Broccoli is known to be one of the best green foods with several benefits. Full of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber, broccoli is known as the powerhouse vegetable.

It is known to be a good source of Vitamin K and calcium. Vitamin A, Vitamin C, phosphorus, and zinc are also there in broccoli. It is really good for your bones. Broccoli is also great for weight loss.

1. Broccoli cheese soup:

Winter is known as the soup season because hot and creamy soup in this season is so comforting.

The soup tastes great when served hot. This cheddar soup is so delicious and the best comfort food that the whole family can enjoy it.

Check out the full article to make sufficiently green, cheesy, smoother soup, and flavor broccoli cheese soup.

This article mentions two different recipes, and you can try to make both or any of them.

Now, let us look at the ingredients of Panera’s broccoli cheddar soup and how to go ahead with the cheese soup recipe.

2. For recipe 1:-

Ingredients:-

2.1 Butter:

This will add flavor and texture to the cheese soup recipe. Butter can also be replaced by olive oil.

2.2 Onion:

There is no need to chop them finely since it has to be blended late.

2.3 Garlic cloves:

Just peel off the skin. You can also use garlic powder in place of garlic cloves.

2.4 Fresh broccoli:

Broccoli florets and stalks are important to get the delicious cheese soup.

Chicken broth/ vegetable broth:

Any one of these ingredients will add a nice flavor to the cheese soup.

2.5 Sharp cheddar cheese:

It will give a nice creamy texture to Panera’s broccoli cheese soup.

2.6 Water:

This will help to make the cheese soup a little thin in texture.

2.7 Seasoning:

Seasonings such as black pepper, paprika, and cayenne pepper will add great flavor to the cheese soup.

2.1 Quantity:-

• Butter: 3 tbsp
• Onion: 2 medium size
• Garlic: 6 cloves
• Black pepper: to taste
• Salt: 11/4 teaspoon
• Fresh broccoli: 2 pounds (broccoli florets as well as
• broccoli stock)
• Sharp cheddar cheese: 4-8 ounces (grated cheese)
• Olive oil: 1 tbsp.

2.2 Recipe:-

Now let us take a look at the great recipe for making the best broccoli cheddar soup:

1. Start by cutting broccoli florets into small bite-sized pieces. Try to keep the size of the broccoli small and then cut the stock into smaller pieces (as they taste fine in the cheese soup).
2. Now heat 1 tbsp of olive oil and then add a tablespoon of butter to it. Melt butter and then add broccoli stocks and chopped onion to it.
3. Cook it till it starts getting color. The idea behind this is to get the best flavor of the cheese soup.
4. Add 1 tbsp of garlic powder or cloves to it and fry the mixture in a large pot for a few minutes. Keep on frequently stirring so that nothing gets burnt and the garlic changes to golden color.
5. Now add salt, freshly ground black pepper, paprika, and cayenne pepper. Give it all a good mix. This will give an amazing taste to the broccoli cheese soup.
6. Add some fresh thyme leaves and some fresh basil to the cheese soup. Basil will give a nice minty flavor to the broccoli cheddar soup. These two ingredients can be skipped and are optional.
7. When you see the bottom of the pot turn brown, we will declass it with some stock. You can use both vegetable and chicken broth for this purpose. You can also use water for this process. Then, after adding it, give it a good mix.
8. Now cover the vessel you are cooking this delicious soup on medium heat for some time. When it’s cooked, add the mixture to the blender or blend using an immersion blender. In this step, try to add the vegetables to the blender by keeping the stock aside.
9. Now blend the vegetables and slowly pour the stock into it. The idea here is to get a much creamier and smoother cheddar soup.
10. Heat a tbsp of butter and add chopped broccoli florets to it. Now spread them across the pan and not touch them for about 2 minutes. This will help broccoli florets to get some color on them. Please stir it after some time to make sure nothing gets burnt. At this stage, you can add one more tbsp. Of butter to it, to give it a more rich taste.
11. Now pour out the puree into the broccoli. Then, give the broccoli soup a good mix. You can also use a strainer if the soup is smooth. Otherwise, you can skip the step.
12. You can check your soup for the seasoning (whether more salt or black pepper must be added).
13. You can add a little bit of water to make the texture thin.
14. Add 150 mils of heavy cream and 100 grams of cheddar cheese (grated cheese). You can use any cheddar cheese you like. That’s totally up to you. Cook until the cheese has melted and everything has been cooked well by stirring frequently.

To make the soup super creamy, you can also blend the broccoli. This step is optional.

Your best soup, or your cheddar soup, is ready to be served. Serve warm by adding more cheese to the Panera broccoli cheese soup bowl.

