Copycat Panera Autumn Squash Soup
User Reviews
4.8
Copycat Panera Autumn Squash Soup
Description
The recipe begins by roasting halved butternut squash and sugar pumpkin until tender, then scooping out the flesh. Meanwhile, onions, carrots, shallots, and garlic are sautéed with curry powder and cinnamon to build a fragrant base. Chicken broth and apple juice are added and simmered, then pureed with the roasted squash and pumpkin to form a smooth, velvety soup.
The incorporation of mild curry and cinnamon introduces warm, earthy notes, balanced by the sweetness of apple juice. Greek yogurt adds a layer of tangy creaminess that enriches the texture without overpowering the flavors. The soup benefits from the crunchy, spiced pumpkin seed garnish, which adds a contrasting bite and subtle smoky seasoning.
This soup works well served warm as a comforting fall or winter starter or light meal. Its blend of roasted squash varieties offers depth, and the seasoning allows it to stand alone or accompany heartier dishes. Using sugar pumpkins or pie pumpkins ensures a sweet, dense flesh suitable for pureeing and flavor development.
When blending hot liquids in a regular blender, precautions such as venting the lid or covering with a towel help prevent accidents from steam pressure. Smaller sugar pumpkins are preferred for cooking over large jack-o'-lantern types, which have watery flesh. The recipe includes roasting seeds separately with butter, paprika, curry powder, and salt to create a flavorful topping.
Ingredients
- 1 butternut squash 2 ½-3 pounds, large
- 1 sugar pumpkin 2 ½-3 pounds, medium
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion peeled, halved and roughly chopped, large sweet yellow
- 8 ounces carrot
- ½ cup shallots roughly chopped
- 2 garlic minced, medium cloves
- 1 teaspoon curry powder mild
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 8 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth, low sodium
- 1 cup apple juice
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt more to taste
- ½ cup Greek yogurt I use full fat
- ¼ black pepper freshly ground
- salt to taste
- For the pumpkin seeds:
- 1 teaspoon butter
- ½ cup Pepitas or pumpkin seeds
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoons curry powder mild
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400˚F. Line a sheet pan will foil. Set aside.
- Cut squash and pumpkin in half. Scoop out seeds and stringy flesh. Drizzle a little olive oil on the prepared sheet pan. Place, cut side down, on sheet pan and roast for 30-40 minutes until very tender. Remove from oven and set aside till cool enough to handle.
- While squash and pumpkin are roasting, heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions, carrots and shallots and sauté for 3-4 minutes or until slightly translucent and soft. Add minced garlic, curry and cinnamon and cook for another minute or until nice and fragrant.
- Add broth, apple juice and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside till squash and pumpkin are finished baking.
- When squash and pumpkin* are tender. (Pierce them with a small thin-bladed knife to tell - it should insert really easily.) Set aside till cool enough to handle, then scoop out flesh and add to Dutch oven.
- Return mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for another 10 minutes. Remove from heat and puree with an immersion blender or transfer mixture, in several batches to a regular blender**. Puree until very smooth and silky. Add Greek yogurt and pepper and stir to combine.Taste and add more salt if needed (There are a lot of veggies to season in this soup so don't hesitate to add more salt if the taste is bland.) You also may want to add a tablespoon or two of honey. My squash was very sweet and it didn't need any extra sweetness. The description of the Panera soup does include honey.
- Serve hot with a generous scoop of the pumpkin seeds.
- For the pumpkin seeds, melt butter in a small sauté pan over medium heat. Add pumpkin seeds and stir to coat. Sprinkle with paprika, curry powder and salt. Continue to cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring continuously, or until pepitas begin to turn golden. Taste and add a bit more salt, if needed. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
Notes
- Use sugar or pie pumpkins rather than large jack-o'-lantern pumpkins for better flavor and texture.
- When blending hot soup in a regular blender, remove the lid insert or cover with a towel to allow steam to escape safely.
- The spiced pumpkin seed topping adds a crunchy, savory contrast to the smooth soup.
- Roast the squash and pumpkins cut-side down on a foil-lined sheet pan for tender flesh.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.8
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