Panera’s broccoli cheese soup recipe is popular for a reason. It has just the right amount of broccoli, and each creamy, cheesy bite is as comforting as the last—especially when you’ve paired it with a bread bowl to scoop out with every spoonful.
While it’s great to enjoy a bowl in the cafe, nothing beats a home-cooked meal—which is why we created a copycat Panera broccoli cheese soup recipe. Now, you don’t need to leave the house to get this restaurant favorite. It’s warm, filling comfort food that works as a lunch, appetizer or dinner—just adjust the portion size.
Panera Broccoli Cheese Soup Ingredients
- Butter
- Onion
- Garlic cloves
- Fresh broccoli florets
- Carrot
- Chicken stock
- Half-and-half cream
- Bay leaves
- Salt
- Ground nutmeg
- Pepper
- Cornstarch
- Water or additional chicken stock
- Cheddar cheese
- Round bread loaves, optional
- Optional toppings: crumbled cooked bacon, additional shredded cheddar cheese, ground nutmeg and pepper
Directions
Step 1: Saute onion and garlic
In a 6-quart stockpot, heat butter over medium heat. Saute the onion and garlic until tender, about 6 to 8 minutes.
Step 2: Add vegetables, stock, cream and seasonings
Stir in the broccoli, carrot, stock, cream and seasonings and bring to a boil. Simmer, uncovered, until the vegetables are tender, about 10 to 12 minutes.
Step 3: Thicken the soup
Mix the cornstarch and water until smooth and stir the slurry into the soup. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Cook and stir until the soup is thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove the bay leaves. Stir in the cheese until melted.
Editor’s Tip: Avoid a gritty texture by allowing the soup to cool slightly before you add cheese. Stir in a little at a time until it melts in.
Step 4: Prep and fill the bread bowls
If using bread bowls, cut a slice off the top of each loaf. Hollow out the bottoms, leaving 1/4-inch thick shells. Fill with soup just before serving.
Step 5: Add toppings
You can serve the soup as is, or add toppings like shredded cheddar cheese, freshly cracked pepper, ground nutmeg and crumbled bacon.
How should you store Panera broccoli cheese soup?
This copycat Panera broccoli cheese soup should last 4 to 5 days in the fridge when stored in an airtight container. When you’re ready for more, you can reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop. Stir often so the cheese and cream don’t burn on the bottom of the bowl or pot.
Panera Broccoli Cheese Soup Tips
Can you use frozen broccoli instead of fresh florets?
If you don’t have fresh broccoli, feel free to use a bag of frozen broccoli instead. Let the frozen broccoli thaw before you add it to the soup to avoid making the soup watery. Then, instead of adding it to the pot with the stock, cream and seasonings, add the broccoli after the cheese at the end, since it just needs to warm up.
How can you make copycat Panera broccoli cheese soup your own?
There are a few easy ways you can adjust this copycat recipe to customize it to your tastes:
- Make it gluten-free by using cornstarch in place of the flour. Of course, don’t forget to skip the bread bowl as well.
- Add some heat with red pepper flakes.
- Make it thinner or thicker by using milk or heavy cream instead of the half-and-half.
- Swap in cauliflower for the broccoli. This will change the flavor of your soup, of course—but if you love cauliflower, you may find you like this even better than the broccoli.
