Copycat Panera Autumn Squash Soup
Ingredients
- 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
Instructions
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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.
Recipe Notes
* 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.