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    🏠Home » Recipes » Soup Recipes

    Easy Broccoli Cheese Soup

    Sep 28, 2021 | Last Updated Apr 18, 2022 by Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

    Recipe Table of Contents    
    4.44 from 313 votes

    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.

    broccoli cheese soup in blue bowl

    Table of Contents
    • 🥦Ingredients
    • 👨‍🍳How to Make Broccoli Cheese Soup
    • 👨‍🍳Copycat Panera's Broccoli Cheese Soup
    • 🥣Variations of Broccoli Cheese Soup
    • ❓FAQs
    • ❄️Storage
    • 📖Comfort Soup Recipes
    • 🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
    • 📖Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect

    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

    My rating system. Great 5 out of 5

    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

    1. Prepare fresh broccoli by trimming the broccoli florets into bite size pieces.
    2. Mince a small onion and saute in butter in a heavy soup pot or Dutch oven. Add the garlic near the end of cooking.
    3. Sprinkle in flour and make a rour.
    4. Slowly add chicken broth and milk while continuing to stir to thicken.
    5. When thickened, add the broccoli. decrease to simmer and cover.
    6. Cook until the broccoli is tender—about 25 minutes.
    7. Puree a bit with an immersion blender or potato masher.
    8. 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

    What pan to use to make broccoli cheese soup?

    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.

    What broth to use for broccoli cheese soup?

    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

    Crock Pot Chicken Noodle Soup

    Old Fashion Vegetable Beef Soup

    Tomato Basil Soup

    This recipe is part of our Our Best Soups.

    This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.

    101's Best Recipes, Comfort Food Recipes, Soup Recipes
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    🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions

    raw broccoli with soup ingredients

    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.

    chopped broccoli on black board

    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.

    adding chopped onion to melted butter

    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.

    sprinkling flour to make a roux

    Decrease the heat to medium. Add ¼ cup flour and continue to cook and stir continually until browning some—about 3 minutes.

    adding milk to the soup pot

    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.

    broccoli added to the soup pot

    Add broccoli, cover, and turn down the heat to simmer. Simmer until broccoli is tender—about 25 minutes.

    using a potato masher on the soup

    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.

    adding cheese to soup

    Add 2 cups of cheese of choice. I used sharp cheddar and Velveeta. Simmer another 5 minutes and serve.

    broccoli cheese soup in ladel
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    📖Recipe

    broccoli cheese soup in blue bowl

    Easy Broccoli Cheese Soup

    From Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
    One pot, one hour, one of the best broccoli cheese soups is yours with this quick and easy recipe. Make it a copy-cat Panera version or even better with your own variations.
    Tap to leave a Rating
    4.44 from 313 votes
    Print Email CollectionCollected
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 45 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour
    Servings #/Adjust if desired 6

    Ingredients

    US Customary - Convert to Metric
    • 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.
      chopped broccoli on black board
    • 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.
      adding chopped onion to melted butter
    • Decrease the heat to medium. Add ¼ cup flour and continue to cook and stir continually until browning some—about 3 minutes.
      sprinkling flour to make a roux
    • 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.
      adding milk to the soup pot
    • Add broccoli, cover, and turn down the heat to simmer. Simmer until broccoli is tender—about 25 minutes.
      broccoli added to the soup pot
    • 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.
      using a potato masher on the soup
    • Add 2 cups of cheese of choice. I used sharp cheddar and Velveeta. Simmer another 5 minutes and serve.
      adding cheese to soup
    See the step-by-step photos in the post. Some recipes have an option to display the photos here with a switch above these instructions but the photos DO NOT print.

