My homemade Broccoli Cheddar Soup tastes like Panera’s, only better! This top-rated recipe is quick and simple with just 15 minutes of prep before coming together on the stove. Includes a how-to video!
Better-Than-Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Creamy, cheesy, flavored with butter and freshly shredded cheddar cheese…can you think of a better way to eat broccoli? This broccoli cheddar soup is true cold weather comfort food; it’s hearty, easy, and quick–perfect for weeknight dinners or a snow day lunch. If you’re a fan of Panera’s broccoli cheese soup, you’re going to love this one!
My recipe starts with a simple roux for a thick and creamy final product. Don’t be intimidated by this! If you’ve made my baked mac and cheese, (insanely popular) potato soup or chicken corn chowder, you’ve done this before. After melting the butter and sautéing the onion, we’ll simply whisk flour into the pot until it’s smooth. Then we’ll slowly whisk in the milk until the soup thickens, and that’s it! Easy, right?
Why you’ll love my recipe:
- Takes just 35 minutes to make with basic ingredients.
- Includes tips for the perfect creamy texture.
- Has a balanced flavor that lets the broccoli shine.
- Pairs nicely with crusty bread, biscuits, dinner rolls, or garlic knots.
What You Need
Here are the key ingredients that I use in my broccoli cheese soup (ignore the two garlic powders in the photo above–pretend one is onion powder! 😉):
- Broccoli. I prepare the broccoli much the same way that I do for my broccoli salad. I buy a pound of broccoli and then chop off the stems and cut the florets into small pieces which I’ll then go over briefly with a large knife in a mincing motion. Check out the photo below for an example.
- Onion. A yellow onion is my preference, but a sweet onion (a great choice in many soups, like my French onion soup) or a white onion would work well here, too.
- Carrots. Grate your own or buy pre-shredded “matchstick” carrots from the store.
- Cheddar cheese. Do NOT use pre-shredded cheese as it will not melt properly or smoothly! Instead, grate your own. I recommend buying 16 oz of sharp cheddar and grating half into your soup, and saving the other half for serving!
- Ground mustard. Like in my chicken pot pie, I love using a pinch of ground mustard to add flavor to my soup. This is dry mustard powder as shown above, not prepared mustard in a tube.
- Chicken broth. You can substitute vegetable broth for a vegetarian soup.
- Whole milk and heavy cream. I usually keep both of these ingredients in my fridge so that’s what I use; however, you could substitute both of these ingredients for half and half instead.
SAM’S TIP: Don’t worry if you still have some larger pieces of broccoli remaining; we’re going to be using a blender to puree the soup before it’s finished cooking to give it a smooth and creamy texture. Puree as much or as little as you’d like to suit your own preference!
Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- Melt the butter over medium heat, then add the onion and cook until it softens.
- Sprinkle the flour over the onion and whisk until smooth, then slowly whisk in the milk.
- Add the broth, cream, veggies, and seasonings and stir to incorporate.
- Increase the heat to medium high and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.
- Once thickened, blend the soup as much as you like (some people like a chunkier broccoli cheddar soup, some people want it completely smooth; just note that if you puree until completely smooth, your soup may look a bit green!.
- Stir in the cheese until melted and adjust seasonings to taste (you may need another shake of salt or pepper).
SAM’S TIP: When adding your milk to create your roux, add it slowly and gradually. Adding it all at once won’t allow the soup to thicken as nicely as it should.
Frequently Asked Questions
I haven’t personally frozen this soup, but I would be worried about the heavy cream separating out. If you try it, I’d love to know how it goes for you!
This tends to happen when you use a pre-shredded cheese. Pre-shredded cheeses include anti-caking agents that will prevent them from melting properly in your soup. If you shredded your own cheese and it’s still not melting, it may just need more time on the stove.
If the roux is not made slowly and properly (as indicated in the recipe), it can leave you with a watery soup rather than a creamy one. Using a stovetop heat that’s too high can also cause the soup to curdle, especially when you are adding any dairy products. Follow the instructions in the recipe and don’t crank up your heat and you shouldn’t have any problems!
Want the full Panera experience? Serve your soup in my homemade bread bowls!
Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook
Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Ingredients
- 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium yellow onion diced (about 1 cup)
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour (42g)
- 1 ½ cups whole milk (355ml)
- 2 cups low sodium chicken broth (475ml)
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream (355ml)
- 4 cups broccoli florets¹ cut into small pieces (270g)
- ⅓ cup peeled grated carrot (this is usually 1 grated carrot for me, may substitute pre-cut “matchstick” carrots) (35g)
- 1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste, as needed
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper plus more to taste, as needed
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground mustard
- 8 oz sharp cheddar cheese + additional for topping grated off the block (do not use pre-shredded cheese as it is likely it will clump and not melt properly) (226g) + additional for topping
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Place butter in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat and cook until melted.
