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Copycat Panera Autumn Squash Soup - have you tried this soup at Panera? Oh my word, it's wonderful and I think this one's really close!
I couldn't stand it another day, I had to figure it out! Although I already posted a butternut squash soup this season, this one is quite different. It's also crazy delicious. And honestly, I'm a bit obsessed with it. Anyway, as far as I'm concerned, you can't have enough delicious, healthy soup recipes when the cold winds start to blow and this Copycat Panera Autumn Squash Soup is both!
This recipe actually started a few weeks ago. Scott and I were running errands and decided to catch a quick lunch at our local Panera. It was a cloudy, cool day and their fall soup sounded delicious. I just wasn't prepared for how delicious. "Oh my word." I said as soon as I tasted it. "This is wonderful!"
After that day, I found lots of excuses to visit Panera again. And again. There are lots of new seasonal items on their menu at this time of year. Did I try anything else? Nope, I was an old stick in the mud, ordering the same thing over and over. It might have been because was so intrigued with the delicious flavor and just couldn't put my finger on what made it so good. It's creamy, silky smooth and full of flavor. But what was the flavor?
After the third or fourth visit, I couldn't stand it anymore. I wanted to be able to make it myself, serve it to family, enjoy it with friends, present it in small pretty bowls for dinner parties and warm up with it after bike rides on clear, cool autumn days. I knew I had to figure it out!
I went home and started googling, hoping to find some clues. I actually found several copycat recipes for Panera Autumn Squash Soup but when I visited the Panera Bread website and read their description of the soup, the pieces of the puzzle started coming together:
A rich blend of butternut squash and pumpkin simmered in vegetable broth with select ingredients including: honey, apple juice, cinnamon and a hint of curry, then finished with sweet cream and topped with roasted and salted pumpkin seeds.
Cinnamon and a hint of curry? I would not have guessed curry but but I was beginning to see what gives the soup that depth of flavor. It was time to get to work.
I picked up butternut squash and a sugar pumpkin (see notes below for what kind of pumpkins are best for cooking and baking). I had everything else I needed. The squash and pumpkin were simply halved, then roasted till soft and tender. After that, it's was easy. It took a few tries to get it just right but I realized it was the combination of curry and cinnamon, in small amounts that made this soup so uniquely delicious.
I did add a few of my own touches. I love incorporating lots of veggies in my soups to bump up the nutrition so, in addition to onions and garlic (the usually base for many soups), I added shallots and carrots along with the roasted butternut squash and pumpkin. The veggies and spices are simmered with chicken stock while the pumpkin and squash roast, then everything is blended till silk smooth and gorgeous. I believe Panera uses cream in their soup, I just add a big scoop of Greek yogurt to keep the calories down and add a delicious creaminess.
Panera tops their soup with a sprinkle of toasted pumpkin seeds. I sautéed pumpkin seeds with a touch of butter and a sprinkle of paprika, curry and sea salt.
I like adding a generous scoop of these flavorful seeds when I serve my soup.
So there you have it. I pretty sure that I'm decently close to imitating the yummy Panera soup. I'm definitely sure this version will be repeated over and over again here at The Café. It's so satisfying, it comes together in less than an hour, is perfect for home or work lunches, would make an elegant appetizer soup or a lovely light dinner served with warm crusty bread and a simple green salad.
I have a feeling that once you try this Copycat Panera Autumn Squash Soup, it will be a frequent request at your house!
P.S. There are a few kitchenwares that I'd be hard pressed to live without. Well, I could for sure, but they do make my life in the kitchen much easier. Near the top of my list is my immersion blender. I love this thing. It's reasonably priced and makes preparing a pot of soup like this so... simple and a lot less messy. It's also has an attachment for a small chopper which comes in super handy.
- 1 large butternut squash 2 ½-3 pounds
- 1 medium sugar pumpkin* 2 ½-3 pounds
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large sweet yellow onion peeled, halved and roughly chopped
- 8 ounces carrots
- ½ cup roughly chopped shallots
- 2 medium cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon mild curry powder
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 8 cups low sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 1 cup apple juice
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt more to taste
- ½ cup Greek yogurt I use full fat
- ¼ freshly ground black pepper
- salt to taste
- For the pumpkin seeds:
- 1 teaspoon butter
- ½ cup pepitas or pumpkin seeds
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoons mild curry powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
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Preheat oven to 400˚F. Line a sheet pan will foil. Set aside.
