Healthy 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 broccoli 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. 
HOW TO MAKE BROCCOLI CHEDDAR SOUP (BETTER THAN PANERA’S)
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 along with the stems 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: To get the best possible flavor, we like to use an 8oz block of mild or medium cheddar cheese. You can also use 2 cups of pre-grated cheddar 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).
Scroll down for the full recipe, video, and nutritional facts. Please don’t forget to rate the recipe below and tag us on Instagram @gimmedelicious!
CAN YOU FREEZE BROCCOLI CHEDDAR SOUP?
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. To reheat, thaw completely then warm on low heat to prevent curdling.
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.
30 Minute Broccoli Cheddar Soup (Better than Panera!)
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.
So yummy and easy to make! This might be the best broccoli cheddar soup that I’ve had. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
ik right?? Im 13 i made this recipe!! my whole family loved it!!
Great job!!
Yummy! I decreased the flour, and increased the cheese. We’re decreasing our carbs, so this way I can have a roll. Topped with chopped, crispy bacon. Excellent!
This was super easy to make and so delicious. I would definitely recommend double the recipe. You’ll want more later. I usually add bacon to my broccoli soup, but this was great without it.
I made this just as recipe said to first time excellent second time I used what leftovers I had on hand I hate things going bad and tossed them. I added ground chicken cauliflower rice just a small amount probably just a burger size worth and I had about a cup and half of organic $7 cabbage I didn’t realize I paid for was so mad anyways didn’t want that going bad and tossed it all in with it I didn’t have carrots so that was out but anyways I added some cooked bacon to the top !!! And had to add extra water oh boy was that good and a accomplishment my daughter loved it !!
Thanks for sharing your feedback!!
This is an amazing recipe easy to make I did it with all fresh ingredients out of our garden I did double the recipe and I’m so glad I did ! Thank you so much for sharing. Stay safe
If I could give it more stars ⭐️ I would
That makes my day! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review <3
Soooo good!
My sister said “it’s so good!” I even asked does it beat panera’s and she said, “oh yea!”
You are so right. Definitely better than Panera. I am making it right now and it’s so delicious. I’m so excited. Thank you so much for the recipe.
I made this for dinner tonight and it did not disappoint!! Even my little guy who hates broccoli ate the whole thing! Good thing I made a double batch!
So happy to hear that!
This was delicious. Put it in bread bowls omg. Might try with some shredded chicken in it. Oooooh
Delicious! So easy and the family loved it.
This recipe was simple and really delicious! I did use less salt but that’s because of our preference! Thank you for the recipes ! They’ve come really handy during these trying times 😩
This recipe was delicious. So easy to make. Next time I am going to figure out how to give it more of a broccoli taste. But for sure a keeper. Thank you.
It is amazing! Truly, better than Panera! Second time I added diced potatoes and it was delicious too. No more looking for a delicious broccoli cheddar soup. This is it!!!
So easy and really good! My mom HATES onions and she loved the soup. Everyone gave it 5 stars. I will definitely double it next time because it was only enough for four bowls and everyone wanted more. I followed the recipe pretty closely and had no hiccups.
Awesome! So glad to hear everyone enjoyed it 🙂
Delicious!
Just finished this for dinner-delicious and easy to make!
Absolutely delicious!! Thank you for this recipe!
Loved the recipe. Easy to follow. I subbed GF flour, and doubled up on the broth, onion, carrot, and garlic to stretch it further. I also steamed broccoli in microwave then added the bag. Overall, a great recipe.
Soup did not taste much of anything. I added more salt and pepper on my plate.
My 3 & 5 yr old helped me make it for dinner they loved helped and enjoyed having it!
This soup is delicious! I followed exactly and the texture is perfect but I added extra seasoning for my taste. along with the nutmeg and paprika, I added smoked paprika and cayenne and the flavour was great! Easy and delicious meal, thanks for the recipe.
Amazing!!!!!!! For the cheese, I added 1 cup of cheddar and 1/2 cup parmesan. Also an extra ½ tsp of paprika and it’s beautiful!!!!! I’m using it as a sauce for potatoe bake, but I just wanna eat it up now!
Really really nice 🙂 and easy to make to your own taste. Although I messed up adding the flour bigtime, it still came together nicely. It’s not heavy or thick at all, just creamy and light. And surprisingly healthy w lots of protein and about 250 calories per cup 🙂 will definately make this again.
Delicious!!!! This recipe is AMAZING and sooooo good!!!!! 😋 Thank you for sharing!!! Made recipe exactly as written and wouldn’t change a thing ❤
So happy you enjoyed it, Hannah!
This recipe looks great and will help me use up a ton of misc ingredients in my fridge. Even though its summer I am going to make this tomorrow.
I literally just made this soup it was super easy and tastes delicious!!
My family loved it! Thank you!
Thanks for the recipe, I made this last night and it was excellent!! I added potato because I love them. I’ll be making this again.
Did you add frozen or fresh potatoes? If frozen, did you thaw them first? If fresh, did you boil them first? Diced or shredded? I can’t wait to try it as I’d imagine it will taste like a loaded baked potato! Add a little sour cream on the top! I’m making myself hungry. Lol Thank you in advance for your help!
I used fresh potatoes sliced small. I guess you could book them first, but I wasn’t on a rush. I let them cook and it was delicious! Really like a loaded potato!
Can I use chicken stock instead of veggie stock?
Yes, it will work just fine!
Hey I dont have cheddar cheese but I have a mixed bag of fiesta blend cheese can I use that?
Yes, that will work!
This soup is amazing! My family loves it!! Definitely a winner!
Hi, I tried this soup for dinner tonight. It was absolutely delicious and comforting. Thank you very much for such a wonderful recipe.
So happy you enjoyed it! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Really Delicious, just made it!
This looks awesome, I can’t wait to make it!
A helpful hint I learned while making cheese sauce and soup is NOT to use pre-grated cheese. It has a coating on it that prevents clumping and can affect your food 😁
Added bacon VERY delicious
I used almond flour instead of A P flour and added more cheese to thicken and it was delicious. It was easy.
DeliciOus & eAsy