3. For recipe 2:-

Ingredients:-

3.1 Butter:

This will add an amazing flavor and a great texture to the broccoli cheese soup recipe.

3.2 Onion:

There is no need to chop them finely since they must be blended late.

3.3 Milk and cream:

They will add a nice texture to the cheese soup and give it a creamy appearance.

3.4 Fresh broccoli:

The broccoli florets will give crispness to the soup. You can also blend them depending on your needs.

3.5 Carrots:

It will make the cheese soup look colorful and will add a nice taste to the soup.

3.6 Chicken broth/ vegetable broth:

Any one of these ingredients will add a nice flavor to the cheese soup.

3.7 Sharp cheddar cheese:

It will give a nice creamy texture to Panera’s broccoli cheese soup.

3.8 Water

This will help to make the cheese soup a little thin in texture. It is optional and only when you need to. Otherwise, you can avoid it.

3.9 Seasoning:

Seasonings such as freshly ground black pepper and red pepper flakes will flavor the cheese soup.

3.1 Quantity:-

• Unsalted butter: 1/4 cup
• Onion: 1/2 cup
• Carrot: 1 cup (shredded carrots)
• Freshly ground black pepper: to taste
• Milk: 1 cup
• Cream: 1 cup
• Salt: 11/2 teaspoon
• Fresh broccoli: 2-3 cups
• Sharp cheddar cheese: 4-8 ounces (grated cheese)
• Plain flour: 1/4 cup
• Olive oil: 1 tbsp. (optional; can be used in place of
• butter)

3.2 Recipe:-

Now let us take a look at another amazing and mouthwatering cheese soup recipe:

1. For the first step, melt butter in a large pot and keep the flame at medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add broccoli, chopped onions, and carrots. Cook them until they have become soft by stirring frequently.
2. Now add chicken broth (chicken stock) slowly to the vegetables, accompanied by milk and heavy cream. Then add salt to taste, plain flour, pepper, and red pepper flakes. You can use an immersion blender to blend the vegetables if you don’t want the pieces separately.
3. By stirring frequently, make sure the soup turns thick. You can also make it thin, depending on what you want your soup to look like.
4. After the broccoli cheese soup has become thick, reduce the heat and add cheddar cheese to the soup. Stir until the cheese has melted into the soup perfectly.

Sounds delicious, right? So, without wasting time, serve warm by garnishing with some more cheese on top or without it (depending on you). The whole family will enjoy this perfect comfort food.

Chef’s Expert Tips For Broccoli Cheese Soup

Jessica Randhawa, the head chef, recipe creator, photographer, and writer behind The Forked Spoon, suggests a delicious, family-friendly recipe that anyone can make:

“If you haven’t ventured into making broccoli cheese soup yet, let me assure you, it’s a wonderfully straightforward and rewarding experience!

This classic comfort food, known for its creamy texture and flavorful blend, is surprisingly simple to prepare.

Most recipes follow {a basic] process of sautéing vegetables, adding broth, and then blending in cheese for that delightful creamy goodness.

You don’t need to be a gourmet chef to achieve a rich, hearty soup; it’s pretty forgiving, even for beginners.

Plus, there’s plenty of room for customization – you can adjust the thickness of the types of cheese or even add extra ingredients to suit your taste.

I love adding gouda cheese. So, grab your favorite pot and give it a go – a homemade, warm, and comforting bowl of broccoli cheese soup could be just the culinary triumph you need!”

4. What to serve with broccoli cheese soup:-

Broccoli soup is a meal in itself. The soup tastes good alone and hot most of the time, but you can also serve a few things with it. Some of them are:

1. Roasted Sweet Potatoes:  This dish goes very well with broccoli cheese soup. Crispy and caramelized texture with a soft interior, wow, sounds delicious! Hot-hot crispy potatoes and creamy soup are a fantastic combination in winter.
2. Fried onion rings: It is also known as French-fried onions, are also among the best side dishes. A deep-fried and crisp appearance gives them a nice mouthwatering taste. Try dipping them in the broccoli cheddar soup and enjoy your day.
3. Garlic breadsticks: There is nothing better than buttery garlic breadsticks. You need hot breadsticks covered with herbs and garlic to make your meal perfect. They are so addictive that you can’t ignore them or leave them. They are easy to make and can be made super quickly. Serve your hot Panera broccoli cheddar soup with garlic breadsticks, and your family members will become your fans.
4. Crusty bread: If you have no other side dish available now, just severe crusty bread with your broccoli cheese soup, and it will also go very well. The crispy and creamy combination is all that is required. Just make sure to serve everything hot, and your meal is ready to be done.
5. Panera bread: They are another option for your meal to be crispy and creamy if nothing is available. These loaves of bread go well with any dish, be it tea, lemonade, frozen drinks, hot chocolate, lattes, coffee, lemonade, fruit smoothies, soups, etc.
6. Bread bowls: They are also known to have a crispy and soft texture on the outside. They are also a perfect combination with your broccoli cheddar soup. You can fill them with soup and enjoy your ideal evening meal or dinner. They can be made easily using everyday ingredients.
7. Garlic Knots: They are very soft and fluffy and can be baked using pizza dough, garlic herbs, cheese, and butter. They are a great snack as well as a perfect side dish. You can enjoy them with soup, salad, and pasta.
8. Grilled sandwiches: They are the most loved snacks and most common side food. Cheese-grilled sandwiches can be enjoyed with your Panera broccoli cheese soup. You can make a filling of your choice, add cheese, and grill it. Your grilled cheese sandwich is ready to be eaten with soup. It can be grilled or even cooked in a pan.

