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 a creamy butternut squash soup with smoked paprika, and a really old post about squash soup with sage. But she was looking specifically for a copycat Panera squash soup.
I don’t blame her – it is delicious!
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.
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!
Copycat Panera Squash Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced (about ¾ 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.1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 1 small yellow onion, diced
- Add squash, carrots, vegetable broth, apple cider, and spices.2 pounds chopped butternut squash , 3 small carrots, chopped, 3-4 cups vegetable broth, 2 cups apple cider or apple juice, 1/2 teaspoon curry powder, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, dash of nutmeg
- 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.1/2 cup pumpkin puree, 2 tablespoons butter, 2 ounces low-fat (neufchatel) cream cheese, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, more to taste
- 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.salt to taste, heavy cream, optional
- 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.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!
The only change I made was I used pure maple syrup instead of brown sugar. Very good recipe that is nearly identical to Panera. I will make this again.
That’s a delicious substitution! I’m glad you liked it! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!
Can you make this in the Vitamix after sauteing the Onions?
Hmm, I’m not sure, I haven’t tested it that way. The squash and carrots boil in the broth, so I don’t think that would do the trick in this particular case.
Its a really goos soup. But the carrot taste is a little too strong for my taste. I think I might skip that ingredient next time, or use sweet potato instead.
Sweet potato would be yummy! I’m glad you liked the soup!
I recently went dairy free, andI adapted this to make a dairy free version – all I can say is wow!!! I am in LOVE. I used a small can of coconut cream instead of butter, dairy free cream cheese, and used a little arrowroot to thicken it. I also used maple syrup to sweeten instead of brown sugar and then topped it off with a little honey. It tastes amazing. Thank you so much for this recipe!
Your substitutions sound delicious! I’m so glad you liked the recipe. Thank you for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!
Phenomenal!!!!!
Thank you so much, Lynn! I’m glad you liked it!
Hi Rachel. I can’t have dairy. What can I use as a substitute for cream cheese?
You can leave it out or use a vegan cream cheese. :) I hope you love it!
Can you make this a day or two in advance and reheat?
Absolutely! It freezes well, too.
Love this soup. It really does taste like Panera’s! I added sweet potato and doubled the spices to punch it up a bit, as well as a dash of heavy cream and 2 tbsp of brown sugar instead of one. I can already tell I’ll be making this one often.
I’m so glad you liked it! Thank you for taking the time to come back and leave a comment with your thoughts and adaptations! I really appreciate it!
I’m 9 months pregnant and have been craving Panera’s autumn squash soup for the past month or two. I finally decided to look up a recipe that might have any semblance to that creamy spiced bowl of goodness that’s rapidly emptying my wallet. This 100% did the trick! Having a huge pot of this soup in my fridge has been amazing! It satisfies the craving all the way. I just added an extra tablespoon of brown sugar and it’s pure perfection. Thank you thank you!
I love it!!! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment! Congrats and best wishes for an easy delivery and a healthy baby!
This is the third or fourth time I’ve made this soup. I doubled the recipe and it came out beautifully. I didn’t have pepitas so I used slivered almonds for garnish. I also used creme fraiche and I used both honey and brown sugar to taste. It was a great dinner for a snowy evening. I would highly recommend this recipe.
I’m so glad to hear it! Thank you for the kind words and for taking the time to come back and leave a comment, it means a lot!