Recipe and photos by Erica Gamboa

Broccoli Cheddar Soup Pasta

Velvety, creamy and cheesy broccoli cheddar soup meets pasta! This is a delicious spin on the classic broccoli cheese soup. By adding your favorite pasta noodles, it makes a yummy and satisfying one pot meal for lunch or dinner. If you’re a fan of the soup, you will LOVE this pasta. It’s a family favorite for all ages and loaded with lots of veggies for an all around feel good and comforting meal your family will love you for preparing.

SERVES: 8

PREP TIME: 10 minutes | COOK TIME: 25 minutes | TOTAL TIME: 35 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Broccoli Cheddar Soup from Panera, it was all my kids thought about and wanted to eat and I don’t blame them: it’s a creamy, cheesy soup with tender broccoli pieces throughout, that is so comforting and delicious that you just can’t get enough. Of course, it gets pricey eating Panera’s broccoli cheddar soup and it’s not very healthy to eat all the time unless you make it at home with a few adjustments. So I had to make my own, but I will admit my kids still prefer Panera’s broccoli cheddar soup over my homemade broccoli cheddar soup any day.

There are just some things you cannot replicate. With that being said, I decided to make my own recipe taking this delicious creamy and cheesy broccoli soup and adding double the fresh broccoli and pasta noodles to make it even better.

It’s mac n cheese meets broccoli cheddar soup and it’s absolutely delicious and get’s those veggies in. It’s a wholesome homemade dinner that feels like a warm hug on really hard day.

Meals From our Childhood

We all have those meals from our childhood or in our family that are nostalgic and therapeutic. This particular meal was one of those for my girls. They knew that if they had a rough day at school or were stressed with homework or just feeling crumby, Mom knew exactly what to do, and one of the things on that list was making a pot of this broccoli cheddar soup pasta!

I hope you give this recipe a try and make it your go to comfort meal for those really rough days. We all need a warm and cozy hug when life is just too crazy; a little love in a bowl to get us through. Food is my love language and I hope this recipe will bring your home a little love and a whole lot joy too!

Happy eating from my little kitchen to yours!

Key Things to Remember

Use Fresh Broccoli Florets

Fresh is truly best for this recipe, there is no need to cut corners here for the sake of saving time. This recipe comes together in 30 minutes and is worth the little extra work it takes to cut up your own fresh broccoli florets.

Not only for the fresh taste but also the nutritional value. Although the loss of nutrients is minimal when compared to fresh vegetables, frozen vegetables will not contain as much nutrients as their fresh versions.

Remember, frozen veggies will release a lot of water into the recipe and if the goal is a creamy velvety finish, this will water down the creaminess and thickness of the sauce. While frozen veggies are a great option in some other recipes, in this one, fresh is best.

Select the Right Pasta

Choosing the right noodle for any recipe and sauce is important. But sometimes you might just have to use what you have on hand. That being said, selecting the right pasta makes a big difference!

Some key factors to consider when making your pasta selection are, texture, size and the sturdiness of the pasta and how it will hold up to the sauce and other ingredients in the dish.

Sounds complicated but it really isn’t.

GO DEEPER WITH PASTA

If you would like to go deeper in understanding how to pick the right pasta for your sauce, here are a few tips to making the right choice. In this article by DeLallo Authentic Italian Foods, “How to pick the right pasta for your sauce” it gives us cooks a great tool for selecting the perfect noodles for the right sauce.

This is the absolute fool proof guide to ensure you get the best tasting pasta every single time.

DeLallo Authentic Italian Foods

Broccoli Cheddar Soup Pasta

BY ERICA GAMBOA

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SERVES: 8 | Difficulty: Easy

PREP TIME: 10 minutes COOK TIME: 25 minutes TOTAL TIME: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

4 cups fresh broccoli, washed and drained, stems cut off
1 large white onion, chopped into medium sized pieces
2 cups shredded carrot, a bag of pre-shredded carrots works great
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 cup chicken broth
3 tbs half & half or heavy whipping cream (for a richer sauce)
1 lb. of pasta, any scoop-able shaped pasta of choice
8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded by hand (not pre-shredded)
1 tbs olive oil
2 tbs butter
2 tsp chicken bouillon seasoning
2 tsp garlic powder
Salt & pepper taste

Directions:

PREPARE THE PASTA

Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil over medium high heat.
When the water has come to a rolling boil add a good palmful of salt to the water and stir.
Add the pasta and cook until al dente, just two minutes under cooked according to the box instructions approx. 11 minutes. *Making sure not overcook the pasta check the pasta once or twice.

PREP THE VEGGIES

While the pasta is cooking, rinse and drain the shredded carrots and set aside in a bowl until ready to use.
Rinse and drain the broccoli and cut the florets off from the steams. Place florets in a bowl and set aside. If the florets are too big, they can be cut in half depending on their size. You do want good texture in the pasta soup, so do not cut the florets too small. Save the broccoli stems for another recipe or discard.
Chop the onion into medium sized pieces.
Mince the garlic cloves.

PREPARE THE SAUCE

Preheat a large sauté pan over medium high and add the olive oil.
Add chopped onions and sauté for two minutes or until translucent
Add carrots, garlic, butter and season to taste with salt and pepper. Sauté for two more minutes.
Add broccoli florets and combine well with the rest of the ingredients.
Add chicken broth, milk, chicken bouillon, garlic powder, and simmer covered on medium low heat while the pasta cooks.
While the sauce simmers and the pasta cooks, shred the cheddar cheese and set aside until the sauce has thickened slightly.
Add the cheese to the slightly thickened sauce and combine well.

COMPLETE THE DISH

Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce.
Gently fold the pasta into the sauce and cover the pan and cook over medium heat for another 5 minutes.
Uncover and fold in the half and half or heavy whipping cream until well combined. Cook uncovered for another 5 minutes.
Serve immediately, in a bowl and sprinkle with parmesan cheese if desired.

Tips

Why you should shred your own cheese versus using pre shredded store bought cheese.

Take the time to shred your own cheese, it makes all the difference in your sauce. Pre-grated cheese contains preservatives like potato starch and natamycin which is meant to keep the shreds from clumping together in the bag. That also means they don’t melt together as well when cooking. For the creamiest and smoothest result, it is always best to shred your own cheese. It’s worth the extra effort.

Suggestions:

Kick this recipe up a notch.

This broccoli cheddar pasta makes a great baked casserole. On occasion, if I have extra time, I like to finish this dish in the oven. I place the pasta into a greased casserole dish and I prepare a cheesy crumb topping and sprinkle it over the top.

I bake it at 375 degrees just until golden and bubbly. This really takes the recipe to another level. This crumb topping is so easy to make, mix bread crumbs, parmesan cheese and little melted butter until it comes together like the consistency of sand.

Sprinkle it over the top and bake, it gives this dish the most delicious cheesy and crunchy finish.

Nutrition Facts Per Serving

SERVINGS: 8