I love Panera’s squash soup, and I always feel a bit sad when the season is over and the soup is retired for the year. However, it is one of the easiest soups to make if you have an Instant Pot, and it is entirely adaptable to cooking on the stove or even in a slow cooker. You will need to add more time for the vegetables to soften completely if you try one of these alternative methods.

This recipe makes quite a bit of soup, and it is inexpensive. However, with inflation and the Trump tariff taxes, some may have to economize further. This very flexible recipe can be modified in a variety of ways to fit your tastes and your budget.

I made some homemade French bread to serve with the soup, but a store-bought French, Italian, or sourdough bread would also be nice.

Check out the recipe, this one is from thedizzycook.com. However, you can find over a dozen other variations on this soup theme. Here is the recipe.

Using a potato peeler, peel the waxed skin over a couple of medium-sized butternut squash until you reach the bright orange meat.

Using a sharp knife, trim off the bottom and top of the squash. Use a tablespoon to remove the seeds and membranes, then discard them. I’m sure thereis a way to bake the seeds, like pumpkin seeds, but the yield would be too small for me to bother.

Cut up the shallots and the peeled carrots into large chunks. I have shallots, but you could use an onion if that is what you have on hand.

Sauté the shallots until they are translucent, then add the carrots and squash to the Instant Pot (or other pressure cooker).

Add the various spices. I’m using “tube ginger” for convenience. Instead of honey, I added around one tablespoon of brown sugar. For fun, I added a shake of nutmeg and cinnamon.

I added the apple juice. We don’t drink much juice, so this little 8-ounce “lunch box” apple juice worked out well.

I added the broth, but I used chicken broth instead of vegetable broth. Why? Because that is what I had on hand.

I pressure-cooked on high for 15 minutes, then let the soup rest for 15 minutes more. I released the pressure and tested the vegetables to make sure that they were super tender.

I pulled out my 35-year-old Vitamix to blend the soup. You could use any blender or even a stick blender. I had to blend it in batches. I also added a couple of ounces of cream cheese I found in the fridge, along with about 1/4 cup of half-and-half. These added richness to the soup, though optional. I returned the blended soup to the Instant Pot and adjusted the seasonings. In my case, I added about one tablespoon more of brown sugar because the Panera soup is on the sweet side. However, adjust the soup to your preference.

Here it is, all creamy and delicious, served with homemade French bread. The bread was as easy as adding a few ingredients to a bread machine, pressing a button or two, and walking away. By the way, I added some nuts and a drizzle of half-and-half just for the presentation.

Squash soup is perfect on a cold day. This recipe makes quite a bit and can be frozen if needed. It was delicious!

Peace

Mike