Cheesy Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup starts with a rich roux to thicken the soup with cream, vegetable stock, perfectly blended spices, tender broccoli and carrots and cheddar cheese. Dip baguettes into a warm bowl of soup on a cold winter day. This recipe is a Panera Breads copy cat and tastes just like the real thing.
It’s getting to be that time of year again where all I want to eat and come home to is hot soup on a cold winter day. I’ll admit, that first cold chill didn’t start until I visited Wisconsin and now I have a permanent chill running through my body.
Soup has always been a classic comfort food, something to look forward to at the end of each day and something that smells wonderful making in the house. Homemade soup is the best and it’s something everyone should try at one point or another. To me, soup is very much the “meat and potatoes” of winter and is very fulfilling.
I’ve dreamed about Panera’s Broccoli Cheddar Soup long enough and have been making it for our family for the past year. Homemade soup truly is a beautiful thing. Not only are we saving money by making this at home but we get to enjoy all the leftovers the next day! I can’t think of anything more beautiful than that besides the amazing aroma throughout the house while this is cooking on the stove top.
If you’re a soup fan, you’ll really love this recipe. We love love love to eat this a few times a month. It’s super easy to make, it’s very filling and tastes just like the real deal but better.
Making the perfect roux for a thick soup is important and couldn’t be any easier. The most important part of making this roux is to give it time to brown and cook off some of that flour taste that would otherwise permeate into the soup.
Since we are making a butter roux, I browned the onions and some garlic in it first which also gives it a nice flavor that will carry over during cooking.
It’s important to continuously stir or whisk the roux as we want to thicken it up before adding our cream and stock to the pot.
By the time the cream and stock get mixed into the roux, the base of the soup is done and all that needs to be cooked are the broccoli and carrots. I usually give a good amount of time for the vegetables to soften in the pot before adding the cheese. Once it’s seasoned to perfection and the vegetables are done, it’s time for the shredded cheddar cheese to be added.
This soup will truly become a family favorite like it is in our house. It’s great to make whether it’s a cold and rainy day or a nice home cooked meal for the family.
Cheesy Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium onion (, finely chopped)
- 1-2 gloves garlic (, minced)
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup flour + 1 tablespoon
- 3 cups half & half
- 3 cups broth/stock ((chicken or vegetable stock))
- 3-4 carrots (, thinly sliced (1 1/2 cups))
- 3 cups broccoli (, chopped)
- 2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 1/2 cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese (, shredded)
Instructions
- Thinly chop carrots and quarter broccoli florets.
- In a large stockpot set over over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter and add chopped onions then brown for about 4 minutes and add minced garlic and continue to cook for 1 minute. Remove onions; set aside. Melt 4 tablespoons butter in the pot then add flour and stir. Whisk or mix the mixture together constantly for about 5 minutes, until a nice brown forms. This step is important because it will thicken the soup.
- Slowly add in half & half, about 1 cup at a time then add in broth/stock, 1 cup at a time, stirring well between adding to dissolve any chunks. Stir in chopped carrots, broccoli, garlic/onion mixture and seasoning and simmer for 30-40 minutes. Once vegetables are soft, stir in shredded cheese and allow to melt before serving in a bowl. Serve with french bread.
20 Comments
Ana De- Jesus
01/09/2016 at 3:47 pmI make this all the time and it is heavenly. It is both delicious and a great way of keeping you warm during the winter!
Kassie O'Driscoll
01/09/2016 at 9:44 pmI’m not gonna lie, I don’t like broccoli. However, these photos are swoon-worthy and my husband is fan. Maybe I just need to save it for when I’m going to be gone during dinnertime!
Also, do you mind telling me where you get your backdrops (the wood)?
Jessica Knott
01/10/2016 at 12:49 amHi Kassie, I made the darker board and have a tutorial for 2 of them here – https://www.swankyrecipes.com/diy-wood-photography-backdrop
Also, I have a cutting board from wayfair.com – http://www.wayfair.com/Urban-Farm-Rectangle-Mango-Wood-Chopping-Board-N319-THST3185.html
laura londergan
01/11/2016 at 12:31 amthis looks so good & would be perfect for the time of year here in Ohio – we just got our first snow & it’s been freezing – this would be perfect! 😉
Jessica Knott
01/16/2016 at 5:28 pmThis would be perfect. I wish a had a bowl of this when I was in Wisconsin visiting family over Christmas!
jill conyers
01/11/2016 at 4:22 amI love that you have chunky carrots. Yum.
OurFamilyWorld
01/11/2016 at 7:14 amMm, that soup looks heavenly. I can’t wait to try this.
Nikka Shae
01/11/2016 at 10:35 amYummy!!! My kids would love this. Plus now it’s cold here in Atlanta and this is perfect for a warm bowl of soup!!
Heather
01/11/2016 at 1:55 pmWe pretty much live on soup in the winter – cheap and easy! Plus, I can get lots of veggies into my kids’ bellies. This one looks to die for! I haven’t made a cheddar broccoli soup in quite a few years, I think next week will be a perfect time!
Jessica Knott
01/16/2016 at 5:27 pmWe love soup this time of year, too. Yes, extra veggies is a good idea. I bet they’d gobble it right up!
Di
01/11/2016 at 6:02 pmHahahah I had a total brain fart when I looked at the first photo and thought the bread was a serving of ice cream. I’m like… wait… soup and ice cream? What? Then I looked closer and saw it was bread! Lol! I swear it’s been one of those days!
Jessica Knott
01/16/2016 at 5:25 pmI don’t think it would be the worst combo but def not serving together, haha. Thanks, Di!
Jannine
01/11/2016 at 8:05 pmI love that you added carrots to this recipe. Looks really tasty!
Orana
01/11/2016 at 8:13 pmI love soup! totally keeping this recipe for making this week. yum yum!
CourtneyLynne
01/11/2016 at 9:15 pmOmg yum!!!! i always look for this soup on menus at every restart any I go to!!! I will have to try out your recipe!
Jessica Knott
01/16/2016 at 5:23 pmSuch a simple and classic recipe that everyone loves. Thanks, Courtney!
Hannah
01/11/2016 at 11:00 pmI’m always a sucker for a great broccoli soup! This one looks really hearty and yummy. I love that you put carrots in it too!
Jessica Knott
01/16/2016 at 5:23 pmMe too, Hannah, thanks!
Emma
01/24/2016 at 6:59 pmWhat do you do with the onion and garlic after you take them out to make the soup base–do you throw them out or do they go back in at some point? A whole onion seems like kind of a lot to use to season the pan and then throw away.
Do you simmer covered or uncovered?
Jessica Knott
01/24/2016 at 7:23 pmYou can add them back in with with the broccoli and carrots, just remove to make the roux. Also, I usually leave it uncovered unless im in a hurry or the vegetables are not getting soft fast enough, then cover.