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!
Could you use baby food carrots instead? If so, how much?
That should work! I’d use 1/2 – 3/4 cup of carrot puree.
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?
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!
Can this be done in a crocpot?
Definitely!
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!
Is there a chance you used apple cider vinegar instead of apple cider? It’s a common mistake in this recipe.
No, I definitely used apple cider.
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.)
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…
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.
Sweetness is tough because everyone has a different preference when it comes to sweetness levels. I’m glad you liked it though!
Can you freeze the soup when you have added cream…or need to wait til thawed to add the cream?
Thank you!
Should be fine with the cream in as long as you don’t boil it when you reheat.
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!
So glad you liked it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!
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
So glad you liked it! Love the addition of cardamom.
can I skip the onion?
It will affect the taste slightly, but there will still be a lot of flavor. So, yes!
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!
So glad you enjoyed it! I love nutmeg so I’m with you on that decision. ;)