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Cut squash and pumpkin in half. Scoop out seeds and stringy flesh. Drizzle a little olive oil on the prepared sheet pan. Place, cut side down, on sheet pan and roast for 30-40 minutes until very tender. Remove from oven and set aside till cool enough to handle.
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While squash and pumpkin are roasting, heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions, carrots and shallots and sauté for 3-4 minutes or until slightly translucent and soft. Add minced garlic, curry and cinnamon and cook for another minute or until nice and fragrant.
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Add broth, apple juice and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside till squash and pumpkin are finished baking.
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When squash and pumpkin* are tender. (Pierce them with a small thin-bladed knife to tell - it should insert really easily.) Set aside till cool enough to handle, then scoop out flesh and add to Dutch oven.
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Return mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for another 10 minutes. Remove from heat and puree with an immersion blender or transfer mixture, in several batches to a regular blender**. Puree until very smooth and silky. Add Greek yogurt and pepper and stir to combine.Taste and add more salt if needed (There are a lot of veggies to season in this soup so don't hesitate to add more salt if the taste is bland.) You also may want to add a tablespoon or two of honey. My squash was very sweet and it didn't need any extra sweetness. The description of the Panera soup does include honey.
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Serve hot with a generous scoop of the pumpkin seeds.
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For the pumpkin seeds, melt butter in a small sauté pan over medium heat. Add pumpkin seeds and stir to coat. Sprinkle with paprika, curry powder and salt. Continue to cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring continuously, or until pepitas begin to turn golden. Taste and add a bit more salt, if needed. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
* Those big pumpkins you see at the pumpkin patch are perfect for jack-o'-lanterns but they're not good for cooking. Their flesh is stringy, bland, and watery. Instead look for the smaller pumpkins with a smooth-textured flesh. They are sweet, flavorful and "meaty". Look for pumpkins labeled "sugar pumpkins" or "pie pumpkins". Some specific names are Baby Pam, Autumn Gold, Ghost Rider, New England Pie Pumpkin, Lumina (which are white), Cinderella, and Fairy Tale.
** If using a regular blender, be careful. The steam from hot liquids can create pressure and actually blow the lid off and make a huge mess, if the center insert is in place. To prevent this, remove the center insert and cover the opening with a folded towel. Alternatively, you can insert a narrow tip funnel into the opening and hold it in place. This will also allow the steam to escape.
Brittany says
Since sugar pumpkins are pit of season right now - any recommended substitute I could find at Trader Joe’s or regular grocery store?
Thanks!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Brittany, you could try just using a can of pureed pumpkin. I also think a kabocha squash would be delicious.
Savanna says
Super excited to try! Does this freeze well?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Savanna, it does freeze well! Just give it a good stir after it thaws.
Victoria says
I LOVE Paneras squash soup. Tried a copy cat recipe in the past & was underwhelmed . It's so disappointing. I'm such a busy person & to shop , cook & then not like it, so disappointing...BUT LOVED this one !The thickness is perfect! Has that comfort feel & taste & I'm so happy because I'm having to move toward vegan cooking because of health reasons & I LOVED THIS ! Thank you for sharing such a GREAT recipe!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Victoria! I need to make a pot of this myself! 🙂
Donna says
Thanks so much for the recipe! I mostly followed it, didn't add carrots, and it was a really big hit at our Christmas Eve dinner.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Donna, so happy you enjoyed it!
Dave H says
I used your recipe, and it's very tasty, but please, why have you fallen into that old recipe-site trap?
"This is a copycat recipe. But I added things and changed it around."
That's almost as bad as people who comment, "I don't like squash so I used sweet potatoes, and I'm not a fan of garlic so I left it out. Oh, and I really don't like vegetarian things, so I chopped in some chicken. Then I tasted it, and it was horrible. 0 out of 10. This is the worst recipe ever."
If you add things that aren't in the original, or you change things, it's not a copycat anymore. It's just a good squash and pumpkin soup recipe.
