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 love my Panera CopyCat, but this recipe outdoes it by a mile. I did, however have to make one substitution because we ran out of carrots, so I sliced up a few stalks of celery, and it came out amazing. This recipe is a keeper.
Thanks, Kathi and Larry
Thanks for saying that yes, this is better than Panera, by a mile! I appreciate that and great to hear it’s a keeper!
I’ve not yet made this but am suggesting that you can prep your vegetables ahead of time and not have to chop and stir at the same time. Also, the soup will probably freeze very well – most things do. Just make sure the packaging is airtight.
Great soup and easy to make. I ended up doubling everything the second time I made it because we loved it so much.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it was great and easy to make and you doubled it the second time around!
I just made this tonight and It came out delicious. Thank you for the recipe!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it came out deliciously!
Clear directions. Fun and easy to make.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it was fun and easy to make with clear directions. Those are my goals!
I was looking for a Broccoli &Cheese soup that would help me use up some of the cheese I had in my fridge leftover from the holiday’s and because it was a perfect soup day here on the East Coast of Canada
Yours was the perfect fit, I tweaked the spices to what we like ( used Frank’s hot sauce for a bit of zing)
I used a combination of cheeses that I had available ,,,,,,,,Marble, Balderson Extra Old, Mozzarella and some Parmesan
Served with warm homemade bread it was an overwhelming hit!
Thank you!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this was a huge hit!
Oh my gosh. This is the best broccoli cheese soup I’ve ever had! It will be on my go-to list from now on! I love the flavor the smoked paprika adds. Sooooo good!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this is the best broccoli cheese soup you’ve ever had and will be your go-to!
This soup is delicious and easy to make! I’ve made the recipe multiple times and every time it comes out perfectly!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it comes out perfectly every time for you!
First, this recipe was amazing! I was just wondering if you’ve doubled the recipe before? If my husband joined us, this would not be enough! Lol!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this was amazing! Yes, it doubles just fine. Go for it!
This soup is delicious. I used regular half and half and followed the ingredients as written. Other recipes that I have used for broccoli or cauliflower soup I would use an immersion blender for a creamier soup . This was not necessary with this recipe. The veggies were perfectly cooked and the texture great. I will definitely make this again!
I am glad you loved this and you’ll make it again!
Absolutely delicious! I didn’t have a carrot and I didn’t have smoked paprika, or powdered mustard, but I added about a tablespoon smoked Gouda, used regular paprika, a pinch of Indian spice and a little squirt of regular mustard.
Glad this was delicious and you were able to improvise with what you had on hand!
This was so delicious! Thank you for posting!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it was delicious!
Oh. My. Goodness. This recipe is absolutely amazing. I made it exactly as written and I don’t regret anything.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it was absolutely amazing as written for you!
This turned out great. My picky husband nearly ate half the pot!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad that Mr. Picky loved it too!
So wonderful! I had to use light cream but don’t think it made any difference. It is, without a doubt, the best broccoli cheese soup I’ve ever had. And I cooked it!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad that this is the best broccoli cheese soup you’ve ever had (and you cooked it!)
I’m right in the middle of making this soup. Haven’t added the cheese yet. Just tasted it for seasoning. Perfect!
OK the cheese is in. This is, by far, a really delicious soup.
I think a tear just fell from my eye.
Thank you for posting this recipe.
I will be delivering some of this to family members.
I am glad you love it and it’s perfect!