If I haven’t heard it once, I’ve heard it over a dozen times that the soup at Panera Bread is simply THE BEST. It’s cold here in Maryland and who doesn’t love the comfort of a delicious soup? When Panera Bread offered to let me try their Broccoli Cheddar Soup I couldn’t resist. I have one conveniently located around the corner from my job so it is literally a hop, skip and jump.
I walked into the restaurant, ordered the Broccoli Cheddar Soup with the Napa Almond Chicken Salad Sandwich. It was an excellent COMBO. I flipped out my Panera Bread Good Eater card and instantly became a hit with the Panera Bread staff because apparently each of them wants one of these cards. So keep reading to check out what I thought of their soup.
Cost: approx. $5.00 for the Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Broccoli Cheddar Soup Ingredients (direct from the Panera Bread site):
Broccoli Cheddar Soup (Water [Filtered], Whole Milk [Milk, Vitamin D3], Broccoli, Pasteurized Processed Cheddar Cheese Food [Cheddar Cheese {Pasteurized Milk, Cheese Culture, Salt, Enzymes}, Whey, Whey Protein Concentrate, Skim Milk, Sodium Citrate, Salt, Milkfat, Lactic Acid, Oleoresin Paprika {Color}, Annatto {Color}], Whipping Cream, Carrots, Corn Starch, Onions, Chicken Base [Chicken Meat Including Chicken Juices, Salt, Chicken Fat, Yeast Extract, Sugar, Flavoring, Potato Flour, Carrot Powder, Tumeric], Seasoning [Wheat Flour, Salt, Spice And Not More Than 2% Canola Oil Added To Aid Processing], Salted Butter, Dijon Mustard [Water, Mustard Seed, Vinegar, Salt, Spices], Pepper Sauce [Distilled Vinegar, Red Pepper, Salt]).
Nutritional value:
I wasn’t surprised by the ingredients of the broccoli cheddar soup. It is exactly what I expected with broccoli as the third ingredient because the size of the broccoli in the soup is excellent.
Review:
As soon as I sat down I snapped a quick pic of my soup.
This soup tasted excellent. The chunks of broccoli in every spoonful was perfect and it paired nicely with the Napa Almond Chicken Salad Sandwich (not pictured). The container is about 16 oz of straight goodness. I was satisfied after eating this for lunch and now I see why so many people rave about the Panera Bread soups.
This soup does come with a few of my warnings though. It is 350 calories which is pretty hefty for one item for lunch. Knowing that, be conscious about not overeating and instead of getting the chips (like I did as a side) request the apple that comes with their lunch pairings.
I also have to say I do not add salt to my food and after eating this soup I could feel my feet swelling. When I looked at the nutrition facts I see this soup has over 1500 mg of sodium. While that is about 3.8 grams, it is the daily recommended amount of salt for the day.
According to The Institute of Medicine’s Food and Nutrition Board the average adult woman should not consume more than 1500 mg of sodium a day so once you eat this soup you are done for the day. Since salt is one of the primary causes of hypertension and high blood pressure be mindful of how much you are eating on a daily basis.
Pros:
- Delicious
- Nice chunks of broccoli
- Pairs well with a sandwich
- Fairly affordable at $5 (with tax)
Cons:
- One bowl contains a daily recommended amount of salt for women.
Rating:
I would rate this a 7 out of 10 stars. The soup tastes good, has nice size chunks of broccoli (better than many other soups in the market) and is filling. If you need to manage your daily salt intake due to hypertension this might not be the right food option for you.
Which is your favorite soup at Panera Bread?
//SHOP THIS POST//
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links which means if you click on or make a purchase I get a percentage which helps to support this blog. Thank you in advance for your support.
21 Replies to "Meal Mondays: Panera Bread Broccoli Cheddar Soup Review"
Sue Parke
Twitter: slparkel
February 8, 2016 (7:03 am)
Love this soup and their baked potato one.
Diatta
Twitter: DSTPRL
February 8, 2016 (7:36 am)
Never had their baked potato.
