Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup packed with carrots, broccoli, garlic, and cheese. This creamy velvety soup is much better than Panera’s broccoli cheddar soup and can be made in under 30 minutes for a fraction of the price!
Soup is an essential winter meal and when it comes to picking our absolute favorite soup, this cheddar cheese soup has earned the #1 spot. It’s a favorite of kids because of it’s creamy texture and cheesy flavor, and loved by parents because it’s secretly loaded with a ton of nutritious veggies.
If you’ve ever had Panera’s broccoli cheddar soup then you will LOVE this soup. It’s almost a copycat version of it except with much more flavor and texture.
The soup is made with an almost caramelized onion and garlic-based and thickened with a roux (butter and flour mixture) then simmered with veggie stock, broccoli, and carrots. At the very end, half & half and freshly grated cheddar cheese are added to give it a velvety smooth texture. The result is a deliciously rich, thick and creamy broccoli soup that is loaded with the comforting flavors of broccoli and cheddar.
What you will Need to Make Broccoli Cheddar Soup
To make this delicious cheddar cheese you will only need a handful of ingredients, a large pot, and 30 minutes. Gather all your ingredients and let’s get cooking!
Broccoli: Fresh broccoli florets and stems are chopped into small bite-size pieces. A 12oz bag of frozen broccoli will also work. The instructions and cooking time are exactly the same.
Carrots: You will need about 1 cup of grated, finely minced, or julienned carrots. It is about 1 large carrot or 2 small carrots. This ingredient is optional and can be adjusted to your taste preference.
Cheddar: Make sure to freshly grate your cheese. we use an 8oz block of mild or medium cheddar cheese. You can also use 2 cups of pre-grated cheddar cheese but it won’t be as good because of the fillers placed in the cheese.
Half & Half: Half and half will yield a texture that is not too thick or too thin. It can also be replaced with milk for a light soup or heavy cream for keto dieters.
Stock: Veggie or chicken stock will work great and if you don’t have any on hand, replace the stock with water and add a bouillon cube.
You will also need a chopped onion, minced garlic, butter, flour, salt pepper, and paprika (can be subbed with nutmeg if desired).
HOW TO MAKE PANERA BROCCOLI CHEDDAR SOUP
Making this delicious broccoli cheddar soup is so easy! To begin, Cook down the onion and butter in a large heavy-duty pan for about 4 minutes or until the onions are slightly golden.
Next, saute the garlic for just a few seconds or until fragrant then whisk in the flour. Be sure the flour is cooked down and has turned into a golden color. Add in the chicken chicken stock, and seasoning and whisk to combine. At this point taste and adjust to your liken. Some people like to add a pinch of nutmeg, mustard, or Italian seasoning.
Lastly, stir in the shredded carrots and broccoli florets. Simmer for 15 minutes then stir in your half & half or heavy cream and a good amount of freshly grated cheddar cheese and you are done!
The result is a super creamy soup packed with flavor and texture. Serve with toasted bread and enjoy this delicious soup any time of the year!
If you enjoyed this broccoli cheese soup, check out my full line of delicious soups next!
How to Make Broccoli Cheddar Soup Video
@gimme.delicious 🥦 Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup 🧀 packed with carrots, broccoli, garlic, and cheese. This creamy velvety soup is much better than Panera’s broccoli cheddar soup and can be made in under 30 minutes for a fraction of the price! ➡️ Full recipe + macros at gimmedelicious.com or link in bio! Ingredients ▢ 4 tablespoons butter ▢ ½ medium onion, chopped ▢ 2-3 cloves garlic, minced ▢ 4 tablespoon AP flour ▢ 2 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable stock ▢ 1 tsp kosher salt ▢ ½ tsp black pepper ▢ ¼ tsp paprika, or ground nutmeg, optional ▢ 3 cups broccoli florets, or 1 large head, cut into small pieces ▢ 1 large carrot, grated, julienned or finely chopped ▢ 2 cups half & half, or milk or light or heavy cream ▢ 8 oz block grated cheddar cheese, or 2 cups (mild, medium, or sharp ) Instructions Melt butter in a large dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook 3-4 minutes or until softened and light gold. Add the garlic and saute for another minute. Add flour and whisk for 1-2 minutes or until the flour begins to turn golden in color. Pour in the chicken stock, broccoli florets, carrots, and seasoning. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes or until the broccoli and carrots are cooked through. Stir in half & half and cheddar cheese and simmer for another minute. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve with toasted crusty bread or in a bread bowl if desired. #gimmedelicious #broccolisoup #recipes #dinnerideas #dinner #souptok ♬ Love Letter – Cavendish Music
More Delicious Creamy Vegetable Soups
Delicious Side Options
30 Minute Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter, ½ stick
- ½ medium onion, chopped
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 tablespoon AP flour
- 2 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp paprika, or ground nutmeg, optional
- 3 cups broccoli florets, or 1 large head, cut into small pieces
- 1 large carrot, grated, julienned or finely chopped
- 2 cups half & half, or milk or light or heavy cream
- 8 oz block grated cheddar cheese, or 2 cups (mild, medium, or sharp )
Instructions
- Melt butter in a large dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook 3-4 minutes or until softened and light gold. Add the garlic and saute for another minute.
