Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup Recipe

Photo: Uncut Recipes

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Picture this: you've just moved into your first apartment, away from the familiar comforts of home. It's a cool, breezy evening and you're craving something comforting, something to remind you of the warmth of a meal shared with friends. It's a moment of independence and stepping into the unknown. And that's when the magic of Broccoli Cheddar Soup comes into play.

My first attempt at cooking, a classic Broccoli Cheddar Soup, was an adventure in itself. It wasn't a family tradition, passed down through generations, but a recipe discovered in an old, worn-out cookbook at a garage sale, its pages stained with notes from its previous owner. It was simple, yet enchanting - the perfect starter recipe for a novice cook like myself.

Reading through the ingredient list, I found solace. Broccoli, cheese, a hint of onion - basic ingredients, but when brought together, they held the promise of a hearty, comforting meal. The process was therapeutic, a dance between various ingredients that I controlled. The melting of the butter, the sizzle of the onion, the vibrant green broccoli against the golden broth, the cheese melting into velvety ribbons - each step was a milestone in this new culinary journey.

The end result? A pot full of creamy, cheesy, and soul-warming Broccoli Cheddar Soup. It wasn't just a meal, it was an accomplishment. A testament to a young person trying to make their way in the world, one recipe at a time.

JUMP TO:

INGREDIENTS:

Broth: The essence of any soup, including this one, is the broth. We recommend using chicken broth for its ability to offer a rich, savory underpinning that pairs well with the broccoli and cheese. Opt for a low-sodium version to better manage the overall salt content. If you decide to make your own chicken broth, don't forget to use quality chicken, bones included, to extract maximum flavor. Should you prefer a vegetarian soup, vegetable broth serves as a great alternative.

Cheddar Cheese: This is the crowning glory of our recipe, bringing in a creamy, tangy dimension that raises the dish to a higher level. When purchasing cheddar, avoid pre-grated options as they often contain anti-caking agents which can impact the texture of your soup. Instead, go for a high-quality block of sharp cheddar and grate it at home. For an interesting twist, try a combination of cheeses, perhaps a bit of gruyère or fontina.

Broccoli: As the main character in this soup, broccoli introduces texture and a distinctive taste that harmonizes with the cheesy richness. Choose broccoli that is bright green, with firm stalks and tight floret clusters, steering clear of any yellow or flowering heads as they indicate old age.

Onion: Serving as an aromatic, onion boosts the soup's flavor profile. The ideal options for this recipe are yellow or white onions due to their inherent sweetness that caramelizes to offer a depth of flavor upon sautéing.

Flour: Flour serves as a stabilizing agent in your soup, providing the right consistency and body. This recipe works well with all-purpose flour. Yet, if you are gluten intolerant, alternatives like cornstarch or a gluten-free flour blend can be substituted, though the soup's texture may vary a bit.

Milk: The recipe calls for 2% milk which enhances the soup's creaminess without adding the heaviness of cream. You could also use whole milk for a creamier soup. If lactose intolerance is a concern, non-dairy alternatives such as almond milk or soy milk can be employed, keeping in mind that the soup's flavor and texture might slightly change. This recipe doesn't include Half-and-Half, but if you want a richer soup, you could swap some of the milk with Half-and-Half, or make your own by mixing equal parts of heavy cream and whole milk.

MAIN STEPS:

There are a few key steps and aspects in this Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup recipe where a little extra care can make a big difference in the final product.

Onion Sautéing: When you're cooking the onions in step 2, keep an eye out for the change in their color and texture. They should turn translucent or slightly glossy, but not brown. Browning indicates that the onions are caramelizing which, while tasty in many dishes, can overwhelm the delicate balance of flavors in this soup.

Boiling and Simmering: As you bring the broth to a boil in step 4 and later let it simmer, be mindful of the heat. A rolling boil can overcook your vegetables, whereas a gentle simmer will help meld the flavors together without compromising the ingredients' integrity. It's a delicate balance that takes practice to master, but it's well worth the effort.

Creating a Roux: Step 7 involves the creation of a roux, a mixture of fat and flour used to thicken sauces and soups. It's essential to add the flour to the reserved broth gradually, whisking continuously to prevent lumps. The resulting paste, or roux, should be smooth before it's added back to the pot.

Cheese Addition: The final crucial step comes when adding the cheese in step 11. Patience is key here. Add the cheese gradually while continuously stirring to ensure it melts smoothly and evenly, preventing clumps. If you add all the cheese at once, it may clump together and make your soup less appealing.

Final Simmer: In the last step, simmering the soup until it's as thick as you want gives you the chance to customize the soup to your liking. Be careful not to over-thicken though; remember that the soup will continue to thicken as it cools.

