Gwynedd Stuart
If you don’t make it to Panera much these days (you know, since they stopped serving that caffeinated lemonade), we have good news: The very best Panera soup is at your local grocery store. And which Panera soup is the very best Panera soup? Well, you can probably guess—but we hope that won’t stop you from reading on (or watching our full taste test on YouTube).
In two separate taste tests, we tried 12 Panera at Home soups to find the best Panera soup at the grocery store. Interestingly, some of the soups we liked during our first taste test disappointed in our second taste test—and one soup was dramatically tastier when we tried it a second time. (It’s why we taste and retaste! Sometimes recipes change!) Here are the five Panera soups that are worthy of your next bread bowl.
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- Panera Autumn Squash Soup
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This Panera soup got downgraded from the #2 spot after our most recent taste test. We LOVED it the first time around, but we thought it lacked salt this time. Still, we appreciate that it’s creamy and a little twangy from the apple. There’s a nice, rich squash flavor and some good autumn spices, too. Use this as a starter and add some salted pepitas or something. Or dip a gruyere and apple grilled cheese into it.
Read our ranking of the best butternut squash soup
Credit: Merc / Target
- Panera Chicken Tortilla Soup
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Panera’s Chicken Tortilla soup is chunky and substantial. And it tastes like chicken tortilla soup, not just a vaguely Mexican chicken soup. I swear, I could taste corn masa. That said, the predominant flavor besides that is cumin. It adds a little bit of smoke, but it also dulls the rest of the flavors. Nothing about this really shines, although I do think a spritz of fresh lime juice would help. If you buy this Panera at Home soup, buy some limes, too!
Credit: Merc / Target
- Panera Original Mac & Cheese
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I know, I know. You’re like, “Mac and cheese isn’t soup.” While, technically, you are correct, we decided it makes the list because it’s A LOT like a cheese soup. There’s so, so much cheese sauce in this bowl, and it’s good, too—nutty and sharp like good cheddar. And miraculously, the shells that are suspended in the creamy sauce aren’t total mush. If you aren’t eating this like soup, it could use some broccoli to sop up that extra sauce.
Credit: Merc / Pavilions
- Panera Chicken Noodle Soup
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Panera chicken noodle soup was so-so at best when we previously tasted it. Bland and uninspired. Well, they’ve changed the recipe, and now it rules. The broth is savory and not too oily. The noodles are firm. The chicken is totally decent (better than what’s in a lot of canned soups). It’s a quality chicken soup that’s head and shoulders above most canned versions. When we revisit our ranking of the best chicken noodle soup, this will definitely make the cut.
Credit: Merc / Giant
- Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup
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You know it. You love it. But if you haven’t had the grocery store version of the best Panera soup, you’re missing out. I swear, Panera at Home Broccoli Cheddar soup is just about perfect. It’s so creamy and so cheesy and so indulgent. It’s like eating molten cheddar cheese with a spoon, but it also contains broccoli florets and little shreds of carrot, so, you know, it’s actually good for you (I know it’s not, but let me live this fantasy). It’s a treat-yourself kind of meal and it’s literally zero effort.
Credit: Merc / Instacart
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Other Panera at Home soups we tried
Baked Potato, Creamy Tomato, Mexican Street Corn Chowder, Italian Wedding, Tuscan Style Tortellini, Creamy Chicken & Wild Rice, Lobster Bisque
Jessica Block
Will Morgan
Matt Crowley