Nutrition Expert Tips on Broccoli and Cheddar Synergy in Soup

Robert Iafelice, Nutrition Expert at SETFORSET, discusses the strong synergistic effect of broccoli-cheddar cheese soup, with astounding health benefits:

“A broccoli-cheddar cheese combo in soup makes for a nutrition powerhouse.

Like other cruciferous vegetables (e.g., cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts, cabbage), broccoli has strong chemopreventive (anti-cancer) properties.

Broccoli contains a potent antioxidant compound known as sulforaphane. Sulforaphane plays a significant role in broccoli’s ability to prevent cancer.

Since it is a fat-soluble compound, it [is best consumed] in a meal that contains fat or oil. Thus, when eaten along with full-fat cheddar cheese in a soup, its absorption into the bloodstream is greatly enhanced.

Moreover, full-fat cheddar cheese is [a great] source of calcium and high-quality protein. Since high-quality protein should be the core of every meal, this broccoli-cheddar soup is a meal [in] itself.

Though it can be an accompaniment for a main dish, it can stand alone as a healthy and tasty meal that includes protein, fat, fiber, and plenty of vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals (e.g., sulforaphane).

Besides the calcium and protein for bone and muscle health, dairy fat has [been shown] to lower the risk of diabetes.

All in all, broccoli-cheddar cheese soup provides a strong synergistic effect that makes for a super nutritious and satisfying meal.”

These are some of the best-picked side dishes that go very well with Panera’s broccoli cheddar soup.

There are many more side dishes that you can have with your cheese soup. That depends upon you! So go on and experiment with your favorite food cuisines.

5. How to store broccoli cheese soup:-

Let it cool down for a while to store homemade broccoli cheese soup. After that, you can keep it in the refrigerator for three days. You can also store the cheese soup in an airtight container in a cool place for about three months.

5.1 For reheating:-

• On the stovetop, pour the cheese soup into the crockpot or saucepan by stirring frequently.
• Heat the cheese soup in the microwave for 2-3 minutes according to your microwave by covering it with a safe lid. Stir the cheese soup midway.

It would be best if you tried these recipes or at least any of them. You and your family members will enjoy it. It tastes very good when served hot and fresh with some of the sides as mentioned earlier dishes.

You can add or subtract according to your taste and requirements. But make sure to cook it if you search for something creamy, sufficiently green, cheesy, smooth soup, and fresh in flavor.

Food Scientist’s Suggestion for Making the Soup Ahead of Time and Storing it for Future Use

Kelly D’Amico, a trained food scientist with a background in the food ingredients space and owner of Made to Sustain (a food blog), offers valuable tips on Broccoli Cheese Soup storage:

“For optimal storage, store in an air-tight container and use within a week.

Your soup may thicken in the refrigerator (because of starches released), but you can always adjust the texture with water, milk, or vegetable stock when you reheat it on the stovetop.

If you want to extend the shelf life of your soup, you can store it in clean, food-saver bags and use it within two weeks. Otherwise, make sure you eat it within a few days of making it.

Don’t recommend reheating in the microwave – the cheese may burn on the sides of the bowl and ruin your soup – then no soup for you!”

Closing Thoughts

Nothing can beat the rich flavor, broccoli’s crisp taste, and the smooth texture of milk & cream. Cheese adds another point to try this recipe. The cooking time is 30 minutes, which is not a big deal. This time is allowed to have a great meal for you or your family members.

Now that you know how to make the best broccoli cheese soup, when do you plan to make it for your family? So, if you love this soup, then this recipe has got you covered; and of course, you can mix match mild cheddar cheese, extra sharp cheddar cheese, frozen broccoli florets, or even make the broccoli cheddar soup recipe.

So, what are you waiting for? Make Yours Now!

Last Updated on March 18, 2024 by Sathi Chakraborty, MSc Biology