Panera Bread’s Autumn Squash Soup
Gluten Free Living – 2014
Panera Bread’s Autumn Squash Soup – copycat recipe–it’s crazy good! This soup is to die for! No kidding. This recipe is everything you could want in a butternut squash soup. It’s thick and creamy, it has just a hint of cinnamon and just a touch of curry to provide opposite flavors.
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This one uses wholesome ingredients like pumpkin–yes, it has both butternut squash and pumpkin–honey, half-and-half and apple juice. It also uses vegetable broth and extra virgin coconut oil along with being garnished with fresh pumpkin seeds. It is an explosion of flavors that can’t be beat!
I love using butternut squash in recipes. I especially like it in soups including my Spicy Vegan Butternut Squash Soup, Butternut Squash-Bartlett Pear Soup, Sweet and Savory Butternut Squash Soup, and Acorn and Butternut Squash Soup. It’s also delicious in this Butternut Squash and Pear Gratin recipe, in Butternut Squash, Sweet Potato and Peach Bake, Savory Butternut Squash Bake and my favorite holiday casserole, Butternut Squash Bake. But I’ve used it most in my Squash and Apple Bake recipe throughout the years. That recipe always seems to be on one of our holiday menus. I even have a recipe called Tips For Preparing Butternut Squash for those who’ve never used this wonderful squash in recipes before. Yes, I really enjoy using butternut squash.
Butternut Squash is wonderful added to soups and casseroles, and while peeling and cutting the squash up can be a chore, the results are so fantastic it’s worth a little manual labor to get the squash to the point where you can roast, boil or cook it. The nice thing about Panera Bread’s Autumn Squash Soup is that it’s gluten free. The soup can actually be thinned more with the half-and-half if necessary, but it certainly doesn’t need any thickening ingredients like flour.
When we were on vacation in Vermont and Boston a week ago we stopped in at a couple of Panera restaurants for lunch. It was the first time I tried their Autumn Squash Soup. Oh, my. I began scouring the Internet immediately to see if I could find a copycat recipe.
I found several, but one that I wanted to try because it had the ingredients that most closely matched what I tasted when I ate the soup. I planned to make this soup the day after we got home (which is what I did). Wow. It was fantastic. While maybe not an exact match to Panera’s soup, it’s wonderful in its own right and delicious all the same. I loved this recipe and made only a few changes. This recipe can easily be made vegan by substituting Almond Breeze or coconut milk for the half-and-half in the recipe.
If you’re looking for a spectacular copycat recipe for Panera Bread’s Autumn Squash Soup, then look no farther than this lovely soup recipe. If you enjoy butternut squash soup recipes you will love this one with a touch of cinnamon and a hint of curry powder. It’s a great soup for what ails ya and an incredibly delicious comfort food now that fall is here.
Panera Bread has changed their recipe for Autumn Squash Soup (2016). Their newer version is much sweeter and without the spiciness of the older version. I’ve made another Butternut Squash Soup that is much closer to the original version here.
Panera Bread’s Autumn Squash Chowder has been featured on Recipe Lion, here.
Panera Bread’s Autumn Squash Soup copycat recipe is one of the most awesome soups you will ever eat!
I made a double batch of this recipe because I knew I would want to eat it for lunches for several days.
The roasted pumpkin seeds added a wonderful crunch to Panera Bread’s Autumn Squash Soup.
Here’s what I did.
I used these ingredients. The large gallon jar contains extra virgin coconut oil.
Peel the squash. Cut into cubes and place on baking sheet or in large baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle with coconut oil.
Bake at 450 for 25-30 minutes or until fork tender. Mash squash with a potato masher.
Transfer mashed butternut squash to a large stock pot. Add pumpkin and vegetable broth.
Add apple juice.
Add half-and-half cream. Or use almond milk, Almond Breeze or coconut milk if you’re vegan or dairy intolerant.
Puree ingredients with an immersion blender until creamy.
Add cinnamon, curry powder, salt, pepper and honey. Stir to combine. Simmer over low to medium heat for about 10-15 minutes to combine flavors.
Once heated through, ladle soup into serving bowls.
Garnish soup with toasted pumpkin seeds. Serve with your favorite homemade bread.
You will savor every mouthful of this incredible soup.
Here’s the recipe.
PANERA BREAD’S AUTUMN SQUASH SOUP
(Recipe adapted from Homemade Cravings which is no longer a viable food blog.)
