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Panera Autumn Squash Soup

Panera autumn squash soup made with a velvety blend of butternut squash, pumpkin puree, apple cider, and warm spices. Simmered until tender, then blended smooth with cream and cream cheese for a rich, spoon-coating texture.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 310
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Soup base
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 onion medium, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 4 cup butternut squash peeled and cubed
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1 carrot chopped
  • 1 cup apple cider
  • 3 cup vegetable broth
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 0.5 tsp curry powder
  • 0.25 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 tsp salt
Creamy finish
  • 0.5 cup heavy cream
  • 2 oz cream cheese
  • 1 roasted pumpkin seeds for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Sauté aromatics
  1. Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat; cook the onion for 5 minutes until soft, stirring occasionally. Keep the mixture at a gentle sizzle so the onion turns translucent but doesn’t brown.
  2. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir constantly until fragrant and lightly golden at the edges.
Simmer the soup
  1. Add butternut squash, pumpkin puree, carrot, apple cider, vegetable broth, honey, curry powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt to the pot. Stir well to coat everything evenly.
  2. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce to a steady simmer. Simmer for 25-30 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the squash is very tender.
Blend and finish
  1. Stir in heavy cream and cream cheese, then blend until completely smooth. Blend until no visible cream or cheese streaks remain.
  2. Simmer the blended soup for 5 minutes and adjust seasoning to taste. Look for a glossy, thick texture that lightly coats the back of a spoon.
Serve
  1. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with roasted pumpkin seeds. Finish with a drizzle of cream and serve hot.

Notes

Pro tip: For the smoothest texture, blend while the soup is hot and blend until completely uniform, then simmer briefly so it thickens slightly. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; freeze up to 2 months (thaw overnight and reheat gently, stirring often). For a lighter version, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream and reduce the cream cheese to 1 oz.