Delicious, Better-than-Panera Broccoli Cheese soup. Fresh broccoli, shredded carrots, in a flavorful, beautifully balanced, all-natural, creamy broth; with delicious, melted, gooey, sharp cheddar cheese. And it’s SO easily converted to be gluten free and/or vegetarian.
I love a delicious soup just about any day, but copycat Panera Broccoli Cheese soup – YES! All day long! My family also loves this soup using real cheese, nothing fake in this soup!
If you are a soup lover, you might enjoy these other reader favorites: Creamy Chicken Poblano Soup, a spring favorite, Instant Pot Potato Leek Soup, or this hearty and healthy Cheeseburger Soup!
Nothing gets me going like a great soup! What about you? I think you are either a soup person…or not. I am soup people, I could eat it every night; brothy, creamy, tomato based — all types, I just don’t do seafood.
I have never been a fan of “bottom-dwellers.” A few years ago after taking Krill Oil as my omega for 6 months, I ended up in the doctor’s office with a “classic shellfish” rash, it wasn’t pretty!
While not a huge allergy, it was all I needed to hear to steer clear of shellfish. My poor, shellfish loving, New England raised husband; he loves all shellfish! Sorry honey!
Ah, but I digress…back to this amazing Better-than-Panera Broccoli Cheese Soup (with no shellfish) ;-).
I’ve had this recipe sitting around for awhile, I was inspired to make this soup to bring to my dear friend who had surgery. I made a pot to bring to their family earlier this week, only to find out she hadn’t been released from the hospital.
The docs were having a hard time controlling her pain; so along with making this soup, I sent texts to my prayer-warrior friends. Never, ever underestimate the power of prayerful petitions to our great, loving and compassionate God! So our family ate the soup instead, and I made her family a fresh pot later in the week.
Ingredients & Substitutions
It hit “the spot” that’s for sure! I even dished it out in these cute little to-go soup cups, I’m a sucker for anything fun in the paper goods department. Great to bring to work for a quick, hot, nutritious, heat and serve lunch — or store in the fridge at home during a busy week, pop in the micro for a few seconds and presto, you have lunch!
- Butter or Oil | used to caramelize the onions and make a roux to thicken the soup.
- Onion | Your friendly simple flavor booster!
- Flour | Use all purpose flour or Gluten Free All Purpose Flour, both work great!
- Half-and-half | whole milk can also be used, this is what gives it that beautiful creaminess!
- Chicken stock | If making vegetarian broccoli cheese soup, then please you a good veggie broth.
- Fresh Broccoli | I used organic fresh broccoli, you can use frozen as well, but it will have a slightly different texture.
- Carrots | Yes! These will actually help give the soup that beautiful orange tinted color, naturally
- Nutmeg | a little fresh grated (or bottled) nutmeg will enhance the cheese and the flavors mightily!
- Sharp Cheddar Cheese | The real stuff, best if off the block as there are not fillers, white or yellow your choice.
I hope you give it a try, it’s better than any soup using condensed soups or Velveeta cheese, no fake cheese in this soup!! I wanted a soup where you could taste the cheese, not just tint it orange. The orange tinting actually comes from the carrots instead! And seriously, it’s was pretty darn easy!
Steps to making the best cream soup
- In a medium-sized soup pot, heat a tablespoon of butter over medium high heat. Toss in onions, browning or caramelizing, stirring occasionally.
What’s a Roux and how do you make it?
- Remove the onions to a plate or bowl while you prepare the roux (roo)…
noun. 1. a cooked mixture of butter or other fat and flour used to thicken sauces, soups, etc. Origin of roux. Latin.
Gluten Free Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe
Melt 1/4 cup of butter in the same pot used to brown your onions. Then add all-purpose flour (or sub with Gluten Free All-Purpose flour) and whisk or stir it until it thickens and turns a golden brown, about 2-3 minutes.
- Slowly pour in half and half, whisking while you do, until the roux and fully incorporated with the cream, creating a nice, thick creamy base.
- Next add your chicken stock or veggie broth. Whisking to combine.
- Increase heat slightly to bring it all to a simmer (watch closely, once it boils it can easily rise and boil right out of your pot, you don’t want to lose any of this deliciousness).
- Simmer for 10 minutes. It will thicken slightly, but not be too thick, the rest of the ingredients will helps to thicken it up.
- Meanwhile, chop the broccoli into bite size pieces and grate the carrots (one large carrot did the trick) or use shredded carrots* from the grocery store, which are a great stand-by for soups and stews!
- Add broccoli florets and carrots into soup and return caramelized onions to the pot as well.
- When veggies are tender, blend using an immersion blender, or remove 1-2 cups of the soup and pour into blender, blend until smooth, add back to the soup for a creamier soup.
- You are not blending the entire pot of soup, but want to leave some chunks. Make it as smooth or chunky as you desire.
CARROT TIP | *Pre-shredded carrots from the grocery store are a bit thicker than home shredded, so be prepared to simmer your soup a bit longer, making sure your carrots are tender before blending.
- Next, add the grated sharp cheddar cheese, sea salt and pepper and stir to combine. Taste before adding salt, it might be salty enough.
- Finally, add nutmeg, why? The subtle nuttiness of it blends so beautifully with the cheese and milk, enhancing all of the flavors of the soup. Fresh grated is best, but ground is fine too!
What Can I Serve with Soup
- Warm chunk of crusty bread, you might try a delicious French or Italian Bread, or even this Irish Soda Bread or easy Copycat Cheddar Bay Biscuits.
- Or if you are feeling really adventurous, make these AH-Mazing Oatmeal Dinner Rolls, Copycat Cheesecake Factory Brown Bread, Easy Beer Bread but you’ll have to start these much earlier if you want to eat them with your soup.
