My husband loves Panera broccoli Cheddar soup but it’s so expensive now so we set out to create our perfect version at home. This is the recipe we came up with. Serve topped with cheese.

Copycat Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup
My husband loves Panera broccoli Cheddar soup but it's so expensive now so we set out to create our perfect version at home. This is the recipe we came up with. Serve topped with cheese.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ½ onion chopped
- ¼ cup melted butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups milk
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 ½ cups coarsely chopped broccoli florets
- 1 cup matchstick-cut carrots
- 1 stalk celery thinly sliced
- 2 ½ cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
- salt and ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Gather all ingredients.
- Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook and stir until tender and translucent, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
- Whisk 1/4 cup melted butter and flour together in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Continue to whisk and cook, adding 1 to 2 tablespoons of milk if necessary to keep the flour from burning, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Gradually add milk while whisking constantly; stir in chicken stock and bring to a simmer.
- Cook until mixture is thickened, about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Add broccoli, carrots, celery, and sautéed onion; simmer until all the vegetables are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Stir in Cheddar cheese until melted; season with salt and pepper to taste before serving.