This chunky, creamy, veggie-laden recipe for Bacon Broccoli Cheddar Soup is one of my favorite recipes to make on a chilly day. This is the ultimate comfort food packed with rich, cheesy flavor, tons of veggies, and salty bacon—just like your favorite soup from Panera Bread.
Jump to:
Why I Love This Broccoli Cheddar Soup Recipe
- Quick & Easy - This recipe comes together faster than I could drive to Panera and buy a bowl. If you have 45 minutes to spare, a yummy, crowd-pleasing dinner can be on the table for a fraction of the price you would spend getting it to go.
- Big Batch - With this easy recipe, one night of cooking keeps Joe and I fed for several meals—even if I share some with our neighbors. If 8 servings is too many, feel free to halve the recipe.
- Family Friendly - I know I often go pretty big and bold with flavors on this blog, but this broccoli cheddar soup is tame enough for even a kiddo's palate. If you're worried, just sub regular paprika for the hot Hungarian stuff I love so dearly.
Ingredients & Substitutions
This recipe doesn't require a whole lot. Here’s what to grab:
- Bacon & Olive Oil - Depending on your bacon, you may or may not need the oil. If the pan looks dry after crisping up the meat, add a drizzle to help with sautéing.
- Yellow Onion & Garlic - Alliums are soup season staples. Feel free to swap in red onions, shallots, or even white onions (though they’ll stay a bit more firm). Fresh garlic is best, but you're welcome to swap in jarred minced garlic or swap in ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder per clove.
- Butter & All-Purpose Flour - This forms the base of our roux. If you’re gluten-free, hop down to the “Optional Variations” section for instructions.
- Milk & Cream - I keep both milk and heavy cream on hand rather than buying half & half (it gives me more flexibility), but you can make the swap with no issue.
- Chicken Bone Broth - My favorite way to add extra protein to my soups is using bone broth. Feel free to use regular chicken stock or vegetable stock.
- Hot Paprika - If you like spicy flavors but don’t have any on hand, use red pepper flakes instead. You can also use sweet paprika for a mild take.
- Dried Mustard Powder - Consider this the secret ingredient for building complex flavor. Feel free to swap in dijon mustard.
- Fresh Broccoli - Frozen florets will work, too—buy whichever is cheaper! No need to defrost first.
- Carrots - Fresh carrots are cheap and last for weeks in the crisper drawer, so I always have them on hand. In a pinch, swap in 1 drained can of carrots, but wait to add it until the broccoli is almost done cooking so they don’t get mushy.
- Cheddar Cheese - Make sure it’s freshly grated. You can also swap in the melty cheese of your choice (e.g. gouda).
How to Make Bacon Broccoli Cheddar Soup
This delicious cold day soup comes together in just a few simple steps:
Step 1: Sauté. Add chopped bacon to a large stockpot, large dutch oven, or other heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. When the bacon fat starts rendering out and the bacon takes on some color, add your onion and cook until it is beginning to soften and become translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Remove to a small bowl and set aside.
Step 2: Roux. Making a roux might sound fancy, but it's actually quite simple. All you need to do is melt your butter in the dutch oven. When it's nice and bubbly, sprinkle flour over the top. Cook, stirring constantly, until butter and flour are combined. Allow to keep cooking, stirring occasionally, until the mixture smells nutty and is a light golden color. If you're more of a visual learner, this video is quite informative. Just note that you want to move to the next step as soon as the mix hits the "light stage."
Step 3: Soup Base. When the roux is light golden and the flour is no longer raw (it should smell nutty), slowly begin to drizzle in your milk, whisking constantly and scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. The mixture will look like it's seizing, but keep calm and carry on. Once the milk is added, follow with the cream and chicken broth until the mixture is uniform. Add the spices to the mix and stir to combine.
Step 4: Add Veggies. Now that the soup base is complete, add the veggies and the onion/bacon mixture. Give everything a good stir, then bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the broccoli and carrots are sufficiently cooked to your liking.
