Copycat Panera Bread® Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Time :1 5

Yield :8 servings

Recipe Background

Raise your hand if you love the Panera Bread ® famous broccoli cheddar soup! Oh look, that's just about everyone! Good news! This recipe for Copycat Panera Bread Broccoli Cheddar Soup will make you think twice about needing to leave the house to satisfy your craving. Warm, cream, and delicious, Copycat Panera Bread Broccoli Cheddar Soup is here to save the day!

Ingredients

1/4 cup butter melted, plus 1 tablespoon butter, room temperature, divided
1/2 onion chopped
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk plus more, to taste
2 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 cups broccoli florets coarsely chopped
1 cup carrots matchstick-cut
1 stalk celery thinly sliced
2 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Heat a skillet on the stovetop over medium-high heat.
Add 1 tablespoon of the room temperature butter.
Once the butter has melted, add the chopped onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
In a separate saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the remaining melted butter and the flour together.
Cook until the flour loses its granular texture, adding the extra milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, to keep the flour from burning, about 3- 4 minutes.
Slowly pour the remaining 2 cups of the milk into the flour mixture, while whisking constantly to prevent burning.
Add the chicken stock into the milk mixture and stir.
Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook until the raw flour smell is gone and the mixture has thickened, about 20 minutes. Add the broccoli, the carrots, the sautéed onions, and the celery.
Simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.
Add the cheddar cheese into the vegetable mixture and stir until the cheese melts.
Season with the salt and the pepper.
Serve immediately!