Copycat Panera Autumn Squash Soup

Updated: Dec 1st, 2023 · By Bethany Kramer
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This Panera autumn squash soup is the perfect fall recipe! It has a velvety smooth consistency, is made completely in a slow cooker, and is filled with some of the best fall produce.

Orange autumn squash soup in a white bowl with pumpkin seeds and cinnamon on top, with a spoon in the bowl. The bowl of soup is sitting on a wooden background with pumpkin seeds scattered and a napkin arranged next to it.

If you know me at all at this point, you know I love soup! I could eat it for every meal and be completely happy.

Soup is such a seasonal food and can be made year-round in so many different variations as the produce changes. And this butternut squash soup is perfect for the fall season! It’s filled with some of the best fall produce such as pureed pumpkin, butternut squash, carrots, and onions.

This recipe came about after trying Panera Bread’s classic squash soup. I thought it was too delicious to not try and whip up my own version of it!

The flavors of this recipe are sweet & savory, the consistency is perfectly creamy, and it’s all made easy in a slow cooker. You’ll find it not only delicious but very easy to make! All around a win-win situation.

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Ingredients You Need

You’ll need just 10 ingredients to make this slow-cooker soup happen. Here’s everything you need: carrots, pureed pumpkin, vegetable broth, yellow onion, coconut sugar, salt & pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, garlic cloves, coconut milk, and butternut squash.

Ingredients for butternut squash soup arranged on white counter.

How to Make Panera Autumn Squash Soup

  1. 1

    First, prepare the vegetables. Then add all of the ingredients (minus milk) to slow cooker.

  2. 2

    Stir ingredients together, cover, and cook in a slow cooker/crockpot for 5 hours on LOW or 3 hours on HIGH.

  1. 3

    When soup is finished cooking, use a hand-immersion blender or high-powered blend and puree soup until a smooth consistency.

  2. 4

    Serve with coconut milk, pumpkin seeds, and additional seasonings.

Extra Soup Tips

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  • Use homemade broth: whenever I have it on hand, I love using homemade vegetable broth in this recipe to elevate the flavor even more.
  • Use a blender to puree soup: if you don’t have a hand-immersion blender, use a high-powdered blender to puree the soup (you may have to do several batches depending on the size).
  • Additional spices you can add: to add a little bit more herbs and spices to your soup we recommend a pinch of curry powder, sage, rosemary, thyme, or ground ginger.

A hand holding a spoon in a bowl of orange autumn squash soup that's in a white bowl. The soup is sitting on a wooden background with pumpkin seeds and a napkin arranged around it.

How to Store Leftovers & Freeze

Keep leftovers fresh: store soup in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days for ultimate freshness.

Freeze: store cooled soup in an airtight container or freezer-friendly ziplock bag for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature and reheat.

Serving Suggestions

This soup goes wonderfully with homemade bread – like our no-knead cranberry walnut bread or cinnamon raisin! You can also serve it with a seasonal fall salad like our Apple Pomegranate Harvest Salad or Warm Brussels Sprout Salad – you can’t go wrong with either!

Other Delicious Soups to Try:

Copycat Panera Autumn Squash Soup

4.79 from 60 votes
This Panera autumn squash soup is the perfect fall recipe! It has a velvety smooth consistency, is made completely in a slow cooker, and is filled with some of the best fall produce.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 hours
Total Time 5 hours 10 minutes
Serves 6 people

Ingredients

  • 3 1/2 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 small yellow onion chopped
  • 2-3 garlic cloves
  • 1 medium-large butternut squash peeled and cubed
  • 2-3 carrots peeled and chopped (or a little over 1 cup)
  • 1/2 15 oz. can organic pumpkin puree
  • 2 Tbsp coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp cracked pepper
  • 1/2 cup canned coconut milk (unsweetened)
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • pinch nutmeg
  • pinch of cayenne *optional
  • pumpkin seeds for topping *optional

Instructions

  • Prepare vegetables: peel squash and cut into 1-2 inch cubes. Cut heads of carrots off and slice into 1/2-inch thick pieces. Peel onion and slice into pieces.
  • Cook: Add all of the ingredients (except coconut milk) to slow cooker/crockpot – vegetable broth, onion, garlic, squash, carrots, pumpkin puree, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, pinch of cayenne, and salt & pepper. Mix ingredients together. Set slow cooker time for 5 hours on LOW or 3 hours on HIGH.
  • Puree soup: after soup has cooked, use a hand-immersion blender or high-powered blender to blend soup until creamy and smooth.
  • Season to taste and serve: before serving soup, taste it and adjust with salt & back pepper or additional spice if desired. Stir in 1/2 cup coconut milk and then serve with pumpkin seeds, cracked black pepper, and a sprinkle of coconut sugar if desired.

Notes

Keep leftovers fresh: store soup in airtight container in fridge for 3-4 days for ultimate freshness.
Freeze: store cooled soup in an airtight container or freezer-friendly ziplock bag for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature and reheat.
Course Main Course, Soup
Cuisine American
Keyword butternut squash soup, panera autumn squash soup, slow cooker butternut squash soup
Freezer Friendly Yes
Author A Simple Palate

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 102kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 1.5g | Fat: 0.6g | Saturated Fat: 3.6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Trans Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 746.2mg | Potassium: 7mg | Fiber: 2.6g | Sugar: 8.6g | Vitamin A: 93IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 0mg

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