Step 5: Finish. You're in the home stretch now! Add your cheese to the pot - working in batches if necessary - and stir until everything is combined. Taste and season with salt and black pepper as needed. Enjoy!
Optional Variations & Dietary Adaptations
- Pub-Style - For another layer of flavor, add a bottle of your favorite dark ale, reducing the amount of stock you add. (In other words, you want the same amount of total liquid, so if your beer is 12 ounces, use 1.5 cups less broth.)
- Lower-Sodium - If you’re worried about the sodium content here, use low-sodium bacon and use a salt alternative (e.g. potassium chloride or Morton’s Salt Substitute).
- Gluten-Free - When you’re prepping your ingredients, make a slurry with about 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and 2-3 tablespoons of the chicken broth, then set it aside. Rather than making the roux in step 2, just melt the butter and hop ahead to step 3, then add the slurry with the other liquids.
- Vegetarian - Don’t eat pork? Not to worry. Swap in veggie broth, sauté your onions in about a tablespoon of olive oil in step 1, then proceed with the recipe as directed. You can then:
- Add 1 cup of vegetarian bacon bits in the last few minutes of cooking, or use them as a garnish for serving.
- Add ½ - 1 teaspoon of liquid smoke to replicate some of the smoky bacon flavor.
- Fuhgeddaboutit. Cheesy broccoli soup is delightful even without the added richness of bacon.
Expert Tips
- Pulse It. While you don’t have to, I like to use an immersion blender to pulse the completed soup a few times, which helps to yield a nice, thick soup. You can also pulse about 2 cups worth in a regular blender until the broccoli pieces are quite small.
- Grate Your Own Cheese. Always opt for a block of cheese rather than a bag of pre-shredded cheese. Pre-shredded cheeses are coated in starches, which means they won’t melt nearly as well and will add a grittiness to the soup's creamy texture.
- Shortcut. To save on time (and money), I buy ginormous bags of broccoli florets at Costco and break any large pieces down with my hands. If you opt to buy a whole head of broccoli, I'd shoot for 2 small to medium sized heads. And just so you know—the stems are delicious too. Just peel off any woody/tough skin with a potato peeler and cut them into appropriately sized pieces.
Storage & Reheating Instructions
- Got leftovers? Awesome! Transfer the rest of your soup to an airtight container and allow to cool most of the way to room temperature before transferring to the fridge. (Here’s why we cool foods before refrigerating.)
- Bacon broccoli cheddar soup will keep well in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Due to the high dairy-content of this cheesy soup, freezing is not recommended. (If you want to meal-prep a broccoli-based dinner, try my curried chicken divan instead!)
- To reheat, place in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching. You can also microwave it, but make sure to use medium heat and stop to stir frequently; if you boil it too hard, it can scorch the dairy.
Serving Suggestions
- Go nuts with toppings! Joe and I love to add garnishes to our bacon broccoli cheddar soup—try some extra crispy bacon bits, homemade croutons, fresh parsley, and/or a sprinkle of extra cheese.
- Serve your soup in a bread bowl to get a true Panera vibe. Or, serve it with a side of sourdough ciabatta rolls, toasted sourdough discard bread, or black pepper focaccia to sop up every last drop!
FAQs
When it comes to knives and cheddar cheese, I like mine nice and sharp. That said, feel free to use a variety that makes sense for you! As far as whether to choose white or yellow cheddar cheese, that's entirely up to you! I used white this time because it was on sale so I stocked up.
There's no shame in opting for a milder cheddar, or even subbing in some gouda, jack or mozzarella. Use whatever melty cheese you have on hand—we're all about simplicity here!
Be warned, though. DON'T USE PRE-SHREDDED CHEESE. It has a coating that keeps it from melting into a big clump in the bag, but that coating keeps it from well... melting. Put in the little extra elbow grease and grate your own cheese. I promise you won't regret it.
Yes and heck yes! Bacon goes with broccoli and cheddar soup like mashed potatoes go with gravy.
It depends! The recipe below is not (it uses chicken bone broth and bacon), but I’ve included instructions for making it vegetarian if you prefer!
