Panera Creamy Tomato Soup Copycat
Our Panera creamy tomato soup copycat recipe is bursting with flavor and is so simple and easy to make. We've cracked the code, and it tastes better than Panera's! This savory, rich, and comforting soup is vegetarian, and can be made vegan and gluten free.
Servings: 8 cups
Calories: 251kcal
Ingredients
For the Tomato Slurry
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons granulated white sugar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 ½ teaspoons dried basil
- 2 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon celery seed
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
For the Soup
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- 2 28- ounce cans pureed tomatoes
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley for garnish optional
- 48 croutons from black pepper foccacia bread optional
Instructions
- Blend the tomato paste, olive oil, dried spices, sugar, and cornstarch in a blender until smooth, then set aside in a bowl.
- Heat up the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium high heat. Saute the onion sprinkle it with salt and cook for 3 minutes while stirring occasionally, then add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more, stirring constantly.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the tomato slurry. Cook for 5 minutes while stirring to caramelize the paste.
- Increase the heat to medium high and pour in ¼ cup of vegetable broth. Use a wooden turner to scrape any browned bits off the bottom of the pan.
- Pour in the rest of the vegetable broth and the two cans of pureed tomatoes. Stir and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 10 minutes. Taste and adjust spices, if necessary. Cook for another 5 minutes.
- To make this creamy, pour in the heavy cream (or full fat coconut milk for a vegan option). Stir until well combined.
- Garnish the soup with parsley and croutons and serve with a grilled cheese sandwich, side salad, kettle chips, or a slice of Panera's tomato basil bread.
- Garnish the soup with parsley and croutons and serve with a grilled cheese sandwich, side salad, kettle chips, or a slice of Panera's tomato basil bread.
Notes
- Want a thicker soup? Add ½ cup less vegetable broth or increase the tomato paste by 1 tablespoon and cornstarch by 1 teaspoon.
- Want this cooked quicker? Use puree canned tomatoes instead of diced and you can skip pureeing the soup.
Nutrition
Calories: 251kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 654mg | Potassium: 481mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 982IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 91mg | Iron: 3mg
