Hope everyone survived their Monday! We had record lows last night – it got down to 42 degrees last night – in August??!! WTF? I love sleeping in cold weather under our down comforter though, so you will not hear any complaints from me. Until there is 10 inches of snow on the ground!
Breakfast was my typical egg sammie – this time with strawberries on the side. Breakfast comes in at 397 calories, 15 fat, 23 protein, 42 carbs and 4.4 fiber.
So I am finally posting my Panera Bread Broccoli Cheese Soup – sorry for the delay, but I had to wait until I ate it to post it! 
Copy Cat Panera Bread Broccoli Cheese Soup
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups fat free half and half
- 2 cups chicken broth (I use dry soup base – 2 teaspoons dry mix with 2 cups water)
- 10 ounces fresh broccoli, chopped
- 1 cup carrots, chopped
- 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese (don’t go low fat on this ingredient!)
- salt and pepper to taste
Melt butter in stock pot. Add the flour and stir to a paste for about 2 minutes. Slowly add the fat free half and half – you are basically starting with a roux. Once you have your thick white sauce, add chicken broth, broccoli and carrots. Simmer for 30 minutes or until the veggies are tender. The only thing I don’t like about Panera’s soups is that sometimes I have a giant piece of broccoli in my soup, so I pureed mine. Remove from heat and stir in cheese until melted. I tend to under salt the soup because I think the cheese is salty enough, but you can decide for yourself!
This made 7 cups of soup for me: Each one cup serving: 284 calories, 17 fat, 15.3 carbs, 2.1 fiber and 13 protein.
Here is how mine looks:
Here is how it looks from Panera! This was from a lunch Hannah and I went to Panera on May 2, 2009!
They probably have onion in theirs, which of course, I left out! I would have loved to have the French baguette with mine though! I had a romaine salad on the side. I got some peppers from the CSA, cut into a red one thinking it was a red bell pepper – um – NOT! It was probably one of the spiciest peppers I’ve ever had, and after consuming about 4 rings, I couldn’t eat them anymore – my mouth was on fire! I still loved it though! I “heart” hot peppers! All together lunch comes in at 412 calories, 29 fat, 16 protein, 19 carbs and 2.3 fiber.
Tony bought pork chops over the weekend, so I decided to grill them up with grilled zucchini and sauteed potatoes leftover from my potato bar last night. I may have enjoyed a glass of this while grilling!
Luckily Tony and I don’t mind cheap wine!
My plate was 5 ounces of pork chop, zucchini with 1/2 ounce cheddar cheese and 5 ounces of potatoes. Dinner comes in at 382 calories, 9.3 fat, 40 protein, 33 carbs and 4.3 fiber.
And I may have dipped my pork in this!
Stats for the Day:
- 1241 calories
- 44 fat
- 85 protein
- 96 carbs
- 11 fiber
- sadly 41% of my calories were from fat – need to get it under 30%!
- 45 minute walk at lunch!
So all in all I consider today a success! You’ll have to come back tomorrow – not only is it my first day of the month giveaway, but September marks my one year blogoversary! It’s gonna be a good one!
See you tomorrow night!
OH YUM!!!! Happy almost blogiversary! Mine is in October!
Awww happy tomorrow blogiversary! Birthday cake to celebrate?
Your soup sounds wonderful.
Soup looks yum.
Have you ever tried to copy any other recipes?
For example the creamy Cucumber Salad they sell at Pick N’ Save?
I have tried and tried, but I’m no cook so I have never come close.
That soup looks great – agreeance about the baguette going with it…it’s probably a good thing I can only get to a Panera when we visit our kids in college!
Yay for Panera soup recipe! It’s my favorite.
I feel you about the temperature, it actually got into the thirties last night. I keep thinking it’s going to snow soon.
I don’t mind the cold weather either. It’s about this time every year I can’t wait for fall!
Love the soup too! I am totally going to make that!!
Food tastes best when you drink wine while preparing it
Soup sounds delicious – I’ll have to give that one a try!
The soup sounds wonderful. I think one nice thing about fall is that I usually make more soups… And this recipe is going right onto my “must make” list!