SERVED WITH:

Classic Caesar Salad (Italy): This starter with crunchy romaine lettuce, creamy Caesar dressing, Parmesan cheese, and crispy croutons is a perfect appetizer that provides a lighter contrast to the richness of the soup.

Sourdough Bread (San Francisco, USA): Sourdough bread, with its unique tang, complements the creamy soup wonderfully. It's great for dipping and enhances the overall soup experience.

Patatas Bravas (Spain): These are crispy fried potatoes served with a spicy tomato sauce and sometimes with aioli. The spicy and crispy potatoes are a delightful contrast to the smooth and creamy soup.

Chicken Caesar Wrap (USA): This wrap combines chicken, Caesar salad, and Parmesan cheese in a tortilla. The wrap offers a substantial, protein-rich complement to the soup, making for a complete meal.

Eton Mess (United Kingdom): A classic British dessert consisting of a simple mixture of fresh strawberries, broken meringue, and whipped cream. It's a light and sweet way to finish a meal after the hearty soup.

Carrot Cake (USA): The sweet and nutty flavor of this moist cake covered in cream cheese frosting would be a perfect end to the meal and complements the savory soup.

Chardonnay (France): A glass of Chardonnay, with its full body and buttery finish, would pair beautifully with the creamy and cheesy flavors of the soup.

ALTERNATIVES:

Cheddar and Broccoli Stuffed Potatoes (USA): This American comfort food is as simple as baking potatoes, scooping out the insides, and then mixing with steamed broccoli and cheddar cheese before baking again until golden.

Garlic and Cheese Bread (Italy): An Italian classic, this side dish features bread that's slathered with a mix of butter, garlic powder, and shredded cheddar cheese, then baked till the cheese is bubbly and golden.

Broccoli and Carrot Stir-Fry (China): This is a healthy and vibrant side dish from China. The vegetables are quickly stir-fried with garlic and seasoned with a pinch of salt.

Broccoli Cheddar Quiche (France): A staple in French cuisine, this quiche combines broccoli and cheddar cheese in a creamy egg custard that's baked in a buttery crust.

Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo (Italy): An Italian classic where sautéed chicken and broccoli are served with fettuccine pasta coated in a creamy Alfredo sauce made with butter, garlic, cream, and Parmesan cheese.

Carrot Halwa (India): This Indian dessert is made by slowly cooking shredded carrots with milk, sugar, and ghee, resulting in a sweet, richly textured dessert.

Cheddar Cheese and Broccoli Smoothie (Modern Fusion): This might sound unusual, but it's a healthy and hearty drink. Blending broccoli, cheddar cheese, milk, a pinch of salt, and a dash of pepper creates a nutritious smoothie. You can add a touch of honey or a ripe banana for a hint of sweetness.

HISTORY:

The story of Panera's Broccoli Cheddar Soup is as heartwarming as the dish itself. The journey begins with Panera Bread, a chain of bakery-café fast casual restaurants in the United States and Canada, whose history dates back to 1987 when it was first known as the St. Louis Bread Company.

Louis Kane, the founder of Au Bon Pain Co. which later became Panera, was reportedly struck by the quality of bread he saw on a trip to Europe. Inspired by the rich, hearty loaves he sampled, Kane dreamt of bringing that level of quality to the United States. He purchased a struggling bakery chain and converted it into the first St. Louis Bread Company location, where artisanal bread was central to the menu.

The Broccoli Cheddar Soup was not initially a part of the menu but was introduced a few years later, quickly becoming a hit among customers. This comforting soup blends together broccoli and carrots with a creamy cheddar cheese base, resulting in a hearty and nutritious dish that instantly became a crowd favorite.

Over the years, the soup's popularity has soared to such an extent that Panera has made the recipe available for fans to recreate at home. From humble beginnings, Panera's Broccoli Cheddar Soup has become not just a signature dish for the brand but a beloved soup that many enjoy both at Panera locations and in the comfort of their own homes.

Today, the Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup symbolizes the success story of the Panera Bread Company - a testament to the power of simple, fresh ingredients coming together to create something truly comforting and delicious. The soup's legacy continues, warming bowls, hearts, and souls across North America.

TIPS:

Sweating Onions: In step 2, you're essentially 'sweating' the onions, a technique where vegetables are cooked gently on low heat until they're soft and translucent. This allows the onions to release their flavors without caramelizing.

Sautéing Broccoli: The purpose of sautéing the broccoli with garlic powder and salt in step 3 is to seal in the flavors. Make sure to keep the broccoli moving in the pot to prevent it from burning or sticking.

Blending Soup for Consistency: The instruction to blend part of the soup can be taken a step further. For a really smooth consistency, you could blend the entire soup and then pass it through a sieve. Conversely, if you prefer more texture in your soup, you might only blend a quarter of it, or even skip this step altogether.

