Autumn Squash Soup (Panera Copycat)

Dairy-free and vegan, try our Autumn Squash Soup. It is a delicious replica of Panera Bread’s Creamy Squash Soup. And we love it! It’s packed with vegetables including 2 squashes, butternut, and pumpkin, and pureed into a creamy texture for an amazing flavorful soup.

Panera Copycat Recipe for Autumn Squash Soup…

The first time I tasted Panera Bread’s autumn squash soup, I fell in love! But when I searched for the ingredients to make this soup, I was not happy with the Panera Bread version, it contained too many “unwanted ingredients” and a lot of dairy.

So I decided to come up with my own version of this recipe.

While other copycat recipes are loaded with butter, sugar, and cream, I can assure you, our version is not!

What makes our Autumn Squash Soup perfect?

• This creamy soup is loaded with only veggies, vegetable broth, and some seasonings!
• No butter, no sugar added, and no heavy cream – what’s-so-ever!
• Our recipe makes a huge pot, enough to feed your family and freeze some for another time. 😉
• Pureeing this soup hides all the veggies, so picky eaters can’t see them or complain.
• This soup contains natural sugars that are released while cooking, making this soup sweet and savory without adding additional ingredients.
• Easy recipe to make. It’s my own “copycat version” of Panera Bread’s recipe for their seasonal autumn squash soup.
• This soup has a creamy smooth texture with a flavorful bite in every spoonful. I think it’s the perfect soup for a cool autumn night.

Since my kids were babies, I have been pureeing my soups forever. I mean, how else could a mother of four get them to eat veggies without nitpicking at every little vegetable they didn’t like?

The taste is SO amazing!! It’s perfect. Plus, we’ll show you how to puree this soup with 2 easy methods.

How to Make This Autumn Squash Soup?

Keep in mind, that the only prep work needed to make this soup is peeling and chopping the vegetables. The rest is easy!

• The veggies are sauteed first before any liquid is poured in.
• This method allows them to infuse their wonderful aromas and flavors into one another.
• It’s also loaded with butternut squash and pumpkin puree.

Ingredients Overview…

• olive oil – to saute the vegetables.
• vegetables – you will need celery, carrots, onion, and garlic cloves.
• butternut squash – I found a package of pre-cut butternut at Trader Joe’s. It’s a 12-ounce bag, about 3 cups.
• pumpkin puree – you need 1 can (15-ounce) of pumpkin puree (not for pumpkin pie filling). Or you can use homemade pumpkin puree with this recipe.
• potatoes – one sweet potato and one Idaho potato.
• herbs – fresh parsley and bay leaves are all you need for this recipe.
• liquid – vegetable broth and water.
• spices and seasonings – ground turmeric, cayenne pepper, and salt.
• NO beans required – I didn’t need to add any beans to this soup.

Quick Directions To Make It:

Our full printable recipe card is located at the bottom. But first, let’s run through our easy steps so you will understand what’s involved before you start.

Step 1: In a large soup pot or a large Dutch oven, add olive oil.

Step 2: Then as you chop each vegetable, toss them into the pot. Turn on medium heat. Continue to chop fresh vegetables and toss them in. Toss in the fresh parsley too.

Step 3: Cover with the lid, and saute the vegetables for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Step 4: Next, pour in one cup of water and the pumpkin puree. Stir to combine.

Step 5: Then pour in 2 cups of vegetable broth. Add in the seasonings: cayenne pepper, ground turmeric, salt, and 2 bay leaves. Cover and raise the heat to “high” and bring the entire mixture to a “full” boil. Then reduce the heat to “low” and simmer the soup, covered for an additional 10 to 12 minutes, or more.

Step 6: Finally, fish out and remove the bay leaves. Then puree the soup using a hand-held immersion blender, or a traditional blender (see my notes below on How to Puree Soup).

Our ingredients are mostly pantry staples but the flavor in this squash soup is nothing less than amazing!

What Sides to Serve It With…

There are so many options of sides to serve with this tasty soup: from sandwiches to salads, and more.

• Cheesy Mini Biscuits – Jim N Nicks Copycat
• Grilled Cheese and Pear Sandwich
• Apple Bok Choy Salad
• Mozzarella in Carrozza (Italian fried cheese sandwiches)
• Grilled Pimento Cheese Sandwich
• Grilled Cheese & Apple Sandwich

Variations…

You can garnish the soup with a few options below, or with anything you may like:

• A sprinkle of pumpkin seeds (roasted pepitas), as we did here.
• Try sunflower seeds for some crunch.
• You can drizzle and swirl with some coconut yogurt cream on top.
• Toss a couple of croutons over each bowl for additional crunch and flavor.

FAQ’s

1. Can I use Frozen Butternut Squash? Yes, certainly. No need to thaw them either, just toss them into the pot to sauté.

2. Can we Freeze Squash Soup? Yes, you can! First, be sure to allow the soup to cool completely before storing it in a sealed container. Then store the container in your freezer and freeze for up to 2 months.

3. How do we Puree This Soup? There are two methods to pureeing soup into a creamy, smooth texture.

• One method is to use an immersion hand-held blender and you must use it at the lowest speed. And puree it slowly moving around, while it is submerged inside the pot. This will help prevent the soup from splashing any hot liquid outside of the pot.
• The second method is to use your blender. You must puree the soup ONLY in small batches and with the lid on top. Plus, you must puree the soup at the lowest speed. Hot liquid can make the cover of the blender pop off if there’s too much soup to blend, causing a mess.
• Then return the pureed soup to the pot and serve it warm.

This Autumn Squash Soup is loaded with so much flavor everyone will ask for more! Silky, smooth, and has great flavor with every spoonful.

Your family and friends will LOVE this soup! Best of all, it’s loaded with vitamins ...but don’t tell them, no need to spoil the fun!

It’s positively delicious! But don’t take my word for it… you’ll have to try this soup yourself.

ENJOY!!

Additional Soup Recipes…

• Butternut Squash Zucchini Soup
• Creamy Butternut Squash Potato Soup
• Roasted Garlic Parsnip & White Bean Soup
• Curried Carrot Sweet Potato Ginger Sou
• Split Pea and Thyme Soup

Your comments help us! If you make our Autumn Squash Soup, let us know and leave a comment with a star rating!  We’d love to hear from you. Sharing your insights and experiences helps everyone who reads them, and helps us too!

Happy Cooking  🙂

Thanks for stopping by and have a delicious day!

xo anna and liz