Panera Bread Broccoli-Cheese Soup

America’s Most Wanted Recipes, p. 168

½ medium onion, chopped

5 tablespoons butter, melted

¼ cup all-purpose flour

2 cups half-and-half

2 cups chicken broth

8 ounces broccoli, coarsely chopped

1 cup shredded carrots

Salt and pepper

2 cups grated sharp Cheddar cheese

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Saute the onion in 1 tablespoon of the melted butter. Set aside.

Using a wire whisk, combine the remaining 4 tablespoons melted butter and the flour in a large pot over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 4 minutes.

Slowly add the half-and-half; continue stirring. 

I was immediately impressed with how substantial this was. 

Add the chicken broth, whisking all the time. Simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the broccoli, carrots, and sautéed onion. Cook over low heat until the veggies are tender, about 20 minutes.

And it stays thick! Which is great!

Add salt and pepper to taste.

By now the soup should be thickened. Pour in batches into a blender and puree.

Let it cool a little first!

Return the puree to the pot and place over low heat. Add the grated cheese and stir until well blended. Stir in the nutmeg. 

Ta-daaa! Served with hot dogs, because I can't hope to make anything else that's Panera-caliber. 

My Rating: 4/5 "Not too shabby! This rating's a compromise, because my response was more like a 3/5 yes, this is a soup kind of thing, but Matt was 5/5 blown away with it. (He really, really likes soup.) It's not dead-on to the Panera dish, but it's probably healthier for all that, and it's still really tasty."