Broccoli Cheddar Soup (Panera Bread Copycat Recipe) (2024)

FAQs

What is in Panera broccoli cheddar soup? ›

A bakery-cafe inspired favorite made with chopped broccoli, shredded carrots and select seasonings simmered in a velvety smooth cheese sauce. No artificial preservatives, sweeteners, flavors or colors from artificial sources.

Flour: This broccoli Cheddar soup starts with a roux made with all-purpose flour and butter. Milk: A cup of milk is whisked into the roux, creating a rich and velvety soup. Stock: Use store-bought or homemade chicken stock. Vegetables: You'll need an onion, carrots, celery, and (of course) broccoli.

Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe Tips

Pre-shredded cheese is often coated in anti-caking agents that can prevent the cheese from melting into a lusciously creamy soup. To ensure that your broccoli cheddar soup has the best smooth and creamy texture, buy a block of cheese and grate it yourself.

If heated too high, you risk clumping and if too low, not melting properly. With soup, you might be able to fix it with an immersion blender, or you might not. At a temperature of 150 or so, the protein bonds in the cheese break down and as a result, too much fo the moisture escapes too quickly.

If it's been a minute since you've had Panera Bread's Broccoli Cheddar Soup, let me tell you everything that they do right: this soup is velvety, lightweight, and smooth; the broccoli florets are perfectly sized and many come whole; and the addition of shredded carrots bring out a whole new depth of flavor that sets it ...

That Soup Isn't Made In-House

It may taste homemade, but that Panera soup wasn't actually prepared by the workers at your local shop. "The soups are made at a factory/plant/etc., flash-frozen, shipped to us, and we thaw it out in what's called a thermalizer, essentially a soup-thawer," says one former employee.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup is not only delicious but nutritious as well. Broccoli is loaded with vitamin C and K, potassium, and fiber, offering numerous health benefits like improved digestion, reduced inflammation, and boosted immunity.

Nutrition & Allergens

Sodium Warning: Indicates that the sodium (salt) content of this item is higher than the total daily recommended limit (2,300 mg). High sodium intake can increase blood pressure and risk of heart disease and stroke.

Mild cheddar, Colby, Monterey jack, mozzarella, Swiss and queso blanco can all work well. “The best cheeses to melt into soups are cheeses that are higher in moisture and have a lower melting point,” says Bauer. In addition to cheddar and Monterey jack, he recommends Fontina and Gruyère.

The common solution is to use a flour-based roux. Flour can thicken up the water phase of the soup, which in turn makes it difficult for fat globules to coalesce.

How do you keep broccoli cheese soup from separating? ›

Avoid too high of heat when using dairy (milk or cream) because the soup can curdle and separate. Try not to take it to the boiling point. Sometimes an acidic ingredient, like wine, can prevent the soup from curdling. Slowly add the cream or milk and continually stir after adding.

Avoid using pre-packaged shredded cheese as it often contains additives that can prevent proper melting. Add the cheese at the right time: Timing is crucial when it comes to melting cheese in soup. Wait until the soup is almost done cooking before adding the cheese.

Can Broccoli Cause Stomach Pain? The very same fiber that's so beneficial for your digestive system can also be the cause of a broccoli-induced stomachache — think bloating, gas and cramps, Dr. Houghton says.

Ones to avoid are Parmesan and Pecorino (any hard, aged cheeses), goat and feta (any dry, crumbly cheeses) as they don't melt well.

Melt the cheese slowly. Adding melted cheese to hot milk can cause the milk to curdle. Instead, melt the cheese in a separate bowl over low heat or in the microwave. Once the cheese is melted, add it to the milk slowly, stirring constantly.

Broccoli is rarely a bad idea, since this veggie contains fiber, vitamins, and compounds that can lower your risk of cancer. But things head in a surprisingly poor nutritional direction with the Broccoli Cheddar Soup at Panera. Besides its 11 grams of saturated fat, this soup is suffused with sodium.

One major complaint people have about the soup is that it is not vegetarian because it is made with chicken stock. I've called for vegetable broth here, although you could certainly use chicken stock if the vegetarian factor isn't a priority for you.

Why is Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup not vegetarian? Panera makes their traditional version with chicken stock, making the soup neither vegetarian or vegan.