One pot, one hour, and one of the best broccoli cheese soups is yours with this quick and easy recipe. Make it a copycat Panera version, or even better with your variations.
Introduction
This is my favorite homemade soup. It is the perfect comfort food for a cold day, and I never make a single batch. We can't stop eating this soup.
I had researched for several weeks and had a couple of inspirational recipes. I ended up combining Pioneer Woman with an Allrecipes recipe.
I wanted one pot cooked on the stovetop. I wanted to cook the broccoli in the soup and not separately. And I didn't want to use any cream. I don't ever have cream, and although this is not low-fat, there are some things I just won't do.
Nothing matched my needs, so I combined recipes. The results are better than I ever expected.
I presented my wife with this wonderful homemade soup with grilled ham and cheese sandwich. She was a thrilled wife.
My Rating
A solid 5. One of my top recipes.
🥦Ingredients
Broccoli
I suggest fresh broccoli for this soup. One large head will make about 3 cups of broccoli florets. But it is acceptable to be a little over or under on the amount of broccoli.
I chop up the medium-sized stems, but I generally skip the large thick trunk.
The size should be relatively small to fit easily in a spoon.
Frozen Broccoli can be used. A 12 oz. bag of frozen broccoli will be about 3 cups or a bit more of florets.
Frozen broccoli is generally blanched before freezing. If you thaw the broccoli before cooking, it may cook a bit faster than fresh. But if frozen when added, it may take a few minutes than fresh.
Most frozen broccoli is large, so it must be chopped to spoon-size before cooking.
Cheese
Sharp cheddar is the most common cheese for this soup.
I fess up. I like Velveeta. I usually choose half Velveeta and half sharp cheddar cheese. But select the cheeses you like. Most will want a mixture of different cheddars.
Shredded cheese has some anti-clumping coating and is preferred to solid cheese—I use the brand name shredded cheese.
Velveeta is made for melting and will do well in this soup and make it creamier than all cheddar.
If your cheese separates or clumps, it is your cheese, not the recipe. Usually, this will be generic poor-quality cheese or outdated cheese. But it rarely will happen since we add it at the end of cooking and just melt it.
Dairy
Many suggest heavy cream or half&half. I find there is more than enough milk fat in the cheese. I always use lower-fat milk. The Velveeta also makes the soup creamier. But use the dairy of your choice.
👨🍳How to Make Broccoli Cheese Soup
- Prepare fresh broccoli by trimming the broccoli florets into bite size pieces.
- Mince a small onion and saute in butter in a heavy soup pot or Dutch oven. Add the garlic near the end of cooking.
- Sprinkle in flour and make a rour.
- Slowly add chicken broth and milk while continuing to stir to thicken.
- When thickened, add the broccoli. decrease to simmer and cover.
- Cook until the broccoli is tender—about 25 minutes.
- Puree a bit with an immersion blender or potato masher.
- Add in cheese, simmer 5 more minutes until cheese is melted.
👨🍳Copycat Panera's Broccoli Cheese Soup
If you want to copycat Panera, just add carrot and celery simultaneously as the broccoli.
You will need about 1 cup of carrots. Matchstick cut carrots are available in most produce departments. Or one large or two medium can be cleaned and then diced or julienned.
The second component is one rib of thinly sliced celery.
🥣Variations of Broccoli Cheese Soup
Bacon Broccoli Cheese Soup
Everything is better with bacon. This is my wife's obsession. Chop three strips of bacon into ½ inch squares and fry until done. Drain and add along with the cheese.
Cauliflower Cheese Soup
Several commenters want to use cauliflower to replace the broccoli, but cauliflower may take a few minutes more to cook. So use the same volume, and the endpoint of the cauliflower is tender, and you should be fine.
Other Seasoning
Add some flavor with an optional touch of nutmeg or paprika. Add about ¼ teaspoon at the start of simmering if you wish—one or the other, not both.
❓FAQs
A single recipe makes about 7 to 8 cups of soup, and you need some working room in the pot to make the roux and mix.
