Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup (Copycat)

Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup (Copycat)

Recipe by gildawen

Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 45 mins
Total Time: 1 hr

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter
½ onion, chopped
¼ cup melted butter
¼ cup flour
2 cups milk
2 cups chicken stock
1 ½ cups coarsely chopped broccoli florets
1 cup matchstick-cut carrots
1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
2 ½ cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook and stir until tender and translucent, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

Whisk 1/4 cup melted butter and flour together in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Continue to whisk and cook, adding 1 to 2 tablespoons of milk if necessary to keep the flour from burning, 3 to 4 minutes.

Gradually add milk while whisking constantly; stir in chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Cook until mixture is thickened, about 20 minutes. Add broccoli, carrots, celery, and sautéed onion; simmer until all the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.

Stir in Cheddar cheese until melted; season with salt and pepper to taste before serving.

Tips:
There are tons of variations and options to make this soup your own. You can add extra veggies, different cheeses, garlic to your onions, a little nutmeg to the finished soup, green onions, sour cream, etc. The list goes on and on!

Gail's Notes: I can't wait to try this recipe, this is one of my all-time favorite soups!