Copycat Panera Bread Autumn Squash Soup

I just made plans with a good friend to meet for lunch at Panera Bread; her next statement was, "I hope they still have the Autumn Squash Soup!"  I asked if it were good, she couldn't believe I hadn't heard about it. Well, I had missed this.  I used to frequent Panera on in-service days, but gave up the extended lunch  to catch up on my work.  The next thing I knew as I was scrolling through social media I saw a video of someone trying to make a copycat version.

I took this as a sign to find a recipe and try to make it. A quick search uncovered 10 such recipes.  I looked through them for similarities and differences. Some used red peppers; some didn't; some used apple juice; some used apple cider.  I mixed up the recipes to fit what I had at home as I was waiting for the furnace technician to come.  The spices and honey make a huge difference in flavor so don't skip them (I tried prior to adding them because I was cold).

The result was an amazing soup!  It was perfect for lunch on that cold, rainy October day. My husband enjoyed it as well...he can be picky about how I prepare squash.  This is defiantly worth the peeling and cutting of the butternut squash; if you are pressed for time, you can get your squash peeled and cubed already in the produce section of many grocery stores. 

INGREDIENTS:

• butternut squash, peeled and cut into chunks.
• onion, diced
• red pepper
• 1 T olive oil
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 1/2 cups apple cider
• 15 oz canned pumpkin
• 1 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 T honey
• 1/4 t curry powder
• 1/2 t ground cinnamon
• salt, to taste
• black pepper, to taste
• pumpkin seeds, for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  
2. Peel and seed squash.  Cut into chunks. Peel and dice onion.  Dice red pepper.
3. Place squash, onion, red pepper on a baking sheet.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Drizzle with 1 T olive oil. Bake for 25 minutes.
4. Puree roasted veggies in blender.  (I use a Vitamix)
5. In a large soup pot, combine squash puree, pumpkin, vegetable broth, and apple cider.  Bring to a low boil.
6. Whisk in cream.  Bring back to boil.
7. Add honey and spices. Allow to simmer for 10 minutes. 
8. Garnish with pumpkin seeds. 

The salad and half sandwich make me feel like I am at Panera! 

TIME: 30 minutes prep (lots of veggies to cut and roast); 45 minutes cooking time

DIFFICULTY: Medium

SOURCE: a hodgepodge of internet recipes