Creating a Roux: In step 7, you're creating a roux with the flour and broth, which will thicken your soup. Make sure to whisk the flour in slowly to prevent lumps.

Simmering the Soup: In the final stage, the simmering process is important. A low and slow simmer (not a vigorous boil) will allow the flavors to meld together beautifully without risking the soup separating or the dairy components curdling.

Ingredients:

Conversions and Servings: Cups (1 Person) Cups (2 People) Cups (3 People) Cups (4 People) Cups (5 People) Cups (6 People) Cups (8 People) Imperial (1 Person) Imperial (2 People) Imperial (3 People) Imperial (4 People) Imperial (5 People) Imperial (6 People) Imperial (8 People) Metric (1 Person) Metric (2 People) Metric (3 People) Metric (4 People) Metric (5 People) Metric (6 People) Metric (8 People)

Directions:

01 - To get started, you'll need a large stock pot or a Dutch oven. Put it on your stove and set the heat to medium/high. Once it's heated up a bit, take the Butter and melt it right in.

02 - Once the Butter is fully melted, it's time to add the Onion. Simply put the chopped Onion into the pot and let it cook for about 3-4 minutes. You'll know it's done when the Onion starts looking a bit translucent or glossy.

03 - Now it's time to add in the Broccoli, Garlic Powder, and half of the Salt. Stir these all together in the pot and sauté them for about 2-3 minutes (sauteing is just a fancy word for frying quickly in a little bit of fat, which you've already got in your pot from the Butter).

04 - Now that your vegetables are nicely sauteed, pour in the Broth and let the whole Mixture come to a boil.

( To achieve a thinner, more soupy consistency, you can use a hand blender to blend approximately half of the soup directly in the pot )

05 - After it starts boiling, turn the heat down to low. Using a measuring cup, carefully scoop out 1 cup of the broth from the pot and set it aside for now. We'll use it in just a little bit in STEP 07.

06 - Now, it's time to add the Carrots, Black Pepper, and the rest of the Salt you have left into the pot. Give everything a good stir to make sure it's well mixed, then let the whole thing simmer on low heat.



07 - While the Broth cooks... remember the 1 cup of Broth we set aside in STEP 05? It's time to bring it back. Pour it into a medium-size bowl and slowly whisk the Flour into it. This will thicken the Broth quickly, making a kind of paste.



08 - Now, carefully Pour the thickened Broth back into the pot. Use your whisk again to mix everything together. It's important to get it all evenly mixed so that the thickened Broth gets distributed throughout the Soup.

09 - Next, pour in the Milk, whisking as you go to get everything smoothly combined.

10 - Turn the heat up to medium again, and let the whole thing simmer for about 4-5 minutes.

11 - Once that's done, remove the pot from the heat. Take your shredded Cheese and slowly add it to the Soup, stirring all the while. This is so the Cheese mixes evenly into the Soup and doesn't clump up.

12 - The last step is simple. Put the pot back on the stove and let the Soup simmer on low heat until it's as thick as you want it to be and hot enough to serve. This is your chance to adjust the final texture and temperature of the Soup to your liking. Then, serve it up and enjoy!

Photo: Uncut Recipes

Notes:

Preparation:
- Make sure to chop your vegetables (broccoli, carrots, and onion) before you start cooking. This will make the cooking process smoother.
- The recipe calls for finely chopped broccoli and roughly chopped matchstick carrots. For beginners, "finely chopped" means the pieces should be smaller and more uniform in size while "roughly chopped" means the pieces can be a bit larger and more irregular.

Ingredients:
- For the cheese, it's recommended to use freshly shredded cheese, not the pre-shredded variety. Pre-shredded cheese often has additives that prevent it from melting smoothly.
- If you want to make a vegetarian version of this soup, you can replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth.

Cooking:
- When you are sautéing the onions, make sure to stir them occasionally to prevent them from burning. The goal is to make them translucent, not browned or crispy.
- The recipe instructs you to separate the salt. This means you add a portion of the salt at different stages of the recipe to gradually build flavor.

Storage:
- This soup can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
- If you want to freeze the soup, wait for it to cool completely. It's important to note that the texture might change slightly upon thawing and reheating due to the dairy content. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating over medium heat.

Reheating:
- When reheating, do it over medium heat and stir occasionally to ensure even heating and to maintain a smooth texture. If the soup is too thick, you can add a bit of broth or water to thin it to your preferred consistency.

Serving:
- This soup goes great with a crusty baguette or a side salad. It's a comforting dish perfect for cold days or when you're in the mood for something creamy and satisfying. Enjoy your homemade Broccoli Cheddar Soup!

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Written by: Uncut Recipes

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