CopycatSpices
Copycat Panera Autumn Squash Soup
Make Panera's seasonal Autumn Squash Soup at home with roasted butternut squash, warm spices, and a touch of apple for natural sweetness.
copycat · panera · casual-dining · soup
🕑Prep15 min
🍳Cook40 min
⏱Total55 min
🍽Serves6
⭐DifficultyMedium
Ingredients
- 1 large butternut squash (about 3 lbs), peeled, seeded, and cubed
- 1 medium apple (Honeycrisp or Fuji), peeled and diced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Pumpkin seeds for garnish
Instructions
- 1.Roast the squash. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Toss the cubed butternut squash with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet and roast for 25-30 minutes until tender and caramelized.
- 2.Sauté the aromatics. While the squash roasts, melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion and apple. Cook for 5-6 minutes until the onion is translucent and the apple is soft.
- 3.Combine and simmer. Add the roasted squash to the pot along with the vegetable broth, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
- 4.Blend until smooth. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup directly in the pot until completely smooth. Alternatively, blend in batches in a regular blender (be careful with hot liquids).
- 5.Finish the soup. Stir in the heavy cream and maple syrup. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for another 2-3 minutes.
- 6.Serve. Ladle into bowls and garnish with a drizzle of cream, toasted pumpkin seeds, and a light dusting of cinnamon.
Panera’s Autumn Squash Soup is one of the most anticipated seasonal menu items every fall. Velvety smooth butternut squash soup with warm cinnamon and nutmeg, a hint of apple sweetness, and a swirl of cream — it tastes like autumn in a bowl. This copycat version is easy to make and freezes beautifully for enjoying all season long.
The Secret
Roasting the butternut squash instead of boiling it is the game-changer. Roasting caramelizes the natural sugars in the squash, creating a deeper, more complex sweetness that boiling simply cannot achieve. The apple is Panera’s secret ingredient — it adds natural sweetness and body without any detectable apple flavor in the finished soup.
Pro Tips
- Look for pre-cut butternut squash at the grocery store to save significant prep time.
- Roast the squash until the edges are starting to brown — those caramelized bits add the best flavor.
- For an even richer soup, substitute half of the vegetable broth with chicken broth.
- This soup freezes perfectly for up to 3 months. Add the cream after thawing and reheating for the best texture.
