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.
Dawn Leenhouts says
Could you use baby food carrots instead? If so, how much?
Rachel Gurk says
That should work! I’d use 1/2 – 3/4 cup of carrot puree.
Erica says
Hello, This soup tastes so good! Only problem, there is way too much and I’m the only one who eats it. How/ how long can this be kept refrigerated and frozen?
Rachel Gurk says
It will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days, or you can freeze it for up to three months. You can even freeze individual portions to make it easier to thaw and eat!
Heather says
Can this be done in a crocpot?
Rachel Gurk says
Definitely!
Doris says
I made this for dinner tonight and thought the apple cider was too strong and the flavor of the other spices wasn’t coming through. I boiled two red skinned potatoes, mashed them and added them to the soup both to thicken it up and reduce the cider taste. I also added powdered ginger. My family didn’t think it tasted like Panera soup but they liked it so it was a winner!
Rachel Gurk says
Is there a chance you used apple cider vinegar instead of apple cider? It’s a common mistake in this recipe.
Doris says
No, I definitely used apple cider.
Alexandria Vandall says
Very close! I was able to find “pressed” apple juice at my local Walmart and I used that. I added about 2T of heavy cream at the end and 1/2T extra brown sugar. It’s fantastic. I’m obsessed with Paneras soup but now I’m just glad I can have it whenever I want it. I even bought salted pumpkin seeds to put on top!
The only thing that was different for me was that I had to simmer it for about twice the time. To make things easier, I bought the pre-cut squash in the bags in the produce section. (I’m a lazy cook.)
Rachel Gurk says
So happy to hear you liked it and it’s a close duplicate for you! Thanks for leaving a comment! Suddenly craving salted pumpkin seeds…
LuAnn says
While it is very good, I think it is too sweet and doesn’t taste like Panera’s. I think if I make it again, I will not use the apple juice. I think that is why it is so sweet. I would also add more heavy cream to make it thicker. I cooked my squash the day before so that cut down on cooking time. I also used pre-shredded carrots and added a half a leek and a shallot.
Rachel Gurk says
Sweetness is tough because everyone has a different preference when it comes to sweetness levels. I’m glad you liked it though!
Sylvia says
Can you freeze the soup when you have added cream…or need to wait til thawed to add the cream?
Thank you!
Rachel Gurk says
Should be fine with the cream in as long as you don’t boil it when you reheat.
Michelle says
Love this! I didn’t have any apple cider/juice in the house so I peeled an apple and added half of it. Also I didn’t have curry powder. It still turned out great! Smooth and satisfying-tastes like fall!
Rachel Gurk says
So glad you liked it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!
Sharon Downey says
This soup is amazing, so decadent and creamy!! I doubled the recipe, plus added fresh ginger, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder & cardamom, turned out so good
Rachel Gurk says
So glad you liked it! Love the addition of cardamom.
Jennifer Oswald says
can I skip the onion?
Rachel Gurk says
It will affect the taste slightly, but there will still be a lot of flavor. So, yes!
Karen Roepke says
Delicious soup, very near Panera! I added the heavy cream and a touch more nutmeg. It’s all about your taste. This is a very good recipe. Keeper! Thanks for sharing!
Rachel Gurk says
So glad you enjoyed it! I love nutmeg so I’m with you on that decision. ;)
Vanessa says
Hello, thank you for sharing your best practices and your recipes! On my first attempt, it didn’t come out thick enough and with a bit bitter taste. I added some corn starch to obtain a thicker consistency which it worked, but what can I do about the bitter after taste?
Rachel Gurk says
Hmm, I haven’t had that experience, could be the squash you sued. I’d just try adding a little heavy cream and more brown sugar. That should help!
Alyssa Wilberg says
Mine came out quite thin.. any tips? Less broth? Also curious if it will freeze well? Flavor was on point! If it was thicker it would be perfection
Rachel Gurk says
Definitely less broth next time! With soups, I always start with less and add more afterwards if needed. You could try thickening this batch with a cornstarch slurry or even some dried potato flakes?
Berta says
How much heavy cream are you supposed to add to the soup? Do you add the cream when you add the other ingredients? Please advise. I am going to make this for the first tine and need a little guidance. Thank you so much!
Rachel Gurk says
Add the cream at the end, either off the heat or on low heat. I’d start with 1/4 cup and then taste it, and if you want a richer taste, add a little more. I hope that helps. Let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you like it!
Katie says
Just so you know, simmering carrots for only 10 monutes is not even close to long enough. I had them going for 30+ and they are still not nearly soft enough to puree. Not the greatest recipe here…
Rachel Gurk says
It definitely depends on how large your carrots are and what size you chop them. 30+ minutes should get definitely the job done, but it sounds like you have stubborn carrots. I chop mine quite small and it makes the 10-15 minutes feasible.
Dee says
Definitely very close to Panera’s version. I omitted the Neufchâtel, brown sugar, and heavy cream and the taste was still amazing. Subbed sweet potato for the pumpkin.
Rachel Gurk says
So glad you liked it! Sweet potato is a great sub!
Jessica J says
So good, spot on to Panera with the addition of a little cream and additional sugar. The most recent time I made it, I steamed the squash and carrots in the Instant Pot to cut down on cooking time. It worked super well, and the soup is just as delicious this way! We measure spices with our hearts, so the additional water from steaming wasn’t an issue.
Thank you!
Rachel Gurk says
Using the Instant Pot is a great idea!