This broccoli cheddar soup tastes like Panera bread’s broccoli cheese soup! It’s rich, creamy and so flavorful! Even picky little eaters can come to love this soup!
After going through the ingredient list of Panera’s Broccoli Cheddar Soup, I chose ingredients to relate as closely as possible to their version. Panera uses pasteurized cheese which not only makes it ridiculously delicious but gives it that seamless velvety smooth consistency! Even picky little eaters could come to love this soup! It’s incredibly delicious and tastes like the popular broccoli soup from Panera Bread!
Products used:
- Cuisinart 3 quart dutch oven pot (in Terracotta Orange)
- Stainless steel soup ladle (similar)
How To Make Broccoli Cheese Soup:
Broccoli Cheddar Soup (Panera Bread Copycat)
Ingredients
Broccoli Cheddar Soup:
- 3 cups broccoli florets (1 large broccoli bunch)
- 1 cup carrots (1 large, julienned)
- 1/2 onion diced
- 3 tbsp butter
- 3 tbsp flour
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cups half and half
- 8 oz Velveeta Cheese
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/4 tsp ground mustard
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp paprika
Instructions
How to make Broccoli Cheddar Soup:
Prepare ingredients. Dice, chop, and julienne vegetables.- In a large saucepan, sauté the onion in 3 tbsp of butter over medium heat until browned. Add the flour and stir until flour incorporates into the butter.
- Add the broth and half and half, whisking until mixture thickens (about 8 min.) Then add the broccoli and carrots and continue to simmer over med-low heat until tender (10-15 minutes.)
- Add in the cheeses, ground mustard, paprika, and salt and pepper to taste; whisk until smooth and bubbly over low heat (about 5-10minutes.)
Notes
Nutrition per serving
Q&A
How to thicken broccoli cheddar soup without flour:
This soup can be gluten-free! Use cornstarch in place of flour. Cheese also works as a great thickener just omit the flour or cornstarch and increase the cheeses by half.
How to prevent grainy soup:
Grainy soup could be a result of adding too much grated cheese and adding it too early into the soup! Save the cheeses for last. It’s best to melt cheese towards the end.
Can I substitute yellow mustard for ground mustard?
Yes! Yellow mustard could be used in place of mustard powder. In fact, yellow mustard is made from mustard powder with a few additives so either one will work plus the recipe only calls for a small amount so you won’t be comprising taste!
Can I freeze broccoli cheddar soup?
Since broccoli can be a mushy vegetable after freezer life, it’s best not to freeze it unless you leave it out and add it during the re-heating time.
How long can this keep?
Broccoli cheddar soup is at it’s peak of freshness up-to 4 days.
Can I make this without Velveeta cheese?
It’s possible, however using all grated cheddar cheese can be gritty to eat if too much is used. Try subbing cream cheese if necessary.
Tips
- Use pre-shredded carrots.
- Buy a bag of broccoli florets instead of chopping the broccoli from the stems.
- Use a food processor to chop all your veggies.
- Have all your ingredients ready for a smoother cooking session.
Other broccoli recipes to try:
