Soupe brocoli-cheddar façon Panera
A rich, velvety broccoli cheddar soup with tender bits of broccoli and thin ribbons of carrot in every spoonful, just like the bakery-cafe favorite. A quick butter-and-flour roux plus half-and-half gives it that signature silky body, while a full half pound of sharp cheddar stirred in off the heat keeps the soup smooth instead of grainy. It comes together in one pot in about an hour and begs to be served in a sourdough bread bowl.
Melt butter in a Dutch oven and soften a diced onion, then stir in flour and cook it for two minutes to make a roux. Gradually whisk in vegetable broth, then half-and-half, and let it come to a bare simmer. Add small broccoli florets and julienned carrots and simmer gently, partially covered, for about 20 minutes until the broccoli is completely tender. Mash or blend about a third of the pot for body, then pull it off the heat and stir in freshly grated sharp cheddar a handful at a time, followed by a teaspoon of Dijon and a pinch of nutmeg. Rest five minutes, taste for salt, and ladle into bread bowls.
- Grate a block of cheddar yourself and stir it in off the heat — pre-shredded cheese and a boiling pot are the two main causes of grainy, broken soup.
- Cut the broccoli into small, bite-size pieces and julienne the carrots so every spoonful gets tender vegetables instead of big awkward chunks.
- Blend or mash only about a third of the soup: that thickens the base while keeping the chunky texture the original is known for.
Equipment
- Dutch oven or heavy 4-quart soup pot
- Whisk
- Box grater
- Chef's knife and cutting board
- Ladle
- Immersion blender (optional)
Ingrédients
Soup Base
- 56 g unsalted butter
- yellow onion, finely diced, about 1 cup
- garlic cloves, minced
- 30 g all-purpose flour
- 480 ml low-sodium vegetable broth, or chicken broth if you are not keeping it vegetarian
- 480 ml half-and-half, or equal parts whole milk and heavy cream
- 450 g broccoli, cut into small bite-size pieces; peel and dice the stems too
- 120 g carrots, julienned or coarsely grated, about 2 medium
- 6 g kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1 g freshly ground black pepper
To Finish
- 230 g sharp cheddar cheese, block cheese, grated at home — pre-shredded melts poorly
- 5 ml Dijon mustard, sharpens the cheese flavor without tasting mustardy
- ground nutmeg, optional, classic with cheese sauces
Préparation
- ÉTAPE01
Cut the broccoli into small, bite-size florets and peel and dice the stems. Julienne or coarsely grate the carrots, finely dice the onion, and mince the garlic. Grate the cheddar on the large holes of a box grater and set it aside at room temperature so it melts quickly later.
- ÉTAPE02
Melt the butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent but not browned, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds more.
- ÉTAPE03
Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir constantly until the raw smell is gone and the mixture looks like wet sand, about 2 minutes. Do not let it darken — you want a blond roux for a pale, creamy soup.
- ÉTAPE04
Pour in the broth a splash at a time at first, whisking after each addition so the roux stays lump-free, then whisk in the rest along with the half-and-half. Bring to a gentle simmer, whisking often, until the base is lightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Keep the heat moderate; a hard boil can curdle the dairy.
- ÉTAPE05
Stir in the broccoli, carrots, salt, and pepper. Partially cover and cook at a low simmer, stirring every few minutes so nothing sticks, until the broccoli is completely tender and the soup coats a spoon, 18 to 20 minutes.
- ÉTAPE06
For the classic creamy-but-chunky consistency, use an immersion blender to pulse the soup just a few times, or press a potato masher through the pot several times — you want roughly a third of the vegetables broken down and the rest left in small pieces.
- ÉTAPE07
Remove the pot from the heat. Add the grated cheddar a handful at a time, stirring each addition until fully melted before adding the next. Stir in the Dijon and nutmeg, then taste and adjust salt and pepper.
- ÉTAPE08
Let the soup stand off the heat for 5 minutes — it thickens noticeably as it settles. Ladle into hollowed-out sourdough bread bowls or regular bowls and top with a little extra grated cheddar.
Make ahead
Chop the broccoli, carrots, and onion and grate the cheese up to 2 days ahead; store them separately in the fridge. For best make-ahead results, cook the soup through the vegetable simmer, refrigerate the cheese-free base for up to 3 days, then reheat gently and stir in the cheddar off the heat just before serving.
Storage
Cool completely, then refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat gently in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring often and stopping short of a boil so the cheese and dairy stay smooth; loosen with a splash of broth or milk if it has thickened. Freezing is not recommended once the cheese is added — the texture turns grainy when thawed.
Variations
Gluten-Free
Skip the flour entirely. After the vegetables are tender, whisk 1 tbsp (8 g) cornstarch into 2 tbsp (30 ml) cold broth, stir the slurry into the simmering soup, and cook 1 to 2 minutes until thickened before adding the cheese. Double-check that your broth is certified gluten-free.
Smoky and Spicy
Swap 60 g (2 oz) of the cheddar for smoked gouda and add 1/2 tsp smoked paprika and a pinch of cayenne with the salt and pepper. The result is a deeper, steakhouse-style bowl that still tastes like the original underneath.
Lighter Weeknight Bowl
Use whole milk in place of the half-and-half and bump the flour up to 1/3 cup (40 g) to keep the body. Blend half the pot instead of a third so the pureed vegetables do more of the thickening work, and you can drop the cheese to 170 g (6 oz).
Serve with
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition values are estimates based on the metric measurements. Adjust as needed.
Questions fréquentes
Why did my cheese turn grainy or stringy instead of melting smoothly?
Almost always one of two things: the pot was too hot, or the cheese was pre-shredded. High heat makes cheddar's proteins seize and squeeze out fat, so always pull the pot off the burner before stirring in the cheese, a handful at a time. Pre-shredded cheese is coated in anti-caking starches and cellulose that keep it from melting into a smooth sauce — grating a block of sharp cheddar yourself takes two minutes and fixes it.
What makes panera broccoli cheddar soup different from regular broccoli cheese soup?
The signature details of panera broccoli cheddar soup are half-and-half rather than plain milk, thin julienned carrots alongside small broccoli pieces, and a soup that is creamy but still clearly chunky rather than fully pureed. This recipe copies all three, and adds a teaspoon of Dijon, which quietly boosts the sharp cheddar flavor the way the restaurant version tastes.
Can I make this soup in a slow cooker?
Yes, with one adjustment: cook the onion, garlic, and roux in a skillet first, then transfer to the slow cooker with the broth, broccoli, carrots, and seasonings and cook on LOW for 3 to 4 hours until the broccoli is tender. Stir in the half-and-half during the last 30 minutes and the grated cheese right at the end with the cooker turned off, so the dairy never boils.
Can I freeze broccoli cheddar soup?
The finished soup does not freeze well — the cheese and half-and-half separate and turn grainy when thawed. If you want a freezer stash, freeze the soup after the vegetable simmer but before adding the dairy and cheese, for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, reheat gently, stir in warmed half-and-half, then add the cheese off the heat.
My soup came out too thin (or too thick) — how do I fix it?
Too thin: let it simmer uncovered a few extra minutes, blend a bit more of the pot, or stir in a slurry of 1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp cold water and simmer briefly before adding cheese. Too thick: whisk in warm broth or milk a splash at a time until it ladles the way you like. Remember it also thickens as it rests and even more once refrigerated.
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