Knock-Off Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Hickory Dickory Dock.  Ann has writer's block.

Life has been pretty uneventful lately (besides having an earthquake yesterday and a hurricane on the way this weekend), so I don't have any witty stories to tell or any fellow travelers to complain about.  Luckily, this will all change next month since we're going to Austin City Limits and then Italy for 10 days.  So excited!  Think of all the barbecue I can eat in Texas and all the wine and cheese I can have in Italy!  I'm pretty sure neither of these locations fall into the "Try not to be so fat" category, but what can you do?  I guess what you can do is exercise a lot, so I'm going to plan on that.


Anyway, I've had a lot of time to cook since I haven't been traveling.  I ran across this recipe and thought I'd give it a try.  It really does taste just like the soup at Panera, even after I made a couple of adjustments to make it a little healthier.  Enjoy!

Copycat Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Source: Recipe Secrets

1 tablespoon melted butter
1/2 medium chopped onion
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups half and half (I used fat free)
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 lb fresh broccoli
1 cup carrot, julienned
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
8 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese (I used half full fat, and half 2% cheese)
salt and pepper

Saute onion in butter. Set aside.

Cook melted butter and flour using a whisk over medium heat for about 4 minutes. Be sure to stir frequently.
Slowly add the half-and-half, continue stirring.  Add the chicken stock whisking all the time.  Simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the broccoli, carrots and onions. Cook over low heat until the veggies are tender, about 20 minutes.  Add salt and pepper.  By now the soup should be thickened.

Pour in batches into blender and puree.  Return the puree to the pot and place over low heat, add the grated cheese; stir until well blended.  Stir in the nutmeg.