Panera Bread Cheddar Broccoli Soup (Copycat)
Try this copycat recipe of Panera Bread's Cheddar Broccoli Soup.
Try this copycat recipe of Panera Bread's Cheddar Broccoli Soup.
- 3 cups water
- 1/2 medium onion diced
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 cups mild cheddar cheese
- 3 teaspoons beef bouillon (or 3 beef bouillon cubes) or veggie
- 1/4 cup butter (4 tablespoons)
- 1 1/2 cups fat free half & half (or regular)
- 3 cups chopped broccoli florets
- 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste - i like it with about 1 1/2 tea
- Carbohydrate 9.02505291666727 g
- Cholesterol 44.6338541688468 mg
- Fat 14.4296852091558 g
- Fiber 0.443041677792867 g
- Protein 9.67492812500862 g
- Saturated Fat 9.17080750052089 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (188g)
- Sodium 253.280333343181 mg
- Sugar 8.58201123887441 g
- Trans Fat 0.787022708390911 g
- Calories 203 calories
Step-by-step
- In a small pan sauté 1 tablespoon butter and onions over medium heat until onions are translucent. Remove from heat and set aside.
- In a small sauce pan bring water to a boil, add beef bouillon and whisk until combined. Remove from heat and set aside.
- In a deep pan or soup pot melt ¼ cup butter over medium heat. Slowly whisk in flour until mixture clumps up or forms a "ball".
- Add beef bouillon/water mixture and stir to combine. Slowly whisk in half & half and continue to stir until smooth. (If large lumps remain, mash them out with a rubber spatula)
- Add broccoli florets and onions and bring soup to a boil.
- Reduce heat, cover, and allow to simmer 15-20 minutes or until broccoli is tender and easily pierced with a fork.
- Stir in salt, white pepper, and cheddar cheese.
- Stir until cheese is melted.
- Serve hot and top with additional cheese if desired.
Structuring the Dairy Base
Cooking thick soups requires managing milk solids and starch gelatinization carefully. When creating the roux with a quarter cup of butter and flour, whisk continuously over medium heat to hydrate the starch granules without browning them. Incorporating fat-free half-and-half introduces less milk fat than heavy cream, meaning the cheese must be added off the boil at a gentle heat to prevent protein curdling and a grainy texture.
Balancing Salt and Umami
Beef bouillon provides the savory backbone here, supplying concentrated glutamates that complement the sharp cheddar. Because bouillon cubes and commercial bases vary widely in sodium content, withhold the final teaspoon of salt until the cheese has fully melted and integrated into the liquid base. White pepper delivers a sharper, more pungent heat than black pepper without leaving dark specks suspended in the pale yellow soup.
Selecting Complementary Sides
Rich, dairy-heavy soups demand accompaniments that cut through the high fat content with acidity or structural contrast. Crusty sourdough bread provides a porous vehicle for soaking up the broth, while a crisp green salad dressed in a sharp vinaigrette resets the palate between bites of dense cheddar and tender broccoli florets.
