Copycat Panera recipes let you recreate the cafe’s most ordered comfort foods in your own kitchen without the drive-thru line. This guide covers broccoli cheddar soup, creamy tomato soup, and the crusty bread bowl that holds them. You’ll get exact quantities, substitution options, and the technique details that keep the texture close to the original.
The three copycat Panera recipes below use standard grocery ingredients and basic pots, so weeknight cooking stays manageable. Each one scales down for two people or up to a family of six with the same pot and timing. We focus on the small steps—roux temperature, simmer control, and dough hydration—that separate a thin cafeteria soup from a cafe-style bowl. If you enjoyed this, our register is worth trying next.
Why You’ll Love These Copycat Panera Recipes
- Broccoli cheddar soup stays thick from a proper roux, not cornstarch slurry, so it reheats without breaking.
- The tomato soup uses real roasted tomatoes for a sweet-acid base instead of canned paste alone.
- Bread bowls use a single rise, so you bake the same day without an overnight starter.
- All three freeze separately, letting you assemble a bowl whenever the craving hits.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Broccoli cheddar soup: 2 tbsp butter, 2 tbsp all-purpose flour, 2 cups whole milk, 1 cup chicken broth, 3 cups chopped broccoli florets, 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar, 1/2 cup diced onion, salt to taste.
- Creamy tomato soup: 2 lb roasted Roma tomatoes, 1 cup vegetable broth, 1/2 cup heavy cream, 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 clove garlic, 1 tsp sugar, salt to taste.
- Bread bowls: 3 1/2 cups bread flour, 1 1/4 cup warm water, 1 tsp instant yeast, 1 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tbsp olive oil.
Ingredient Substitutions
Whole milk: Replace with an equal volume of 2% milk for a slightly lighter soup. The lower fat reduces the creamy mouthfeel and the soup thins a bit, so simmer 5 minutes longer to concentrate. Cheddar still melts smoothly but the finish is less rich.
Sharp cheddar: Use an equal weight of smoked gouda for a deeper, woodsy note. Gouda melts faster than cheddar, so add it off heat and stir to avoid stringiness. The soup takes on a tan color rather than orange.
Bread flour: Swap with an equal weight of all-purpose flour if that’s what you have. All-purpose has less gluten, so the bowl rises less and the crust stays thinner; bake at 180°C / 350°F for the same time but expect a softer wall.
Heavy cream: Replace with an equal amount of half-and-half in the tomato soup. The soup loses some silkiness and may curdle if boiled, so keep it at medium-low heat after adding. Flavor stays balanced with the roasted tomato acid. For another easy option, check out our prawn pil pil.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Make bread bowls first: stir yeast into warm water with olive oil, add flour and salt, knead 8 minutes until smooth. Cover and rise 1 hour until doubled, then shape into 4 balls and rest 20 minutes on a tray.
- Bake bowls at 180°C / 350°F for 25–30 minutes until golden and crispy outside. Cool fully, then cut a lid and scoop center to form a holder.
- For broccoli cheddar: melt butter in a 3-quart pot on medium-low heat, whisk flour 1 minute to a pale roux. Slowly pour milk while whisking to avoid lumps.
- Add broth, onion, and broccoli, simmer 15 minutes until florets are fork-tender. Remove from heat, stir in cheddar until melted and the soup coats a spoon.
- For tomato soup: blend roasted tomatoes with garlic and broth until smooth. Warm olive oil in a pot on medium heat, pour puree, add sugar and salt, simmer 10 minutes.
- Stir in heavy cream off heat and warm 2 minutes on low heat until steaming but not boiling. Ladle soups into bread bowls and serve immediately.
Pro Tips
Keep the roux at medium-low heat so the flour cooks without browning, which protects the soup’s orange color. A hot roux seizes when milk hits it, so add liquid slowly while whisking.
Roast tomatoes cut-side up at 180°C / 350°F for 35 minutes before blending; the concentrated sugars cut the canned taste. This step is what makes copycat Panera recipes read as fresh rather than processed.
Score the bread bowl lid so steam escapes and the rim stays crisp under hot soup. For technique detail on gentle simmering, see simmer control from Food Network.
Shred cheddar from a block instead of pre-bagged to avoid anti-caking starch that clouds the broth. Block cheese melts into strands that thicken naturally.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Boiling tomato soup after cream is added makes it split into greasy flecks; keep it at low heat once dairy goes in. The same holds if you swap in half-and-half.
Under-kneading bread dough leaves weak gluten so the bowl collapses when filled. Knead until the ball springs back when poked, about 8 minutes by hand.
Adding cheese on high heat turns it grainy; always pull the pot off the burner first. Stir until the last lump disappears for a smooth bowl.
Serving Suggestions
Pair the broccoli bowl with a side of baked feta for a salty contrast. The tomato version sits well next to a potato gnocchi salad.
