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)
- Wash and cut/chop all the vegetables
- 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.
- 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.
- Add the maple syrup and stir again. Sprinkle some bouillon powder, turmeric, and cinnamon; stir to combine again. Cook for 2 minutes
- Throw in the garlic cloves, sprigs of thyme, and bay leaves. Grate in some fresh ginger as well.
- 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!)
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
Squash soup or butternut squash soup primarily comprises butternut squash and other vegetables, herbs, and spices. I made this squash soup using butternut squash (well, obviously). Vegetable broth, coconut milk, celery stalk, apple, carrots, pumpkin puree (I used homemade pumpkin puree), and more make up this soup.
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!
We ate this butternut soup with toasted sourdough bread and biscuits. You can also pair it with crackers, salad or just have it by itself as an appetizer.
Yes, autumn squash soup, also known as butternut squash soup, is generally great for you! Most squash soup recipes are low in fat, high in fiber, and packed with nutritious vegetables! Additionally, this butternut squash soup Panera copycat is healthier, vegan, and gluten-free!
A bowl of vegetarian autumn squash soup from Panera Bread is 340 calories. On the other hand, my version (this recipe) is only 215 calories!
Yes, Panera autumn squash soup is gluten free. Also, this copycat recipe is gluten-free + vegan.
Just as the name suggests, Panera Bread’s Autumn squash soup is typically available in most Panera Bread Cafes in the Autumn/Fall. By the way, we all know that Autumn is Fall, right?
On the other hand, you might find this soup all year round in the freezer (soup) section of your grocery store. Look out for “Panera at Home.”

HOW TO MAKE AUTUMN SQUASH SOUP PANERA COPYCAT
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Autumn Squash Soup Panera Copycat (Easy Vegan Recipe)
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Easy autumn squash soup Panera copycat is rich, nutritious, comforting, and satisfyingly delicious while being vegan! This healthy butternut squash soup recipe is delightfully sweet, savory, and creamy. It is dairy-free, gluten-free, refined sugar-free, and stress-free (yes, cos it is super easy to make)! This perfect Panera copycat autumn squash soup is loaded with all the good things – butternut squash, celery, ginger, onions, pumpkin puree, coconut milk, vegetable broth, and more! I added turmeric because of its health benefits.
The combination of veggies, spices, and herbs makes this soup rich and flavorful! The sweetness from the apple and maple syrup greatly complements the vegetable broth!
Ingredients
- 1 Butternut squash or (about 4 cups chopped butternut squash)
- 4 cups of Vegetable broth
- 3/4 cup of coconut milk
- 1 Celery stalk
- 1 Apple
- 2 medium size carrots
- 2 tablespoons of pumpkin puree (I used homemade pumpkin puree; store-bought pumpkin purée is great too)!
- 1/2 teaspoon Freshly grated ginger
- 1 bulb of Onions
- 4 cloves of Garlic
- 3 sprigs of Fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon of Turmeric
- A dash of Cinnamon
- 3 Bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons of Maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon of Vegetable bouillon
- 2 tablespoons of Coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons of Fresh chives
- Salt to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
Instructions
- Wash and cut/chop all the vegetables
- 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.
- 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.
- Add the maple syrup and stir again. Sprinkle some bouillon powder, turmeric, and cinnamon; stir to combine again. Cook for 2 minutes
- Throw in the garlic cloves, sprigs of thyme, and bay leaves. Grate in some fresh ginger as well.
- Add the broth, gently ensure the vegetables are soaked in the broth. Then cover and cook; check the soup in another 20 minutes (it should be bubbling hot!)
- 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.
- Remove from the stove. Take out the bay leaves and sprigs of time before using a hand blender to blend.
- 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. So good!
Notes
Use a regular blender to blend if you do not have a hand-held/Immersion blender. Just be careful, remember the soup is hot. Blend bit by bit; do not fill it up. Please avoid hot splashes.
Turmeric is optional but necessary (in my opinion). I used it instead of curry. I add turmeric every time I make butternut squash soup!
Reduce the amount of broth used if want a thicker consistency. We generally enjoy light soups here. Use may be 2 – 3 cups of vegetable broth instead of 4 cups!
Be careful not to over salt this soup; I had to only add minimal salt because the broth was well salted. Also, the vegetable bouillon is salty.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Soup, Winter, Butternut squash, Butternut squash soup, Butternut squash, healthy squash soup, Panera squash soup, Panera copycat, Autumn squash soup, Vegetarian autumn squash soup, Butternut squash soup recipe, pumpkin soup, Fall soup, Fall recipe, Fall season, gluten-free, vegan
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Easy and healthy chicken coconut milk soup is packed with tasty boneless chicken thighs, coconut milk, warm spices, and vegetables! This soup is savory, sweet, flavorful, and insanely satisfying. Serve this coconut soup with rice, boiled potatoes, or plantains.

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I love squash soup. So comforting and perfect for autumn.
★★★★★
Yes, it is, Dannii!
This was an awesome Panara copycat! This autumn squash soup Panera copycat was easy to make and tasted almost the same as I remember. Have a great day!!
★★★★★
Am so happy to hear this, Heidy!!!🙌🏾
just made it. I happened to have all the ingredients, and loved it,
★★★★★
Glad you loved it!
This is so good and tastes just like Panera! I’ll definitely be making this soup all winter long. Thanks for the great recipe.
★★★★★
You are welcome, Angela! It is on repeat here as well!
Love this fall soup! No need to go to Panera to get this bowl of deliciousness. Thanks for the recipe!
★★★★★
Yep, no need to go to Panera! 🤣🤣🤣
Made this over the weekend and it was so delicious! Easy to make and so flavorful. Definitely will make this soup over and over this winter. YUM!
★★★★★
Am so glad to hear this, Angela!!! Yippie!
This is fall in a bowl! Love that it’s full of healthy ingredients and my kids have no idea!
★★★★★
Isn’t a smart way to add those veggies for the kids? Happy it worked for you, Mindee!
This is so much better than panera! So creamy and satisfying! The flavor was really good!
★★★★★
Thank you so much, Ashley!
Delicious and healthy! Thank you for this great recipe!
★★★★★
You are welcome!
This soup has just the right balance of sweet and savory flavors. I love the coconut milk in it! So cozy and delicious!
★★★★★
Glad you like this soup, Jen!
One of my favorite soup flavors. This looks fantastic. Thanks for sharing.
★★★★★
Thank you!❤️🙏🏾
This soup is comforting and delicious. Thanks for the fabulous recipe. I will make it again.
★★★★★
Thanks so much, Beth!!!
Squash is my favourite soup and it’s the perfect autumn comfort food.
★★★★★
Yes to squash!!
Those first few colds after school starts can be so rough on kids! I’m glad they had this homemade soup to help them feel better and I agree, adding coconut milk is perfect! I love a good Panera copycat recipe so I know I’m going to love this one.
★★★★★
AM so excited to hear this, Aimee!!
This soup is bursting with fall flavors! I love butternut squash.
★★★★★
Yes, it is, Krissy!!!