For a single recipe, a four-quart or larger soup pot or Dutch oven. For the suggested double recipe, I use a 6 ½ quart Dutch oven.
Usually, chicken broth is used, but vegetable broth is also acceptable. I typically use lower sodium broth and add more salt later to taste.
❄️Storage
Good refrigerated for 3-4 days. It will freeze well for 3-4 months. It never lasts more than two days at our house.
📖Comfort Soup Recipes
Crock Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup
Old Fashion Vegetable Beef Soup
This recipe is part of our Our Best Soups.
This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.
🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
These are double batch pictures. The recipe discussion below is a single batch, and the ingredient list is for a single batch, but the images are for a double batch.
Rinse and spoon size chop one head of fresh broccoli with the broccoli florets being bit size. I discarded the broccoli stalk. This should be about two cups.
Mince a small or ½ of a medium onion. Over medium-high heat, melt four tablespoons of butter. Add onion and saute until clearing—about 3 minutes. Add one clove of minced garlic and cook one more minute.
Decrease the heat to medium. Add ¼ cup flour and continue to cook and stir continually until browning some—about 3 minutes.
Slowly add two cups of chicken or vegetable broth, and stir to mix in the flour mixture. Add ½ teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper. Allow to thicken some, then add two cups of milk. Bring to a low boil and allow to thicken.
Add broccoli, cover, and turn down the heat to simmer. Simmer until broccoli is tender—about 25 minutes.
Option: Some people like to puree with an immersion blender through the soup at this point. I only want a little of that blending, so I suggest a potato masher.
Add 2 cups of cheese of choice. I used sharp cheddar and Velveeta. Simmer another 5 minutes and serve.
📖Recipe
Easy Broccoli Cheese Soup
Ingredients
- 1 head broccoli - large
- ¼ cup butter
- 1 onion - small
- 1 clove garlic
- ¼ cup flour
- 2 cups chicken broth - or vegetable
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 cups milk
- 2 cups shredded cheese of choice - assume 4 ozs. equals 1 cup if not shredded cheese
For Panara copycat soup-add with broccoli
- 1 cup carrot - matchstick, shredded, or diced
- 1 rib celery
Instructions
- Rinse and spoon size chop one head of fresh broccoli. I discarded the broccoli stalk. This should be about two cups.
- Mince a small or ½ of a medium onion. Over medium-high heat, melt four tablespoons of butter. Add onion and cook until clearing—about 3 minutes. Add one clove of minced garlic and cook one more minute.
- Decrease the heat to medium. Add ¼ cup flour and continue to cook and stir continually until browning some—about 3 minutes.
- Slowly add two cups of chicken or vegetable broth, stir to mix in the flour mixture. Add ½ teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Allow to thicken some, then add two cups of milk. Bring to a low boil and allow to thicken.
- Add broccoli, cover, and turn down the heat to simmer. Simmer until broccoli is tender—about 25 minutes.
- Option: Some people like to run an immersion blender through the soup at this point. I only want a little of that blending, so I suggest a potato masher.
- Add 2 cups of cheese of choice. I used sharp cheddar and Velveeta. Simmer another 5 minutes and serve.
My Private Notes
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips:
- Choose the cheeses you like. I prefer half Velveeta and half shredded sharp cheddar.
- Frozen broccoli works fine but may take a few minutes longer. Cook to the point of the broccoli is tender.
- If you want to copycat Panera, then add 1 cup matchstick-cut carrots and 1 stalk of thinly sliced celery at the same time as the broccoli.
- Make it Bacon Broccoli Cheese Soup. Everything is better with bacon. Chop 3 strips of bacon into ½ inch squares and fry until done. Drain and add along with the cheese.
- Great as leftovers. Good refrigerated for 3-4 days and frozen for 3-4 months.
