Panera autumn squash soup is roasted butternut squash, pumpkin puree and carrots simmered in vegetable broth with apple juice, curry, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg, then blended smooth and finished with cream cheese and heavy cream. Eighty-five minutes, serves 8 at 254 calories.
Roasting the butternut squash with honey, butter and cinnamon before it goes anywhere near the soup pot is the step that separates this from every other squash soup. Raw squash simmered in broth tastes flat and vegetal. Roasted squash has caramelised edges and concentrated sweetness, and that depth carries through the whole bowl after blending.
Apple juice is the ingredient you would not guess, and it is the one Panera actually lists on their website. Two cups of apple juice alongside the vegetable broth gives the soup a brightness that balances the heavy squash and cream. Apple cider works too, but do not use apple cider vinegar, which is a completely different thing and will ruin the batch.
8
servings35
minutes50
minutes254
kcalButternut squash roasted with honey, butter and cinnamon, then simmered with pumpkin puree, carrots, apple juice, vegetable broth, ginger, curry, cinnamon, nutmeg, coriander and turmeric. Blended smooth and finished with cream cheese, brown sugar and heavy cream.
Ingredients
- For the roasted butternut squash:
1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed (about 2 lbs)
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
Pinch of salt and cinnamon
- For the soup:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 large carrots, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ginger, minced
4 cups vegetable broth
2 cups apple juice or apple cider
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 (15 oz) can 100% pumpkin puree
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup heavy cream
Pepitas, cream drizzle and paprika for garnish
Directions
- Roast the squash:Preheat oven to 425F. Toss the cubed squash with honey, melted butter, salt and cinnamon on a lined baking sheet. Roast for about 25 minutes until caramelised and tender.
- Sauté the aromatics:Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook the onion for 5 minutes until soft. Add the carrots, garlic and ginger and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant.
- Simmer:Add the roasted squash, broth, apple juice, lemon juice, honey and all the spices. Bring to a boil, reduce to medium-low, and simmer until the carrots are tender, about 10 minutes.
- Add the cream base:Stir in the pumpkin puree, cream cheese and brown sugar. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- Blend:Puree in a stand blender in batches until completely smooth. Pour back into the pot.
- Finish and serve:Stir in the heavy cream. Season with salt and pepper. Serve garnished with pepitas, a drizzle of cream and a pinch of paprika.
FAQs
Can you use an immersion blender instead of a stand blender?
You can, but the texture will not be as smooth. A stand blender processes the squash and carrots into a completely velvety consistency that an immersion blender struggles to match. It is more washing up, but the result is noticeably better.
Is this soup sweet?
Yes, and deliberately so. Honey on the squash, brown sugar in the pot, apple juice in the broth, and pumpkin puree all push it in that direction, which matches the Panera version. If you want it less sweet, skip the brown sugar and the tablespoon of honey that goes into the soup. The roasted squash and apple juice carry enough sweetness on their own.
Can you make this dairy-free?
Yes. Swap the butter for olive oil when roasting, use coconut cream or oat milk in place of the heavy cream, and use a vegan cream cheese. The soup is naturally gluten-free either way.
Can you freeze this soup?
Yes, but freeze it before adding the cream cheese and heavy cream. Dairy soups get grainy after thawing. Let it cool completely, freeze in a container with headspace, and thaw overnight in the fridge. Add the cream cheese and cream when you reheat on the stove.
How long does it keep in the fridge?
Up to 5 days in a sealed container. It thickens as it sits, so add a splash of broth or water when reheating. The flavours develop further overnight, so day-two soup is often better than day one.
