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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I made this for dinner tonight, and holy yumm!! This was one of the best soups I’ve ever had. The only chamge I made was by using heavy cream instead of the half & half, because we’re gluttons in this house. I also utilized the food processor to chop the onions and shred the carrots (rather than slice them), and shred the cheese. It made the soup even easier to make. A lot of grocery stores have pre-chopped veggies to make things a breeze. Seriously try this recipe!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you and that it’s one of the best soups you’ve ever had! Saving time by doing things in the food processor is great!
I don’t have a Le Crueset so would a normal pan work?
Yes just make sure it is big enough, you need a stockpot or something larger.
Also, I should add, that I feel like it originally came out a bit sweet originally. I just added more salt and I was good to go!
I made this tonight with only a few differences. I chopped up baby carrots in a food processor, used regular half and half, and I used the bagged shredded cheese from Kraft. I just didn’t have the block on hand and didn’t feel like going back to the store. The pre bagged cheese melted just fine and tasted great. I also did not have dried mustard. It turned out really good and is now a favorite of mine. Next time I will use the fat free half and half (hubby picked up the wrong thing at the store lol). Thank you for a GREAT recipe. I will be saving and making it again :)
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you with the slight tweaks you made!
how come my soup foamed?
I’ve never had soup foam but what you may be trying to describe is that it separated, or ‘broke’, which can happen if you heat cheese or milk too hot/too fast/too long. I suspect that’s what happened. Next time, very easy does it with the heat after you add the cream/milk and cheese and that should solve it.
Just made this soup and it was delicious :) I lost my teeth because of Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, so it’s hard to find ways to feed myself and be healthy, and store-bought soups are gross lol. I blended it at the end. And there’s extra for those days that I can’t cook. Thank you for putting this recipe up!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you!
This soup was a huge hit with our family. It’s always a challenge getting everyone to eat their veggies, and there were no objections tonight which I’m so very thankful for! The only downside to this recipe was the amount, I wish I had (at least!) doubled it. My husband ate no less than three bowls which meant no leftovers for the rest of us. Boo! Thank you for such a rich, delicious dinner!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! Glad it’s a winner with the family, too! I love that everyone ate their veggies and your hubby ate 3 bowls!
Anyone tried this with a gluten free flour? Giving it a try tonight. Excited!
How was it with gluten free flour? Thanks
This really is better than Panera…
Some of the things I did differently that still got me to the same place:
1) I used chicken stock that I had made a few days before. That really added a lot of depth of flavour.
2) I used two cups plain unsweetened almond milk because that’s what I had on hand. Still got all the creaminess I wanted.
3) I let my roux get really thick because I was adding frozen broccoli, which creates a lot of water. So my final soup was just the right thickness.
4) I puréed half of the soup before adding the cheese to add more texture and distribute the veggies.
5) I didn’t measure out 8 oz of extra sharp Cracker Barrel cheddar, just added it with abandon. :)
Thank you for a GREAT recipe!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you and that you think it’s better than Panera!
This was delicious! We love Panera’s broccoli cheddar soup. For our preferences I’ll probably reduce the amount of carrots/cut into quarters next time but this recipe is definitely a keeper!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you!
This was a HUGE hit in our family tonight. The super-picky 3 year old ate almost an entire bowl, and the 1 year old on a hunger strike ate his entire bowl and part of mine! The baby has major congenital heart defects, so getting him enough calories to grow and gain weight is our daily task; we went for all the full-fat ingredients here and it was so satisfying to see him gobble it up! My search for the perfect broccoli cheese soup recipe is officially over. Thank you! (Goodness, so many exclamation points for a bowl of soup haha.)
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! And that you were able to please the ENTIRE family, picky kiddos no less who ate the broccoli, happily :) Awesome!
Can I double this recipe? I made it last night and it was delicious! I did add a bit more salt, pepper, paprika and cayenne to the recipe. I just thought it would make more so I added more chicken stock. Despite having to add more stock I loved this recipe!
I haven’t doubled it but you probably could. Glad you enjoyed it so much and want to remake it right away, as a double batch!
Yummy! Just made a batch for our dinner tonight at our camper. I did not have dried mustard or cayenne. Used a spicy gouda cheese, broccoli and carrots from our CSA. Of course, had to sample some. I will be making it again! Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! I bet the spicy gouda was wonderful and CSA carrots, what a treat!
I just got done making this soup. Absolutely wonderful. Didn’t have Dried Mustard, but had the other spices you suggested. I also used half pepper & half white pepper. Gave it a nice bite. Thank you for your recipe. I’ll be making this all winter. It was delicious.
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! Good idea with the white pepper! Glad it’ll be on rotation all winter!
I made this broccoli cheddar soup for dinner tonight… I have no words. I used a 3 year old aged white cheddar and it was PERFECT. This is by far the best soup recipe I’ve ever tried. I followed the recipe exactly and it made a perfect soup. Perfect.
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! And that it’s the best soup recipe you’ve EVER tried – that’s awesome to hear :)
Has anyone tried freezing this yet?
I tried making this with Non-fat Half and Half, as instructed, but the sauce broke into a grainy mess.
In desperation, I strained out the almost-done vegetables, re-made and thickened the sauce (this time with REAL Half and Half) then returned the vegetables to the pot and continued — so not a total loss.
Still – word to the wise: If your not using “real” dairy ingredients, watch the sauce like a hawk — and be ready to act quickly if it shows even a HINT of separating.
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad that real half and half did the trick. I have made the soup many times with fat-free half and half and have never had an issue with it separating but anytime you’re using low/no-fat dairy, separating is more of a risk. Glad it all worked out though!