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Panera Autumn Squash Soup Copycat

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A creamy, velvety pureed squash soup inspired by Panera Bread’s famous Autumn Squash Soup, featuring butternut squash, pumpkin puree, apple cider, and warm spices.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 18–20 ounces raw butternut squash flesh, cubed
  • 1 cup apple juice or apple cider
  • 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth (plus extra as needed)
  • 14 ounce can pumpkin puree
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil (or vegetable or coconut oil)
  • 1 cup finely chopped onion (about 1/2 large onion)
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 3/4 teaspoon mild yellow curry powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 ounces softened cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup half-n-half or heavy cream
  • Roasted pepitas for garnish (optional)

Instructions

  1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add chopped onion and sauté until softened.
  2. Add ground cinnamon, curry powder, and ground ginger; cook until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
  3. Add cubed butternut squash, apple juice or cider, vegetable broth, pumpkin puree, and brown sugar. Stir to combine.
  4. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes or until squash is tender.
  5. Remove from heat and use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth. Alternatively, blend in batches in a blender.
  6. Return soup to low heat and stir in softened cream cheese and half-n-half or heavy cream until fully incorporated and heated through.
  7. Adjust seasoning with salt as needed. Add extra vegetable broth or water to reach desired consistency.
  8. Serve hot, garnished with roasted pepitas if desired.

Notes

Roasting the butternut squash before adding it to the soup can enhance the flavor by caramelizing the natural sugars. Adjust the sweetness by varying the amount of brown sugar or apple cider. For a vegan version, substitute cream cheese and half-n-half with coconut milk or cashew cream.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://www.rapidrecipes.blog/autumn-squash-soup-panera-copycat/