Growing up, Panera’s bread bowl filled with creamy broccoli cheddar soup was my ultimate comfort food. After countless attempts in my kitchen, I’ve finally recreated that same rich, cheesy goodness that made the original so memorable. This copycat recipe brings that cozy café experience right to your home.
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Table of Contents
Panera Bread Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Panera’s Broccoli Cheddar soup is a favorite with many of us, and my recipe copycats this popular dish’s fresh ingredients and flavors. There are fresh carrots and onions in here, but for the broccoli, you can use fresh or frozen if you wish. Frozen is often more convenient because it’s already chopped up.
Whichever way you go, you’ll end up with a rich, creamy soup perfect for a hearty lunch and warming the soul. You are going to love this copycat Broccoli Cheese Soup recipe.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ready in under 45 minutes
- Perfect comfort food
- Restaurant-quality results
- Great for meal prep
- Freezer-friendly
- Customizable thickness
Equipment Needed
- Large saucepan or Dutch oven
- Whisk
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Sharp knife
- Cutting board
- Grater
- Wooden spoon
Ingredients and Their Roles
Base Ingredients
- Butter – Creates a rich base for the roux and adds a silky mouthfeel
- All-purpose flour – Forms roux with butter to thicken soup properly
- White onion – Provides savory foundation and aromatic depth
- Half-and-half – Creates creamy base and adds richness
- Broccoli – Delivers signature flavor and hearty texture
- Velveeta cheese – Ensures smooth melting and creamy consistency
- Chicken broth – Adds depth of flavor and adjusts thickness
- Carrots – Provides subtle sweetness and classic orange color
- Cheddar cheese – Brings sharp cheese flavor and authentic taste
- Salt – Enhances all flavors and balances soup
- Black pepper – Adds gentle warmth and depth
How to Make Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- Melt butter in a large saucepan. Stir in flour and onions. Cook for about a minute.
- Slowly add half-and-half, whisking until thickened and smooth.
- Add broccoli and processed cheese.
- Slowly add chicken, stirring occasionally, until the soup has a consistent texture.
- Add the carrots and simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Stir in the cheddar cheese and cook for 10 more minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve when all the cheese is fully melted and blended.
Substitutions and Modifications
Make it Your Own
- Dairy Options: Heavy cream or whole milk for half-and-half
- Cheese Choices: American cheese for Velveeta
- Broth Alternatives: Vegetable broth for chicken
- Vegetable Add-ins: Cauliflower or potato
Dietary Modifications
- Vegetarian: Use vegetable broth
- Gluten-free: Use rice flour for roux
- Lower-fat: Use milk instead of half-and-half
What to Serve With Broccoli Cheese Soup
I love serving this soup style with popovers or fresh yeast rolls with butter. For a thick soup like this one, you can serve it in bread bowls, just like Panera does. You can buy bread bowls from some stores.
Make it Special
- Serve in homemade bread bowls
- Top with extra cheese
- Add croutons
- Garnish with fresh herbs
How to Reheat Your Soup
If you have leftover soup and need to reheat it, add a little milk. It may have thickened in your refrigerator.
Storage and Reheating
Storage Instructions
- Refrigerate: Up to 4 days in airtight container
- Freeze: Up to 3 months
- Cool completely before storing
Reheating Methods
- Stir frequently while reheating
- Stovetop: Low heat, add splash of milk
- Microwave: 50% power in intervals
More Panera Bread Recipes
- Honey Walnut Cream Cheese
- Panera Baked Potato Soup
- Panera Bread Copycat Recipes
- Panera French Onion Soup
- Panera Macaroni and Cheese
- Panera Warm Grain Bowl
- Steak Panini
Popular Soup Recipes
- Celery Soup
- Cheddar Cheese Soup
- Senate Bean Soup
- She Crab Soup
- Southwest Chicken Soup
- Zuppa Toscana Soup
Check out more of my easy soup recipes and the best Panera Bread recipes here on CopyKat!
Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup chopped white onions
- 1 cup half-and-half
- 16 ounces chopped broccoli frozen
- 16 ounces American cheese Velveeta
- 29 ounces low-sodium chicken broth 2 cans
- 1 cup carrots Julianne cut, or shredded
- 8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, melt the butter. Stir in the flour and onions. Cook for about a minute,
- Slowly add the half-and-half, about 1/4 cup at a time, whisking until thickened and smooth.
- When all of the half-and-half is incorporated, add the broccoli and processed cheese.Â
- When the cheese is completely melted, add the chicken broth 1 cup at a time, stirring occasionally, until soup is well mixed and has a consistent texture.
- Add the carrots and simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Stir in the cheddar cheese and cook for 10 minutes more.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve when all the cheese is fully melted and blended through.
Video
Notes
Pro Recipe Tips
- Cheese Selection: Use freshly grated cheese (pre-shredded has anti-caking agents)
- Roux Perfection: Cook flour and butter until light golden for best flavor
- Temperature Control: Add cheese off heat to prevent curdling
Nutrition
Common Questions & Troubleshooting
Q: Why is my soup grainy? A: Added cheese too quickly or at too high heat.
Q: Can I use frozen broccoli? A: Yes! No need to thaw first.
Q: How do I make it thicker? A: Cook longer or add more cheese.
