Copycat Panera® Broccoli Cheddar Soup

My husband loves Panera® broccoli cheddar soup but it went up in price and therefore we set out on a hunt to create the perfect broccoli cheddar soup. Here is what we came up with. There are tons of variations and options to make this soup your own. You can add extra veggies, different cheeses, garlic to your onions, a little nutmeg to the finished soup, green onions, sour cream, etc. The list goes on and on. Make it your own! Serve topped with cheese!

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 50 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins
• Calories: 304 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 cups milk
• ¼ cup melted butter
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 2 cups chicken stock
• ½ onion, chopped
• 2 ½ cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
• ¼ cup flour
• 1 ½ cups coarsely chopped broccoli florets
• 1 cup matchstick-cut carrots

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onion in hot butter until translucent, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

Step 2

Whisk 1/4 cup melted butter and flour together in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Continue to whisk and cook , adding 1 to 2 tablespoons of milk if necessary to keep the flour from burning, 3 to 4 minutes.

Step 3

Gradually pour milk into flour mixture while whisking constantly. Stir chicken stock into milk mixture. Bring to a simmer; cook until mixture is thickened, about 20 minutes. Add broccoli, carrots, sauteed onion, and celery; simmer until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.

Step 4

Stir Cheddar cheese into vegetable mixture until cheese melts. Season with salt and pepper to taste.