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Panera Autumn Squash Soup

Panera autumn squash soup is a velvety blend of butternut squash, pumpkin puree, and apple cider simmered until tender, then smoothed with cream and cream cheese. Finish with a drizzle of cream and roasted pumpkin seeds for a cozy, autumn-orange bowl.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Lunch
Cuisine: American
Calories: 320
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Butter
  • 2 tbsp butter
Onion
  • 1 medium onion, diced
Garlic
  • 2 clove garlic, minced
Butternut squash
  • 4 cup butternut squash, peeled and cubed
Pumpkin puree
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
Carrot
  • 1 carrot, chopped
Apple cider
  • 1 cup apple cider
Vegetable broth
  • 3 cup vegetable broth
Honey
  • 2 tbsp honey
Curry powder
  • 0.5 tsp curry powder
Ground cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp ground cinnamon
Nutmeg
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
Salt
  • 1 tsp salt
Heavy cream
  • 0.5 cup heavy cream
Cream cheese
  • 2 oz cream cheese
Roasted pumpkin seeds
  • 1 roasted pumpkin seeds for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Sauté the aromatics
  1. Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Cook the diced onion for 5 minutes until soft, then add the minced garlic for 1 minute, stirring until fragrant.
Simmer the soup
  1. Add butternut squash, pumpkin puree, chopped carrot, apple cider, vegetable broth, honey, curry powder, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt to the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, then simmer 25-30 minutes until the squash is very tender.
Blend and finish
  1. Add heavy cream and cream cheese, then blend until completely smooth. Simmer for 5 minutes and adjust seasoning to taste.
  2. Serve the soup topped with roasted pumpkin seeds and a drizzle of cream. The surface should look glossy and the garnish should sit visibly on top.

Notes

For the smoothest texture, blend while the soup is hot but in batches if your blender isn’t big enough, and keep the steam vent open to avoid pressure buildup. Store in the refrigerator up to 4 days; reheat gently on the stove, adding a splash of broth if it thickens. Freezing is not ideal because dairy can change texture, but you can freeze for up to 2 months if needed. For a dairy-light option, use evaporated oat milk plus a dairy-free cream cheese, and blend until smooth.