Copycat Panera Broccoli Cheese Soup is ready in less than 30 minutes! The perfect bowl of comfort food without leaving your house!
I created this recipe many years ago, and you’ll see by the recipe reviews how loved it’s become. I hope it becomes a staple in your weeknight dinner rotation too!
This recipe was originally published in January 2017. The recipe notes have been updated in February 2025.
Aimee’s Recipe Notes
Taste & Texture – Creamy, cheesy, and loaded with tender broccoli, just like the Panera favorite.
Ease of Making – Quick and easy, ready in under 30 minutes.
Cooking Method – One-pot stovetop soup for a simple, comforting meal.
Aimee’s Top Tip – Use an immersion blender for a smoother texture, or keep it chunky for more bite. Frozen broccoli works too!
My family doesn’t love traditional fast food. Which I suppose is a good thing, except when I’m looking to just pick up a quick, on the go meal I’m limited by their taste buds!
Fortunately (or not) for us, our Panera Bread has a drive through, and it’s one of the “fast food” choices we all love. Except it’s pricey. They don’t have a dollar menu!
My goal with my blog has been to create a database of recipes that my family loves.
Things like Starbucks Lemon Loaf, Panera Mac and Cheese, and Hostess Cupcakes. If my kids are craving it, I can probably recreate it!
With today’s Broccoli Cheese Soup recipe, we may never have to actually go to Panera again.
When I can make Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup at home, I know I’m saving us some money and a trip out.
Love easy soup recipes? Be sure to try my Chicken Taco Soup for a family favorite dinner. Or try my hearty Lasagna Soup recipe!
Featured Review⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“My picky son finally let me make him this soup for him and he loved it!” -Corrie
Easy Ingredient List
From start to finish, this Copycat Panera Broccoli Cheese Soup recipe takes less than 30 minutes.
Real talk: It will probably take less time to make this soup at home than it would to get everyone in the car and drive to Panera. Not to mention the drive back home!
Broccoli: You can always use fresh broccoli to make Panera Broccoli Cheese Soup, but it’s ok if you want to reach into the freezer for a bag of frozen broccoli florets.
Broth: Keep this soup vegetarian by using vegetable broth in place of the chicken broth.
My Panera Broccoli Cheese Soup recipe makes 3-4 decent sized bowls of soup…but you can easily double the recipe if you have hungry eaters, and this is your main dish.
You could also serve this soup as a side alongside sandwiches. Try my Turkey Cheddar Sliders or, if you want to mix favorites from different restaurants, Copycat Chick-fil-A Chicken Salad Sandwiches.
How to Make Panera Broccoli Cheese Soup
Want less chunks in your soup? Use an immersion blender to smooth it out! Our family loved this soup, it’s a great recipe for busy weeknights!
Instant Pot: Today’s Broccoli Cheddar Soup can also be made in the Instant Pot! Dinner in under 30 minutes! Loaded with vegetables and cheese, you’ll love this easy, creamy Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup Recipe!
Slow cooker: Use my slow cooker broccoli cheddar soup recipe for a great, fix it and forget it meal!
More Copycat Panera Recipes
Does your family love Panera as much as mine does? Lucky for you, I have a whole list of recipes I’ve recreated from Panera.
In addition to the Broccoli Cheese Soup, our family loves
Serving Suggestions
Easy, buttery Beer Bread goes perfect with this soup! Also great to cube into bite sized pieces and use for dips!
Of course my 5 minute Artisan bread is a great side for this soup.
Are you looking for a fluffy, delicious Dinner Roll? These No Knead Garlic Parmesan Dinner Rolls will please the whole family!
Easiest side dish ever. Whip up a batch of these Puff Pastry Bread Sticks to dunk in your soup!
You can also go to most bakery sections in the grocery store and find a great homemade bread bowl!
More Easy Dinner Ideas
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Copycat Panera Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup diced onions yellow or white
- 1 cup shredded carrots I used matchsticks that I cut into half inch pieces
- 2 1/2-3 cups broccoli florets chopped small
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth
- 1 cup milk I use skim/fat free
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- pinch of crushed red pepper flakes or more as desired
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium high heat, melt butter. Add in onions, carrots and broccoli. Cook to soften about 5 minutes (may be more or less depending on the size vegetables you cut).
- Slowly add in broth, milk, and cream. Sprinkle with flour and add salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Continue stirring and heating over medium heat until thickened. This will take about 10-15 minutes.
