Copycat Panera Squash Soup Recipe - Vegetarian [with VIDEO] (2024)

This Copycat Panera Squash Soup tastes just like the original, but I made it a bit healthier!

Remember last week when I was talking about my homemade mild curry powder and I said I really truly made it for this soup? Well, here it is!

We were at a church event not too long ago and my pastor’s wife asked me if I had a squash soup recipe on my site. I said yes I havea creamy butternut squash soup with smoked paprika, and a really old post about squash soup with sage. But she was looking specifically for a copycat Panera squash soup.

I don’t blame her – it is delicious! It’s also not the greatest for you, calorie-wise, considering it’s squash soup…which most people may automatically assume is healthy.

I made efforts to reduce the calorie content a bit while still keeping the flavors rich and slightly indulgent. I think I found a good balance, but if you’re looking for an exact replica, feel free to add more butter, cream, and sugar. I won’t judge. Your skinny jeans might but we’re coming up to winter so it’s nothing a big comfy sweater can’t fix, right? RIGHT?

If you read the recipe closely, you’ll see this squash soup also contains carrots and pumpkin. They give it extra sweetness and depth of flavor. If you don’t have pumpkin or don’t want to add pumpkin, just use a little less vegetable broth. Remember you can always add more at the end to make it thinner but it’s more difficult to make it thicker.

I’d recommend using carrots with the squash because they really do add great natural sweetness, and they help achieve the beautiful color of the soup. Plus, Panera squash soup also has carrots in it.

I garnished my Copycat Panera Squash Soup recipe with roasted pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds). Their crunch and color add a nice contrast, don’t you think? You could also garnish it with chopped, fresh herbs like sage or parsley, or homemade croutons.

Important note: This soup calls for two cups of apple cider, NOT APPLE CIDER VINEGAR. If you can’t find apple cider (sometimes it’s hard to find if it’s not fall), use a natural (100% juice) apple juice. If you use vinegar by accident, your soup will NOT turn out and will definitely NOT taste like Panera’s.

PS: This isn’t my first rodeo with making a Panera copycat – make sure to check out my Copycat Panera Mac and Cheese! People LOVE it!

PS: Love butternut squash? Check out my full how to cook butternut squash guide!

Verdict: I’m totally obsessed with this copycat Panera squash soup. I love that I can have it all year round now and not just on Panera’s schedule.
Husband’s take: He never tried this. Squash soup isn’t really his thing.
Changes I would make: None are necessary.
Difficulty: Easy.