Copycat Panera Squash Soup Recipe – Vegetarian [with VIDEO]
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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 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! 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!
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
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.
Verdict: I’m totally obsessed with this copycat Panera squash soup. I love that I can have it all year round now and not just on Panera’s schedule.
Husband’s take: He never tried this. Squash soup isn’t really his thing.
Changes I would make: None are necessary.
Difficulty: Easy.
Emily says
I decided I needed to cut myself off from going to Panera for their Autumn Squash soup 3x a week so I knew I needed a copycat quickly! This recipe did not disappoint. Delicious flavors and very similar to Panera’s. Very easy recipe to follow. I used a food processor in batches, as I do not own an immersion blender or standing blender. It definitely could have been creamier if I had the right tools but the food processor did the job to get my fix in!
Rachel Gurk says
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review!
Sarah says
I’ve made this several times now, and it’s my favorite recipe. Always comes out tasting amazing! Thank u so much for sharing this delicious recipe.. I’cant get enough of it.
Rachel Gurk says
I’m so glad you like it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review, it means so much to me!
Kelly says
Love, love this recipes! I love Panera’s and think it tasted just like it. Thanks so much!
Rachel Gurk says
I’m so glad you liked it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
Mary says
Great soup but I added 1 tsp cinnamon and the addition of 1/2 tsp ginger , 2 garlic cloves, 1/2 tsp black pepper. The additions really elevated the flavors.
Rachel Gurk says
Glad you enjoyed it!
M says
Tastes nothing like Panera’s BUT is much healthier I’m sure and pretty tasty. It’s also possible the secret is in the curry. I swear I taste garlic and more ginger in Panera’s version. I used the liquefy setting on the blender and got the perfect consistency.
Rachel Gurk says
I agree that the secret is in the curry. It gives it that little something-something. I’m glad you liked it.
Baye says
Sadly mine didn’t come out good.I cubed the butternut squash and carrots and cooked them 3x as long as you recommended.They were still hard.I used a hand mixer .Maybe I should have tried my blender.Publix didn’t have deshelled pumpkin seeds so I had to deshell them.What a mess.Cost me $15 for ingredients.I am a 50 year knowledgeable cook.I don’t really know why this recipe failed but it did‍♀️
Rachel Gurk says
A hand mixer or an immersion blender? A mixer definitely wouldn’t blend this up enough.
Chuck says
I have made this in that past. Absolutely, love this soup! I usually double the recipe then freeze half. If I’m going to make a mess I may as well get the fruits of my labor. I’m a meat guy, so I add ground turkey to the soup. Doesn’t take away from the flavor. Thanks to all the other reviewers for their input.
Rachel Gurk says
Smart to add meat and make a double match!
Dawn L. Diverio says
I made this and it is awesome! I think I’m missing something…how much soup is the nutritional information for? 1 cup or how much??
Rachel Gurk says
Yes, about 1 cup.
Cindy says
So very good! I added extra pumpkin which made it sweeter so no brown sugar.
A little cream makes it smooth & rich! Added pepitas just like Panera’s, yummy!
Thanks for the this recipe!
Rachel Gurk says
So glad you liked it! I really appreciate you taking the time to leave a review!
Kay says
I’m so excited to make this! I live alone, so I was how long it’ll keep in the fridge? Do you think it would freeze well?
Rachel Gurk says
It will keep for 4-5 days in the fridge but it freezes great! You might want to freeze it in individual portions to easily thaw out one serving. :)
Barbara says
I did not have apple jc or cider on hand so I cubed 2 Granny Smith Apples as a substitute. I love the flavor!! Next time I will cook the carrot slices until soft before adding the other stuff, as I could not get them to fully soften. Maybe the acidity of the apples was the reason? In any case I do not mind some texture to the soup. It tastes superb and is good for you. Think of all the Vit A !!
Rachel Gurk says
So glad you liked it! thank you for taking the time to leave a review!
Marilyn Browne says
Looks good. I really like the Panera version and will certainly try your recipe.
Rachel Gurk says
I hope you love it!
Cindy says
I followed your recipe exactly and it turned out wonderful! My family loves Panera’s squash soup and I feel this couldn’t be closer! So happy I tried your version!
Rachel Gurk says
Oh I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review!
KC says
This turned out very, very sweet. I think 2 cups of apple juice is too much. Maybe apple cider would be better, but my store didn’t have any left. I think I’ll substitute more stock for the juice next time and see how that turns out.
Rachel Gurk says
It probably also depends on what kind of apple juice you buy. I always get the 100% juice kind, which tends to be less sweet. Some people think this recipe isn’t sweet enough so I guess I can’t win them all. ;)
Toni says
I have made many recipes but this one is the best. I used a little more apple cider and a cinnamon stick. Huge hit.
Rachel Gurk says
So glad you liked it!
Maryanne says
I love, love, love butternut squash soup. I just made this for the first time and it’s delicious! I added some ginger for additional warmth. I did use 4 cups of veggie broth so it’s a bit thinner than I’d like but I can adjust that. Next time I make it, I’ll add some heavy cream and a bit more brown sugar for sweetness. I’m looking forward to dinner! Thank you, Rachel. I’ve bookmarked your site … glad I found you!
Rachel Gurk says
So glad you liked this soup! Thank you for the kind words and for taking the time to leave a comment, it means so much to me!
Kate says
Best soup ever. I subbed the pumpkin with apple sauce cause it’s what I had. I’ve made this several times now (with the pumpkin too) and it always comes out perfect. Thank you for your recipes, always the best!
Rachel Gurk says
So glad you like the soup! Thank you so much for the kind words!