Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup is THE soup. It’s the legendary bowl, the one everybody orders, and after making copycats of so many Panera dishes, there was no way we were skipping it. This copycat Panera broccoli cheddar soup is made THE PANERA WAY, and we mean that literally. We pulled up Panera’s actual ingredient list and built the pot from it.
Spoiler: there’s Velveeta in here. Panera’s soup uses processed cheddar cheese, so we do too, plus a block of sharp yellow cheddar for the real bite. Honest verdict from the Queen of Copycat: it’s spot on, maybe even a little cheesier than the restaurant. Which, hussy, is not a complaint.
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Recipe at a Glance
Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup
A thick, silky copycat of Panera’s broccoli cheddar soup built from Panera’s own ingredient list, with Velveeta, sharp yellow cheddar, Dijon and hot sauce.
Total time: 45 minutes (15 prep, 30 cook)
Difficulty: Easy
Best for: Weeknight family dinner, soup and sandwich night, cold-weather comfort food
Best Tip: Turn the heat to low before the cheese goes in, and use Velveeta plus block cheddar so it melts silky instead of grainy.
Copycat Secrets Uncovered
Why Your Broccoli Cheddar Soup Turned Grainy
This is the number one complaint in every copycat comment section. Cheese that clumps, separates or turns gritty. The fix is sitting right on Panera’s ingredient list: their soup uses pasteurized processed cheddar cheese food, and one of the ingredients in it is sodium citrate. That’s an emulsifier, the stuff that keeps melted cheese smooth instead of breaking.
Most copycat recipes skip processed cheese entirely and use only shredded cheddar, then wonder why it goes grainy. We use Velveeta, a processed cheese, the same way Panera uses theirs, alongside sharp cheddar for flavor. Silky and smooth with real cheddar taste, the way the restaurant version eats.
The Something-Missing Flavor
The other big complaint about copycats: close, but something’s missing. Look at Panera’s list again. Dijon mustard, pepper sauce and white pepper are all in there. That’s the tang. Most copycats leave all three out. We put all three in.
The Veggies Go in Last
We sauté the broccoli, carrots and onion first, set them aside, and stir them in at the very end. That keeps the broccoli from turning to mush in the pot.
The whole thing happens in one heavy pot, and a Dutch oven holds the heat steady while you whisk the dairy base.
Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup Ingredients
- Velveeta: Cubed, so it melts evenly. This is the processed cheese that does Panera’s job.
- Sharp yellow cheddar: Buy the block and shred it yourself on a box grater. Pre-shredded cheese is coated to keep it from clumping in the bag, and that coating fights a smooth melt.
- Fresh broccoli florets: Cut into a small dice so every spoonful gets broccoli. Use fresh. Frozen broccoli breaks down too much and you lose the texture.
- Shredded carrots and yellow onion: The carrots add a little sweetness and color, and the onion builds the savory base. If you have extra broccoli or carrots, toss them in. Another cup of each is totally fine.
- Salted butter and olive oil: Butter for sautéing the veggies and making the roux. The olive oil is for sautéing if the pan gets dry.
- 2% milk, heavy cream and chicken broth: The creamy base. Panera’s list has milk, cream and chicken base too.
- Dijon mustard, hot sauce and white pepper: The tang crew, all straight off Panera’s ingredient list. White pepper also keeps black specks out of that gorgeous cheesy soup.
How to Make Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- Sauté the veggies. In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, melt 4 tablespoons of butter. Add the onions, carrots and broccoli and cook until they soften, about 5 minutes. The timing depends on how big you cut them. If the pan gets a little dry, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Scoop the veggies into a bowl and set them aside.
- Make the roux. In the same Dutch oven, melt the remaining butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, whisking the whole time.
- Add the liquid. Pour in the milk, cream and broth, whisking constantly so it stays smooth, until you have a soupy liquid.
- Thicken it up. Turn the heat to medium-low. Keep whisking often and get into the corners of the pot so nothing sticks and burns. In about 5 minutes it’ll thicken up.
- Season. Turn the heat to low and whisk in the salt, white pepper, Dijon and hot sauce.
- Melt the cheese. Add the Velveeta and cheddar and stir until everything is melted and smooth.
- Bring it home. Stir the broccoli mixture back in. Serve with extra shredded cheese and crusty bread.
Get Into the Corners
Dairy loves to scorch along the edges of the pot, and once it burns, you’ll taste it in every bite. That’s why I like to use the Dutch oven – it’s heavy duty so it won’t burn as quickly – but you still need to watch it! Whisk into the corners while it thickens and keep the heat where the steps say.
Fixing Soup That’s Too Thick
We tested this and ended up adding another cup of broth to get the texture right, so the recipe card has that built in. Still too thick for you, add a splash of chicken broth or water before the veggies go back in. When you reheat leftovers that set up in the fridge, stir in a little broth or water to loosen and stretch it.
How Much This Makes
This pot makes 8-9 cups, so 8 one-cup servings, or dinner for a family of 4 or 1.5 cups for 6. That’s a much bigger batch than most copycat recipes.
Storage & Freezing
Let the soup cool, then get it into the fridge within 2 hours in an airtight container. It keeps 3 to 4 days, per the USDA guideline for leftovers.
To reheat, warm it on the stove over low to medium-low heat, stirring often, until it’s steaming hot all the way through. Go slow so the cheese stays smooth. It thickens up in the fridge, so stir in a little broth or water as it warms.
Freezing Leftover Broccoli Cheddar Soup
We don’t recommend freezing this one. There’s a lot of dairy in this pot, and dairy-heavy soups tend to separate once they’re thawed. Honestly, it never lasts long enough around here to find out.
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Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp salted butter
- 1/2 cup yellow onion diced
- 1.5 cups carrots shredded
- 4 cups broccoli florets small dice
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 1/2 cups 2% milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 5 dashes Hot sauce
- 8 oz sharp YELLOW cheddar cheese whole block, shredded
- 8 oz Velveeta cubed
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven over medium high heat, melt 4 tbsp 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). When mixture gets a little dry add 1-2 tbsp olive oil. Remove veggies from pan and set aside in bowl.4 tbsp salted butter, 1/2 cup yellow onion , 1.5 cups carrots , 4 cups broccoli florets , 2 tbsp olive oil
- In Dutch oven, melt remaining butter over medium heat. When melted, whisk in flour and cook for 1-2 minutes, whisking constantly.4 tbsp butter, 1/4 cup flour
- Pour in milk, cream and broth, whisking constantly whisking to ensure smoothness, until the mixture is a soupy liquid.1 1/2 cups 2% milk, 1 cup heavy cream, 3 cups chicken broth
- Turn heat to medium-low, whisking frequently and getting into the corners (to ensure nothing sticks to and burns), until the mixture becomes thick, about 5 minutes.
- Turn heat to low and whisk in salt, white pepper, dijon mustard and hot sauce.1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp white pepper, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 5 dashes Hot sauce
- Add cheeses and stir until melted and smooth.8 oz sharp YELLOW cheddar cheese, 8 oz Velveeta
- Add in broccoli mixture and stir. Serve with additional shredded cheese and crusty bread.
