Autumn Squash Soup Panera Copycat (Easy & Vegan)

Easy autumn squash soup Panera copycat is rich, nutritious, comforting, and satisfyingly delicious while being vegan! This healthy butternut squash soup recipe is dairy-free, gluten-free, refined sugar-free, and stress-free (yes, cos it is super easy to make)! Truly my version of autumn squash soup Panera copycat is loaded with all the good things – butternut squash (well, obviously)! Celery, ginger, onions, pumpkin puree, coconut milk, vegetable broth, and a secret ingredient; TURMERIC! I added turmeric because of its health benefits; though it is optional, I highly recommend it!

This healthy butternut squash soup, aka autumn squash soup Panera copycat, is delightfully sweet, savory, creamy, and satisfying. The combination of veggies, spices, and herbs makes this soup rich and flavorful! The sweetness from the apple and maple syrup greatly complements the broth! Listen, this will become your new BEST butternut squash soup recipe!

BEST Panera Inspired Autumn Squash Soup!

I made this version of autumn squash soup Panera copycat (in August) when my kids were down with a little fever last month. They had just returned to school after summer, and within three days, they came down with cold and fever symptoms. I excluded cream, a regular feature in Panera Bread’s autumn squash soup. However, I compensated in other ways that greatly enhanced the soup. I used coconut milk, and it was perfect!

Vegan squash soup recipe is rich, nutritious, comforting, and satisfyingly delicious! This healthy butternut squash soup recipe is loaded with all the vegetables that are great for you. Click To Tweet

Turmeric in Autumn Squash Soup?

Yes! It’s a big yes for me when it comes to adding turmeric to this squash soup recipe. Initially, I swapped out curry powder for ground turmeric primarily due to its health benefits. Then, I fell in love with the vibrancy of turmeric; I love the color! Ground turmeric is my secret Panera autumn squash soup hack! Well, it’s no secret anymore. I just let it out of the bag! 

Why I love this Autumn Squash Soup Recipe:

• No Roasting
• Easy to make
• Healthy
• Plant-based
• Comforting
• Dairy-free
• Refined sugar-free
• BEST vegan version of autumn squash soup Panera!

Tools you will need:

• Immersion Hand Blender (don’t sweat over it, you can use a regular blender)
• Sharp Knife (for chopping all the veggies; well, obviously you will need a good + sharp knife to peel & cut your butternut squash. Unless you intend to buy already cut butternut squash)!

HOW TO PEEL AND CUT BUTTERNUT SQUASH:

INGREDIENTS FOR AUTUMN SQUASH SOUP PANERA:

• Fresh Butternut squash (well, obviously)
• Vegetable broth (Homemade or store-bought)
• Coconut milk (I used this brand)
• Celery stalk
• Apple
• Carrots 
• Pumpkin puree (I used homemade pumpkin puree; store-bought pumpkin purée is great too!)
• Fresh ginger
• Onions
• Garlic
• Fresh thyme
• Turmeric 
• Cinnamon 
• Bay leaves
• Maple syrup
• Vegetable bouillon
• Coconut oil (or olive oil)
• Fresh chives 
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste 

HOW TO MAKE THIS HEALTHY AUTUMN SQUASH SOUP (step-by-step)

1. Wash and cut/chop all the vegetables
2. Place a clean pan on the stove on medium heat, and add the coconut oil. Allow to warm up and then add chopped onions, and then sprinkle some salt. 
3. Cook 2 – 3 minutes to soften, and add the chopped carrots, celery stalk, apples. Stir and cook for 3 minutes and add the chopped butternut squash. Stir very well to combine.
4. Add the maple syrup and stir again. Sprinkle some bouillon powder, turmeric, and cinnamon; stir to combine again. Cook for 2 minutes
5. Throw in the garlic cloves, sprigs of thyme, and bay leaves. Grate in some fresh ginger as well. 
6. Add the vegetable broth, gently ensure the vegetables are soaked in the broth. Then cover and cook; check the soup in about 20 minutes (it should be bubbling hot!)
7. Stir in the coconut milk and pumpkin puree. Cover and cook for another 5 – 10 minutes or until everything is soft and tender. Taste for flavors and adjust as needed.
8. Remove from the stove. Take out the bay leaves and sprigs of time before blending the soup with with a hand blender or a regular blender.
9. To serve, top with some chopped chives and pumpkin seeds. You can add a dollop of coconut yogurt. We had this delicious autumn squash soup Panera copycat with toasted sourdough bread and homemade biscuits. So good! 

Similarities & Differences Between this Soup and Panera’s 

This recipe is inspired by Panera Bread’s autumn squash soup no doubt; however, here is how I made it a little different from Panera’s.

• Panera uses honey, but I choose organic original maple syrup. 
• Relatively, Panera uses cream, but I opted for coconut milk.
• Subsequently, Panera Bread uses apple juice; however, I used a whole apple.
• Also, I didn’t use curry because I used turmeric. I addition, I added ginger, bar leaf, and thyme. These added spices and herbs equally brought tons of flavors and health benefits! You can swap back to the original ingredients that Panera uses as you are in charge!

Butternut Squash Soup FAQs

Panera Bread copycat autumn squash soup is dairy-free, gluten-free, refined sugar-free and stress-free (yes, cos its super easy to make)! You won’t believe that this version of autumn squash soup is vegan, too! Click To Tweet

HOW TO MAKE AUTUMN SQUASH SOUP PANERA COPYCAT

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