Copycat Panera Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is in Panera broccoli cheddar soup? ›

Milk, Chicken Stock (Chicken Base [Chicken Meat Including Chicken Juices, Salt, Chicken Fat, Yeast Extract, Sugar, Natural Flavor, Potato Flour, Carrot Powder, Turmeric]), Water, Broccoli, Pasteurized Process Cheddar Cheese (Cheddar Cheese [Pasteurized Milk, Cheese Culture, Salt, Enzymes], Whey, Whey Protein ...

“Panera will absolutely be serving longtime guest favorites like sourdough on sandwiches and via its iconic sourdough bread bowl and other longtime favs like French onion soup, broccoli cheddar soup, Toasted Frontega Chicken sandwich, mac & cheese, the kitchen sink cookie and more,” a Panera spokesperson clarified, ...

Flour: This broccoli Cheddar soup starts with a roux made with all-purpose flour and butter. Milk: A cup of milk is whisked into the roux, creating a rich and velvety soup. Stock: Use store-bought or homemade chicken stock. Vegetables: You'll need an onion, carrots, celery, and (of course) broccoli.

When you add the cheese to the soup, make sure that the pot is over very low heat. If the heat is too high, the cheese won't incorporate into the soup, giving it a thin, gloopy texture. I also recommend adding a little at a time and stirring well between additions.

If it's been a minute since you've had Panera Bread's Broccoli Cheddar Soup, let me tell you everything that they do right: this soup is velvety, lightweight, and smooth; the broccoli florets are perfectly sized and many come whole; and the addition of shredded carrots bring out a whole new depth of flavor that sets it ...

That Soup Isn't Made In-House

It may taste homemade, but that Panera soup wasn't actually prepared by the workers at your local shop. "The soups are made at a factory/plant/etc., flash-frozen, shipped to us, and we thaw it out in what's called a thermalizer, essentially a soup-thawer," says one former employee.

Broccoli also can be the culprit behind a slew of stomach-related symptoms. Not only does the veggie — or more specifically, the intestinal bacteria that breaks the fibrous content down — cause gas, but that gas can actually be painful, too.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup is not only delicious but nutritious as well. Broccoli is loaded with vitamin C and K, potassium, and fiber, offering numerous health benefits like improved digestion, reduced inflammation, and boosted immunity.

INGREDIENTS: Cooked Enriched Pasta (Water, Semolina Wheat Flour, Egg Whites, Niacin, Ferrous Sulfate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Broccoli, Cheddar Cheese (Pasteurized Milk, Cheese Culture, Salt, Enzymes), Milk (Milk, Vitamin D), Heavy Cream, Contains 2% or less of: Carrots, Organic Canola Oil, ...

The temperature you cook Broccoli Cheese Soup at is key to making sure it doesn't end up grainy or curdled. Medium heat is best for dairy-based soups so it doesn't boil and curdle.

How do you thicken broccoli cheese soup? ›

The common solution is to use a flour-based roux. Flour can thicken up the water phase of the soup, which in turn makes it difficult for fat globules to coalesce.

TROUBLESHOOTING: WHY IS MY BROCCOLI CHEESE SOUP GRAINY OR CURDLED? This can happen if the temperature gets too high. Basically the proteins in the cheese tighten up and squeeze out the fat. You end up with a grainy, curdled consistency.

Mild cheddar, Colby, Monterey jack, mozzarella, Swiss and queso blanco can all work well. “The best cheeses to melt into soups are cheeses that are higher in moisture and have a lower melting point,” says Bauer. In addition to cheddar and Monterey jack, he recommends Fontina and Gruyère.

Curdling in a cream soup usually occurs when the milk or cream is added at too high of a heat. As you incorporate the milk and broth into the cooked onion and flour mixture, keep the heat at medium and stir continuously with a whisk. Once all is mixed in, then proceed to heat to a boil.

Slowly add the cream or milk and continually stir after adding. This will help prevent it from curdling. Use shredded cheese and always reduce the heat to about low to medium before adding. Don't add the cheese all at once or you risk clumping.

The Unhealthiest Panera Soup: Broccoli Cheddar Soup

In a 1-cup serving, expect 46% of the daily recommended limit of 2,300 milligrams. "Diets high in sodium can lead to high blood pressure," says Michelle Rauch, MS, RDN. "Hypertension is a major risk factor associated with heart disease, stroke, and kidney disease."

The broccoli-cheddar soup served at Panera is not vegetarian. It is listed as such in the menu that is displayed in every bakery-café. Basically, the soup has a beef base to give it flavor and add substance to the soup itself.

One major complaint people have about the soup is that it is not vegetarian because it is made with chicken stock. I've called for vegetable broth here, although you could certainly use chicken stock if the vegetarian factor isn't a priority for you.