Even More Great Soup Recipes:
- Easy Ham, Mac & Cheese Soup | A great use for leftover ham
- Beer Cheese Soup | creamy, delicious, no fake cheese here either!
- Italian Wedding Soup | a traditional chicken noodle soup, slightly varied Italian style!
- Best Old Fashioned Chicken Noodle Soup | heals what ails ya!
- Bacon Beef Minestrone | another winner, this is a clean out the fridge kind of soup!
- Creamy Cauliflower Soup | sooooo good!
Like this recipe?
Don’t forget to give it a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️star rating in the recipe below!
Broccoli Cheese Soup (Better than Panera)
Delicious, better-than-Panera Broccoli Cheese soup. Fresh broccoli, shredded carrots, rich in a flavorful beautifully balanced, cream soup base, finished with sharp cheddar cheese. Easily convert to gluten-free and/or vegetarian.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon butter, divided
- 1/2 medium chopped onion
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (or swap out All-Purpose Gluten Free Flour)
- 2 cups half-and-half (whole milk can also be used)
- 2-4 cups chicken stock (or vegetable broth)
- 1/2 lb fresh broccoli (about 3 cups) chopped into bite size pieces
- 1 cup carrot, grated/shredded (about 1–2 large carrots)
- 1–1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt (to taste, watch this, taste before adding salt, cheese can be salty)
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg or fresh ground nutmeg
- black pepper to taste
- 8 oz grated sharp cheddar (white or yellow) cheese (about 2 cups)
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, saute onion in 1 tablespoon of butter until caramelized (browned), remove from pot and reserve. About 5-7 minutes.
- Place remaining 1/4 cup of butter in the same saucepan, melt completely, whisk in flour, whisking constantly over medium heat until thickened and golden brown, about 2-3 minutes. Slowly, while whisking pour in half-and-half, will thicken up very quickly, keep adding until combined.
- Add chicken broth (start with 4 cups) and whisk well to combine, bring to simmer (it'll take 3-5 minutes, watch closely, it will rise up quickly). Add broccoli, carrots and reserved caramelized onions, cover, simmering about 15-20 minutes until tender. If too thick, add more broth, up to 2 cups.
- Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove 1-2 cups of the chunky mixture and blend in blender or lightly blend directly in the pot using an immersion blender. Return to soup pot and stir to combine. This will yield a smoother, creamier soup, but it's not necessary. Return to low heat and adding shredded cheese, stirring until completely melted.
- Serve with a green salad and some bread or rolls;, like these, beer bread, Russian Black Bread, or oatmeal rolls!
Notes
This recipe easily doubles and can be kept warm in a crockpot!
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
-
Simply Calphalon Nonstick 4-Quart Saucepan -
Spring Chef Stainless Steel Box Grater (Large) -
Sweese 1301 Porcelain Bouillon Cups - 8 Ounce -
Mueller Austria 1 001 Ultra-Stick 500 Watt 9-Speed Immersion -
OXO Good Grips 7-Piece Nesting Measuring Beaker Set, Multicolored -
OXO SteeL 9-Inch Better Wire Whisk -
Wusthof Santoku knife 5 inch; Black -
Microplane Spice Grater - Rasp with Soft Handle - Made in USA - Red -
8 oz. Disposable Paper Food Biodegradable Storage. Pack of 25.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4-6 cupsServing Size:
1 cupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 621Total Fat: 43gSaturated Fat: 25gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 128mgSodium: 6894mgCarbohydrates: 32gFiber: 5gSugar: 11gProtein: 29g
The nutritional information is estimated and may not be entirely accurate.
Soups
Best Beer Cheese Soup
Beer Cheese Soup is the best comforting, fall soup to make. This recipe does take a little time, as you develop the flavors by reducing your stock, beer and mirepoix (onion, celery, carrot mixture), but it's not hard and the end results are spectacular!
The Best Cheeseburger Soup
Healthy Cheeseburger soup is filled with your favorite cheeseburger ingredients! Seasoned beef, caramelized onions, carrots, peppers and garlic, rich chopped tomatoes and beef broth, potatoes, pickles all combine to make a flavorful, hearty and simple soup. Make on the stove top or crockpot, plus it's gluten free!
Creamy Chicken Poblano Soup
Light, creamy chicken poblano soup is chock full of veggies, chicken broth, and loaded with flavor. A naturally gluten free, low carb soup that will have your mouth screaming for more!
5 Best Soup recipes to try tonight - Janice Auna Blog
Wednesday 3rd of February 2021
[…] I did not discover this soup until well into adulthood and I’m so sad about all the years that I missed out on this deliciousness. We love this recipe with a loaf of sourdough bread This is my favorite recipe. […]
Kathleen
Thursday 4th of February 2021
So love hearing this Janice! Thank you!
Lynn Spencer
Thursday 5th of March 2020
It is a rainy day here on the East Coast and this sounds soooo good! May have to make a run to the grocery store.
Kathleen
Thursday 5th of March 2020
The perfect meal for a rainy day!
Black Bean and Sausage Soup (Vegetarian Option) • The Fresh Cooky
Monday 10th of February 2020
[…] Better-Than-Panera Broccoli Cheese Soup […]
9 Healthy Recipe Blogs Perfect for Moms | Simply Well Coaching
Tuesday 28th of January 2020
[…] Must try recipe: Better-Than-Panera Broccoli Cheese Soup […]
Zuppa Toscana Soup {Tuscan Soup} | The Fresh Cooky
Monday 13th of January 2020
[…] with disguised veggies, that are family favorites! Black Bean Soup, Easy Tortilla Soup and my Broccoli Cheese Soup. These soups are kid-friendly, nutrient packed, and easy to […]