This Broccoli and Cheddar Soup combines the delicious flavors of tender broccoli in a creamy soup that has the perfect silky texture and includes cheddar cheese to just the right level! The flavors are classic and this recipe is the perfect Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup copycat but even better!
After trying this recipe you'll have proof of the fact that restaurant-style recipes made at home from scratch taste even better! It's loaded with vegetables, has the most beautiful creamy texture, and is ultra-satisfying!
And what's best is that it takes less than 30 minutes to make this entire soup from scratch! You're going to absolutely love this one. Make extra batches and freeze it for later! It's the perfect comfort food soup to enjoy during cold winter nights or for dinner and lunch just about every single day!
Want to learn how to make this delicious Broccoli and Cheddar Soup? Then keep on reading!
Table of Contents
- What is Broccoli and Cheddar Soup?
- What Makes This Broccoli and Cheddar Soup Recipe Special?
- What You Need to Make Broccoli and Cheddar Soup at Home
- How to Make Broccoli and Cheddar Soup (Step-by-Step)
- Serving Suggestions for Broccoli and Cheddar Soup
- How to Store Leftover Broccoli and Cheddar Soup
- More Soup Recipes You'll Love
- Recipe Card
- Easy Broccoli and Cheddar Soup (Ready in Under 30 Minutes!)
- Comments
What is Broccoli and Cheddar Soup?
Broccoli and Cheddar Soup is a creamy, comforting soup made with fresh broccoli, cheddar cheese, and other flavorful ingredients. It's a delicious combination of flavors that will have your taste buds singing!
The broccoli adds a nice crunch to the soup while the cheddar cheese adds a rich, creamy flavor. This soup is perfect for those cold winter days when you need something warm and comforting.
If you've had Panera's Broccoli and Cheddar soup then you know exactly what I'm talking about! It's the perfect way to get your kids to have healthy ingredients and truly enjoy it too! It's an incredibly satisfying soup that you're going to absolutely love!
What Makes This Broccoli and Cheddar Soup Recipe Special?
This recipe is perfect for tons of reasons! Here are some of my top favorites:
Fresh ingredients: This recipe uses fresh ingredients that means tons of healthy ingredients instead of the ones you get from store-bought soups! Broccoli makes it incredibly healthy since it is high in vitamin c, has fiber, is low in calories and sodium, and also has protein! I only use clean ingredients in my recipes for incredible flavor and nutrition.
Quick and easy: This recipe takes less than 30 minutes from scratch, but you don't need any fancy kitchen gadgets like an immersion blender to make a puree or anything of the sort. Just a Dutch oven will do!
Kid-friendly: If you want your kids to start loving broccoli, then this is the perfect soup for that! The flavors, mixed with cheddar cheese make this Broccoli cheese soup a kids-favorite every single time!
Panera copycat but better: We have all come to love Panera's Broccoli Cheddar Soup and then one is not only the perfect copycat recipe but it's actually even tastier!
Tasty leftovers: Leftovers taste even better the next day! You're going to absolutely fall in love with this recipe, I'm sure of it!
What You Need to Make Broccoli and Cheddar Soup at Home
You'll need some simple pantry-staple ingredients for this recipe. Here's how to make it at home easily any day of the week in under 30 minutes:
- Butter: We'll need some unsalted butter that we'll melt to not only saute our garlic and onion but also as the base of the roux we'll make that forms that delicious flavor of the soup.
- Garlic: You'll also need some garlic to get that delicious subtle flavor lingering through the soup that makes everything taste better.
- Onion: We'll also use some yellow onion to saute along with the garlic and use to add that rich and delicious flavor to our soup.
- Flour: You'll need some all-purpose flour to cook along with the melted butter to form the base of our soup. This is what gives the soup the body and texture base we need.
- Half and half: We'll be using some half and half as the main liquid when creating our soup base after the roux is ready. Half and half is exactly what it sounds like: half whole milk and half heavy cream. It'll give your soup an incredibly creamy consistency.
- Water: To cut the creaminess to just the right level, we'll also be using some water.
- Mrs. Dash seasoning: This is an incredibly delicious seasoning mix that I highly recommend you get! I use it for many of my recipes since it's a quick way to combine a mix of delicious seasonings and spices including onion powder, garlic powder, lemon powder, oregano, rosemary thyme, black pepper, and many others all in one!
- Seasonings: We'll also be adding some salt and black pepper to just the right level for our seasonings.