    My Private Notes

    Click here to save your own private notes only you will see. These will print and be saved for your next visit.
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    Recipe Notes

    Pro Tips:

    1. Choose the cheeses you like. I prefer half Velveeta and half shredded sharp cheddar.
    2. Frozen broccoli works fine but may take a few minutes longer. Cook to the point of the broccoli is tender.
    3. 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.
    4. 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.
    5. 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

    Calories : 274 kcal (14%) | Carbohydrates : 12 g (4%) | Protein : 13 g (26%) | Fat : 20 g (31%) | Saturated Fat : 11 g (55%) | Polyunsaturated Fat : 0.3 g | Monounsaturated Fat : 2 g | Cholesterol : 62 mg (21%) | Sodium : 718 mg (30%) | Potassium : 259 mg (7%) | Fiber : 1 g (4%) | Sugar : 6 g (7%) | Vitamin A : 950 IU (19%) | Vitamin C : 38 mg (46%) | Calcium : 370 mg (37%) | Iron : 0.5 mg (3%)
    Serving size is my estimate of a normal size unless stated otherwise. The number of servings per recipe is stated above. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.
    Course : Soup
    Cuisine : American

    © 101 Cooking for Two, LLC. All content and photographs are copyright protected by us or our vendors. While we appreciate your sharing our recipes, please realize copying, pasting, or duplicating full recipes to any social media, website, or electronic/printed media is strictly prohibited and a violation of our copyrights.

    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.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Estelle Crawford

      February 01, 2017 at 8:09 pm

      Love this receipe!
      Definitely rate this a 5!

      Reply
      • DrDan

        February 05, 2017 at 9:06 am

        Thanks, I love this one too.
        Dan

    2. Marms

      January 20, 2017 at 11:54 am

      Because I'm on a low-carb food plan I use an egg to thicken rather than flour. This is a terrific recipe. I can eat soup. everyday!

      Reply
    3. aizel

      January 19, 2017 at 7:44 pm

      how much is a serving?

      Reply
      • DrDan

        January 19, 2017 at 8:44 pm

        About 1 - 1 1/4 cup. So not big servings. I do the recipe and then decide how many reasonable servings there are.
        Dan

    4. jc

      January 17, 2017 at 2:55 pm

      This is very good I doubled the ingredients came out with plenty of leftovers.Will make again used velveeta only 16oz.

      Reply
    5. Jackie Z

      January 12, 2017 at 5:39 pm

      Loved this soup, was easy to make, did it on the stove top in a Dutch oven. This will be my go to since all in ingredients I usually have on hand. Liked using milk instead of half and half. I rate this 5 excellent.

      Reply
    6. Carole

      January 09, 2017 at 4:10 pm

      This is delicious and is one of my comfort foods. My son and husband don't like creamy soups, so it is my "prizer" when they are not home for supper. No changes to make - simply wonderful

      Reply
      • DrDan

        January 09, 2017 at 10:45 pm

        Hi Carole,
        They really need to try this one.
        Thanks for the note. So happy it works for you.
        Dan

    7. Tammy

      November 23, 2016 at 8:13 pm

      Very good and easy. My entire picky family liked it. My son was disappointed that it was all gone. ?

      Reply
      • DrDan

        November 23, 2016 at 8:18 pm

        Hi Tammy,

        Thanks for the note. I'm making this tomorrow for a light lunch before our evening Thanksgiving pig out.

        Have a good holiday
        Dan

    8. DrDan

      October 20, 2016 at 3:45 pm

      Thanks for the note.

      You can adjust the number of servings in the recipe care above and then print. The 6 servings are average size so cutting in half would be 2 large servings.

      The trouble with cutting in half will be only using half a head of broccoli and I usually use canned both (OK it is 14 oz and not 16 oz but close enough) so I would also have half a can of broth. Plus... I love leftovers.
      Dan

      Reply
    9. Payton

      October 19, 2016 at 1:10 pm

      I love this soup !!! It's so rich and creamy, full of flavor . Is it possible to make this for only 2 people ???

