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 🙂

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

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