- Add diced onion and cook until softened and translucent (about 5 minutes).
- Sprinkle flour over the butter/onion and whisk until smooth and no lumps remain.
- Slowly, while whisking, add milk to the mixture. Whisk until combined and mixture is thickened.
- Add chicken broth, heavy cream, broccoli, carrots, salt, sugar, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and ground mustard. Whisk until combined.
- Bring to a boil over medium/high heat while stirring frequently. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until thickened.
- Transfer the soup in batches to a blender or (preferred) use an immersion blender to puree. Puree as much of the soup as you would like until desired consistency is reached, I usually use an immersion blender and puree about 75% of the soup, leaving some pieces of broccoli intact.
- Add grated cheese and stir until melted (keep heat on low). Add additional salt and pepper to taste and serve.
Notes
¹Broccoli
I usually buy 1 lb of fresh broccoli crowns and am left with enough after removing the stalks and cutting the florets.Storing
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. I have never frozen this soup and have been hesitant to do so as the cream base can sometimes separate and make for a watery soup when reheated from frozen.Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Related Recipes
This recipe was originally published March of 2020. I updated the photos and text, but the recipe remains the same!
Leona Sabol
Wonderful recipe I will make this at least once a month . Best soup ever .
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy you love this soup, Leona! Enjoy 😊
Caroline
This is the best soup ever! My whole family and my extended family loved it!! Thank you so much for the wonderful recipe. I’ve made it 3 times in last 2 weeks ❤️
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Caroline! 🙂
Linda Delgrande
Excellent! Tastes delicious, very easy to make and takes very little time.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Linda! 🙂
Ray
Awesome! I used a mix of cauliflower and broccoli and it came out amazing! Made bread bowls with it too! Thank you for an amazing recipe!!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Ray! 🙂
Lynda K Teta
Awesome Broccoli Cheddar Soup!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Lynda! 🙂
Karla
Can you use frozen broccoli? And if so, should i refrost it first?
Sam
Hi Karla! I haven’t tried it but I think it could work. You can defrost it if you’d like. 🙂
Susie
Better than the pre-made soup!
Pam
Loved the soup!! I used all while milk was still amazing! Thanks for sharing!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed, Pam! Thank you so much for commenting! 🙂
Bruce
OK, I’ll start with the negative, to get it out of the way. When writing a recipe, always list the ingredients in the order they are used. In this recipe, the milk should be listed before the broth.
Second, I could tell that my soup would be too thick, so I added another 1/2 cup of broth, and 1/4 cup of milk, because that finished off the two containers. The thickness was just right.
Now the good stuff. This soup is amazing. It is thick and creamy, with just enough cheese. I thought I’d only purée about half, but I liked the way it was looking, so I went on to about 3/4, like you do. I left out the sugar, and I imagine it enhances the other flavors. It’s still great without it.
I recommend adding the seasonings before the vegetables, so you can be sure they are mixed in.
The seasoning is great, because it stays in the background, but definitely contributes to the overall flavor.
Thank you for drifting away from sweets now and then.
Sam
I’m glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
Lori
I do not have whole milk…will another kind work?
Sam
Hi Lori! You can use a lower fat milk here. The soup may just be a little thinner. 🙂
Bruce
Lori,
You can also reduce the amount of lower-fat milk, and increase the amount of heavy cream, to keep the ratios the same. I’d say for 2% milk, use 1 1/4 cups milk and 1 3/4 cups cream For 1% or skim (fat-free) milk, use 1 cup milk and 2 cups cream. This will allow the final product to be about the same.
Trace
One of the best soup recipes I have ever tried.
Marilyn Ann
WoW! This soup was as good as any fine dine restaurant! First time ever making Broccoli Cheddar soup and fortunately, I chose the Best recipe! Make it again for sure. Used kosher salt instead of regular salt and added a bit more pepper!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Marilyn! 🙂
Marilyn
Excellent soup
Sugar Spun Run
I am happy that you enjoyed the recipe, Marilyn! Thanks for commenting! 🙂
susanne curro
I made this soup tonight and it was delicoous. Though I didnt add the chicken broth, because it is too salty for me. Does it matter if you add the chicken broth or not ? Today was a good day for it
Sam
Hi Susanne! I would not leave out the chicken broth here. Make sure to get a low sodium chicken broth and then you shouldn’t have too much issue with it being salty. 🙂
Janet Wilson
Can you freeze leftovers?
Sam
Hi Janet! I would be worried that the soup would separate in the freezer. 🙁
Cathy
This was very good. It would be nice on a cold day.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed it, Cathy! 🙂