté with the onions and garlic. I usually set aside some for my mom and she freezes it. It does freeze well. I use 1/2 and 1/2.
Glad this is on rotation for you and that you have good luck freezing it as well as putting it in your CP to keep warm!
I’m. It sure what happened to mine. Everything looked exactly as it should until I added the broccoli and carrots. Then it looked like the half and half curtled and separated. We had to go out for dinner. Any ideas why that happened?
Yes it’s called ‘breaking’. The cream broke. Basically if you cook dairy at too high of a temp or for too long, it is prone to breaking and that’s what happened to yours. Lower/less heat next time.
I recently bought some panera broccoli Cheddar soup from Sam’s club. It was good so I went looking for a recipe and found yours! I purchased a fresh head of broccoli and some smoked paprika.. had everything else. I used heavy cream from my own Jersey cows, doubling the recipe! It tastes fantastic! I can’t wait for my husband to get home from work to taste it! Thank you for this recipe!
Thanks for the five star review and glad this turned out great for you!
Made this soup and it was DELISH! Recipe was easy to follow and turned out really well. Definitely agree the quality of the cheese makes or breaks the soup – I used sharp white cheddar. Will definitely be making this again.
Glad you loved it and will definitely make it again! And yes to what you said about the cheese for sure!
Can I use frozen broccoli florets?
Fresh is preferred. Frozen is too mushy.
My favorite soup and it freezes well. I always make a double batch and freeze the leftovers. Makes for an easy dinner night for another night.
Thanks for the five star review and glad this is your fave soup! Glad to hear it freezes well for you, too!
Can I use 1% milk?
Do so at your own risk. The soup could turn out very watery.
Yummy recipe, perfect weekend to kick off the Fall weather! My boyfriend and I made this soup together and will definitely be making this again. Thanks for sharing!
Glad it was a hit and you’ll make it again!
Can you substitue vegetabke broth instead of stock??
Yes
I needed a strong bowl of comfort food so calories weren’t given a second thought. Nothing “lite”. It was delicious but a bit heavy. That was purely my fault.
I will definitely make this again using more common sense 🤪
Thanks for the five star review and glad you will definitely make it again!
The soup was delicious. But mine turned out a little curdled. Any advice?
Your soup ‘broke’. That’s what happens if you overheat or for a prolonged duration heat a soup after adding dairy. It doesn’t effect taste but it doesn’t look as appealing. Also full fat dairy products are good insurance against this, i.e. whole milk or half and half rather than anything lighter.
The flavor was awesome!! My only complaint was that the veggies didn’t seem like they were completely cooked. I had it on low for 25 minutes in the second part. I may just cook it longer or par cook the veggies first next time. But definitely a good soup!
All stoves and the rate that things could get very so definitely make sure that things are cooked to your liking before carrying on. I’m glad that you still gave it a five star review and enjoyed the soup!
Check this one out, not a true ‘basic’ corn chowder and is loaded but I think it’s better actually https://www.averiecooks.com/loaded-cheesy-bacon-corn-potato-chowder/
I have made this soup 4 or 5 times and it is perfection! I have to double the ingredients to make sure we don’t run out before everyone has eaten! The directions are easy to follow !
Glad this is perfection for you!