Copycat Recipes: Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup

January 16, 2013

Cozy on the couch with a bowl of this delicious broccoli cheddar soup. This copycat recipe for Panera's famed broccoli cheddar soup is rich, thick and so tasty that you'll stop eating the restaurant version. Broccoli florets are cooked in chicken broth and then pureed with half and half and cheddar cheese. Make a double batch of this meal and freeze the extras to enjoy on a cold evening.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

2 cups fat free half and half

2 cups chicken broth (I use dry soup base – 2 teaspoons dry mix with 2 cups 10 ounces fresh broccoli, chopped

1 cup carrots, chopped

8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese (don’t go low fat on this ingredient!)

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Melt butter in stock pot. Add the flour and stir to a paste for about 2 minutes. Slowly add the fat free half and half – you are basically starting with a roux. Once you have your thick white sauce, add chicken broth, broccoli and carrots. Simmer for 30 minutes or until the veggies are tender.

The only thing I don’t like about Panera’s soups is that sometimes I have a giant piece of broccoli in my soup, so I pureed mine.

Remove from heat and stir in cheese until melted. I tend to under salt the soup because I think the cheese is salty enough, but you can decide for yourself!

This made 7 cups of soup for me: Each one cup serving: 284 calories, 17 fat, 15.3 carbs, 2.1 fiber and 13 protein.