Chris Scheuer says
Haha! You're right, Dave! That's just my nature, to try to make things even better. You can't exactly duplicate a restaurant recipe, since you don't have the exact recipe, but you can try your best and then improve on that just a tad.
Terri Kelley says
But where are the apple bits? the Panera Autumn soup also contains "sweet apple" which gives it nice textural bits!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Terri, I know they say "sweet apple" but guess what? Their sweet apple is actually apple juice. Here's their statement from the Panera website about the ingredients in their soup: "a rich blend of butternut squash and pumpkin simmered in a vegetable broth." It's made with ingredients including honey, apple juice, cinnamon, and a hint of curry, and finished off with sweet cream."
No apples! 🙂
Lora Barger says
Also Panera had ginger in their's too
Kyra says
I believe Copy Cat is helpful due to the fact that people are searching for a copy of a favorite soup they’d like to duplicate. If one doesn’t have the original Panera B recipe then it would be a copy cat, no?
Looking forward to making this tonight! Thank you Chris, for experimenting & sharing this recipe!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Kyra 🙂 Enjoy!
Andrea says
Hi,skipped the apple juice and added real apples.It added extra fiber which makes this soup really filling and satisfying.I made a big pot ,ate it for a week because it was so good and lost 3 lbs! Also since there is no meat I was very " regular" for the week.
Chris Scheuer says
I love it, Andrea! Thanks for sharing your results! That's awesome that you lost weight!
Betty says
Love this soup! Tastes exactly like the Panera soup and is delicious. I used garam masala for the curry which I thought was perfect. Thanks so much for posting the recipe.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks for sharing your results Betty. I’m so happy that you enjoyed this soup as much as we do!!
Lori D. says
Great soup! I used two cans of pumpkin instead of a pumpkin and I added the honey--it's not about the sweetness, but the extra dimension it adds. Just about overtopped my large Dutch oven.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks for sharing your results Lori!
KC says
Panera has its soup ingredients (pasted below) posted on the website. To me the key flavor Panera's soup is the ginger. Far too much sugar though (20g)!
Detailed Ingredients
Pumpkin, Vegetable Stock (Water, Vegetable Base [Carrots, Celery, Onions, Tomato Paste, Corn Oil, Yeast Extract, Potato Flour, Salt, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Natural Flavor]), Milk, Cream Cheese (Pasteurized Milk and Cream, Cheese Culture, Salt, Carob Bean Gum), Brown Sugar, Butternut Squash, Heavy Cream, Contains 2% or less of: Carrots, Onions, Butter (Cream, Salt), Apple Juice Concentrate, Sugar, Corn Starch, Salt, Ginger Puree (Ginger, Citric Acid), Honey, Lemon Juice Concentrate, Curry Powder (Spices, Turmeric, Onions), Spices and Nisin Preparation.
cheri says
Hi Chris, oh does this sound delicious, I made your crock pot mash potatoes last night and they came out perfectly, love that you had us add buttermilk. Can't wait to make this soup!!!!! Pinned!
Christy Forman says
I called Panera and the soup does not have cinnamon. The spice it has is allspice. Also does not have onion but onion powder. I am going to try and make this soup tonigh. I am in love with it!!!
karin caffi says
hello- i have used many of your recipes in the past and have loved them all. i want to try this soup --can i use canned pumpkin? if so how much? thanks---k
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Karin, I think you'd lose some of the wonderful flavor of this soup by using canned pumpkin. That being said, I do have a recipe for pumpkin soup that does use canned pumpkin: https://thecafesucrefarine.com/easy-roasted-pumpkin-coconut-curry-soup/
Jackie says
I'm so glad you posted this. I had it last season, and never wanted to lick a bowl of soup prior to this. I just picked it up again today, and was thinking I need to learn how to make this! I printed your recipe- I cant wait to try it this weekend. You are a doll for posting it
Chris Scheuer says
Hope you enjoy it Jackie!
Sarah says
I made this soup today and it was delicious. I added some brown sugar (I like it a little sweeter) but all in all it was very good. I found the texture to be perfect. I would make it again.
Laura says
I can't wait to try this recipe! I am from Canada and don't have a Panera here. My mom, sister and I go shopping in Seattle every fall, and last year came across this wonderful soup when we went there for lunch. We also went back to Panera this year as well... twice!! - just for this soup.