      Reply
    10. Martha Worley

      September 21, 2016 at 6:34 pm

      Have made your recipe several times. Easy easy & so delicious. This freezes great. Just thaw completely & heat up slowly! Thanks a lot!!!
      PS Didn't see any stars to click on. Would have a top rating for this.

      Reply
      • DrDan

        September 21, 2016 at 6:44 pm

        Hi Martha,

        Thanks for the note. This is one of my favorite "original" recipes.
        The ratings are now in the "recipe card" and not in the comments like it was before.

        Dan

    11. Megan

      August 22, 2016 at 12:13 pm

      Just tried this and it was definitely yummy! Next time you make it try adding 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of prepared yellow mustard after the cheese is integrated - it really adds that certain something :-)

      Reply
    12. Andrea

      March 28, 2016 at 10:43 pm

      4 stars
      I've used frozen broccoli and it was great. Tonight I'm using 3 cups chicken broth and only one cup of milk. I'm trying to decrease my dairy. Thanks for the recipe. It is my go to for broccoli and cheese soup.

      Reply
      • DrDan

        March 28, 2016 at 10:58 pm

        Hi Andrea, I'm sure that will "work" but there will be a little less creaminess I believe.
        Thanks for the note and rating.
        DrDan

    13. karlagso

      January 23, 2016 at 6:01 pm

      4 stars
      your soup was a hit with my 16 yr old daughter who's favorite soup was Panera...until yours!!!! question, if you are lactose intolerant and/or calorie conscious can you substitute unsweetened coconut milk or would that affect the flavor?

      Reply
      • DrDan

        March 28, 2016 at 10:56 pm

        So sorry I missed your comment. I suspect the coconut milk would be fine. As for the lactose issue, generally the harder the cheese the less lactose but you should be checking with the manufacture about that.

        Dan

    14. Brooke

      January 05, 2016 at 10:56 pm

      Made this soup tonight for dinner and it turned out great! It was my first time making a broccoli cheese soup but this was easy to follow and delicious! Thank you for the recipe.

      Reply
      • karlagso

        January 23, 2016 at 6:02 pm

        correcting the stars as I had trouble with my ipad

    15. Carole

      January 05, 2016 at 2:09 pm

      Absolutely the best soup, and it heated up great the next day too. Thank you so much!

      Reply
      • DrDan

        January 05, 2016 at 10:06 pm

        Thanks for the note. I do love this soup.
        DrDan

    16. Joan

      December 31, 2015 at 3:27 pm

      The soup is excellent! It does make more than enough for two as I have three pints in the freezer now. Until now, my favorite broccoli cheese soup was at T E Murches and it had the ends of cheese floating in it. Next time I make this, I will put in a few chunks of cheese to float around in the soup.

      Reply
    17. Chris

      December 24, 2015 at 1:28 pm

      I like Velveeta for things like this too, I don't care, it's too wonderfully creamy! Printed this one off, I know my youngest boy will like this. Happy Holidays to you and your family, Dan!

      Reply
    18. Cheri

      December 20, 2015 at 11:48 am

      This looks wonderful and easy. Do you think it would turn out as well with thawed - previously frozen - broccoli?

      Thank you for another great recipe to try.

      Reply
      • DrDan

        December 20, 2015 at 1:32 pm

        I'm almost positive and it probably would be fine with just putting it in frozen but remember to check for the end point of it being tender before adding the cheese.
        DrDan

      • Sharon Hofmann

        December 20, 2017 at 4:27 pm

        I always use frozen chopped broccoli, but pre cook it in broth for 10-15 min. I have always used Velveeta, bu am using half cheddar with it this time.

      • Mang

        January 27, 2018 at 4:30 pm

        I found this soup quick and easy. Also added nutmeg, grated carrot and fine diced celery. I hope my friends like it! I eat plant base diet.

      • Saundra Kelley

        January 29, 2018 at 6:21 pm

        Due to time constraints, I deliberately thawed the broccoli and it worked out just fine. I also used a blend of cheeses - delicious

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