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Panera Copycat Autumn Squash Soup

This Panera Copycat Autumn Squash Soup is a delicious comforting meal and has full flavor of curry, cinnamon, and all the fall vegetables we know and love. It is a familiar Panera soup that many will love and it is so easy to recreate this delicious recipe at home.   

Many of us love soup on a cold day and this is a soup that can be a quick lunch or cozy dinner served with some crusty bread. We love a good soup, and this one has such a depth of flavor.

You have got to love a copycat version of your favorite meals, and this autumn squash soup is one you are going to make time and time again. 

You can have a soup from prep to serve in less than an hour and the sauce pot does all of the hard work for you. There is a little prep in terms of the vegetables and you can then blend everything together at the end.

A great soup to batch cook when you want an easy dish on a busy weeknight or you want some warming lunches. The creamy combination of pumpkin puree with squash along with the apple juice works really well. Healthy and nutritious it is an easy recipe for fall. 

We love to share recipes with you and if you love soup on a cold day then you have to make this Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup.

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A bowl and a jar of Autumn Squash copycat soup from Panera.

Why You’ll Love The Panera Copycat Autumn Squash Soup

  • Easy to make – You can use the same pot to make this soup. Less washing up is required. 
  • Super healthy – Very delicious and full of nutritious vegetables. 
  • Kid-friendly – As it is blended it is a great way to get kids to eat vegetables. 
  • Tastes great – Has a warm and distinctive flavor which is delicious. 

Ingredients Needed

Get more info about these ingredients in the recipe card towards the bottom of the post.

  • Olive oil
  • Onions
  • Unsalted butter
  • Tomato paste
  • Vegetable broth
  • Apple juice
  • Squash
  • Carrot
  • Celery
  • Cinnamon
  • Curry powder
  • Lemon juice
  • Honey
  • Pumpkin puree

Topping – Salted roasted pumpkin seeds

Ingredients needed to make Autumn Squash Soup recipe

Helpful Tools

Measuring Cups and Spoons

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Soup Pot

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  • SAFE DESIGN COOKING POTS WITH LIDS- The induction pot is made from highest quality stainless steel, ensuring durability and safety. This classic set includes measurement markings in the interior for quick and simple cooking. With a specially designed stay-cool, oven safe handle riveted to the pot, the silver small pot will compliment any kitchen and will be your cooking companion forever.

Blender

Baking Sheet

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  • Baker's Delight Set includes one Quarter Sheet, Jelly Roll and Half Sheet Pan for the ultimate set.

Mason jars to serve  

How To Make The Panera Copycat Autumn Squash Soup

  1. Gather all of your ingredients together and prepare them ready to add to the soup. In a large pot, heat the olive oil and onion at medium heat until the onions become translucent. This should take a few minutes. 
  2. Next up, add the butter and tomato paste and cook for another minute until the tomato paste is fully dispersed and the onions are covered completely.
  3. Add the apple juice, vegetable broth, squash, carrots, and celery and mix together to make sure everything is combined.
  4. Add the seasonings; cornstarch, cinnamon, curry powder, and lemon juice, and stir again.
  5. Now you can turn the heat up to medium high and bring the pot to a boil. Once this happens, turn the heat down to medium low and let the pot simmer for 15 minutes or until the squash is softened and cooked through.
  6. While the pot is simmering, place pumpkin seeds in a pan and bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit to toast them.
  7. Add the pumpkin purée and honey to the pot and mix them together to ensure all of the flavors are combined.
  8. Blend the soup with an emulsifier or pour the soup into a blender and blend until smooth.
  9. Add any other extra desired seasoning such as salt, black pepper, or honey to taste before serving.
  10. Top with the toasted pumpkin seeds and serve. Enjoy your Panera’s Autumn squash soup. 
Images show me the first couple steps of how to make squash soup.
A collage of images showing how to make a copycat squash soup.
A collage of images showing the last couple of steps of how to make Panera copycat squash soup.

Recipe Variations

Want to make this extra creamy? You could add a spoonful of cream cheese or a drizzle of heavy cream to this soup. It will make it rich in flavor. Coconut milk will also work really well. If you are avoiding dairy products but still want that creamy soup then there are some great dairy-free alternatives.

Add some heat. You can make this hearty soup with a bit of spice. Add some red pepper chili flakes or some fresh chili to bring the heat. 

