Slow Cooker Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup
This Slow Cooker Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup is a perfect copycat recipe for the popular restaurant chain. It’s warm, creamy, and full of delicious flavors that’ll make you feel like you’re dining in Panera.
There is nothing we love more on a cold winter day than a bowl of comforting and hearty soup. And, this broccoli cheddar soup is one of our all-time favorites. It’s creamy, cheesy, and filled with chunks of tender broccoli – making it the perfect meal to warm you up from the inside out.
Table of contents
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s a great way to satisfy your soup craving without leaving the house on a cold snowy day.
- You don’t have a spend a lot of money at a restaurant to enjoy a restaurant-quality soup at home with your family.
- You only need simple ingredients so you don’t have to worry about spending a ton of money at the grocery store.
🛒Ingredients
You only need a few simple ingredients to help you make this comfort food recipe. Pick up these basic ingredients on your next trip to the grocery store so that you can enjoy this hearty soup with your family this week.
- small onion
- fresh broccoli
- matchstick carrots
- celery
- salt
- black pepper
- chicken stock
- butter
- flour
- milk
- sharp cheddar cheese
- Scallions for garnish
See the recipe card below for quantities.
🔪 How to Make This Slow Cooker Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Making this creamy and comforting soup is so easy. Just follow these step-by-step instructions and you will have a delicious meal that the whole family will enjoy in no time at all.
Step 1: Add the ingredients to the slow cooker
To your slow cooker add the the onion, broccoli, carrots, celery, salt, pepper, and chicken stock.
Step 2: Cook the soup
Cover and cook on low for 5 hours or high for 3 hours.
Step 3: Make a roux, then add the roux and finish the soup
Cover and cook on low for 5 hours or high for 3 hours. After that time is up to a small microwave-safe bowl melt the butter. Whisk the flour into the butter. Whisk the butter/flour mixture in the slow cooker. Stir in the milk and cheese. Let cook for another hour or until the cheese is melted. Garnish with scallions and serve!
📝Variations
Do you want to change up this recipe and make it your own? Here are some ways that you can do that!
- Spicy – Add a touch of heat to your soup by adding in some crushed pepper flakes, or cayenne pepper.
- Broth – Don’t have chicken stock? You can use chicken broth, vegetable broth or even chicken bouillon instead.
- Cheese – Instead of using cheddar cheese use your favorite good melting cheese. Mexican blend, Monterey jack, or even Colby jack works great for this recipe.
If you love cheesy broccoli recipes like this one, then next time you may want to give this Cheesy Broccoli Casseorle a try.
🥄 Equipment
This is a list of the equipment that you will need to make this delicious recipe:
- slow cooker
- small bowl
🥫 Storage
Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to three days.
Serve With
We love to serve this creamy broccoli cheddar soup with a side of crunchy bread like this Dutch Oven No Knead Bread or garlic bread. You can also enjoy this hearty meal with a sweet treat like this Butterscotch Merignue Pie.
💭 Tips
Here are a few tips that you can use to ensure this recipe turns out perfectly for you when you make it.
- Feel free to use a slow cooker liner for easy cleanup. If you don’t have a slow cooker liner spray your slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray instead.
- If you want the soup thicker you can mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch with ¼ cup water and stir the cornstarch slurry into the soup.
- Instead of serving this soup in regular bowls try serving in bread bowls instead.
- Feel free to get creative with your garnishes, bacon bits, shredded cheese, fresh parsley, fresh basil, or sliced green onions all work great on this slow cooker soup recipe.
⁉️ FAQ
Do you have questions about this recipe? Here are the answers to the most commonly asked questions.
Yes, this soup freezes well. Store it in a freezer safe container up for to three months.
You can reheat this soup on the stove-top on medium heat until warm all the way through or reheat individual servings in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.
🍽 More Broccoli Recipes
Do you enjoy broccoli recipes? If so, give these recipes a try:
- Sauteed Garlic Broccolini
- Baked Pasta and Broccoli
- Broccoli and Cheese Casserole
- Oven Roasted Broccoli
🧾Recipe Card
Want to make this recipe? Print the recipe card below, or pin this recipe, so you can find it later.
Slow Cooker Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Equipment
- slow cooker
- small bowl
Ingredients
- 1 small onion chopped
- 4 cups of fresh broccoli chopped
- 1 cup matchstick carrots
- 1 stalk of celery sliced thin
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 cups chicken stock
- ¼ cup butter
- ¼ cup flour
- 2 cups milk
- 3 cups sharp cheddar cheese
- Scallions for garnish
Instructions
- To your slow cooker add the the onion, broccoli, carrots, celery, salt, pepper and chicken stock.
- Cover and cook on low for 5 hours or high for 3 hours.
- After that time is up to a small microwave safe bowl melt the butter.
- Whisk the flour into the butter.
- Whisk the butter/flour mixture to the slow cooker.
- Stir in the milk and cheese.
- Let cook another hour or until the cheese is melted.
- Garnish with scallions and serve!
