Panera Copycat Autumn Squash Soup
This Panera Copycat Autumn Squash Soup is the ultimate cozy bowl for cooler days. A blend of butternut squash, carrots, cinnamon applesauce, pumpkin, and warming spices makes it a new favorite – think butternut squash soup with hints of apple, pumpkin, and just a touch of heat for extra comfort!
Panera Copycat Recipe
Have you ever had Panera’s Autumn Squash Soup? We went to Panera on a recent trip, and I was shocked at the final bill of our simple lunch. So I did my best to replicate it. After several versions, I decided that not only was this the best one, it was the easiest one too!
Instead of sautéing apples with butter and spices, I used cinnamon applesauce for the same cozy sweetness – with zero effort. Just stir in 1 cup of cinnamon applesauce when you add the pumpkin. It blends beautifully, saves time, and gives the soup that warm, autumn flavor that we love.
Creamy soups are just so comforting! Try my Roasted Carrot Soup or my Butternut Squash Soup with Bacon for even MORE creaminess! And this Creamy Potato Soup can be almost completely pureed as well!
Reasons to Love this Soup (more than Panera!)
- It’s cheaper. A bowl of this soup at Panera’s costs $7.99! You can make an entire batch of this soup for far less. This recipe makes five medium bowls or six small bowls.
- You can tailor it to your taste buds. There is SO much wiggle room in soup recipes. If you want to add more cinnamon and sugar to make it sweeter, have at it. If you like your soups spicy, then add more ginger or cayenne! You can also add some apple cider for an even more pronounced apple taste. Email me if you need more suggestions or help.
- It’s delicious! It really IS delish. Creamy with a savory and sweet flavor all at once.
- Cozy! Another bonus is staying in your pjs and slippers and enjoying this soup in the comfort of your home. I’m all about the cozy life!
Ingredients Used
- Butternut Squash – I used one medium to large squash. After I peeled and cubed it, it equaled about eight cups.
- Carrots – Use about two large carrots, chopped.
- Onion – I use yellow onion in most of my recipes.
- Garlic – A few cloves of garlic are always a good thing.
- Olive Oil – You’ll use a good dose of olive oil at the start of the recipe. Butter could be substituted, if desired.
- Pumpkin – One cup of pumpkin puree adds depth of flavor and some sweetness too.
- Brown Sugar – Just a bit of brown sugar is needed, but you could use honey instead. You may even want to skip the extra sweetener altogether due to including cinnamon applesauce. Test it and add as you go!
- Seasonings – Cinnamon (in the applesauce), ground ginger, cayenne, nutmeg (optional), salt, and pepper round out the seasonings.
- Broth – Use either vegetable broth to keep it vegetarian, or chicken broth works too.
- Cream – Some heavy cream is a nice final touch to this healthy soup!
How to make Autumn Squash Soup:
Step 1
Peel and cube the squash. I use a potato peeler and then start chopping, discarding the seeds and pulp as I go.
Step 2
Sauté veggies. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add carrots, onion, and a pinch of salt. Cook 4-5 minutes, until slightly softened. Add garlic and seasonings (salt, pepper, ground ginger and cayenne pepper) and stir for 30 seconds.
Step 3
Add squash and broth. Stir in the chopped butternut squash and pour in enough broth (3 – 3.5 cups) to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20–25 minutes, until the squash is very tender. The squash should start to fall apart.
Step 4
Add remaining ingredients. Add the pumpkin puree, cinnamon applesauce, brown sugar, nutmeg, and heavy cream and stir well. Simmer for five minutes or so.
Step 5
Puree. Use an immersion blender to purée soup until completely smooth. Add more broth if it’s thicker than you like. Test to see if additional applesauce or seasoning is needed for more sweetness or spiciness – all depending on your taste preference!
NOTE: You can also add mixture to a large blender. If so, you’ll need to work in two batches.
Step 6
Heat through. Cook the soup on medium-low heat until heated through. You’ll need to stir frequently to avoid the sputtering all over the place. (Pureed soup can make a mess of things quickly!) Add additional salt and pepper as needed.
Step 7
Serve. Ladle into bowls, top with roasted pepitas, and serve with crusty bread or grilled cheese sandwiches.
Storing and Freezing
- Store leftover soup in an airtight container in your refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Freeze soup after letting completely cool. I like to add the soup to a freezer bag and lay flat in the freezer.
Expert Tips
- Blend well. You can either use an immersion blender or regular blender to puree the soup.
- Warm up slowly. Pureed soups can be difficult to warm up on the stove (because they sputter!). So make sure you do it slowly and stir often!
- Taste test and adjust. When adding in the sugar and seasonings, taste as you go. Then you’ll know if you want to add more sweet or spicy. All of the seasonings together are a great balance in flavor!
More Butternut Squash Recipes
I’ve got a few other delicious recipes for you to try next!
