Brown Sugar Roasted Butternut Squash Soup Recipe
Nothing says comfort food better than a warm bowl of creamy soup on a cold day. And if you have ever ordered the autumn squash soup at Panera during the fall season, you know this delicious soup always hits the spot. I have been a long time fan of this incredibly satisfying soup but you can only get it for a few months during the year. So I set out to make my own copycat version at home. This butternut soup tastes just like the real deal from Panera and is easier than you may think. So next time you have a craving for the warm spices and comforting fall taste of the autumn squash soup, pull out this easy butternut squash soup recipe and whip yourself up a batch. Full recipe card below.
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What is Butternut Squash Soup?
If you have never had the autumn squash soup at Panera the best way for me to describe it is fall flavors in a bowl. In fact, when I made this soup last I gave my mom a bowl to try. She had never had it and when she asked what it tasted like that is what I told her. After she tried it she said I was spot on. It tasted just like fall.
Butternut squash is the primary ingredient in this soup and has sweet and almost nutty flavor similar to a sweet potato. Butternut squash soup is often mixed with liquids like coconut milk, milk, heavy cream, vegetable stock, or vegetable broth and blended into a smooth soup. It is full of warm spices and squash flavor. Because of the smooth consistency and since it uses a pureed vegetable, this soup might also be referred to as a creamy butternut squash bisque. Like many soups it is commonly served with bread or a grilled cheese sandwich.
This delicious recipe uses fairly basic ingredients and tastes just like the autumn squash soup at Panera.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
This is probably my favorite soup recipe! I am a huge fan of the Panera autumn squash soup but it’s only available at certain times of year. Not to mention the prices there have really gone up and it’s hard to justify sometimes. This make at home version will feed more people and you can make it in July in your PJs if you want.
Ingredients
This easy butternut squash bisque recipe uses simple ingredients you might already have stocked in your pantry and if not, I will tell you where to find them and how to make it.
Butternut Squash – If you have never worked with butternut squash you can find it in your produce section at the grocery store. They are often shaped like a bell or a bottle and are a light orange color with a matt skin like a pumpkin.
Carrots – To add some depth of flavor, I used a few carrots to compliment the butternut squash. I used peeled whole carrots, but you could also use baby carrots to make it a little easier. About four baby carrots will equal one regular carrot.
Brown Sugar – Like many butternut squash recipes this one uses brown sugar for roasting. This brings out the natural sweetness in the squash and carrots while they cook.
Onion – I chose to use a yellow onion here since it gets cooked down. Yellow onions are best for cooked dishes since they stand up to heat better and they become sweeter the longer they cook which is perfect for soups. You can also use a white onion or a sweet Vidalia onion. The white onion will have a sharper flavor than a yellow and a Vidalia will be sweeter. I do not recommend using a red onion because they are really best for raw dishes or for pickling. They have a much spicier and sharp flavor.
Garlic – When I cook I almost always use jarred garlic because it’s easy and keeps a long time in the fridge. In this recipe I used jarred garlic but you can definitely use fresh if you prefer. The conversion is a 1:1 ratio of tsp to garlic cloves. This recipe calls for 3 tsp minced garlic so you would use 3 cloves of garlic. If you want to use garlic powder instead, you will only need 3/4 tsp for this recipe.
Margarine – In this case margarine is going to coat the pan and add flavor to the onion and garlic while you sauté it. To make this recipe vegan friendly, I used margarine but you can use real unsalted butter, olive oil, or coconut oil.
Coconut Milk – For this recipe I used canned coconut milk which is not the same as non-dairy coconut milk that comes in a carton. Canned coconut milk is much thicker and has a silky smooth texture. For best results I highly recommend using canned coconut milk. Regular milk and non-dairy versions will result in a thin and runny texture and will be quite different in taste. Canned coconut milk is also vegan and gluten free.
Maple Syrup – For this recipe I used ordinary maple syrup that I keep on hand for waffles and pancakes. I personally like the butter flavor but any regular maple syrup will work here. This will add an additional layer of fall flavors to the soup and bring out more of the natural sweetness in the butternut squash.
Vegetable Broth – The base of this soup uses a combination of broth and coconut milk. I use the low sodium vegetable broth so keep that in mind when salting the soup. I used vegetable broth for a vegetarian/vegan option, but you can also use chicken broth if you prefer. You can substitute broth for stock too, but you may have to add more salt and pepper since stock usually contains no added seasonings.
Cinnamon – The signature flavor of fall. Cinnamon gives this soup that warm and comforting flavor. Just remember, cinnamon is a potent spice and a little goes a long way!