Just add the broccoli as instructed directly from frozen, adding a few minutes of cook time as needed to achieve the perfect level of doneness. (For more detail on when to add the broccoli, check out the full recipe below.)
Due to the creaminess of the cheddar in this broccoli soup, I honestly don't recommend it. If you want some recipes to stock the freezer with, check out my post on how to host a soup swap with over 20 good options!
More Delicious Soup Recipes
If you tried this recipe for Bacon Broccoli Cheddar Soup, let me know how it turned out by commenting or rating below. If you want more tasty new recipes delivered straight to your inbox, sign up for my email newsletter. You can also follow me on Pinterest to see all my seasonal favorites.
Bacon Broccoli Cheddar Soup (Panera Copycat)
Ingredients
- ½ pound Bacon cut into small dice
- Olive Oil if needed
- 1 Yellow Onion diced small
- 4-6 cloves Garlic chopped
- 4 tablespoon Butter
- ¼ C AP Flour or sub gluten free
- 1 C Milk
- 1 C Cream
- 3 C Chicken Bone Broth or vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon Paprika preferably hot
- 1 teaspoon Dried Mustard Powder
- 1 ½ lb Broccoli torn into florets and stems cut into bite sized pieces
- 2 Carrots cut into coins
- 10 oz Sharp Cheddar or sub cheese of choice, freshly grated
- Kosher Salt and Black Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add chopped bacon to a large stockpot, large dutch oven, or other heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. When the bacon fat starts rendering out and the bacon takes on some color, add your onion and garlic and cook until it is beginning to soften and become translucent, about 2-3 minutes. (If there isn't much fat, drizzle in a little olive oil.) Remove to a small bowl and set aside and return the dutch oven to the burner (no need to clean the pot).½ pound Bacon, Olive Oil, 1 Yellow Onion, 4-6 cloves Garlic
- Melt butter over medium heat in dutch oven. When it is bubbling, add flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the flour is no longer raw. The roux should smell slightly nutty and have a light golden color. This takes 2-3 minutes.Slowly add milk and cream while whisking constantly to combine. Follow with broth, continuing to stir until it is uniform. Whisk in dry spices.4 tablespoon Butter, ¼ C AP Flour, 1 C Milk, 1 C Cream, 3 C Chicken Bone Broth, 1 teaspoon Paprika, 1 teaspoon Dried Mustard Powder
- Add bacon and onion mix to the dutch oven along with the broccoli and carrots. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Allow to cook for 20-30 minutes, until veggies are al dente, stirring occasionally to keep the bottom from burning.1 ½ lb Broccoli, 2 Carrots
- Add cheese to pot and stir to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Serve warm and enjoy with a hunk of crusty bread. Enjoy!10 oz Sharp Cheddar, Kosher Salt and Black Pepper
Notes
- Pub-Style - For another layer of flavor, add a bottle of your favorite dark ale, reducing the amount of stock you add. (In other words, you want the same amount of total liquid, so if your beer is 12 ounces, use 1.5 cups less broth.)
- Lower-Sodium - If you’re worried about the sodium content here, use low-sodium bacon and use a salt alternative (e.g. potassium chloride or Morton’s Salt Substitute).
- Gluten-Free - When you’re prepping your ingredients, make a slurry with about 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and 2-3 tablespoons of the chicken broth, then set it aside. Rather than making the roux in step 2, just melt the butter and hop ahead to step 3, then add the slurry with the other liquids.
- Vegetarian - Don’t eat pork? Not to worry. Swap in veggie broth, sauté your onions in about a tablespoon of olive oil in step 1, then proceed with the recipe as directed. You can then:
- Add 1 cup of vegetarian bacon bits in the last few minutes of cooking, or use them as a garnish for serving.
- Add ½ - 1 teaspoon of liquid smoke to replicate some of the smoky bacon flavor.
- Fuhgeddaboutit. Cheesy broccoli soup is delightful even without the added richness of bacon.
Comments
No Comments