The Best Broccoli Cheese Soup (Better-Than-Panera Copycat)

Name: The Best Broccoli Cheese Soup (Better-Than-Panera Copycat)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon + 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (divided); 1 small or medium sweet yellow onion (diced small); 1 clove garlic (peeled and minced finely); 1/4 cup all-purpose flour; 2 cups low-sodium vegetable stock (chicken stock may be substituted); 2 cups half-and-half (*); 2 to 3 cups broccoli florets (diced into bite-size pieces); 1 cup broccoli stems (diced into bite-size pieces (optional)**); 2 large carrots (trimmed, peeled, and sliced into very thin rounds, about 1/16th-inch); 3/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste); 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (or to taste); 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika ((or regular paprika) optional and to taste); 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder (optional and to taste); pinch cayenne pepper (optional and to taste (doesn’t make soup spicy and serves to enhance flavor)); 8 ounces grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese (with a small amount reserved for garnishing***)

Instructions

Prep:15minCook:45min

🥦🧀🤤 Make the best soup of your life at home in 1 hour! It's creamy, CHEESY, and loaded with tender pieces of broccoli! Beyond words amazing and WAY better than Panera!

Updated at: Mon, 15 Dec 2025 00:03:54 GMT