Copycat Panera Bread Autumn Squash Soup Recipe Is Creamy Comfort in a Bowl
Ready for soup season? Me too! I love making homemade versions of popular soups, and one I can’t stop thinking about is Panera Bread’s autumn squash soup. Rich, earthy and velvety are a few words to describe this soup that’s easy to recreate at home. Doing so will allow you to enjoy this bowl of comfort without a ton of unhealthy ingredients. Here’s a copycat Panera autumn squash soup recipe that’s a worthy addition to your soup season lineup!
The scoop on Panera’s autumn squash soup
Panera Bread’s autumn squash is one of their signature fall offerings that contains a blend of pumpkin, butternut squash, spices, heavy cream and other ingredients. The soup is topped with salted, roasted pumpkin seeds for added crunch to contrast the soup’s creamy consistency.
How many calories are in a bowl of autumn squash soup at Panera?
A bowl of this soup from Panera contains about 330 calories, with 150 of those calories being from fat. This is due to additional ingredients in the soup, such as white and brown sugar, modified food starch and butter, which spike the dish’s calorie content. These ingredients also diminish the health benefits of the nutrient-rich squash, which include reducing the risk of heart disease, diabetes and cancer. The good news: Whipping up a healthier version of this soup is easier than ever — especially when you use an ingredient shortcut for quicker prep.
Clever ingredient shortcut for this soup
Similar to Panera, many autumn soup recipes use pumpkin for a golden color and earthy taste. But, if you can't get your hands on a fresh pumpkin or want to save on time, the canned kind is a convenient alternative. Canned pumpkin is already cooked, so you add right into the soup base and continue preparing the recipe. Double-check the can to make sure it only contains pumpkin to ensure a rich-tasting batch of autumn squash soup. (Read our story on unexpected ways to use canned pumpkin to get the most out of this ingredient.)
A copycat Panera Bread autumn squash soup recipe
This Autumn Squash Soup recipe comes from the RecipeLion food blog, who swears that it's better than Panera. Well, the only way to know is to try it out yourself and serve it in a regular bowl or a bread bowl as an edible vessel for your creamy soup. Yum!
Autumn Squash Soup
Ingredients:
1 butternut squash, peeled and diced into 1-inch cubes
1 yellow onion, quartered
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin puree
4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup heavy cream
? tsp. curry powder
? tsp. cumin
? tsp. paprika
? tsp. ground cinnamon
Salt and pepper, to taste
Optional garnishes: Maple syrup, pecans, dried cranberries and/or roasted pumpkin seeds
Directions:
Yield: approximately 6 to 8 servings
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Place diced squash and quartered onion on baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss vegetables until fully coated in oil and seasonings. Stir the vegetables a bit to coat completely.
Bake 20 minutes. Remove vegetables from oven and cool 10 minutes. Once cooled, transfer roasted squash and onion into blender or food processor and puree until smooth.
In large stockpot, pour in squash puree, canned pumpkin, vegetable broth, heavy cream, curry powder, cumin and cinnamon. Stir ingredients and bring mixture to a low boil. Once boiling, gently simmer mixture 20 minutes. Stir occasionally. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed; adding more salt, pepper or spices.
Ladle portions of hot soup into bowls and garnish each one with desired toppings. Enjoy!
Bonus: For a dairy-free soup, substitute coconut milk for heavy cream.
Read on for more scrumptious soup recipes:
For Tastier (and Healthier) Tomato Soup, Use Tofu Instead of Heavy Cream — Here’s How
This Hamburger Soup Recipe Is Hearty Comfort in a Bowl + Preps in Just 15 Minutes
This Sweet Soup May Sound Strange — But It’s Actually Amazing