- Add flour and whisk for 1-2 minutes or until the flour begins to turn golden in color. Pour in the chicken stock, broccoli florets, carrots, and seasoning. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes or until the broccoli and carrots are cooked through.
- Stir in half & half and cheddar cheese and simmer for another minute. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Serve with toasted crusty bread or in a bread bowl if desired.
Video
Equipment
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
HOW TO SERVE BROCOLLI CHEDDAR SOUP
This delicious soup is packed full of veggies and texture and can be perfectly eaten stand-alone and will make a filling meal. It can also be served in a bread bowl (like in Panera) or with crusty bread for dipping or topped with croutons! If you’re a meat-eater, you can top it with chopped grilled or shredded chicken or mix them in.
CAN YOU FREEZE BROCCOLI CHEDDAR SOUP?
To refrigerate: Place any leftover soup in airtight containers and refrigerate for up to 3-4 days. Reheat on the stove-top over medium-low heat.
To freeze: Place in freezer-safe zip bags and freeze flat or in freezer-safe containers or souper cubes. To reheat, thaw completely then warm on low heat to prevent curdling.
This soup was so delicious, my new fav! Thanks for sharing!!
Thanks again! 🤩
I doubled the recipe but just added 2 cups of whole milk for the desired thickness, 4 cups would have made it too watery. I grated fresh nutmeg. It was delicious, better than Panera.
My kids ask for this soup all the time!!
We make this delicious soup every year 5 🌟!!
I’ve made this for multiple family dinners and we all LOVE it! A meal the ENTIRE family will love–big and small!!
**I like to add boiled diced potatoes and bacon as a garnish. Just to add more substance.
Yum! so happy the entire family enjoyed it, Shannon!
Soup was very easy to make – though I’d put prep time at 20 minutes instead. Flavor was nice as well. We used celery salt for seasoning too and it added a nice flavor. Served it with cornbread and bacon bits. We doubled up the recipe to be sure to have leftovers!
One thing I will do differently next time is probably add a diced potato to the mix to help thicken the soup. The flour didn’t thicken enough for me and any more of it and you start getting a flour flavor.
This broccoli cheddar soup is perfect thank you!!
I’ve made this SO many times and it’s amazing! Just wondering- is there a way to make it in the crockpot?
needs 4 cups of broth!
We love this recipe!! It’s our go to every time. I don’t think I’ll make it any other way. The only thing I do differently is use Sharp cheddar cheese.
Yum! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review! <3
This is the very best broccoli cheddar soup I’ve ever made; it’s cheesy, creamy goodness!!!!!! So delicious.
Love your soup! I’ve made it for my family at least 20 times now as it’s so so loved. I tend to be heavy handed on the veggies because that’s our preference but keep the soup exactly the way it is. It’s perfect.
Wonderful!!
Delicious! The amounts and seasoning were perfect. Afterall, you do want to taste some of the broccoli and the cheddar cheese and I also liked the consistency. I’m not a fan of very thick soups like one has in some restaurants and all you taste is cheese and it just feels too heavy in your stomach. This was perfect. I also do recommend using a block of cheese and grating it yourself. I loved it! Thank you again, now I have a perfect recipe for a good broccoli cheddar soup!
My favorite soup! For those saying it’s not thick enough when you incorporate the stock you have to do it slowly and wait for it to boil after every pour so it thickens! I do it again with the half and half and it’s perfect and creamy every time!
So easy and so good. I double the broccoli and carrots for extra veggies, then keep the lid on while simmering so any broccoli above the broth level steams. An immersion blender is awesome to get a mixed texture. Delicious!
So delicious! My go-to recipe for broccoli cheddar soup.
This soup was delicious and so easy to make. Thank you for a great meal
It’s so delicious, thanks dear
Delicious no-fail recipe!
Love this recipe. My family loves it too! This will be my go-to broccoli soup. Thanks for sharing.
I make this soup every fall and winter. It’s very creamy and hearty plus the kids love it too!
I’ve been using this recipe for years and it’s never failed us! Perfectly creamy and loaded with tenders veggies even the kiddos love it!! 5 stars ⭐️
I made this tonight and it was creamy and delicious. I used 1 cup or less of heavy whipping cream, all I had in the fridge.
I just made this soup and I can not believe how delicious it is…I feel like I just ordered a Broccoli cheese bread bowl from Panera…Kudos to the person who put this recipe together
First time making my favorite soup so much better when done on your own
Love the the results of the soup.
Not what Panera serves but ok
This recipe was delicious! I made 1/2 of the 1x recipe. I used the heavy cream.
This has quickly become one of my favorite recipes!
Thank you for the recipe, the soup was quick to make and so delicious. I used about 75% half and half and 25% heavy cream.
