Hello to everyone at Or so she says…! It’s Ruthie from Whats Cooking with Ruthie, and I’m so happy to be back with you again. I love coming here and sharing some of the yummy cooking that comes out of my kitchen with y’all each month. This time it’s a copy cat Panera Bread broccoli cheese soup recipe!

 Now before you go wondering why on Earth I’m sharing a soup recipe in SPRING, let me just tell you: Spring is that crazy time of year when the weather can flip from a warm sunny day a to cold and wintery one without a moment’s notice! At least in my neck of the woods 🙂 Is it like that where you live? It feels even worse than in the Autumn when the weather can’t make up its mind; at least then you just know it’s going to keep getting colder! In Spring, it hurts to have the weather flip flop because you’re so looking forward to the warmer days of summer.

Soooo to lift your spirits, there’s no better way than a little taste of Panera Bread Broccoli Cheese Soup to help stay warm and cozy even on those chilly days!

 I try to make the majority of my recipes as healthy as possible so I skinnied this one down without losing any of the flavor… now that’s a win-win in my book 🙂

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Panera Bread Broccoli Cheese Soup (copycat)

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp butter melted
• 1/2 onion chopped
• 1/4 C butter
• 1/4 C flour
• 2 C fat-free half-and-half cream
• 2 C chicken stock
• 1/2 lb fresh broccoli
• 1 C carrot julienned
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 8 oz grated sharp cheddar cheese
• salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Sauté onion in butter
2. Set aside
3. Melt butter in sauce pan over medium high heat, add flour using a whisk for 3-5 minutes
4. Stir constantly and add the fat-free half & half
5. Add the chicken stock
6. Simmer for 20 minutes
7. Add the broccoli, carrots and onions
8. Cook over low heat 20-25 minutes
9. Add salt and pepper
10. Puréed in a blender
11. Return to heat and add cheese
12. Stir in nutmeg

I hope you enjoy this Panera Broccoli Cheese Soup as much as we do at my house- it’s delicious.

Our picks for making Panera’s Broccoli Cheese soup:

365 Everyday Value, Organic Chicken Stock, 32 ozCuisinart 619-14 Chef’s Classic Nonstick Hard-Anodized 1-Quart Saucepan with CoverCuisinart C55-12PCKSAM 12 Piece Color Knife Set with Blade Guards (6 knives and 6 knife covers), Jewel – Amazon ExclusiveCuisinart CTG-00-BG Boxed GraterKitchenBasix Cheese Grater & Shredder – Stainless Steel – Razor Sharp Blades – Medium Shred – Ideal Hand Grater for Hard Fruit, Root Vegetables, Nuts, Parmesan Cheese & More!Cheese Grater With Airtight Storage Container – We’ve Been Rated Best Handheld Shredder For Cheese & VegetablesNinja Professional 72oz Countertop Blender with 1000-Watt Base and Total Crushing Technology for Smoothies, Ice and Frozen Fruit (BL610), BlackHamilton Beach (58148A)Blender with Glass Jar, For Shakes & Smoothies, Multi function, Electric (58148A)DOWAN 22oz Porcelain Soup/Cereal Bowls – 4 Packs, WhiteSweese 1305 Porcelain Bowls with Handles – 20 Ounce for Soup, Cereal, Stew, Chill, Set of 4, White

You should also check out these recipes on Or so she says…

• Kale Chips ~ Healthy Snack that Kids Love!
• Tomato Soup with Roasted Red Peppers
• Cheesy Bacon Tomato Soup

Here are some more mouth-watering recipes you may enjoy…

50 mouth-watering Chicken Recipes 

Thank you for letting me come and share yummy recipes with y’all today.

Happy Cooking!
xoxo~ Ruthie