- Cayenne pepper: To add some heat to our soup, we'll be adding in a little bit of cayenne pepper as well.
- Chicken bouillon: You'll also need some chicken bouillon to create your own chicken stock within the pot. You can alternatively use vegetable broth or chicken broth but then skip the water and chicken bouillon. The benefit of using this instead is that it's more concentrated and gives a better flavor while allowing you to adjust the consistency with water.
- Carrots: For some extra veggies, we'll be adding some grated carrots into our delicious Broccoli and Cheddar soup.
- Broccoli: You'll, of course, also need some broccoli florets for this delicious broccoli cheddar soup recipe! This recipe will give you tender florets that work beautifully with the flavors in the soup.
- Cheddar cheese: Lastly, we'll need some cheddar cheese for the perfect creaminess and for the finishing touch to our delicious broccoli cheese soup.
How to Make Broccoli and Cheddar Soup (Step-by-Step)
Making this delicious soup is incredibly easy and takes less than 30 minutes from scratch! Here's everything you need to do:
How to Prep Ingredients for Broccoli and Cheddar Soup
Start by rinsing, and chopping the onion, and garlic. Next, cut the broccoli into florets that are about bite-sized pieces, grate the carrots, and shred the cheese. Place them all in bowls and cover them all with plastic wrap. Set the prepared ingredients aside for now.
Next, preheat a small skillet at medium-high heat and then add 2 tablespoons of butter. As soon as the butter melts, add finely chopped garlic. Saute for a minute or until the garlic is toasted.
Then add chopped onion. Saute for a couple of minutes or until the onion starts to turn light golden in color. Make sure to keep mixing from time to time at this high to medium-high temperature. Set this aside.
WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW ON HOW TO MAKE THIS EASY BROCCOLI AND CHEDDAR SOUP RECIPE
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How to Make Cook Broccoli and Cheddar Soup
Now, preheat a pot or Dutch oven on medium heat. Make sure to not overheat, otherwise, the butter will burn from a pot being overheated pot.
Add 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter. As soon as the butter melts, add sifted flour and whisk until it mixes with the butter and absorbs completely. This should take about 10 seconds.
Now add half & half and water. Bring this mixture to a boil stirring constantly with a hand whisk to prevent the flour from settling to the bottom of the pot and then burning.
As soon as it boils reduce the heat to medium-low heat and mix in grated carrots, then add all the spices, namely Mrs. Dash Seasoning, sea salt, cayenne pepper, and ground black pepper (optional, adding it will make the soup a bit spicier).
Next, add in chicken bouillon paste, and sauteed garlic and onion. Stir everything together and let it simmer for 10 minutes stirring every minute or so.
Time for the broccoli! Mix in broccoli florets and let it simmer additional 8 minutes stirring and scraping the bottom of a pot using a flat spatula.
Finally, mix in shredded cheese (it has to be sharp for the best cheddar taste). As soon as it comes to a boil, remove it from the stove and let the soup cool a bit before serving.
Your delicious Broccoli and Cheddar Soup is ready to be served.
Serving Suggestions for Broccoli and Cheddar Soup
I love to serve this soup with Dark Rye bread toast. To do this, slice bread and then spread a thin layer of salted butter on each slice of the bread, and then broil on high in the oven for a minute or so. Be sure to stand by at all times not to burn the toasts as it toasts pretty fast!
How to Store Leftover Broccoli and Cheddar Soup
You can store any leftovers you may have in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days. To reheat it, warm it on the stovetop over medium-low heat.
You can also freeze this delicious soup by transferring it to freezer-safe bags and then placing it in a freezer-safe container. When you want to serve it, let it thaw in the fridge overnight and then heat it over the stove slowly to prevent curdling.
You can even make extra batches and freeze it this way to enjoy the soup whenever you want!
More Soup Recipes You'll Love
- Instant Pot Chicken Split Pea Soup Recipe
- Instant Pot Vegetable Beef and Bean Soup Recipe
- Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey Rice Soup Recipe
- The Best Zuppa Toscana Soup with Homemade Sausage
- Red Borscht Soup Recipe (Beet Soup)
- Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
Recipe Card
Easy Broccoli and Cheddar Soup (Ready in Under 30 Minutes!)
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp. – unsalted butter (for sautéing garlic and onion)
- 3 x-large – garlic clove (I used homegrown, you’ll need 5-6 store bough size)
- 1 small – yellow onion (I used homegrown weighing 3 oz.)
