This broccoli cheese soup recipe is comfort food in a bowl and tastes just like Panera!

One of my favorite soups to order at Panera is the Broccoli Cheese Soup.

There’s just nothing like a big steamy thick and creamy bowl of soup especially in a bread bowl!

Today I’m sharing my recipe for homemade broccoli and cheese soup made in the dutch oven.

Serve with baguettes for a hearty and delicious dinner that feels like a hug in a bowl!

It’s one of my favorite vegetarian soups, along with my homemade creamy vegetable soup.

What is broccoli cheese soup made of?

butter
flour
fresh garlic and onion
milk
heavy cream
vegetable broth
finely chopped broccoli florets
sharp cheddar cheese
salt

ingredients needed to make broccoli cheese soup

How to make broccoli cheddar soup

Step 1: Melt the butter over medium heat in a dutch oven or large sauce pan.

Add the onions and cook until softened.

Add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.

You want those onions to be nice and caramelized.

cooking garlic and onion in a dutch oven

Step 2: Add the flour and stir constantly until it starts to brown, around 3-5 minutes.

Step 3: Pour in the milk, vegetable broth, and heavy cream, stirring constantly, until smooth, around 15 minutes or so.

chopped up fresh broccoli in a clear bowl

Step 4: Add the finely diced broccoli florets and simmer for 15 minutes, until tender.

Step 5: Turn the heat down and stir in the fresh grated cheddar cheese.

Stir the broccoli cheese soup until the cheese is completely melted and creamy, around 5 minutes or so.

Do not skip the step of grating the cheese yourself!

This is so much more flavorful and rich than adding store bought grated cheddar cheese.

Once your soup is done, add salt to taste and serve immediately.

This soup is so thick, ultra creamy, and so flavorful.

I crave nourishing warm soups on cold days or whenever I’m not feeling well.

This better than panera broccoli cheese soup is a favorite in our house!

We love serving it with rolls or baguettes for dipping.

This would also be delicious in a homemade bread bowl!

For best success, I recommend chopping up and preparing the ingredients before you get started making the soup.

This will make the process easier and faster when it’s time to add the ingredients.

More recipes

Are you making this recipe? I want to see! Don’t forget to tag me on instagram @buildyourbite and hashtag #buildyourbite with your recipe creations!

Can I use frozen broccoli?

I would not recommend frozen broccoli in this recipe as it would end up mushy and watery.

Fresh broccoli is key to making delicious broccoli and cheddar soup.

Can you freeze broccoli cheese soup?

While you may be able to, I can’t recommend it and I have not tried it.

Most soups containing cream can separate or become grainy if frozen then reheated.

This soup is best fresh or refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Be sure to pin this recipe for later and follow Build Your Bite on Pinterest for all the latest delicious recipes!

Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a star rating below!

You have to try this copycat better than panera broccoli cheese soup!

It’s sure to be a family dinner favorite.

Yield: 5 servings

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Name: Broccoli Cheese Soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 5
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: ¼ cup unsalted butter; ¼ cup all-purpose flour; ½ yellow onion, finely diced; 8 cloves of garlic, minced; 1 ¼ cups whole milk; 32 oz vegetable broth; ¾ cup heavy cream; 2 ½ cups finely chopped broccoli florets (around 1 ½ heads); 8 oz freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese; ¾ teaspoon salt

This homemade broccoli cheese soup is better than Panera!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

¼ cup unsalted butter
¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ yellow onion, finely diced
8 cloves of garlic, minced
1 ¼ cups whole milk
32 oz vegetable broth
¾ cup heavy cream
2 ½ cups finely chopped broccoli florets (around 1 ½ heads)
8 oz freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese
¾ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Melt the butter over medium heat in a dutch oven
Add the onions and cook until softened
Add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant
Add the flour and stir constantly until it starts to brown (3-5 minutes)
Pour in the milk, vegetable broth, and heavy cream, stirring constantly, until smooth (13-15 minutes)
Add the broccoli and simmer for 15 minutes, until tender
Turn the heat down and stir in the fresh grated cheddar cheese into the broccoli cheese soup
Stir until the cheese is completely melted (around 5 minutes)
Salt to taste and serve immediately

Notes

Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 501Total Fat: 40gSaturated Fat: 24gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 116mgSodium: 1238mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 4gSugar: 7gProtein: 17g

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Trish

Sunday 19th of February 2023

Absolutely delicious!!! Served in homemade sourdough bread bowls and I felt I was sitting right there at Panera - except at home by a fire. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. It is going into my special recipes book. :0-)

Joy Shull

Tuesday 21st of February 2023

So glad you enjoyed the recipe Trish!