Panera Copycat: Cheesy Broccoli Soup and Spinach Salad

A while ago I tried Panera Bread's new Spinach Power Salad. I generally feel so-so about Panera and the night I had this salad, they were not on their game, let's just say. It sounded good: spinach, roasted mushrooms, bacon, hardboiled egg, and frizzled onions, but I recieved a sloppy mess. The spinach was wilted and there were few ingredients. However, I thought it was an interesting idea for something different when a salad sounded good and I like to think of it as a "man's salad" (and my husband agreed). Haha.

I've had a copycat recipe for Panera's cheesy broccoli soup for years. Basically you make a roux, add equal parts half n half or milk and chicken stock, throw in broccoli and carrots, add the cheese, voila. Easy as that. In fact if you google the recipe, you'll pretty much find this recipe all over the web. Mine never turns out as thick as Panera's, which is fine with me, but otherwise the taste is great.

We enjoyed ours with some warm French bread and dipping oil.

Both recipes follow...

Cheesy Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Ingredients

- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1/2 c. butter
- 1/2 c. all purpose flour
- 4 c. half and half (or milk)
- 4 c. chicken broth (or vegetable stock)
- 1 lb. fresh broccoli, chopped (I use the food processor b/c the husband likes a fine chop)
- 2 cups, shredded
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/2 t. nutmeg (I always forget to add this!)
- 16 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, grated

1. Saute onion in butter until soft.

2. Whisk butter and flour over medium heat for 3-5 minutes until thoroughly combined.

3. Add the half n half little by little, stirring constantly (I prefer a whisk). Then add the chicken broth (keep stirring!)

4. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5. Add broccoli and carrots as well as a bit of salt and pepper and cook over low heat until veggies are tender – about 20-25 minutes. The soup should thicken. Keep the heat low to prevent sticking, but use a lid so it heats through.

6. At this point, I run my immersion blender through the soup to puree the veggies. You can carefully transfer it to a blender as well. Or, you could leave the veggies in chunks. It's all about your personal preference.

7. Then, and most importantly, add the cheese! Continue to simmer and stir occasionally until the cheese has melted.

This makes a big pot, about 8-10 one cup servings. I don't know how it freezes, but I do know that it's even better the next day!

Spinach Power Salad

Salad Ingredients (for two medium-sized salads)

- Warm bacon vinegiarette (recipe below)

- Baby spinach leaves (or any lettuce of your choice if you hate spinach)

- 6-8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled - reserve the drippings!

- 1 hard boiled egg

- French's fried onions (you know, the ones you put on green bean casserole)

- Roasted mushrooms (recipe below)

- Crumbled gorgonzola cheese (or blue, or Parmesan, or whatever cheese you like)

*Assemble at will!

Roasted Mushrooms

- 1/2 package mushrooms (whole or sliced, button, white, or portabella... doesn't matter)

- Olive oil

- Salt and pepper

- Rosemary and/or thyme, optional

*Toss mushrooms in oil and seasonings and spread in an even layer on a foil-covered cookie sheet or baking dish. Bake in a 475 oven for 15-25 minutes. Whole mushrooms take longer, of course. Pull them out when they are browned and fragrant. Let cool before using on salad.

Warm Bacon Vinaigrette

- Bacon drippings (about 2-3 Tbsp)

- 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar

- 1 tsp sugar

- 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
- salt and pepper, to taste

*In a small sauce pan, whisk together above ingredients on low heat until dissolved. Let cool slightly, but dress salad while dressing is still warm.