- Once thick, add cheese and stir until melted and smooth. Serve soup and enjoy!
Notes
- Easily double the ingredients to make more of this delicious soup!
- Use a good quality cheddar cheese for best results. And shred the cheese yourself for the creamiest results.
- Store leftovers in refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freeze soup in airtight freezer safe container for up to 3 months. Reheat on stovetop.
- See blog post for more recipe tips and tricks and directions on how to make in slow cooker and Instant Pot.
Video
Nutrition
Copycat Panera Broccoli Cheese Soup is ready in less than 30 minutes! The perfect bowl of comfort food without leaving your house!
Delicious Soup and easy to follow directions!
Made this last night and was super good. Followed recipe to the T
I made this with Cauliflower, added almost no salt and I cooked the veggies in the broth. Made a rue in separate pan and added the half and half (what I used instead of milk and cream) and cheese. When it thickened I added it to the veggies. Was fantastic and so so easy.
I used what I had on hand, which was cream of chicken soup and evaporated milk instead of milk and cream, and it turned out AMAZING!
I thought this was delicious!
I made this tonight!!! Quick and easy!!! Delicious too!!
Delicious, fast and easy to make during the week.
So good! Used all milk and no cream, and still super delicious!! Will reduce salt next time, or be sure to use low sodium broth. Some salt is good but too much is distracting from the flavor. Also used my hand mixer (just a few pumps) before adding the cheese and it was awesome- just a little blended and still broccoli chunky! Will definitely make again.
This was delicious but WOW was it salty!! I had even cut the salt by 1/3. At a whopping 1,777mg per serving, I won’t be adding any salt next time beyond what’s in the broth and cheese.
Wow..this was easy and delicious! It is the perfect cold weather soup- dipped pretzel rolls into it and my husband ( AKA Mr. Picky Pants) loved it 😅 I used a combo of extra sharp yellow cheddar and White Irish cheddar..yum Thanks!
How can I make this in a crockpot?
I made this recipe tonight. Every part of it was easy to follow. But it came out too salty!! All I can taste is the salt. Is there any way to cut the salt taste? Thanks
If you want to cut the salt, use low sodium or no salt added chicken broth
Can you freeze it without it getting watery?
I’ve made other recipes for this soup before, but this was the BEST!!!
Just made this. Added a little more cheese and used a little more butter, I also added celery. I cooked my veggies for more than 5 minutes. I don’t measure when it comes to salt & pepper (I don’t use a lot of salt, none really). I’m a vegetarian so I used vegetable broth and almond milk but used actual heavy cream. Mine came out really good & creamy for my first attempt. Will be using this recipe again as a guide.
De-lish!! Definitely had to add a lot more broth though as it was super thick at the end. I served it with pita bread (it’s what’s I had lol) and it was great! Did not have heavy cream so I substituted for a 1/2 c of melted butter, 3/4 c of milk, and 1 tablespoon of flour. Also, I left the broccoli in slightly bigger chunks and loved it. Thank you!
Edit: It’s not too thick if you understand measurements! 🤦🏼♀️ I added 4 cups of cheese accidentally as I was using liquid cup conversions. Tried it again with only one package of cheese and it was perfect. Sooo good!
Hi there,I made this Copycat broccoli soup.I cooked the onions and carrots in the melted butter. Then I added the flour and let it cook 2 mins.Then added the broth slowly then put inbroccoli . Next I added the milk and cteam. Icream. 1/4 tsp curry, approx 1/8 tsp garlic and a pinch of nutmeg.. Oh so good !
I think I like your version best, I am home with Covid and this is what I crave I will try it. Thanks for the variation.
Curry????? Yuck
It is delicious. I used this recipe in my high school cooking class. Easy to prepare and the kids loved it.
My husband and I loved it. Thanks for sharing.
These bowls are the cutest! Where are they from?!
Cost Plus World Market 🙂
This tastes nothing like Panera’s soup… just broccoli with a milk taste. I would not recommend making this. Very disappointing.
Agreed. I think it’s bc you should melt the butter first and then mix in the flour slowly.. I had chucks of flour all in mine. It was good. We ate it.
I added an extra 1/2 cup of broth – soup was too thick. Delicious
I just made this. It’s delicious, and I will definitely make it again. (I made 1/2 batch, and it worked very well.)
Easy and delicious!