Panera Bread Copycat Recipes
Panera's soups, salads, and sandwiches are perfect for a lighter meal. Make them fresh at home.
8 recipes
Panera Bread made fast-casual feel wholesome, and its most-loved items are the soups and the mac and cheese. The Broccoli Cheddar Soup, velvety and cheesy with finely chopped broccoli and a hit of carrot, is the icon, but the lineup runs deep: a creamy mac and cheese, a brothy chicken noodle, a sweet-savory autumn squash soup, a smooth creamy tomato, and the Green Goddess salad with its herby dressing. The techniques are gentle and forgiving: build a proper roux for the cheese soups, melt the cheese off the heat so it stays smooth, and never boil the dairy. Our Panera copycats cover all of it, the broccoli cheddar, chicken noodle, autumn squash, and tomato soups, the mac and cheese, and the Green Goddess salad.
Panera Autumn Squash Soup
Copycat Panera Bread Chicken Noodle Soup
Panera Green Goddess Salad
Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup (Bread Bowl Optional)
Copycat Panera Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup — Discontinued Menu Favorite
Panera Mac and Cheese Copycat Recipe (With the Real Secret Ingredient)
Panera Creamy Tomato Soup
Copycat Panera Bread Bowl (Sourdough Boule from Scratch + Shortcuts)
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I keep broccoli cheddar soup from getting grainy?
Make a flour-and-butter roux, add the dairy gradually, and stir the shredded cheese in off the heat at the end. Boiling after the cheese goes in is what causes graininess and separation. Shred your cheese from a block rather than using pre-shredded.
What cheese is in Panera's mac and cheese?
It's a white-cheddar-forward blend with a smooth, slightly tangy sauce. Our copycat melts a cheddar blend into a silky bechamel so it coats the shells without breaking.
Is the autumn squash soup hard to make?
Not at all. It's butternut squash and pumpkin, simmered and blended smooth, with warm spices, a touch of sweetness, and a hint of curry. It freezes beautifully.
What's in the Green Goddess dressing?
A creamy, herb-heavy dressing built on avocado and fresh herbs with a tangy base. Our copycat blends it smooth for that signature pale-green color over greens, chicken, and grain bowls.
Can I make the soups ahead?
Yes, all of them reheat well. For the cheese-based soups, reheat gently over low heat and avoid a hard boil so the dairy stays smooth.