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 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.
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, whisk in the flour until golden, and top with the chicken stock, broccoli, carrots, and seasoning. 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!
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.
More Delicious Soups To Try
- Creamy Taco Soup
- Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
- Red Lentil Soup
- Creamy Lasagna Soup
- Roasted Tomato Soup
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
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tastes amazing and so easy to make!
Great recipe, but add more chicken stock. Otherwise, it comes out more like a thick stew than a soup. 🙂
Tastes just like Panera’s, but better! Truly one of the best soups I’ve ever made. The prep takes a bit of time, but once you have everything chopped the soup comes together very quickly. Doesn’t need to simmer for hours like most other soups.
This is my go-to on a cold day! I’ve made it several times now. Even the pickiest eaters in the house LOVE this soup. My step dad says it’s the best soup he’s ever had!
You can be generous with the broccoli and it turns out just fine. I always use half/half for the cream, nutmeg, and shred a Tillamook cheese block. Thank you for the recipe 🙂
Overall this was very good! I did have to add 4 cups of vegetable stock instead of two. Now I will be honest, I did not measure out the broccoli and carrots so I most likely added more than what the recipe called for 🙂 but adding the extra vegetable stock did the trick! It was extremely good!
This was absolutely delicious and so easy. Yum!
I’ve made this creamy soup several times as written.. This is delicious and as good or better than Panera’s..
Easy and delicious! I added a little more broccoli, otherwise, followed the recipe.
If you can read, and follow directions, you will have the best soup of your life! It’s so creamy and decadent and well balanced. I did add celery (2 stalks chopped) at the same time as the onions and skipped carrots only because I was out. Man, this recipe is amazing and I whipped it up in half and hour then had to stop myself from standing over the stove and eating from the pot…
My family loves meat with each meal so I pan seared a ham steak and served sliced ham on the side. My husband chopped up his pieces and put it in the soup. Delicious!!
My family also has to have meat. This soup definitely doesn’t need it , but thry are carnivores!!! I only had deli ham so i added a little to each of their bowls. Such a great soup!!!
I followed this exactly and it was fabulous.
Just tried this soup today and was so easy and delicious! I myself added a bit more of cheddar cheese for the flavor and to make it a bit creamier, would reccommend to people who are learning how to cook
Absolutely delicious 🤤 and true to timing this was quick and superb!
Made this for the first time. Followed the directions almost to the tee (added chopped celery) but doubled the receipe…. it was EXCELLENT!!! Huge hit with my family! I will definitely be making this again!!!!
This was so delicious!! I will for sure be making this again!!
This was the best recipe for broccoli cheddar soup! The only things it needed were white pepper and some garlic powder. Thanks for sharing!,
Great, as-is! Thanks!
I have made this two times this week because it’s so good and easy to make, thanks!
Absolutely brilliant soup. So tasty. Brought back happy memories visiting America!
I doubled this recipe as is. The only changes I made- I used a splash of white wine to reduce the pn when the broccoli was simmering in the broth. I was nervous about the broth to broccoli ratio but I wouldn’t change it if you like a thick and creamy soup! I also used Pamela’s gluten free all purpose flour blend.
I used heavy whipping cream and Kerrygold sharp cheddar and it was soo delicious and creamy. Whole family and the neighbors loved it!
Absolutely loved this soup! First time made it and couldnt be happier! Adapted the measurements for UK measures and it worked perfectly. Will definitely be doing again! Only question I have is can it be frozen does anyone know?
Great recipe. I doubled it and did have to add some extra cheese. I also took about one cup and blended it. Other than those little changes it is wonderful.
Thank you for this comment. I have a big family and was wondering if it was good to double it. Can’t wait to try it ☺️😋
Hello! Excited to make this. Does this freeze well?
Terrific recipe, family loved it!
This is my go to recipes when I want to make this soup. My mother in law really enjoys it and that’s always a plus in my book 🙂 especially since I’m not the best cook compare to her.
It is fabulous! So easy to make. I love it as is and also when I add diced ham to it. Making it now for a church function.
