Copycat Panera Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Did Panera change their Broccoli Cheddar Soup? ›

It's here: our new clean Broccoli Cheddar Soup. No artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners or preservatives. We're adding #SoupReview tweets to our never-ending trailer at PaneraSoupReview.com.

The Unhealthiest Panera Soup: Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Besides its 11 grams of saturated fat, this soup is suffused with sodium. 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.

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.

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.

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.

In addition to the new products, 12 classic favorites – including the Bravo Club Sandwich, Chipotle Chicken Avocado Melt, the Fuji Apple Chicken Salad and more have received recipe enhancements – keeping the classic Panera favorites guests expect and remember, packed with even more delicious flavors that guests will ...

The unhealthiest lunch order at Panera is…the new Bacon Mac and Cheese Bread Bowl. At Panera, you can order any of the soups or mac and cheese in a bread bowl, which is a bowl made entirely of Panera's Artisinal Sourdough Bread.

The next time you find yourself going for the infamous Panera broccoli cheddar soup, try out the cream of chicken and wild rice instead. This healthier option is lower in calories, fat, and carbs, but the flavors are just as satisfying. Plus, the long grain and wild rice are great for protein and healthy carbs.

If heated too high, you risk clumping and if too low, not melting properly. With soup, you might be able to fix it with an immersion blender, or you might not. At a temperature of 150 or so, the protein bonds in the cheese break down and as a result, too much fo the moisture escapes too quickly.

Is broccoli cheddar soup good or bad for you? ›

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.

Grate the cheese yourself.

Pre-shredded cheese is often coated in anti-caking agents that can prevent the cheese from melting into a lusciously creamy soup. To ensure that your broccoli cheddar soup has the best smooth and creamy texture, buy a block of cheese and grate it yourself.

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. Because the gas expands the intestines, its lining and walls become stretched.

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.

There is often so much milk, heavy cream and grated cheese that the soup is nearly white in color. I totally get it, if you're trying to make a version styled after Panera's Broccoli Cheddar Soup (and it seems like a lot of people are), you'll likely go that route.

On June 24, 2022, Panera parent company Blount Fine Foods issued a voluntary limited recall of Panera at Home Southwest Corn Chowder. The soup is described by Panera as being a creamy potato and corn soup with roasted corn, poblano peppers, and black beans.

Panera's menu is getting a major refresh, just in time for spring. The bakery-café chain just revealed that it's adding nine new items and revamping 12 popular favorites in what it calls its “biggest menu transformation in brand history.” If it reminds of you of the great Subway menu revamp of 2022, you're not alone.

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.

If there is leftover broccoli, there will be Cream of Broccoli Soup or Broccoli Cheese Soup. The preparation for the Cream of Broccoli is the same excluding the cheese. I like to garnish the Cream of Broccoli Soup with just a few pieces of the cooked broccoli.