✔ Updated · new copycat recipe with step photos, built from Panera's own ingredient label
This copycat Panera broccoli cheddar soup is thick, creamy and loaded with tender broccoli and carrots, with sharp cheddar melted in at the very end. I built it from Panera's own ingredient label, and it's on the table in 45 minutes.
How Do You Make Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup at Home? (Quick Answer)
Cook a diced onion in butter, whisk in flour, then add milk, chicken stock and cream and simmer until lightly thick. Add finely chopped broccoli, shredded carrots, Dijon and a dash of hot sauce and simmer 15 to 20 minutes. Take the pot to low heat and stir in freshly grated sharp cheddar a handful at a time. Never let it boil once the cheese is in.
At a glance
The one tip that matters: Turn the heat down to low before the cheese goes in, and add it a handful at a time. Boiling cheese is the one thing that turns this soup grainy.
Why You'll Love This Soup
- Thick, cheesy and cozy with soft little pieces of broccoli and sweet shreds of carrot in every spoonful.
- Built from Panera’s own label milk, chicken stock, broccoli, cheddar, cream, carrots, onion, butter, Dijon and hot pepper sauce.
- One pot, 45 minutes with no blender required, unless you like it a little smoother.
- Smooth, never grainy thanks to freshly grated cheese, low heat and an optional slice or two of American cheese.
- Bread bowl ready thick enough to hold up in a hollowed-out sourdough boule.
What Is in Panera's Broccoli Cheddar Soup?
Panera prints the full ingredient list on its grocery soups, and the Panera at Home broccoli cheddar soup label reads: milk, chicken stock, water, broccoli, pasteurized process cheddar cheese, heavy cream, carrots and corn starch, then 2% or less of onions, a seasoning of wheat flour, salt and spice, butter, Dijon mustard and hot pepper sauce (checked October 2026).
That list shaped every choice here. The process cheddar explains the famously smooth texture, the Dijon and hot sauce explain the sharp, savory edge, and there's no garlic at all. The amounts are mine, since Panera doesn't publish its recipe, and the cafe soup may differ a little from the grocery version.
Ingredient Notes
Exact amounts are in the recipe card below.
- Sharp cheddar: buy a block and grate it yourself. Sharp or extra-sharp gives the most flavor; mild cheddar tastes flat in soup.
- American cheese (optional): two or three deli slices add the emulsifying salts that keep the soup glossy. Leave it out and the soup is still lovely, just slightly less silky.
- Milk, cream and stock: the same trio on Panera's label. Whole milk and heavy cream give the richest body; see the variations below for a lighter mix.
- Broccoli: one large head, florets and peeled stalk, chopped small. Frozen works too.
- Carrots: coarsely shredded on a box grater or cut into thin matchsticks.
- Dijon and hot sauce: tiny amounts that make the cheese taste cheesier. Both are on the label.
Step-by-Step Photos
Here's how it comes together. Exact amounts, times and temperatures are in the recipe card below.
Tips for Success
- Grate your own cheese. Bagged shredded cheddar is coated in anti-caking starch and melts gritty. A block of sharp cheddar and a box grater gives you a silky soup, and it only takes 2 minutes.
- Cheese goes in off the boil. Drop the heat to low and add it a handful at a time. If the soup bubbles hard after the cheese is in, the proteins tighten and it turns grainy. Patience is the whole trick here.
- A slice of American cheese is my smoothness insurance. Panera's label lists a process cheddar with sodium citrate, which is what keeps it so velvety. Two or three torn slices of deli American cheese do the same job at home without changing the flavor.
- Chop the broccoli small. Pieces about the size of a fingernail cook evenly and make every spoonful feel like Panera's. I peel and dice the tender stalk too, so nothing goes to waste.
- Shred the carrots, don't dice them. Thin shreds or matchsticks melt into the soup and give that little orange fleck. Cubes stay firm and taste like vegetable soup.
- Don't skip the Dijon and hot sauce. Both are on Panera's label. You won't taste mustard or heat, just a sharper, cheesier soup. I add a drop more hot sauce at the end if it tastes flat.
- Stir the bottom of the pot. Milk and cream like to catch. A flat wooden spoon or spatula dragged across the bottom every couple of minutes keeps it clean and unscorched.
Copycat Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup
6
servings15
minutes30
minutes490
kcal45
minutesA copycat-style version of Panera’s broccoli cheddar soup: onion softened in butter, a quick roux, milk, chicken stock and cream, finely chopped broccoli and shredded carrots, Dijon and a dash of hot sauce, finished with sharp cheddar melted in over low heat. Serves 6.
