A rich, thick, creamy, and cheesy Broccoli Cheese Soup. So filling it works as a stand alone meal. What could be more satisfying on a cold evening?
When I go to Panera Bread I love to do the You Pick Two with soup and salad. My favorite soup is the Cheddar Broccoli Soup. Judging by the number of copycat recipes of it on Pinterest, it’s most people’s favorite. And what’s not to love about broccoli and cheese?
As good as Panera’s soup is, homemade Broccoli Cheddar soup is so much better. It has a much fresher taste and I find that a broccoli and cheese soup is the one soup that tastes best served just after it is made.
Three kinds of cheese (and lots of them!) make this soup fantastically cheesy. There’s fontina, white cheddar (you could use yellow), and cream cheese which really adds a wonderful creaminess.
There’s no need to cook the broccoli ahead of time, that just adds an extra step. Cut it into small pieces and let it cook in the soup instead. Once it’s cooked I like to take a potato masher and break the broccoli up some. It helps thicken the soup and it’s easier to eat when you only have small pieces of broccoli in the soup.
You can make this soup vegetarian by using vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
Broccoli Cheese Soup
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 2 cups half-and-half
- 8 cups chopped broccoli, small bite-sized pieces
- 1 (8-ounce) block Fontina cheese, shredded
- 1 (8-ounce) block white Cheddar cheese, shredded
- 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and carrots and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
- Sprinkle flour over onion/carrot mixture. Cook and stir for 2 minutes.
- Gradually add chicken broth, whisking constantly. Add half-and-half. Bring to a simmer.
- Add broccoli and stir into mixture. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. If desired, use a potato masher to break broccoli up some.
- Turn heat to low. Add shredded cheeses. Stir until melted. Add cream cheese in small chunks and whisk well to combine.
- Stir in salt, peppers, and garlic powder.
- Let simmer for a few minutes and serve.
Nutrition
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For Dessert try a Samoa Bundt Cake!
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An old family friend of the restaurant my mother worked at as a child used to make this amazing white broccoli and cheese soup. He would bring me a bowl every Friday, when I would help my mom at the restaurant after school. He passed away when I was 8 years old from a heart attack. I’ve been trying to recreate this soup ever since and this is the closest recipe I have yet to find. I thank you, its nostalgia in every bite! Every time I make it I think of him. ❤
Mmmmmm I love broccoli cheese soup!! I love that you added fontina to this… sounds like an awesome flavor combo with the cheddar!! Yum yum!
I just love homemade Panera-style broccoli cheese soup! This looks so creamy and cheesy! Perfect for a Monday lunch. 😀
Warming and delicious! Broccoli and cheese sounds really good!
Broccoli and cheese soup is so good, especially as it starts to get cold out. Yours looks so delicious, I’m totally craving it now!
Broccoli cheese soup is one of my favorite ways to keep warm in the winter. 😀 This looks super creamy and cheesy and I can’t wait to try it!
I’ve been on a soup kick lately, but haven’t made broccoli and cheese soup yet this fall. I definitely need to try this one soon. So warm and comforting!
This cheese soup looks amazing! Love the flavours, so good!
This recipe looks amazing! I’ve never had Panera’s broccoli cheddar soup because I worked there and ate a life time of bagels instead…but I would be willing to bet that yours is even better!
Damn deliicous, hearthy and healthy cheesy broccoli soup!!!
Looks delicious!
Hands down, one of my favorite soups! I love how creamy yours looks!
I love broccoli cheese soup and I think yous looks so much better than Panera’s! This looks so creamy and delicious and your photos make me just want to dive right in head first!
Your photos are stunning with the blue bowls, and I can’t wait to try this!
I haven’t had cream of broccoli soup in ages. This looks so creamy and cheesy! Pinned.
This a great version of this soup with 3 cheeses and fontina cheese to boot. And the white cheddar—-I wondered why from the photos it wasn’t cheese yellow. I had to pin this version. It looks great.
I love Panera’s version too, but this looks even better! There’s nothing like homemade broccoli cheddar soup. I love how creamy and rich this is, Christin! Pure comfort food!