Other Delicious Soup Recipes
Soup Season is one of my favorites because there is really nothing easier than a big pot of whatever you’re craving. I’ve built up a pretty large library for you to sample from, and here are some by category. Take your pick!
- Beef – Hearty Beef Vegetable Soup, Shredded Beef Cabbage Soup, and Beef Barley Vegetable Soup.
- Curry Based – Sweet Potato Curry Soup and Curry Fish Stew.
- Chicken – Green Chili Chicken Soup, Chicken Tortilla Soup, Creamy Chicken Pot Pie Soup, and Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup.
- Other – I’ve also got creamy soups, meatless soups, meatball soups, chowder, chili, and more!
Kitchen Tools Used: (affiliate links)
xoxo ~Sue
Panera Copycat Autumn Squash Soup
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 large carrots – chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion – chopped
- 3 cloves garlic – minced
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper – to taste
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper – for heat (optional)
- 1 large butternut squash (about 8 cups chopped)
- 3 – 3½ cups broth – vegetable or chicken
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 cup cinnamon applesauce
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar – or more for added sweetness
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 cup heavy cream
- roasted pepitas and crusty bread/grilled cheese – to serve
Instructions
- Peel and cube the squash. I use a potato peeler and then start chopping, discarding the seeds and pulp as I go.
- Sauté veggies. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add carrots, onion, and a pinch of salt. Cook 4-5 minutes, until slightly softened. Add garlic and seasonings (salt, pepper, ground ginger and cayenne pepper) and stir for 30 seconds.3 Tablespoons olive oil, 2 large carrots, 1 medium yellow onion, 3 cloves garlic, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Add squash and broth. Stir in the chopped butternut squash and pour in enough broth (3 – 3.5 cups) to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20–25 minutes, until the squash is very tender. The squash should start to fall apart.1 large butternut squash (about 8 cups chopped), 3 – 3½ cups broth
- Add remaining ingredients. Add the pumpkin puree, cinnamon applesauce, brown sugar, nutmeg, and heavy cream and stir well. Simmer for five minutes or so.1 cup pumpkin puree, 1 cup cinnamon applesauce, 2 Tablespoons brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, 1 cup heavy cream
- Puree. Use an immersion blender to purée soup until completely smooth. Add more broth if it’s thicker than you like. Test to see if additional applesauce or seasoning is needed for more sweetness or spiciness – all depending on your taste preference!NOTE: You can also add mixture to a large blender. If so, you’ll need to work in two batches.
- Heat through. Cook the soup on medium-low heat until heated through. You’ll need to stir frequently to avoid the sputtering all over the place. (Pureed soup can make a mess of things quickly!) Add additional salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve. Ladle into bowls, top with roasted pepitas, and serve with crusty bread or grilled cheese sandwiches.roasted pepitas and crusty bread/grilled cheese
Notes
- Store leftover soup in an airtight container in your refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Freeze soup after letting completely cool. I like to add the soup to a freezer bag and lay flat in the freezer.
- Blend well. You can either use an immersion blender or regular blender to puree the soup.
- Warm up slowly. Pureed soups can be difficult to warm up on the stove (because they sputter!). So make sure you do it slowly and stir often!
- Taste test and adjust. When adding in the sugar and seasonings, taste as you go. Then you’ll know if you want to add more sweet or spicy. All of the seasonings together are a great balance in flavor!
Can I leave out the cream?
You can leave it out but I feel it makes the soup especially delicious!
What type of applesauce do you recommend using?
I used an organic brand of cinnamon applesauce in this recipe, but you could use regular applesauce and add ground cinnamon.
My daughter made this for me as I wasn’t feeling great and requested it and had already bought everything to make it. This was the first time making it, from any recipe. It was a bit thick, I had her use greek yogurt in place of heavy cream to decrease the calories a bit and ended up adding in some apple cider at the end to thin it out and that made it perfect! Thank you for a fantastic recipe! It really tasted great and I will be making it again.
Yes, I would guess that the yogurt made it extra thick. Glad you were successful in thinning it out, Kristi.
Your soup recipes are incredible….. for some reason, this one is also fun to eat!
This was a big hit with my dad and guests. (Hubs is more of a carnivore.) Warm and filling. We had sliced sourdough and steamed asparagus on the side.
Definitely needed the cream added at the end, but I don’t see where that’s added in the instructions. I just stirred it in after it was hot. Is that when I should?
I prefer savory, so left out the brown sugar—apples made it sweet enough. Needed a lot more salt added at the end and a lot more liquid in order to be able to purée in my blender. I used a whole 4C container of veg broth + an extra cup of water. But I also added a roasted Japanese sweet potato I got in my farm box, and they tend to be pretty dry. It was a lot of work to prep and roast all the vegetables, but worth it on a weekend with guests who enjoy healthy food. Served my vegan aunt before adding the cream and she enjoyed it.
Hi Ginger! I’m so glad your guests enjoyed the soup. I fixed the recipe and added the cream to directions. Thanks for trying it!