I don’t usually comment and usually think the reviews are true ? But I have to say this was one of the easiest recipes and followed to the end , all I can say it was FABULOUS!!!and I will be making it again and will recommend it to mr friends and family.
I made this today, and it was delicious. Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Soooo looking forward to making this recipe! Need it to serve more though, so do I just double everything?
Exactly! Enjoy 🙂
Fresh or frozen broccoli?
Fresh is much better!
It said either. If frozen use 12 Oz bag
I’m on a low carb diet. Do you think it would be okay to leave out the flour?
You can go ahead and use almond flour or xanthan gum. For the xanthan gum, you would use just a pinch as it absorbs much more moisture than regular flour.
Would the almond flour be the same measurement as AP flour?
Wow!! This is the best! I haven’t made broccoli soup before so this was my first time. I will make it again. I did add extra vegetable stock to mine only because there was not enough liquid to cook the broccoli and carrots. This is easy and awesome!!
I realized I did not give it any stars….fixing that now. 🙂 Deserves 5 stars!
Thank you!! <3
Absolutely delicious!!! I fixed it tonight for first time. We will be eating this all winter! Thank you for sharing. Loved it!!!
So happy to hear you enjoyed the soup, Marsha! 🙂
This soup was so good I’m leaving my first ever recipe review! So this was excellent recipe, of course there’s a but…I added two extra cups of water, omitted the salt because I used regular chicken broth and I used my immersion blender to make it less chunky. I didn’t cut my broccoli small enough. I always would recommend prepping all ingredients before you start cooking. Sooo yummy! Thank you! I’ll definitely make this easy soup again!
Oh wow thank you, Joyce!! <3
This was an absolute disaster. I’m sure some of that was user error but it just went from bad to worse. It was chunky (needs about half the flour or double the liquid) and has ZERO flavor. I had to keep adding salt until eventually it was beyond repair. I’m sure that part was my fault but I hate I had to even get to that point. Chef beware!
This is probably the first negative comment I’ve ever received on this recipe! Not sure why it did not work out for you but the flavor might have been diluted when you continued to add more liquid. Hope it works out for you next time. Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Even though I totally messed this up, it still turned out pretty yummy! I had grated both the carrots and the cheddar cheese, and when it was time to put the broccoli and carrots in, I accidentally put the cheese in because they looked the same! I was concerned about the cheese boiling, so I didn’t keep the veggies simmered for the full 15 minutes–maybe only 6 minutes. Despite the veggies not being thoroughly cooked, and the cheese being put in too early, it was still good. Next time, I’ll forgo the added salt or buy low-sodium chicken stock because it was pretty salty. And I also feel it could use one extra carrot. Otherwise, great recipe!
I make this almost every week 🤣 it comes out perfect everytime! Even my kids love it!
This is the best cream of broccoli soup that I’ve ever had. I was searching for a new recipe to replace one that I’ve used for years. I finally found it.
Recipe needs about 50% more liquid for that much flour or it’s never even going to boil, it’ll just turn into a dumpling, but besides that it’s good.
I agree needs Way more liquid than my flower I also strained my room once I added the water because it was so unbalanced this recipe is really good it just needs to be edited if you know how to cook you editing the recipe should be no problem it taste great
You strained your room?
Haha. Just playing
This was amazing! I have never made broccoli cheddar soup before but WOW! I did add one additional cup of chicken broth. Thank you!
The whole family loved it. I used 1c heavy cream and 1c whole milk and it turned out a little thin so I think next time I’ll use only heavy cream since I like my soup thick. Other then that perfect and really easy to make.
I made this today. Used both nutmeg and paprika. Added about a half cup of white wine. Had no carrots so just added more broccoli.
It was wonderful.
Thank you for such a great base recipe.
Can I substitute vegetable broth with water?
If you want to, sure. However you will lose that base flavor the broth provides.
Yes, that works!
Absolutely delicious soup! Followed the recipe as-is (aside from doubling the batch) and LOVED it! Made for a late Sunday lunch and my family have it 5 stars! Thank you 🙂