Yah for the full cheddar cheese! I’ve decided that a little full-fat cheese goes a long way and makes any dish, or soup, that much more richer and tastier. This is a really great recipe.
Darnit, I could make that soup tonight if I only had half and half! Do you think I could sub milk instead?
Love the heart shaped pepper
Absolutely!
YUM! paneras broccoli cheddar soup is my fav soup there. its so delicious. thanks for the great recipe!!
This is perfect sleeping weather!! Your soup sounds so good – I OD’ed on Panera’s broccoli soup!
Yum, yum, yum on that soup. Does it freeze well, do you know?
I don’t see why it wouldn’t freeze well – I freeze soups all the time – then never label them and have been known to bring marinara sauce for lunch thinking its roasted red pepper soup!
Oh yum! I love cheesey broccoli soup, I bet yours tasted fantastic. And, jalapeno mustard?? I’m a fan! I’ve gotta find some of that, I love spicy foods, just like you.
I like Panera’s corn chowder. My dad just sent me this 400 page list of copycat recipes – I’ll have to see what good ones are in it!!
My 1 yr bloggaversary is Sept. 13 – the day of our potluck!!! total coincedence, but kinda cool!
awwww happy blog birthday! Your blog birthday is my real birthday- how fun
oh my gosh- Josh LOVES that soup. I have to make this for him. He’ll be just thrilled.
Looks delicious! I’m trying to figure out how to make Panera’s chipotle mayo and I’m close.
that red pepper looks like a heart, so appropriate
Thanks for the soup recipe! I love that kind of soup but always feel guilty about eating it. It’s nice to see one without cream!
And I MUST have that Jalapeno Mustard!!!!! Where do you get it?
I got it at my local grocery store – Dominicks – you should be able to find it with the rest of the mustards! Let me know if you can’t find it!
happy blog bday!!
i swear every day makes me want to pack up my stuff and move in with you biz- i love your food!!! would you be willing to take me and olivia?! lol jk
I’m making a lot of the food in advance for our annual family vacation. Do you think this soup would freeze well? I’m sure everyone would love it. Great blog!
Yes, this will freeze well – just don’t forget to label it!
Happy blogiversary! And thanks for your suggestions about tastespotting and foodgawker. I though healthyyum was the only one (I’m behind, I know).
As for the quality of pics, I like yours because they are big. Sometimes I dance 5 min around my breakfast bowl to take a better picture:D.
Very nice copy cat!! Love it!
Mmmm, cheesey broccoli soup. I’ve never had Panera, so I have no comparison, but it looks great.
[...] and a small apple. I brought some of this soup to my co-worker, and we both decided my Homemade Panera Broccoli Cheese soup kicks this soups [...]
Came across your soup recipe online, made it tonight and it came out amazing. Take care!
[...] so I went to my favorite place – Panera’s Broccoli Cheddar Soup! While I make a mean copy cat recipe – there is nothing like the real [...]
[...] tried to make Biz’s Panera Bread Broccoli Cheese Soup and make it in a bread bowl. It was not as successful as I wanted. The soup was good, but bread not [...]
What a great recipe and a very nice blog.
The soup is delicious! Can stop eat! I made a little addition with chopped onion and chopped pecan nut. Thanks for best recipe!
Thank you SOOO much for this recipe, it is so good, even better than Panera’s! I’ve been looking for a crazy good cheddar and broccoli soup (especially one that doesn’t use “cheese loaf”, yuck) and this is it!
Woot! Glad you liked it!
[...] have my homemade Panera broccoli soup for lunch today – yum! What are you having for lunch today? Make it a great day! [...]
[...] If you like that broccoli cheddar soup, I have a copycat recipe that tastes just like it. [...]
[...] have to get the broccoli cheddar soup, its my favorite. In case you want to make it at home, my copy cat recipe is pretty close! For my side I asked what was on the Italian combo sandwich. I asked to leave the [...]
i will be trying this tomorrow!
[...] Copycat Panera Bread Broccoli Cheddar Soup. I first made this soup in the fall of 2009. I loved Panera soup way before my daughter [...]
[...] week that I never used. Broccoli Cheddar Soup is one of my favorite soups at Panera. I even have a copy cat recipe for it. I have to say, I think I like this version [...]