Copycat Panera Squash Soup Recipe – Vegetarian [with VIDEO]
Posted: 10/21/2015
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This Copycat Panera Squash Soup tastes just like the original, but I made it a bit healthier!
Remember last week when I was talking about my homemade mild curry powder and I said I really truly made it for this soup? Well, here it is!
We were at a church event not too long ago and my pastor’s wife asked me if I had a squash soup recipe on my site. I said yes, I have three: A shortcut squash soup (ready in twenty minutes!), a creamy butternut squash soup with smoked paprika, and a really old post about squash soup with sage with terrible photos. But she was looking specifically for a copycat Panera squash soup.
I don’t blame her – it is delicious! It’s also not the greatest for you, calorie-wise, considering it’s squash soup…which most people may automatically assume is healthy.
I made efforts to reduce the calorie content a bit while still keeping the flavors rich and slightly indulgent. I think I found a good balance, but if you’re looking for an exact replica, feel free to add more butter, cream, and sugar. I won’t judge. Your skinny jeans might but we’re coming up to winter so it’s nothing a big comfy sweater can’t fix, right? RIGHT?
If you read the recipe closely, you’ll see this squash soup also contains carrots and pumpkin. They give it extra sweetness and depth of flavor. If you don’t have pumpkin or don’t want to add pumpkin, just use a little less vegetable broth. Remember you can always add more at the end to make it thinner but it’s more difficult to make it thicker.
I’d recommend using carrots with the squash because they really do add great natural sweetness, and they help achieve the beautiful color of the soup. Plus, Panera squash soup also has carrots in it.
I garnished my Copycat Panera Squash Soup recipe with roasted pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds). Their crunch and color add a nice contrast, don’t you think? You could also garnish it with chopped, fresh herbs like sage or parsley, or homemade croutons.
Important note: This soup calls for two cups of apple cider, NOT APPLE CIDER VINEGAR. If you can’t find apple cider (sometimes it’s hard to find if it’s not fall), use a natural (100% juice) apple juice. If you use vinegar by accident, your soup will NOT turn out and will definitely NOT taste like Panera’s.
PS: This isn’t my first rodeo with making a Panera copycat – make sure to check out my Copycat Panera Mac and Cheese! People LOVE it!
PS: Love butternut squash? Check out my full how to cook butternut squash guide!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
servings
This Copycat Panera Squash Soup tastes just like the original, but I made it a bit healthier!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced (about 3/4 cup)
- 2 pounds chopped butternut squash (about 6 heaping cups)
- 3 small carrots, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 3-4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups apple cider or apple juice (do NOT use apple cider vinegar)
- 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- dash of nutmeg
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 ounces low-fat (neufchatel) cream cheese
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar, more to taste
- salt to taste
- heavy cream, optional
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and saute until translucent, stirring frequently.
- Add squash, carrots, vegetable broth, apple cider, and spices.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until squash and carrots are soft. Remove from heat and add pumpkin puree, butter, cream cheese and brown sugar. Puree with a hand (stick) blender or in batches in a normal blender. Blend until very smooth.
- Taste soup and add salt as desired. You may also add extra brown sugar or honey to achieve a taste closer that of Panera’s. You can also add a little heavy cream if you want a more decadent soup. If desired, add more vegetable broth to thin soup.
- Return to burner over medium-low heat, if needed to heat the soup back up, and then serve immediately.
Notes
- If you want it to be just like Panera squash soup – add more brown sugar and/or honey to taste. Adding more cream will also give it a richer flavor.
- This soup calls for two cups of apple cider, NOT APPLE CIDER VINEGAR. If you can’t find apple cider (sometimes it’s hard to find if it’s not fall), use a natural (100% juice) apple juice. If you use vinegar by accident, your soup will NOT turn out and will definitely NOT taste like Panera’s.
- To reduce sodium, use low sodium or no salt added vegetable broth.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 210kcal, Carbohydrates: 31g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 19mg, Sodium: 1162mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 16g
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
Husband’s take: He never tried this. Squash soup isn’t really his thing.
Changes I would make: None are necessary.
Difficulty: Easy.
Mary Sue HIlker says
I was so excited to find this recipe. After making it, not so excited. I followed the recipe eactly, no cream was added. This did not taste anything like Panera’s Autumn Squash Soup. Very disappointed. Spent lots to get all ingredients, now I have huge pot of soup that is just not very good, I did add more sugar and a little more cinnamon but not a noticeable improvement.
Rachel Gurk says
You might want to try adding cream. This is a healthier version of the restaurant’s soup, which is why I made the cream optional. However, if you’re looking for that exact restaurant taste, you’ll find adding the cream adds that richness you might be looking for.
Thea says
followed the recipe with the only change being I roasted the butternut squash first. The flavor is somewhat flat. I went over the recipe a few times looking to see if I missed something. It needs a little something to make the flavor pop, but not being a very creative cook, I’m not sure what to recommend. I havent’ tried Panera’s soup to make a comparison- just commenting on the end product. I did add some half and half to make it taste a bit richer. With that being said, a warm soup on a chilly rainy day is never a loss.
Rachel Gurk says
Thank you for your review. I find when things taste a little flat, salt always helps. Try adding a little salt, and if you’re a spice fan, you might like a sprinkle of red pepper flakes for some heat.
Camille says
Just like Panera-Finally! Thank you!
Rachel Gurk says
Hooray!
DWC says
I made this for Thanksgiving and everyone loved it, it is delicious! I followed the recipe exactly but doubled the brown sugar and added some whip cream to taste. I will be definitely be making this again. Thanks Rachel for a great recipe!
Rachel Gurk says
So happy you enjoyed it! Thanks for the review!
Siddhi says
AMAZING – I made this soup for a thanksgiving potluck and it was a hit!! Thankfully was pretty simple to make too – I roasted the butternut squash though before boiling it. Thanks Rachel!
Rachel Gurk says
Roasting the squash is always a good idea – yum!
Siddhi says
This recipe was AMAZING! I made this soup for a thanksgiving potluck and it was a hit!! Lots of people complimented it and said it tasted just like the Panera soup. Thankfully was pretty simple to make too – I roasted the butternut squash though before boiling it. Thanks Rachel!
Rachel Gurk says
So happy you liked it! Thanks for the review!