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 artisan bread or sourdough 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 (42 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups (355 ml) whole milk
- 2 cups (475 ml) low sodium chicken broth
- 1 ½ cups (355 ml) heavy cream
- 4 cups (270 g) broccoli florets¹ cut into small pieces
- ⅓ cup (35 g) peeled grated carrot (this is usually 1 grated carrot for me, may substitute pre-cut “matchstick” carrots)
- 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 (226 g) 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)
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Place butter in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat and cook until melted.5 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- Add diced onion and cook until softened and translucent (about 5 minutes).1 medium yellow onion
- Sprinkle flour over the butter/onion and whisk until smooth and no lumps remain.⅓ cup (42 g) all-purpose flour
- Slowly, while whisking, add milk to the mixture. Whisk until combined and mixture is thickened.1 ½ cups (355 ml) whole milk
- Add chicken broth, heavy cream, broccoli, carrots, salt, sugar, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and ground mustard. Whisk until combined.2 cups (475 ml) low sodium chicken broth, 1 ½ cups (355 ml) heavy cream, 4 cups (270 g) broccoli florets¹, ⅓ cup (35 g) peeled grated carrot, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon sugar, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon ground mustard
- 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.8 oz (226 g) sharp cheddar cheese + additional for topping
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!
Cathy Cooke
Hi Sam, just wondering if you’ve gotten any feedback on substituting cornstarch for the flour? Or any other type of gluten free flour? Thanks!
Sam
Hi Cathy! I think cornstarch could work. I haven’t tried it but I think you’d want about 1/4c of cornstarch. 🙂
David Bonkowski
Only had medium cheddar and didn’t have mustard powder so I squeezed in about 1/2 tsp or prepared. Tastes delicious
Carrie
Yum! This is delicious. I’ve made it several times now. Only thing I do different is add in some chunks of ham to make it a little heartier. Sometimes I use frozen broccoli florets if that is all I have on hand.
Casey
Oh my gosh this was the best broccoli cheese soup that I’ve ever had! My picky teenager loved it as well. I didn’t have enough cups of broccoli for the recipe so I did half broccoli and half cauliflower because that was what I had on hand. It was absolutely delicious. Next time I will definitely double the recipe because we ate almost all of it at one sitting!
Wesley Rainbolt
So I’ve tried the Panera copycat recipe and it was pretty good. But this recipe is exactly like you said “better than paneras” the whole family loved this.
As far as the broccoli goes. I made a double portion of this recipe. I had a 2 pound bag of broccoli florets. I put half of that bag and put it through a food processor which made exactly 4 cups of finely chopped broccoli, I then added 2 heaping handfuls of whole florets which made the soup have a perfect ratio of broccoli pieces and whole florets.
Donna Vidal
has anyone tried freezing then reheating this soup?
Sam
Hi Donna! I haven’t personally frozen it, but I would be worried it would separate when freezing. 🙁
Judy Taylor
We had quite a bit of leftover broccolini from our Christmas dinner last night, and thought cheddar broccoli soup would be a great way to use it up. Yummm! Followed your directions to a T and it turned out great!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thanks for letting us know how it went for you, Judy! Enjoy ☺️
Wendy
This was so yummy!
Malina
have recently found your recipes have made several this week!! 💕
Sam
I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed everything so much, Malina! 🙂
Bruce
I just made a double batch, because there are two people I want to give some to, and it almost filled my dutch oven. I decided not to purée any, and it has a nice thickness.
Jan Schillo
Do you know if this soup would be okay if kept warm in a crockpot for about 2 hours?
Sam
That will work just fine. 🙂
Vicky
Tried this today! Super quick, easy, and delicious!! Thanks Sam for another excellent recipe 🙂 Granddaughter said it was “18 times better than Panera.” 🙂
Sam
I am so happy to hear this, Vicky! Thank you so much for trying my recipe, I’m thrilled you and your granddaughter enjoyed it so much!! 🙂
Bruce
She’s wrong! It’s definitely 19 times better.
Sam
🤣
Hope
Can I use sour cream instead of heavy cream? Thanks!
Sam
Hi Hope! Unfortunately I wouldn’t recommend substituting that much. 🙁
Melissa
excellent! I love this soup!
Beth Judy
I have tried so many different broccoli cheese soups looking for the right one. I have finally found a winner. This was delicious!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Yay! We’re SO happy you loved our recipe, Beth 🥰
Patricia L Bowers
I used to go to
a restaurant at lunch just to have cream of broccoli soup. Now everyone wants broccoli and cheese. do you have a recipe for cream of broccoli soup No cheese. by the way Sam I love your recipes. especially the best peanut butter cookies. they go so fast we love them
Sam
Hi Patricia! Unfortunately I do not have a cream of broccoli soup but I can add it to my list. 🙂
Bruce
I’m sure that if you left the cheese out of this recipe, you’d have an excellent cream of broccoli soup.
Bruce
Beth, I’m making this now, and I tasted it before adding the cheese. It is an excellent cream of broccoli soup. Make it exactly as the recipe says, up to adding the cheese, and you’ll be very happy.
Gia Jacobs
Devine! My hubby couldn’t say enough how much he loved this soup! He’s already asking for it again. I have some leftovers that he wants me to reheat for dinner tomorrow. Wonderful easy soup is an absolute hit, thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thanks for trying our recipe, Gia! We’re so glad it was a hit with your family 😋
Lh
This is a delicious soup! Make it easier to make by buying 12 ounces prechopped broccoli florets. Enjoy!
Vicky
Lh, good advise. I actually used frozen that I thawed and then chopped up – it worked great.