- 4 tbsp. – unsalted butter (for cooking flour)
- ½ cup – organic all-purpose flour
- 3 cups – organic half & half
- 2 cups – water
- 1 tsp. – Mrs. Dash Seasoning
- ½ tsp. – sea salt or to taste
- ⅛ tsp. – cayenne pepper to taste
- ⅛ tsp. – black ground pepper to taste (optional, if you like the soup spicier)
- 1 tbsp. – organic chicken bouillon
- 3 cups – broccoli florets (I used organic and it makes a huge difference in taste)
- 2 cups – grated carrots
- 3 cups – sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions
How to Prep Ingredients for Broccoli and Cheddar Soup
- Start by rinsing, and chopping the onion, and garlic. Next, cut the broccoli into florets that are about bite-sized pieces, grate the carrots, and shred the cheese. Place them all in bowls and cover them all with plastic wrap. Set the prepared ingredients aside for now.
- Next, preheat a small skillet at medium-high heat and then add 2 tablespoon of butter. As soon as the butter melts, add finely chopped garlic. Sauté for a minute or until the garlic is toasted.
- Then add chopped onion. Sauté for a couple of minutes or until the onion starts to turn light golden in color. Make sure to keep mixing from time to time at this high to medium-high temperature. Set this aside.
How to Make Cook Broccoli and Cheddar Soup
- Now, preheat a pot or Dutch oven on medium heat. Make sure to not overheat, otherwise, the butter will burn from a pot being overheated pot.
- Add 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter. As soon as the butter melts, add sifted flour and whisk until it mixes with the butter and absorbs completely. This should take about 10 seconds.
- Now add half & half and water. Bring this mixture to a boil stirring constantly with a hand whisk to prevent from the flour from settling to the bottom of the pot and then burning.
- As soon as it boils reduce the heat to medium-low heat and mix in grated carrots, then add all the spices, namely Mrs. Dash Seasoning, sea salt, cayenne pepper, and ground black pepper (optional, adding it will make the soup a bit spicier).
- Next, add in chicken bouillon paste, and sautéed garlic and onion. Stir everything together and let it simmer for 10 minutes stirring every minute or so.
- Time for the broccoli! Mix in broccoli florets and let it simmer additional 8 minutes stirring and scraping the bottom of a pot using a flat spatula.
- Finally, mix in shredded cheese (it has to be sharp for the best cheddar taste). As soon as it comes to a boil, remove it from the stove and let the soup cool a bit before serving.
- Your delicious Broccoli and Cheddar Soup is ready to be served.
Notes
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This recipe was originally posted on December 7, 2018 (original picture below), and updated for a better user experience. The post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure.
MARLA l says
What is the carb count? I couldn't find nutritional information. Can I use heavy cream instead of half and half? Can I make a roux using glucomonon or xanthan gum instead of flour to cut the carbs?
Valya's Taste of Home says
I do not have a nutrition label on my recipes as I find them inaccurate. I have never tried using heavy cream but if you do let me know how it goes.
Liliya says
Hi Valya I really want to try to make this soup since my girls love Panera bread broccoli cheddar soup but I have one question to clarify
In the ingredients you wrote 4 tbsp. butter for flour mixing but later in the instructions you wrote to add 2 tbsp.
Which one is correct ?
Valya's Taste of Home says
Both correct. You need 2 tbsp of butter to sauté garlic and onion. Then when you cook the flour in butter you will need 4 tbsp of butter for that.
Liliya says
That’s interesting because when I read the directions you wrote 1 tablespoon for onion and garlic and later it says add 2 tbsp into the Dutch oven for flour mixture
Valya's Taste of Home says
Oh, that was a mistake. I already fixed that. Thank you for your feedback! 🙂
Luba says
Thanks Valya for this great recipe I like how easy it is to make and tastes so good! My 2 and 1 year old like it as well!
Valya of Valya's Taste of Home says
I am glad to hear that! Thank you for sharing your feedback!
Nato says
When do you add garlic and onion? Did I miss something?
Valya of Valya's Taste of Home says
Hello, I did notice that I missed video graphing that step. You add sauteed garlic and onion right after adding carrots. I hope this clarifies a bit.
Lena says
This looks delicious! Do you think using frozen broccoli whittle be ok in this recipe? I have a lot of it frozen but now fresh..
Valya of Valya's Taste of Home says
I've never used frozen broccoli. I think it should be ok. Let me know how it turns out for you, so other readers know the results as well. Thank you for asking!