Ingredients
- For the Soup Base
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1/2 cup yellow onion, finely diced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
- For the Vegetables and Seasoning
4 cups broccoli florets, chopped small (about 1 large head, 12 oz)
1 cup carrots, coarsely shredded or cut into thin matchsticks (about 2 medium)
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, such as Tabasco
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 pinch ground nutmeg (optional)
- For the Cheese
8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated (about 2 cups)
3 slices deli American cheese slices, torn (optional, for an extra-smooth finish)
Directions
- Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until soft and translucent but not browned.
- Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter. Once it melts, sprinkle in the flour and whisk constantly for 1 to 2 minutes, until the roux is smooth, bubbling and smells lightly toasty. Keep it pale.
- Slowly pour in the milk while whisking, then whisk in the chicken stock and cream. Bring to a gentle simmer (small bubbles, not a boil) and cook for about 5 minutes, whisking now and then, until it lightly coats a spoon.
- Stir in the broccoli, carrots, Dijon, hot sauce, salt, pepper and nutmeg, if using. Simmer gently, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring often so nothing catches on the bottom, until the broccoli is very tender.
- For a thicker, more cafe-style body, blend about a third of the soup right in the pot with an immersion blender, or leave it chunky. Reduce the heat to low.
- Add the cheddar a handful at a time, stirring until each handful melts before adding the next, then stir in the American cheese, if using. Do not let the soup boil once the cheese is in, or it can turn grainy.
- Taste and add more salt or a drop more hot sauce if it needs it. Serve hot in bowls or sourdough bread bowls. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
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Variations
Once you've made the classic, these are the swaps I reach for.
- Lighter: use 3 cups of 2% milk and skip the cream. It's thinner, so blend a third of the soup to give it body.
- Vegetarian: swap the chicken stock for vegetable stock.
- Gluten-free: skip the flour. Simmer the base without a roux, then thicken it with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch whisked into 1/4 cup of cold milk.
- Slow cooker: make the roux and base on the stove, then cook with the vegetables on LOW for 3 hours. Stir in the cheese at the end on the warm setting.
- Extra veg: a handful of chopped cauliflower stretches the batch without changing the flavor much.
How to Serve It in a Bread Bowl
The way Panera serves this soup in a sourdough bread bowl is half the fun. Buy small round sourdough boules, about 6 inches across. Slice off the top, scoop out the middle and leave a wall about 3/4 inch thick.
Brush the inside with a little melted butter and toast the bowls at 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes, so the soup doesn't soak straight through. Ladle in the hot soup just before serving and save the lid for dunking. For a side, my cheddar garlic biscuits are a cheesy match.
Storing and Reheating
Cool the soup and refrigerate it in a covered container within 2 hours. It keeps for 3 to 4 days and thickens as it sits.
Reheat it slowly over low heat with a splash of milk, stirring often, until it reaches 165°F. The microwave works too: use 50% power and stir every minute. Fast, high heat is what splits a cheese soup.
More Copycat Soups and Panera Favorites
If your crew loves this, my copycat Panera mac and cheese uses the same low-and-slow cheese trick. For more soup nights, try my Olive Garden chicken gnocchi soup or Julia Child French onion soup, and browse every restaurant favorite in our copycat recipes collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is in Panera broccoli cheddar soup?
Panera's at-home broccoli cheddar soup label lists milk, chicken stock, water, broccoli, a pasteurized process cheddar, heavy cream, carrots and corn starch, plus small amounts of onion, a flour seasoning, butter, Dijon mustard and hot pepper sauce (checked October 2026). This copycat uses those same ingredients with a butter and flour roux.
Why is my broccoli cheddar soup grainy?
Grainy soup usually means the cheese got too hot or was pre-shredded. Grate a block of sharp cheddar yourself, take the pot down to low heat and add the cheese a handful at a time. Once the cheese is in, keep the soup below a simmer.
Can I use frozen broccoli?
Yes. Use about 12 oz of frozen florets, chopped small while still partly frozen. Add them straight to the simmering base and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, since frozen broccoli is already blanched and softens faster than fresh.
How many calories are in Panera broccoli cheddar soup?
Panera's at-home broccoli cheddar soup lists 240 calories per 1 cup serving (checked October 2026). This homemade version is about 490 calories per serving, because each of the 6 servings is a generous 1 1/3 cups and uses real cream and a full 8 oz of sharp cheddar.
Is Panera broccoli cheddar soup vegetarian?
No. Panera's label lists chicken stock. To make this copycat vegetarian, swap the chicken stock for a good vegetable stock. Everything else stays the same.
How do I make broccoli cheddar soup thicker?
Simmer the base a few minutes longer before adding the cheese, or blend about a third of the soup with an immersion blender. For a quick fix, whisk 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water and stir it in at a gentle simmer.
Can I freeze broccoli cheddar soup?
Yes, for up to 3 months, though dairy soups can turn slightly grainy when thawed. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat slowly over low heat, whisking, until it reaches 165°F. Refrigerated, it keeps 3 to 4 days.