A jar of squash soup copycat recipe from Panera.

Tips & Tricks 

  • If you can’t get hold of any apple juice concentrate or are looking for an alternative then you could use apple cider vinegar instead. 
  • You can use the slow cooker as well for this butternut squash soup. Just put everything in the crock pot and let it do its thing. The perfect autumn soup to come home to when you are busy. 
  • A traditional blender will work fine for this recipe but you can also use a hand-held immersion blender if you wish. 
  • You can use chicken broth instead of vegetable broth to add to the flavor. 
  • Serve some homemade Olive Garden copycat breadsticks with this hearty soup recipe.
A bowl of squash soup with seeds on top.

Storage

If you have any leftovers then make sure they have cooled down completely and then you can add the soup to an airtight container which is the best way to keep it fresh. Store in the refrigerator for up to five days. 

You can also batch-cook this soup and freeze portions for a quick and easy meal when you need it. Make sure it has cooled completely before adding it to a freezer bag or container. 

A bowl of Panera's Copycat Autumn Squash Soup.

FAQ

When can I enjoy the Panera Autumn Squash soup?

You will find it in restaurants during the fall season. However, with this copycat recipe, you can make it whenever you want. 

What is the difference between squash and pumpkin?

Mainly you will find the differences will be size, shape, and how it is used.

For example, some pumpkins are used in sweet recipes, whereas you will mostly find butternut squash used for savory dishes.

However, they are fairly similar and they do have a similar flavor and texture. 

Looking down on a bowl of Panera's Squash Soup, a copycat recipe.

Other soup recipes

  • Homemade Easy Instant Pot Cheeseburger Soup – Who loves cheeseburgers? This Instant Pot Cheeseburger Soup is one of the best flavors ever! It’s literally like eating a cheesy & hearty version of a cheeseburger, but stored perfectly in a mason jar!
  • Broccoli Cheddar Soup – Holy cheesy goodness! This Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup is one of the best soups to make in your Instant Pot. Loaded down with broccoli, cheese, and flavor! 
  • Instant Pot Taco Soup – This “under 30-minute taco soup” recipe is amazing! Using your Instant Pot to create this delicious Instant Pot Taco Soup is the perfect weeknight dinner.
  • Olive Garden Minestrone Soup Copycat – It’s soup weather! This Olive Garden Minestrone Soup Copycat is fast, simple, and loaded with delicious ingredients. Put on your comfy clothes and make this easy copycat soup instead of heading out to the restaurants and battling the crowds.
A jar and bowl of Autumn Squash soup from Panera.

Panera Copycat Autumn Squash Soup

Mason Jar Recipe
If you love the Autumn Squash Soup from Panera, get excited because you can now make your own version at home!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Soup
Cuisine American
Servings 5 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • cup onions chopped
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 2 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 cup apple juice
  • 3 cups squash chopped
  • ½ cup carrot chopped
  • ¼ cup celery chopped
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon curry powder
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • ¼ cup pumpkin puree

Topping

  • ½ cup salted roasted pumpkin seeds

Instructions
 

  • Gather all of your ingredients together and prepare them ready to add to the soup. In a large pot, heat the olive oil and onion at medium heat until the onions become translucent. This should take a few minutes.
  • Next up, add the butter and tomato paste and cook for another minute until the tomato paste is fully dispersed and the onions are covered completely.
  • Add the apple juice, vegetable broth, squash, carrots, and celery and mix together to make sure everything is combined.
  • Add the seasonings; cornstarch, cinnamon, curry powder, and lemon juice, and stir again.
  • Now you can turn the heat up to medium high and bring the pot to a boil. Once this happens, turn the heat down to medium low and let the pot simmer for 15 minutes or until the squash is softened and cooked through.
  • While the pot is simmering, place pumpkin seeds in a pan and bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit to toast them.
  • Add the pumpkin purée and honey to the pot and mix them together to ensure all of the flavors are combined.
  • Blend the soup with an emulsifier or pour the soup into a blender and blend until smooth.
  • Add any other extra desired seasoning such as salt, black pepper, or honey to taste before serving.
  • Top with the toasted pumpkin seeds and serve. Enjoy your Panera’s Autumn squash soup.
Keyword Autumn Squash Soup
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A bowl and a jar of homemade Squash soup with text overlay.

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