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition Estimate
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Editor's note: Originally published December 19, 2015. This has become one of my go-to recipes and is now updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Judy
Wanted to try this soup thank you.
anna
Hello this is a test because where I wanted to comment doesn't seem possible. Are old posts closed? Regarding vegetable soups: I prefer to make them without cheese, and especially in such a large amount; they then become cheese soup, burying the broccoli or whatever flavour, and the flavour of the broth. I'm presently making your stove-top sauteed and oven baked chicken breasts. Thank you for such a sensible and delicious recipe. Second time I've done it. I am cooking for ONE so leftovers (what a sad word) become an ingredent in a fantastic salad, or sandwich. I have subscribed.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Anna,
Welcome to the blog.
I'm not sure why you had trouble commenting. All recipe posts (about 400 total) remain open to comments except for 2 that people were fight over things unrelated to the recipe. I just put a stop to those.
The comment box is at the bottom of all the comments on the page, so you do have to go almost all the way down. There is no easy way to relocate it that won't break frequently right now. Hopefully soon it will be just under the dog pictures.
Thanks for the note and rating. Please let me know if you have questions or comments.
Dan
HilPoof
I made this a couple of nights ago for my husband and I (with a couple of substitutions***). We both loved it!!! I used 1% milk and frozen broccoli. I ran the immersion blender through it as suggested in step 6. My cheese mixture was one cup of sharp cheddar and one cup of white cheddar. I also couldn't resist adding two dashes of nutmeg to bring out the nuttiness of the cheddar. The texture was velvety with a good thickness. We ended up with some leftovers, and I ate the last of it earlier today for my lunch!
***Disclaimer: I try to avoid rating recipes unless I made it exactly as written; however, I'll never make this recipe exactly as written because I don't love the flavor of onion in my broccoli and cheese soup. I do appreciate onions in many other dishes but feel like it clashes with the distinct, strong taste of broccoli. I subbed the garlic with garlic powder as well.
Peggy
I'm thinking this may also be good with Brussels sprouts. What say you?
David
I would give it a go for sure, it's an adventure !👍
Caroline Hviid
In a large pot over medium heat, combine the butter and onion and saute until translucent. Add the flour and stir until the mixture lightly browns. Stir in the half-and-half and mix until the contents reach a simmer. Turn the heat to low and add the stock. Simmer for 5-10 minutes. Mix in the broccoli, carrots, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Simmer for 10-15 minutes. Add the cheese and stir until it melts and combines with the other ingredients.
Barb Smentek
Omg made this soup today, my daughter likes Panera’s. This was better, so darn yummy and easy too. The next time I make it I’ll get velveta cheese, I used cheddar shredded. I did put the carrot and celery in also. Thank you Dan, saving this one. Do you have any more soup r3 pies?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Barb,
Welcome to the blog.
Glad it works well for you. It is one of my favorite soup. I usually do a double batch and my wife loves the bacon added. You can find my other favorite soups at https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/a-week-of-soups/.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Dick Hynes
Thank you so much for what you do. I'm a newbie cook (in my 70's) and my wife loves that I cook, and I love your help. Made this for the second time and was delicious.
Photos and instructions are very helpful, and enjoy the dog pics, too.
Best.
Judy
Can I freeze this soup?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Judy,
Welcome to the blog.
I just added this to the recipe notes.
"5. Great as leftovers. Good refrigerated for 3-4 days and frozen for 3-4 months."
Thanks for pointing that I wasn't very specific before.
I do love this soup and hope you do too.
Dan
Lucille
Made this soup today and it is amazing!! Best Broccoli Cheddar soup I’ve ever had and it’s easy!! This is a keeper for sure! Thanks so much for the step by step pictures and additional add ins. This recipe is easy to tweak, too so you can easily add your personal touch. Vegetarian, no problem add vegetable stock. Low fat option, use 2% sharp cheddar, 2% Velveeta and 1% or skim milk. Want it decadent, add full fat cheeses and half and half in place of milk. You will love this soup!!
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Lucille,
Welcome to the blog and so sorry about the delayed response.
This is one of my all-time favorite recipes on the site. I try to always do step by step photos so the reader can see themselves doing the cooking. I think that helps a lot for most people.
