Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup is comfort food at its finest and tastes just like its namesake restaurant! An effortless weeknight dinner solution, this broccoli cheese soup rivals my Crockpot Potato Soup as the top recipe on this blog.
BROCCOLI CHEDDAR SOUP
Panera’s Broccoli Cheddar Soup recipe has made waves all across the web and I love sharing those I truly care for like this one! My job requires sharing recipes I genuinely adore like this.
Because I ate this soup regularly during my last pregnancy, I know this recipe tastes identically to Panera’s delicious Broccoli Cheddar soup.
Panera always knew who I was; their Broccoli Cheese Soup with its warm crusty baguette made my day. Oh how delectable.
I almost want another pregnancy!
INGREDIENTS
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- 1/2 medium chopped onion
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 cups half-and-half cream
- 2 cups chicken stock or broth
- 1/2 lb broccoli, (about 3 cups), chopped into bite size pieces
- 1 cup carrot, , julienned (can buy matchstick carrots in produce section)
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, (optional but brings out the flavor)
- 8 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese, (2 cups)
- salt and pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
Melt 1/4 cup butter in a pan over low-medium heat and sautee the onions until soft. Sprinkle flour onto mixture; continue cooking and stirring over medium heat for another 1-2 minutes before whisking in half-and-half and chicken stock.
Add broccoli and carrots, cooking over low heat for 20-25 minutes until tender.
Add salt and pepper, then either blend about half of the soup to create a smoother soup (this is what I like doing), or you can blend 1 cup and stir back in to achieve smoothness (this is what I usually do). Reduce heat back down for low heating before stirring in cheese as overdoing it could leave grainy pieces behind; sprinkle optional nutmeg as desired before serving alongside crusty bread!
