Better Than Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup

 This Broccoli Soup, is so flavourful, thick and creamy, that it will become the only soup you'll ever want to make. So good, it puts Panera Bread's copycat version to shame!

Broccoli soup is one of my children's favourite soups. Having lived in Nashville 13 plus years ago, that was the first time I tried what I deemed the best Broccoli Cheddar Soup. Many of my Mommy friends and I would often have outings with the kids, to Panera Bread for lunch. That's when I fell in love with the soup. When we moved back to Canada a few years later, Panera Bread had yet to make it's appearance in Ontario. So I searched the internet and found a copycat version of their soup.

Over the years as I grew more confident with my palate and cooking abilities, so have altered the original recipe to what I deem better than what they serve at Panera bread. My recipe is flavourful, thick, creamy but not heavy and full of ooey gooey cheese. Even my son says my version is better (any time we go to Panera and he has the broccoli cheddar soup).

Better Than Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup

2 Tbs olive oil

2 Tbs butter

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 large carrot, grated

4 Tbs flour
4 C chicken stock or broth
2 C 2 % milk 

4 C chopped broccoli

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

pink sea salt and fresh ground pepper

1 1/2 C sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1/3 C Parmesan cheese

In a soup pot heat olive oil and butter, over medium heat. Add onion and carrot, and season with pink sea salt and a few twists of fresh ground pepper. Cook until onion becomes translucent; about 2 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook until fragrant; one minute more. 

Sprinkle in the flour and stir to coat the veggies. Cook for 1 minute and slowly whisk in chicken stock. Add the milk and continue whisking until there are no longer any lumps. Add the broccoli, smoked paprika and nutmeg, and bring up to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes. 

Remove from heat and stir in cheddar cheese and Parmesan. Stir, in a figure eight motion to combine the cheeses. Once cheese is fully combined serve with an extra sprinkling of shredded sharp cheddar and shaved Parmesan.

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