You are so right about variations. It is just make it what you want type of soup.
Thanks so much for the note and rating.
Dan
Misty
How would this be putting it on top of baked potatoes?
DrDan
Hi Misty,
Welcome to the blog.
I don't see this as a good baked potato topping. You can make it thicker in several ways. Increasing the flour/butter roux, decreasing the milk or broth, or increasing the cheese. But I think you need a different recipe for that.
Dan
Jen
My daughter and I made this last weekend. It was amazing! It was a perfect recipe to teach her about roux, chopping, whisking, etc. Her & my son took it for lunches last week and want it again this week. 😊 Thank you for the recipe, it's definitely a keeper!
DrDan
Hi Jen,
Welcome to the blog.
I never looked at this recipe as an education but I see it now. Also, they can make their own lunches.
Glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Thanks for the note and rating.
Dan
Savannah
This recipe was amazing. Thank you so much for helping me find a recipe that's all in one pan. You don't need all that fancy pantsy ingredients to make a delicious soup. I didnt have onion but it taste good without it as well. I also didnt buy garlic, I used minced garlic (1.5 teaspoons of it). I added chopped up celery and shredded carrots to mine when I added broccoli.
DrDan
Hi Savannah,
Thank for the note(s). This is a simple recipe but I have done it over and over. To me, it is what a soup recipe should be.
Dan
Richard
Awesome! Easy to follow directions, measurements, etc.
DrDan
Hi Richard,
Welcome to the blog.
Glad it worked well for you and thanks for the note.
Dan
Elizabeth
Hi, I made this the other day and we love it.I was just wondering.What I could do to make it less thick.How much more liquid or what should I should add? I also noticed on instructions one says 4 tablespoons butter(the one in article) and the other says 1/4 cup butter(the one in recipe box).I used the 4 Tablespoons.Which is the right one?...Thankyou for sharing the recipe.
DrDan
Hi Elizabeth,
Welcome to the blog.
This is a thick soup. It comes from a number of places. The "best" place to adjust the thickness is with the roux. I use the butter (4 tablespoons = 1/4 cup) with flour. Just cut both in half. It will decrease the thickness by about 20%.
But lots os the thickness comes from the cheese. You could decrease that a bit. Or you could add more liquid like another cup of chicken broth. Both these will decrease the flavor a bit.
Thanks for the note. Hope that helps.
Dan
Savannah
Hi there! 4 tablespoons equals 1/4 cup :)
Sarryanna
Soup is delish! Just one question...... the nutritional info is for one serving. Is that one cup, cup and a half, half the pot (in my dreams, I know)
DrDan
Hi Sarryanna,
Welcome to the blog.
The single recipe is 6 "servings" of 1 to 1 1/4 cup. Most soup nutrition uses 1 cup servings.
When I make this (tomorrow again) usually do a double batch and freeze half. We do this for the whole meal so we get 4 large servings of per single batch. But if I did so a single for 4 people at lunch, most of the company wanted seconds so I almost stopped doing single batches for company.
Dan
Beverly
I had some leftover steamed broccoli so this soup sounded like a delicious way to use it up. Followed the recipe and used some fresh broccoli at the start and added my leftover broccoli at the end. I too love Velveeta as a cooking cheese it makes wonderful smooth and flavourful soups and sauces. The only thing I question is boiling the milf. If you were using cream no issue but the lower fat in milk will cause it to curdle, likely not too noticeable in this but still not recommended. Heat to just before boiling point when cooking with milk. Soup is delicious and highly recommended.
Martha Worley
Made your recipe several times. Just keeps getting better. Someone may have already covered this but we use the stem also. Peel the stem & cut in 1/4” rounds. Cook along with chopped broccoli. We double recipe so we can freeze future lunches. Thaw completely & heat slowly.
DrDan
Hi Martha,
Thanks for the comment and suggestions.
Most of my broccoli is like a tree so I trash the stem, or at least the main part. I have done this soup with some local farmer market broccoli and did use the stems.
It does freeze very nicely.
Dan