Salt & Pepper – Like all dishes a little salt and pepper adds a lot of flavor.
How to Cut a Butternut Squash
The best way to cut a butternut squash is very carefully with a sharp knife. For this butternut squash recipe you will need to cut it in half lengthwise and clean out the inside. Similar to pumpkin seeds, butternut squash also has seeds attached to a small circular cavity inside the squash. These should be removed with the edge of a spoon just as you would if you were cleaning out the inside of a pumpkin.
Mixing Options
I recommend using a high powered blender for this soup recipe. I used my Ninja Foodi blender and it pureed the butternut squash into a smooth and silky texture. You can also use a food processor or immersion blender, but depending on the amount of power, the soup may not come out as smooth.
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Brown Sugar Roasted Butternut Squash Soup Recipe
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Ditch the takeout menu and make your own copycat Panera autumn squash soup anytime you want! This brown sugar roasted butternut squash soup recipe tastes just like the real thing and is a favorite recipe in my house. Nothing says comfort food better than a bowl of creamy hot soup on a chilly fall or winter day. So snuggle up and enjoy the rich flavor of fall in this tasty butternut squash soup recipe.
Ingredients
Roasted Butternut Squash and Carrots
- 1 Butternut Squash (about 3 lbs)
- 2 tbsp Margarine
- 5 tbsp Brown Sugar
- 2 Whole Carrots Peeled
Soup and Veggie Mixture
- 1 Yellow Onion Diced
- 2 tbsp Margarine
- 3 tsp Minced Garlic
- 2 cup Vegetable Broth
- 1 can Coconut Milk (13.5oz)
- 1 tbsp Maple Syrup
- 1/4 tsp Cinnamon
- 1 1/4 tsp Salt
- 3/4 tsp Black Pepper
- Croutons for Garnish
- Thyme for Garnish
- Sunflower Seeds for Garnish
Instructions
- Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees.
- Cut the butternut squash in half length wise and clean out the seeds from the inner cavity.
- On a cookie sheet covered with aluminum foil and sprayed with cooking spray, place the butternut squash halves with the cavity side up.
- Add one tablespoon of margarine to each of the squash halves. Sprinkle each half with with two tablespoons of brown sugar.
- Bake in the oven for 1 hour or until the squash is cooked through.
- In the last 15 minutes of baking, add the carrots to the same baking sheet and add one tablespoon of brown sugar to them. The carrots cook much faster so do not put them in for the whole time or they will be burnt.
- Once the squash is done cooking in the oven cool for 15 minutes.
- While the squash cools, melt margarine in a large soup pot over medium heat.
- Reduce to medium low heat and add diced onion, garlic, salt, and pepper to the pot. Sauté until the onions are cooked through, about 5-7 minutes, then remove from heat. Be careful not to burn the garlic or it will taste bitter.
- Once the butternut squash is cooled use a spoon to scoop all the squash off the skin and put it in the blender. This part will be a little messy.
- Add the full can of coconut milk to the blender and blend until smooth.
- Transfer the blended mixture to the pot with the onions and garlic. Tip: To get all the squash residue out of the blender, add half of the vegetable broth to the blender and shake with the lid on. Then pour into the pot with the rest of the mixture.
- Add remaining vegetable broth, cinnamon, and maple syrup to the pot and simmer over medium low heat and cook for about 10 minutes or until soup is hot. Do not boil.
- Serve hot and garnish with croutons, sunflower seeds, and thyme.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Category: Soup, Entree
- Method: Bake, Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
How to Reheat
If you have leftover butternut squash soup you have a few options for reheating. I personally think reheating in the microwave works just fine. It is the quickest and easiest method. Microwave in 40 second intervals in a microwave safe bowl stirring in between until soup is hot all the way through. I recommend covering with a paper towel so the soup doesn’t splatter in the microwave.
You can also reheat leftovers the next day on the stove top. Add soup to a pot and heat over medium heat until the soup is hot. Do not boil.
When to Make Copycat Panera Autumn Squash Soup
This homemade copycat version of the Panera autumn squash soup is the perfect comfort food for chilly days, a cup of soup for lunch or dinner, or the perfect pair with a classic grilled cheese sandwich or a slice of sweet honey cornbread. No matter when you decide to make it, the whole family will love it and and you don’t need to wait until fall to make it!
Looking for more tasty soup recipes? Try my easy slow cooker taco soup with Rotel, creamy and chunky loaded baked potato soup, sweet and smoky corn soup or creamy tomato basil soup recipe.
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