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panera broccoli cheddar soup crock pot recipe
Lily Brooks

Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup Crock Pot Recipe

Recreate Panera’s famous broccoli cheddar soup at home using your crock pot. This slow cooker recipe delivers creamy, cheesy comfort with minimal effort and maximum flavor.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Calories: 385
Ingredients Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 4 cups fresh or thawed broccoli florets
  • 1 large yellow onion finely diced
  • 3 medium carrots julienned
  • 3 celery stalks chopped
  • 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 3 cups sharp cheddar cheese freshly grated
  • 8 oz cream cheese cubed
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 bay leaf

Method
 

  1. Wash and prep broccoli, dice onions, julienne carrots, and chop celery uniformly.
  2. Add onion, carrots, celery, garlic, broth, and bay leaf to crock pot. Set to HIGH for 30 minutes.
  3. Add broccoli, reduce to LOW, cook 3–4 hours until tender.
  4. Whisk flour with 1/2 cup milk to create a slurry. Add to pot.
  5. Stir in remaining milk, cream, cream cheese, and butter. Let melt slowly.
  6. Remove bay leaf, gradually add cheddar cheese in batches, stirring until melted.
  7. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bowlCalories: 385kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 18gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 15gPolyunsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 85mgSodium: 750mgFiber: 4gSugar: 6g

Notes

Use freshly grated cheese for best results. Add frozen broccoli during final 2 hours if using. Store leftovers in airtight containers up to 4 days, or freeze without cheese for longer storage.

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