My family doesn’t love traditional fast food. Which I suppose is a good thing, except when I’m looking to just pick up a quick, on the go meal I’m limited by their taste buds!

Fortunately (or not) for us, our Panera Bread has a drive through, and it’s one of the “fast food” choices we all love. Except it’s pricey. They don’t have a dollar menu!

With today’s Broccoli Cheese Soup recipe, we may never have to actually go to Panera again.

When I can make Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup at home, I know I’m saving us some money and a trip out.

From start to finish, this Copycat Panera Broccoli Cheese Soup recipe takes less than 30 minutes.

Real talk: It will probably take less time to make this soup at home than it would to get everyone in the car and drive to Panera. Not to mention the drive back home!

Copycat Panera Broccoli Cheese Soup is the perfect weeknight dinner idea when you are staring at your pantry unsure what to make! Most of the ingredients are things we almost always have on hand, so it’s super easy to pull together at the last minute.

You can always use fresh broccoli to make Panera Broccoli Cheese Soup, but it’s ok if you want to reach into the freezer for a bag of frozen broccoli florets. We’ve all done it a time or two and they’ll be just as delicious in this soup!

My Panera Broccoli Cheese Soup recipe makes 3-4 decent sized bowls of soup…but you can easily double the recipe if you have hungry eaters, and this is your main dish.

Keep this soup vegetarian by using vegetable broth in place of the chicken broth.

INGREDIENTS

•  1/4 cup unsalted butter
•  1/2 cup diced onions (yellow or white)
•  1 cup shredded carrots (I used matchsticks that I cut into half inch pieces)
•  2 1/2-3 cups broccoli florets, chopped small
•  1 1/2 cups chicken broth
•  1 cup milk (I use skim/fat free)
•  1 cup heavy whipping cream
•  1/4 cup all-purpose flour
•  1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
•  1/2 tsp black pepper
•  pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (or more as desired)
•  2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large pot over medium high heat, melt butter. Add in onions, carrots and broccoli. Cook to soften about 5 minutes (may be more or less depending on the size vegetables you cut).
2. Slowly add in broth, milk, and cream. Sprinkle with flour and add salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Continue stirring and heating over medium heat until thickened. This will take about 10-15 minutes.
3. Once thick, add cheese and stir until melted and smooth. Serve soup and enjoy!

Panera Autumn Squash Soup. A copycat of a Panera favorite – made with butternut squash, pumpkin, and savory seasonings. This velvety, autumn soup is made completely in a slow cooker, is so easy, and the perfect soup for fall and winter!

I get so excited about soup – it’s easily one of my favorite things to make when the weather gets cooler.  I’m currently obsessed with this delicious Panera Autumn Squash Soup – inspired after the famous Panera Bread soup. This easy slow cooker soup  is loaded with flavor, and is a must-try soup when that crisp fall air comes around.

A bowl full of savory autumn flavors, velvety texture, and tastes JUST like the classic Panera Bread soup we all know and love. Serve with a side salad and a side of bread to complete this delicious meal!

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 1 small yellow onion chopped
• 1 medium-large butternut squash peeled and cubed
• 2-3 carrots peeled and chopped (or a little over 1 cup)
• 1/2 15 oz. can organic pumpkin puree
• 2 Tbsp coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cracked pepper
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• pinch nutmeg

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Add all of ingredients except heavy cream to slow cooker/crock pot: vegetable broth, onion, squash, carrots, pumpkin puree, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt & pepper. Mix ingredients together. Place heat on low and cover - let cook for 5 hours. If you would like this to cook faster, you can set your cooker to high for 3-4 hours.
2. After ingredients have cooked, use a hand blender to puree your soup or use a blender and in batches blend your soup until consistency is velvety smooth. Stir in heavy cream and adjust taste if you would like more cinnamon, brown sugar or salt. Serve soup with pumpkin seeds and enjoy! 

Zuppa Toscana Soup is one of my most popular soup recipes, have you tried it yet? It’s packed with slices of tender russet potatoes, flavorful Italian sausage and bacon, fresh kale and a rich and creamy broth. So much comforting flavor in one bowl of soup!

This soup is a regular in my home, it’s one of my families favorites! I love that it’s so easy to make and it has such an incredible flavor thanks to those hearty bits of sausage.

This recipe is inspired by the Zuppa Toscana Soup at Olive Garden but when you make it fresh at home it’s that much better (plus my version seems to be less brothier meaning you get more potatoes, bacon, kale and sausage). Plus it’s made with love right?

Ingredients

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 lb Italian Sausage (casings removed if necessary)
• 4 oz bacon (about 4 slices), diced into small pieces*
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion (about 1 small onion)
• 3 (14.5 oz) cans low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 1/2 lbs Russet potatoes, scrubbed and rinsed then sliced into halves, halves diced into 1/6-inch slices
• 1 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp fennel seeds, crushed (optional)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups half and half
• 1 1/2 cups packed chopped kale
• Finely shredded Romano cheese for serving, optional

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a large non-stick saucepan over medium-high heat. Crumble sausage into 1-inch pieces and add to saucepan.
2. Cook sausage, stirring occasionally until cooked through. Drain sausage onto a plate or baking dish lined with paper towels, set sausage aside.
3. Add diced bacon to saucepan, return to heat and saute 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add diced onions and saute mixture until bacon is cooked through and onions are translucent, about 3 - 5 minutes longer.