The Best Broccoli Cheddar Soup

A creamy, hearty, one-pot broccoli cheddar soup that is so perfectly flavored it rivals Panera! The perfect accompaniment to a cold winter day! 

Winter is here. There’s just something about snow and germs floating through the air that makes me want to curl up on my couch with a big bowl of hot soup and spoon it into my face until the misery subsides. 

When it comes to soup, my top three are simple: potato, chicken noodle, and broccoli cheddar. One of my favorite flu season soup recipes is this 30 Minute Feel Better Chicken Soup, and I recently came across this Panera Copycat recipe for Broccoli Cheddar Soup and knew I had to have it in my repertoire of recipes! Turns out it’s waaayyy better than Panera’s and deserved the title of THE BEST. 

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THE BEST BROCCOLI CHEDDAR SOUP

Let’s start out by learning a little bit about how to choose and store our main ingredient, mmmkay? 

HOW DO I CHOOSE FRESH BROCCOLI? 

• The broccoli should be an even, dark green color with tight florets and firm stalks. The more compact the clusters of florets are, the fresher the broccoli is! The older it gets, the more it will start to spread out and the more the florets will begin to yellow. (Older, yellowed florets will work well in soups or stocks.)
• The cut ends of the stalk should look fresh and not dried out.
• Choose broccoli that looks heavy for its size.

COOL, AND HOW DO I STORE it UNTIL I’M READY TO COOK?

• You can mist the heads of the broccoli, but do not wash it (too much moisture may cause molding.)
• You can wrap the broccoli in a damp paper towel, but you don’t want to store it in a plastic bag because broccoli needs proper air circulation.
• Store the broccoli in the refrigerator and eat within 3-5 days.

Tip: You can find more tips on seasonal produce selection and storage, plus tons of recipes from fellow food bloggers in my Monthly Seasonal Produce Guides! 

THANKS! NOW HOW TO DO I COOK THe soup?

First, start out by prepping your veggies. Wash and chop about 1 and a half medium heads of broccoli into florets so you have about 3 cups worth of florets and set aside. Next, finely dice 1/2 of a white onion.

Place a large dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat and add in 1/4 C of butter and all of the diced onion. Sauté the onion until soft. Sprinkle in 1/4 C of flour, stir and continue to cook for 1-2 minutes.

Next, whisk in 2 C of half and half cream and 1 can (14.5 oz) of chicken broth. Add in the broccoli florets and 1 C of shredded carrots. Season with some salt and pepper, to taste.Allow the soup to cook for 20-25 minutes until the broccoli is tender and easily stabbed with a fork. Transfer the soup to a blender and pulse until desired consistency (this doesn’t take much so don’t pulverize it!) Pour the soup back into your pot and allow to cool slightly. (Using finely shredded cheese added after the soup has cooled slightly will help prevent the cheese from coagulating or becoming grainy. Adding when the soup is still hot will cause it to group together and become grainy!)
Add in 8 oz of finely grated sharp cheddar cheese and stir until combined. Finally, season with a little extra salt and pepper, if desired, and about 1/4 tsp of nutmeg (some might call this a dash). Mix to combined and serve warm with bread (or pork butt stuffed cheddar bay biscuits if you have them! 😛 ) 

Enjoy! Leftovers can be microwaved stirring at 30-second intervals until desired temperature. 🙂 If you’re looking for more cozy winter recipes, check out this Italian Orzo Soup, this 30 Minute Feel Better Chicken Soup, or this Crockpot Chicken Mexi-Chili!

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**Recipe from The Girl Who Ate Everything

What do you think? Did this recipe make the cut for you or did it crumble? What would you do differently? I look forward to reading your opinions!  🙂