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!
This soup was AMAZING! I loved it.
I’m happy you loved it! Thank you for leaving a review – it means a lot!
I made this lovely soup. Delicious! Can this be frozen?
Yes, this freezes really well!
This is very good! Not exactly like Panera but close. It was a bit too apple-y for me, so next time I’ll probably only use half the apple juice and make it up with more Broth. I did throw in about 1/3 cup half and half (needed to use it up). I was also able to moderate the sweetness with about a tablespoon of ground coriander. I’ll add it with the spices next time, will only make it better. Thanks for this recipe!
I’m so glad you liked it. Thank you for leaving a review!
Very tasty! I left out the pumpkin (l didn’t have any and) and the brown sugar (it was sweet enough without) and it was still great! However I think your prep time is off. It took more than 10 minutes for me to peel and chop the squash alone!
Thanks for the feedback! You’re probably right, we often tend to underestimate that time, and it varies greatly from person to person.
Better to buy the already peeled and chopped squash instead of wrestling with it.
You can definitely do that!
Excellent soup, very very similar to Panera. I omitted the brown sugar and the cream but upped the cream cheese a bit. I also didn’t have curry powder, but a combination of coriander, cumin, and turmeric (thanks Google) worked like a charm.
So happy you liked it! Thank you for leaving a review!
Can you can this soup?
I’m not an experienced canner, nor have I canned this soup, so I’m afraid I can’t help you with this question, sorry!
Delicious and so easy! I made it for a friend’s fall bday celebration as she loves Panera’s Autumn Squash Soup! It did not need the cream or any additional brown sugar! Excellent recipe just like it is! Thank you!
So glad it was a hit! Thank you for leaving a review!
This came out soooo good! Made it out of season on a rainy Florida day and sharing with friends for our potluck soup night!
So glad you liked it! Thank you for sharing a photo!
We’ve relocated abroad and my teenager misses Panera. I made this last night and everyone agreed it tastes just like the real thing! Thank you!
We’re vegan and I subbed vegan cream cheese (Philadelphia here).
That makes me so happy! Thank you for leaving a review!
How much cream?
It’s up to you and your preference. Start with ¼ cup and try the soup, and then add more if you’d like.