I made the broccoli and cheddar soup today. It is delicious. Thank you for your wonderful and quick recipe
I made the Boccolli and Cheddar soup today. it is delicious. Thank you for your wonderful and quick recipe
Good recipe to use up extra broccoli substituted celery for carrots and added 1/2 the half and half/ replaced w extra stock.
Made this soup today! Amazing!!! I added 1 diced potato but other than that followed your recipe and LOVED it!
As a Weight Watcher, I was able to lighten the calories and still enjoy this recipe. I used 1% milk, low fat cheddar cheese. I added the cheese to my own bowl and a splash of Half n Half. So delicious!
This recipe worked out great. I used 3 heads of broccoli because 1 didn’t seem like enough. I will make this again.
Definitely not healthy, but very delicious!
I doubled the recipe and made it for our small group. It was so delicious! I also used an immersion blender before adding the cheese and half and half and it was the perfect texture. Everyone loved it!
So happy to hear that, Mariah!
Awesome soup. Friends loved it. I doubled recipe. Used extra broccoli since it was frozen. Just used the whole bag
This is my second time making this soup, it is so good. I will never buy this soup from Panera Bread again.
Agreed!🙌🏻
To be honest, the measurements are off. It’s impossible for 3 cups of broccoli to simmer in only 2 cups of chicken broth. I had to add another cup of broth so the broccoli was covered.
The flavor is good but mine turned out gritty 😩 the temperature was turned down I used 2cups heavy cream and 2 cups milk as I did a double the recipe.
The grittyness is most likely from the pre-shredded cheese as they use fillers to keep it from clumping. Next time, please try freshly shredded cheese!
Made as noted, with the exception of using vegan heavy cream. It was delicious and perfect for dipping your favorite bread. My 93 years Mom loved it. Will definitely make it again.
I always double the recipe and use 2 percent milk. My family loves it. I sometimes put some bacon pieces in.
Great recipe! Delicious! Very simple and its basically the same as any cream soup. I used a couple dollops of Better than Boullion base for stock as I like being able to control the amount of liquid and the flavor is more robust than plain cubes or basic stock. I happen to have leftover smoked ham from Easter a diced a cup and tossed it in. Gace it another layer of flavor.
This was easy, delicious and tasted just like Paneras! Left out the nutmeg. Saved to my favorites!
This may be one of the best recipes I’ve ever tried! I don’t really remember what the Panera soup tastes like, but however it does this recipe tops it for sure! The only tweaks I made were I used a half a cup more vegetable broth than called for, and I added about 4 pieces of bacon cut up into small pieces at the end.
Absolutely fantastic recipe, I doubled it and we love it. ❤️
This so good! And, so easy.
This has become a family favourite! My son loves the Panera soup & was blown away the first time I made this. He requests it when he comes home from college. Thanks!
Great recipe-We love this soup! Making it today for the 3rd time.
I’m looking forward to enjoying today as we watch the snowfall here in the North East.
Great soup. I doubled the ingredients for my family.
Very easy to make. So good! Thank you!
Enjoy!! <3
Just made this today and it is outstanding! So easy, turned out fantastic and makes a nice amount. I will double it next time to freeze some.
Thanks for sharing your photo and review!!
Easy to make. Delicious in flavor!
Turned out exactly as described! We doubled the batch and it’s delicious! Perfect texture, flavor, taste! Right on!
Great recipe!
This is one of my favorite recipes ever!! My only alteration (personal preference) is next time I would use a little less cheese and maybe serve with a salt shaker available instead of adding to it while cooking. My husband has to watch his salt intake. With the salt (which is naturally occurring in the cheese), I suggest it’s not necessary to add salt to the recipe.
This recipe has good flavor even though I cut the butter back a tbs and switched out 1 1/2 c of half with Almond milk. I think I can cut the butter back another tbs. I also added big chunks of broccoli stems and took them out to serve.
Turned out amazing. So many compliments. Love love love this recipe
Wonderful and easy recipe. I scaled the recipe up by 1.5x and made big pot of this to take to my daughter and her family when they were all nursing a cold, two nights ago, and it was so good I did it all over again last night so my wife and I could have some. I did notice during both batches that after you add the chicken broth there’s still not quite enough liquid to cover the veggies so I added more broth and then increased the amount of half & half to match (so it was 3.5 cups of each in total), and it came out silky smooth and very cheesy, just perfect. This will be my go-to recipe for B&C soup from now on!
I did the same, extra chicken broth to cover the veggies! Other than that, all the same. WOW! Great recipe, very filling too!!
Pretty good soup recioe
Made this to go with dinner tonight and LOVED it!
Only thing I did different was a little extra garlic & paprika, and I used frozen broccoli because the grocery was out of fresh. Put the broccoli in totally frozen, so mine did take longer overall to cook, but it was worth it!
Wonderful just the way the recipe says!
Made the soup and it was delicious! Easy recipe with easy to follow directions. Grating carrots (I had smaller ones) wasn’t fun but it was worth it! Will def make it again! And I think the nutmeg does add that special something to the soup!