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.
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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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This recipe was amazing. My son loved the broccoli soup from Quiznos and they disappeared. He told me this soup was way better. I agree
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad your son loved my recipe more than the restaurant’s!
At 84 I have made a few pots of soup. Â This recipe just blew my socks off. Â So thick and delicious and full of flavour. Â I added all the spices. Â Thank you from Christchurch, New Zealand.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this blew your socks off at 84 years old! Wonderful to hear that, and all the way from New Zealand, too!
It is absolutely delicious!!😊
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it was absolutely delicious!
The best soup ever! Thank you sooo much for sharing! The family and friends love it!  So easy and doesn’t take forever to make.  Even better than I’d hoped! Definitely a keeper.Â
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this is the best soup ever and that everyone loves it!
By far the beat soup ever. Thank you so much for sharing! It’s even better than I anticipated!  The family and friends LOVE it! So easy yet absolutely decadent.Â
I first made this for my foodie daughter when she was recovering from having her wisdom teeth removed. Â She loves it. Â I use home made bone broth for the extra nutrition (and I know what’s in it). Â I froze individual servings of the leftovers and they reheat perfectly.Â
I am glad your daughter loves this and very smart to freeze individual servings and glad they have reheated perfectly!
I just made “The Best  Broccoli Cheese Soup” recipe.
It was delightfully thick,  scrumptous  and  notÂ
difficult or time consuming .
Mine simmered for a few hours on very low heat..making
the vegetables just cooked right and a flavorful
dish.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it was scrumptious and not difficult nor time consuming!
This was fantastic!  I added some chopped celery and also sautéed  the broccoli along with the other veggies in the beginning.  I also regret not doubling the recipe.  Will be a keeper!
Thanks for the 5 star review and I’m glad it’s a keeper and that it was fantastic!
Made this today, I used a blend of cheeses I had on hand with chicken broth, turned out really well. My local Broccoli Cheese Soup expert (the kid) approves.
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad your ingredients you had on hand worked out just fine and was kid approved!
I was obsessed with this the first time, but made it again and it wasn’t as thick as it was the first time! Any tips on how I can get the required thickness every time?  White or blond roux? Simmering tips? Thank you:)Â
I would just say if it wasn’t as thick the second time, I would just cook your roux and still it’s a bit thicker and darker. Whatever you did the first time obviously was better. Try to think back in your mind what you did, and do it again. But I would air on the side of cooking it longer rather than shorter and that should probably do the trick.
I know, I couldn’t remember for the life of me what I did the first time lol. But sounds good, I’ll make the roux darker, and jot down what I do this time! Thanks for your help:)Â
My family loved it! I used “Better than Bullion” to make chicken broth and used 1/2 milk & 1/2 cream. We used the Kraft “Melt” shredded sharp cheddar and it melted in superbly. My son raised the broccoli in our garden and was thrilled to help with the cooking–I did most of the chopping, but he did all of the measuring and stirring. We topped it off with herb Croutons which really worked well. I will make this again and try to have some hot, crusty bread to serve with it.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad that Better than Bullion worked well for you as well as the Kraft “Melt” Cheddar…I have never noticed that version and great to hear it really does melt superbly!
Super impressed with the homegrown broccoli, too!
The past few recipes for broccoli cheese that I made were duds. This recipe was perfect. So good that I had to come back to leave a review, which I rarely do!Â
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this was good enough to come back to leave a comment on and that it wasn’t a dud :)
Hi, do you have the nutrition information for this soup? Thank you, it is delicious!
I am updating all my recipe cards to include stats but it’s a big job of 2500 recipes but this one will get tackled soon.
This soup is great as written! As I made it again, though, I also added chopped celery, upped the seasonings a bit, and added a splash of Texas Pete (can you tell we like spicy? ;) Â I also thinned it a bit with another cup of chicken stock, just for personal preference.Â
Thanks for the 5 star review and I am glad that you spiced it up to your tastes (I do the same thing when I’m making it for myself because I love spicy as well)!
This is my first time making a soup that wasn’t just vegetable scraps from the fridge, and it is so easy and absolutely delicious! The whole family loved it!!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad that it was absolutely delicious and your whole family loved it!
I made this for my family and it was delicious! (Actually better than Panera Bread) It was a bit thick the first time, so I recently made this again for a sick friend who has lost a lot of weight and need some calories and nourishment. I added more vegetable stock than the recipe called for and the consistency is perfect for my liking. Thanks for sharing. This recipe is a keeper!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad that they liked it better than Panera and that you were even able to share with your friend!
I added 1/2 Tsp of nutmeg and it really made the flavor pop! :)Â
I also used heavy cream with the half and half, as well as chicken bone broth. I also used tillamook brand cheese!! Sooooo yummy!Â
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad that all your ingredient choices really helped to make this soup super yummy for you!