Copycat Subway Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Description
A copycat Subway Broccoli Cheddar Soup that's thin, golden, and silky-smooth — not thick like Panera's. Two cheeses keep it from going grainy.
Ingredients
Soup base
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 small yellow onion, finely diced (about ½ cup)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1½ cups half-and-half
Vegetables
- 3 cups broccoli florets, chopped small (about 1 large head, or a 12-oz bag frozen)
- ½ cup finely shredded carrot
Cheese and seasoning
- 6 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded from a block (about 1½ cups)
- 3 oz American cheese or Velveeta, cubed
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook 3–4 minutes, until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds more.
- Sprinkle in the flour and whisk constantly for 1–2 minutes, until it smells nutty and looks like wet sand. Don't let it brown.
- Pour in the chicken broth in a thin stream, whisking the whole time. Once smooth, whisk in the half-and-half.
- Add the broccoli, carrot, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 15–20 minutes, until the broccoli is fork-tender. Chop the broccoli and shred the cheese during this window if you haven't already.
- Take the pot off the heat completely and let it sit 2 minutes. The soup should be hot but not bubbling. This is the step that prevents grainy cheese.
- Stir in the American cheese until it disappears, then add the cheddar in three or four handfuls, stirring each fully in before adding the next.
- Taste and add salt as needed — it will likely want more. Serve immediately.
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Ladle
Notes
- Shred your own cheddar. Bagged shreds are coated in potato starch and cellulose, which is the most common cause of gritty soup.
- Never boil the soup after the cheese goes in. Above about 180°F the cheese proteins tighten and squeeze out fat, and it breaks.
- Frozen broccoli works and is arguably closer to Subway's texture. Add it straight from the freezer in step 4 and simmer 5 minutes longer.
- Don't freeze the finished soup — dairy and cheese separate badly on thaw. Freeze the base through step 4 instead, then add the dairy and cheese fresh after reheating.
- Storage: 4 days refrigerated. Reheat gently on the stovetop, not in the microwave.
Nutrition
Serving: 1ServingCalories: 382kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 16gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 17gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 84mgSodium: 713mgPotassium: 443mgFiber: 2gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 3014IUVitamin C: 43mgCalcium: 453mgIron: 1mg