Butternut Squash Apple Soup

Originally published on October 13, 2024

A couple of years ago, my husband Roger and I discovered the squash soup which appears on the fall menu at Panera.  Since I adore butternut squash, it was love at first sip especially with that hint of a little something sweet.

I immediately set out to try to duplicate the soup.  A simple internet search resulted in lots of potential copycat soup recipes to try.  I put a fair amount of effort into my research including buying some takeout Panera soup so that I could perform a taste test with a promising copycat recipe.  Despite my best efforts, I couldn’t find a recipe that compares to the original.

Having said that, what I did manage to come up with is this silky smooth butternut squash soup with its touch of sweetness that stands on its own right.  It’s so good that I don’t know I’ll ever go back to trying to duplicate the Panera version.

There is a secret ingredient in this delicious soup that I doubt even my former colleagues who work in the flavor industry would be able to identify.  That ingredient is just a little bit of poultry seasoning.  It gives it a flavor profile that is difficult to pin down—spoon after spoon, it will leave your taste buds wondering and craving just another spoonful.

It’s not often that I’ll give up trying to duplicate a restaurant recipe.  The fact that I’ve happily done so in this instance should tell you a lot!

Butternut Squash Apple Soup

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Ingredients

• 3 celery ribs, chopped
• 1 large apple, peeled and chopped (I’ve used Fuji and McIntosh apples—I don’t recommend
  Granny Smith as it’s too tart and would potentially change the flavor profile of the soup)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 tbl. olive oil
• 1 tbl. butter
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 tsp. poultry seasoning (I used Bell’s Seasoning)
• 1/4 tsp. salt, optional
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 4 cups chicken broth, divided
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 32 oz. peeled butternut squash, cooked until tender

Optional Garnishes

• Pepitas (roasted pumpkin seeds)
• Sour cream
• Chives
• Parmesan Cheese
• Salad croutons

Directions

In a large pot, sauté the celery, apple, and onion in oil and butter until tender.  Stir in the garlic, poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper; cook 1 minute longer.

Purée half the vegetable mixture in a blender with half the cooked squash and a cup or two of the chicken broth and process until smooth.  As always, be careful to vent the hot mixture so that the top of the blender doesn’t blow off.  Pour the puréed soup back into your pot.  Repeat with the remaining vegetables, squash, and chicken broth.  If you didn’t use all of the chicken broth when you were puréeing the soup ingredients, pour any remaining chicken broth into the pot.  The full four cups of chicken broth should be used.

Bring the soup to a nice simmer and cook until heated through.  Serve with optional garnishes as desired.

Fran’s Notes

In my opinion, the soup is better the second day.  The flavors seem to marry in the most delicious way.

The first time I made the soup, I used 1/2 teaspoon of the poultry seasoning.  The day I made it, both Roger and I thought it was a little bit too much.  By the second day, the flavors melded in some magical way.  At that point, I thought the undercurrent of the poultry seasoning was really great, but Roger still thought it was too much.  The second time I made it, I cut it back to 1/4 teaspoon, and we both thought it was delicious with that amount.  In deference to hubby, I have continued to make it with just the 1/4 teaspoon—but, to be perfectly honest, if it were up to me, I would add the 1/2 teaspoon.  I just thought I’d mention it in case you’re adventurous.

Source:  Frantastic adaptation from a Taste of Home recipe