Panera Bread's Autumn Squash Soup
Equipment
- 1 large roasting pan or cookie sheet, to roast squash
- 1 Dutch oven with lid
- 1 sharp knife to cut vegetables
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- 1 potato masher
- 1 immersion blender
- 1 soup ladle
Ingredients
- 1 extra large butternut squash
- 2-3 tbsp. extra virgin coconut oil
- 1 tsp. Salt and pepper to taste
- 15 oz. can pumpkin
- 1 1/2 cups apple juice
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 1/2 cups half-and-half or substitute almond milk or coconut milk if vegan
- 1 1/2 tbsp. honey
- 1/4 tsp. curry powder
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tsp. sea salt or kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup roasted pumpkin seeds for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°.
- Peel squash.
- Remove seeds and cut in chunks.
- Place in baking dish or on cookie sheet and drizzle with oil.
- Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
- Bake at 450° for 25-30 minutes or until fork tender.
- Mash squash with a potato masher and place in a large stock pot.
- Add pumpkin, apple juice, half-and-half and vegetable broth.
- Puree ingredients with an immersion blender until well mixed.
- Add honey, curry, cinnamon, salt and pepper and heat through about 10-15 minutes at a low simmer.
- To serve, garnish bowls of soup with roasted pumpkin seeds.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Panera Bread.
© Can’t Stay Out of the Kitchen
Nutrition
- 1 extra large butternut squash
- 2-3 tbsp. extra virgin coconut oil
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 15-oz. can Libby’s Pumpkin
- 1 ½ cups apple juice
- 1 ½ cups vegetable broth
- 1 ½ cups half-and-half
- 1 ½ tbsp. honey
- ¼ tsp. curry powder
- ½ tsp. cinnamon
- 1 ½ tsp. kosher salt
- ¼ tsp. black pepper
- roasted pumpkin seeds for garnish
- Preheat oven to 450°.
- Peel squash.
- Remove seeds and cut in chunks.
- Place in baking dish or on cookie sheet and drizzle with oil.
- Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
- Bake at 450° for 25-30 minutes or until fork tender.
- Mash squash with a potato masher and place in a large stock pot.
- Add pumpkin, apple juice, half-and-half and vegetable broth.
- Puree ingredients with an immersion blender until well mixed.
- Add honey, curry, cinnamon, salt and pepper and heat through about 10-15 minutes at a low simmer.
- To serve, garnish bowls of soup with roasted pumpkin seeds.
I loved the hint of cinnamon and curry in Panera Bread’s Autumn Squash Soup.
Panera Bread’s Autumn Squash Soup copycat recipe is terrific for cool, fall nights. It’s so smooth, creamy and delectable.
Panera Bread’s Autumn Squash Soup is perfect for chilly fall nights. It’s great served with a Crusty Bread.
I’m ready to dig in!
You may also enjoy these delicious recipes!
Butternut Squash-Bartlett Pear Soup
Sweet and Savory Butternut Squash Soup
Spicy Vegan Butternut Squash Soup
Panera Bread’s Autumn Squash Soup
Equipment
- 1 large roasting pan or cookie sheet, to roast squash
- 1 Dutch oven with lid
- 1 sharp knife to cut vegetables
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- 1 potato masher
- 1 immersion blender
- 1 soup ladle
Ingredients
- 1 extra large butternut squash
- 2-3 tbsp. extra virgin coconut oil
- 1 tsp. Salt and pepper to taste
- 15 oz. can pumpkin
- 1 1/2 cups apple juice
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 1/2 cups half-and-half or substitute almond milk or coconut milk if vegan
- 1 1/2 tbsp. honey
- 1/4 tsp. curry powder
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tsp. sea salt or kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup roasted pumpkin seeds for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°.
- Peel squash.
- Remove seeds and cut in chunks.
- Place in baking dish or on cookie sheet and drizzle with oil.
- Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
- Bake at 450° for 25-30 minutes or until fork tender.
- Mash squash with a potato masher and place in a large stock pot.
- Add pumpkin, apple juice, half-and-half and vegetable broth.
- Puree ingredients with an immersion blender until well mixed.
- Add honey, curry, cinnamon, salt and pepper and heat through about 10-15 minutes at a low simmer.
- To serve, garnish bowls of soup with roasted pumpkin seeds.