Margo
Twitter: brooklynfitchik
February 8, 2016 (11:58 am)
I have to watch my sodium which means soups are usually out for me. Why do they add so much?
o
Diatta
Twitter: DSTPRL
February 8, 2016 (12:43 pm)
I do not know why they have to add so much. It isn’t needed.
Janelle
Twitter: Janelle_RWNR
February 8, 2016 (12:03 pm)
I love Panera but there are NONE that are in my neighborhood, which is so frustrating! I’ve never had their soups..makes sense that they’d be high in sodium though.
o
Jen
Twitter: prettylilgrub
February 8, 2016 (12:54 pm)
Whenever I eat at a restaurant I assume the sodium content is outrageous. I just try and balance it with the rest of the things I eat in a day and don’t eat out very often.
o
Deborah
Twitter: deborahbrooks14
February 8, 2016 (1:03 pm)
I was just at Panera yesterday and I was looking at the soups. They have a lot of healthy choices but for me this would not be one of them. Like you said the sodium content is through the roof as is the saturated fat for this. I had the black bean soup 🙂
o
Chrissy
Twitter: ChrissyTheRD
February 8, 2016 (1:06 pm)
Sounds and looks delicious! But that 1500 mg of sodium makes me cringe a bit. I know that most soups tend to rank high in sodium but that seems like a lot for the portion size. Maybe they could figure out a way to cut back a bit on it.
o
Coco
Twitter: got2run4me
February 8, 2016 (1:26 pm)
I’m usually afraid to order creamy soups because of the calories, but that doesn’t look too bad. I don’t worry about salt too much since I don’t eat out enough for it to impact my overall diet.
o
Nicole
Twitter: fitfulfocus
February 8, 2016 (1:59 pm)
I so wish I could eat this soup. It looks so delicious! Stupid food allergies 🙁
o
MCM Mama Runs
Twitter: mcmmama
February 8, 2016 (7:33 pm)
Looks yummy, but yeah, that’s a lot of sodium and calories. It has to be something pretty special for me to eat a creamy soup these days.
o
Wendy February 8, 2016 (7:53 pm)
I think I would love this soup, but I was pretty sure it would be really salty. That’s a deal breaker for me. I’ll salt my own food, thank you.
o
Jessica
Twitter: happilyhughes
February 8, 2016 (8:06 pm)
I love broccoli cheddar soup but it is super salty and not ideal for me
Jenn
Twitter: runningwithpugs
February 8, 2016 (10:13 pm)
I love the baked potato soup there. My all time favorite is the Fuji apple chicken salad, though 🙂
o
Diatta
Twitter: DSTPRL
February 9, 2016 (5:12 am)
I buy that dressing in the grocery store.
Lex
Twitter: flecksoflex
February 9, 2016 (12:49 am)
Man, that sodium content is a total buzzkill! Their broccoli cheddar soup IS really yummy, though. I cannot imagine how much sodium one would consume with a combo with the soup. It has to be astronomical!
o
jill conyers
Twitter: jillconyers
February 9, 2016 (4:00 am)
My kids both have specific soups they like at Panera so we’ve officially termed 2 days a week soup day depending on the soup served.
o
Diatta
Twitter: DSTPRL
February 9, 2016 (5:11 am)
Why am I just learning about their soups?
Toni
Twitter: tonee78
February 9, 2016 (3:57 pm)
I love the brocooli cheddar soup at Panera, it is one of my favorites! Especially in a bread bowl!
o
Shawana
Twitter: mobfit_apparel
November 4, 2016 (7:25 am)
This is my favorite soup from Panera Bread! So good!
Femme Fitale Fit Club BlogMeal Mondays: Panera Bread Green Passion Power Smoothie Review - Femme Fitale Fit Club Blog November 9, 2019 (7:57 pm)
[…] can get at Panera Bread. Read my full review of the Green Passion Power Smoothie recipe by Panera Bread and whether it is worth your coins and […]