Wow. I’ve been meaning to make this for a couple of years and finally just got around to it. I literally just finished the first bowl. This is BETTER than Panera. The only thing I did different was add a second head of broccoli to bulk it up a bit more.
The decision to add the extra broc came just when the soup was ready. I turned off the heat on the soup and boiled the broccoli. The soup thickened up a lot during that 15-20 minutes it sat. Added the broccoli and we were good to go.
I also was going to add some potatoes because I always wondered how the Panera soup would be with them. I boiled a few Russets just for this, but I overcooked them a little and adding them directly in the soup to cook would’ve completely decimated them. So I sliced them and kept them on the side to toss into the bowl before I added the soup. It’s a nice addition.
For anyone else, don’t forget to salt and pepper after the cheddar is melted. I tasted it before I salted and it was, meh. A couple shakes of salt and it was perfect. I don’t like salt, so I try to use as little as possible. This was probably a couple pinches worth, if that.
Thank you for letting me know how your soup went. I always recommend adding salt while cooking. I bet it was tasty with a few potatoes thrown in.
Cannot say thank you enough…so good! I used only a cup of cheddar cheese and it was perfect!
Fantastic recipient !!! Made a few times now, making it for company tomorrow.
I use veggie chicken flavor broth, use more mild cheddar and not use the processed cheese. I also sauté the onions and butter first, then add the flour and make the roux. Then let it just barely simmer for a while.
Meat and veggie family and friend all think this recipe is out of this world ! THEY sa the same thing about your Panera’s baked potato soup too !
Thanx for the great recipes 🙂
HI,
While your recipes sound amazing and look even better…I’m diabetic and have Chronic Kidney Disease (among other issues). I notice that you don’t put any nutrients on your recipes. I read things all the way through before I make anything and I think I may have to leave your site because of this.
I’m sorry to leave so soon but I think these would be just too much for me.
But….keep up the good work because they all sound wonderful.
Thank you for your note. I am sorry at this time I do not provide any nutritional information. I haven’t found an easy solution to hand code this isn’t the recipes. I have been looking for a solution. At this time I have been unable to work this out.
I did the nutrition
528 calories
36.4 grams of fat
2.9 grams of fiber
10.9 grams of sugar
I am a cook. Doing recipe make overs for years. Perfected the Jack Daniels Sauce from Friday’s. Desserts are great to makeover. Never use a recipe. Just look at theirs and add in my own creations and most of the time they come out great.
any chance you post the Jack Daniels Sauce copy cat recipe?
Hi- I can’t find the actual Recipe with the measurements for the ingredients.
I am sorry the recipe had a glitch, it is back now.
OMG, I just made & it is delish!!!!! I followed the recipe except I sauteed the onion in the butter first, than added the flour. I also used fresh broccoli because that was all I had. I simmered that in 1 can of broth, then added to the roux mix. Then I finished the way recipe said. I can’t wait to serve to family tonight!!! Fix a loaf of garlic bread with it & I’m good to go! Stephanie, thanks for sharing this fab recipe!!! I have never had Panera’s soup, but if it tastes this good, no wonder it’s such a hit!!
I am looking forward to making this soup! I love the Panera version. I have made several of your copykat recipes and love them! I’m glad you are out there posting these recipes! Thank you!
I liked your video and you have a great attitude. I bet the soup is delicious.
Thank you very much Robert!
Made this recipe last week and put it in bread bowls for my family of six.. they loved it i have been made promise to make it this week too. Easy to follow direction. Thanks for a wonderful recipe can’t wait to try the other ones. Glad I found your site.
I am glad to hear everyone enjoyed the soup you made. It makes all of the difference when you know you made a great meal.
I don’t like large chunks of broccoli in my soup. Your picture seems to have smaller pieces. If I wanted to purée down the soup should I do it at the end or sometime during the cooking process? Thanks.
You could always chop it a little more. I don’t know that I would puree it, that could turn the whole soup green.
Going to make this for 25 people do I just 4x everything in this recipe? Marilyn
I would do that, I would also most likely do it in two double batches so the cooking times would vary less.
Can I freeze the soup? It made too much, but is very tasty.
I’m looking for Panera’s Autumn Squash Soup recipe… Any ideas?
This is a great recipe thanks for the post!
Thank you Fern, I hope you give the recipe a try. Do you have other flavors of soup you like from Panera?
Thank you Holly, this recipe is pretty perfect !!!
My pregnant self was craving Panera soup at midnight lol. I found this recipe and I think it’s better then Panera. It’s very easy to make and way nicer to the wallet. Far better then sending my hubby on constant trips out for soup : P
I have to say, I normally am really skeptical about copy cat recipes of restaurants because they usually dont taste the same. I just made this today and it is pretty darn close to the restaurant. So close that I won’t be paying for Panera’s anymore! Thank you for this recipe!!!! It was delicious!!!!
Thank you. I try very hard to get recipes as close as I can. I am glad you enjoyed this one.
Thank you Stephanie! This was a great recipe!! I was even better the next day! The only changes I made was to use only 1 can of chicken broth and use milk instead of half-and-half. Great recipe, and very simple to make! =)
I am glad the soup turned out well for you. Let me know if you have other requests in the future.
Mine isn’t turning out thick or creamy
You may want to prepare the soup on a lower temperature.