I am going to give this recipe a whirl tomorrow. 🙂
Chris Scheuer says
Hope you enjoy it!
Karen says
Followed exactly. Tastes nothing like panera. Was so thick it was like mashed squash. I added lots more apple juice to try and sweeten and thin. Added 2 T honey. Still not close to Panera. I've used my immersion blender so long it became hot in my hands. Will go back in the kitchen and see if I have a can of chicken broth and add brown sugar, nutmeg and ginger as another reader did. Hope I can salvage as it was not a quick soup to make and it made a ton. Very disappointed. And I am not a new cook by a long shot. There's a weight watchers recipe much better and half the calories
Chris Scheuer says
So sorry you did not have good results Karen. We enjoyed it very much and other readers have too.
Meg says
I completely agree it's nothing remotely close to panera. It's a fine soup but definitely mislabeled as a Panera copycat.
Anita Corcoran says
Can you offer advice for making this in advance and reheating? I would like to serve as first course on Thanksgiving but will find it difficult to prepare while cooking everything else.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Anita, this soup can be made ahead and it reheats beautifully, either on the stove top or in the microwave. It also freezes well so you could make it way in advance.
Anita Corcoran says
Thanks !
Tammy says
😀 Thank you for this recipe! I tried it tonight and it is a great start. We (my mom & I) didn't care for the yogurt and will plan on using either cream or coconut milk instead. Otherwise, the next time I'll try with frozen squash and canned pumpkin. It made a TON of soup, so much so that 3 adults ate it, mom took home a 1/2 gallon bag, and I filled 4 quart bags full! 😀 It was great, just need a bit of tweaking. 😀
I may try a pinch of brown sugar next time, we also needed the honey. And I originally used 1/2 the curry as I'm not a big fan, but ended up adding it back! That surprised my mom and I. 🙂 Thank you again for the recipe! I'll post again after I've made it with the frozen/canned squashes. 🙂
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks for your review.
Sharon Mazion says
Absolutely delightful! I just made it. I added the honey as suggested and instead of Greek yogurt I used 3/4 of heavy cream. The taste is very similar to Panera....makes quite a large batch. Next time, I might make a half recipe. All in all....Delicious!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks Sharon, it does make a big batch but it does freeze beautifully 🙂
Melissa says
The soup is delicious! I added in maple syrup instead of honey and it was wonderful!
Chris Scheuer says
So happy you enjoy it!
Karen says
Thanks Chris for this recipe. I've been twice to Panera and loved this soup. Was so happy when I found your recipe. Thank you for all you share!
Chris Scheuer says
Hope you enjoy it!
Omega says
I made a squash soup last fall for a harvest fest taking place on an organic farm I volunteer on. It was absolutely amazing but I think I might have to give this recipe a try.
Chris Scheuer says
I think you'll love it, it's such a comfort soup, especially in the crisp fall months!
Joyce Jenkins says
I just tried this soup at aPanera restaurant and fell in love with it. I live 300 miles from there so would love to make it at home. I would use almond or coconut milk since I have a dairy allergy. Thanks so much for sharing. I too wonder if it could be frozen. Also, I have never tried curry . What brand spice do you recommend?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Joyce, yes this can definitely be frozen. Look for a mild curry. I really like the curry that Trader Joes sells.
Julie says
Tried this tonight and followed the recipe exactly as written, but it wasn't quite what I was looking for. It was good, it just didn't taste enough like the Panera recipe I was hoping to recreate. Hope this review helps someone who was wondering the same thing. 🙂
My husband did love the pumpkin seeds though! Thanks for sharing your recipe, Scott & Chris. Blessings.
Stella says
I love the Autumn soup at Panera. So I decided to try and make it myself. I found this recipe and it's very close to the original, though I found it to be a bit bland. I didn't have a sugar pumpkin on hand, so I used pureed pumpkin and also didn't roast my squash. I also added brown sugar, a bit of maple syrup, nutmeg, hot curry, garlic powder (along with fresh garlic), red pepper flakes, coriander, cumin, and rosemary. it was AWESOME! and tasted very similar to Panera!