These copycat Panera recipes also work in a mug without the bread for a lighter lunch. Add a peach bellini if you want a cafe-style drink on the side.
Storage and Reheating
Soup keeps in an airtight container up to 3 days refrigerated; bread bowls stay crisp up to 2 days in a paper bag. Freeze soup separately for up to 2 months without the bread.
Reheat soup on medium-low heat to 74°C / 165°F internal if you added chicken broth. Toast the empty bowl at 180°C / 350°F for 5 minutes to re-crisp before filling.
Recipe Variations
Spicy Cheddar Version
Add 1/2 tsp cayenne to the roux with the flour for a warm backend heat. The broccoli soup keeps its thickness; the spice balances the dairy so a smaller cheddar amount works. Serve with extra black pepper on top.
Vegan Tomato Bowl
Replace heavy cream with an equal amount of oat cream and use olive oil instead of butter in the roux with flour. The soup turns a shade lighter but keeps the roasted tomato depth; simmer 2 minutes less to protect the oat proteins. Bread bowls are already vegan as written.
Herb Bread Bowl
Mix 1 tbsp dried rosemary into the flour before kneading for an aromatic crust. The bowl flavors the soup as it soaks, adding a pine note to both broccoli and tomato. Bake at the same 180°C / 350°F time.
Smoked Soup Swap
Use smoked haddock flaked into the broccoli base instead of extra cheddar for a seafood spin. Add the fish in the last 3 minutes so it warms without falling apart. The copycat Panera recipes shift from vegetarian to pescatarian with one swap.
Copycat Panera Recipes
Description
Recreate Panera's most ordered comfort foods with broccoli cheddar soup, creamy tomato soup, and a crusty bread bowl made from standard grocery ingredients.
Ingredients
Instructions
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Make bread bowl dough
Stir the 1 tsp instant yeast into 1 1/4 cup warm water with 1 tbsp olive oil in a large bowl until dissolved. Add 3 1/2 cups bread flour and 1 1/2 tsp salt, then knead by hand for 8 minutes until the dough is smooth and springs back when poked, which shows the gluten is strong enough to hold a bowl shape.
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Rise and shape dough
Cover the kneaded dough and let it rise at room temperature for 1 hour until doubled in size and puffy to the touch. Shape into 4 balls and rest them on a tray for 20 minutes so the gluten relaxes and the spheres hold their form without shrinking.
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Bake bread bowls
Bake the shaped bowls at 180°C / 350°F for 25–30 minutes until golden and crispy outside with a hollow sound when tapped on the bottom. Cool fully on a rack before cutting so the wall stays crisp and does not steam soft under hot soup.
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Form bread holders
Cut a lid from each cooled bowl and scoop the center to form a holder for soup, leaving a thick wall. Score the lid so steam escapes and the rim stays crisp when filled with hot soup.
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Start broccoli roux
Melt 2 tbsp butter in a 3-quart pot on medium-low heat so the fat warms without browning. Whisk in 2 tbsp all-purpose flour for 1 minute to a pale roux that smells nutty but stays light in color, which protects the soup's orange hue.
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Simmer broccoli soup
Slowly pour 2 cups whole milk while whisking to avoid lumps, then add 1 cup chicken broth, 1/2 cup diced onion, and 3 cups chopped broccoli florets. Simmer for 15 minutes until florets are fork-tender and the base coats a spoon lightly.
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Finish cheddar soup
Remove the pot from heat and stir in 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar until melted and the soup coats a spoon with a silky film. Add salt to taste and keep the pot off the burner so the cheese stays smooth and never grainy.
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Blend tomato base
Blend 2 lb roasted Roma tomatoes with 1 clove garlic and 1 cup vegetable broth until completely smooth in a blender or with an immersion wand. The roasted tomatoes should be cut-side up roasted at 180°C / 350°F for 35 minutes first to concentrate sugars and drop the canned taste.
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Cook tomato soup
Warm 2 tbsp olive oil in a pot on medium heat then pour the tomato puree, adding 1 tsp sugar and salt to taste, and simmer for 10 minutes until gently bubbling and slightly thickened. Stir in 1/2 cup heavy cream off heat and warm 2 minutes on low heat until steaming but not boiling, so the dairy stays integrated and does not split.
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Serve in bowls
Ladle the hot soups into the prepared bread bowls and serve immediately while the rim is still crisp. Pair with a side or cafe drink if desired, and eat before the bread wall softens from the broth.
Nutrition Facts
Servings 4
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 420kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 18g28%
- Saturated Fat 9g45%
- Cholesterol 45mg15%
- Sodium 760mg32%
- Total Carbohydrate 48g16%
- Dietary Fiber 4g16%
- Sugars 7g
- Protein 16g32%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Note
- Storage: Soup keeps in an airtight container up to 3 days refrigerated; bread bowls stay crisp up to 2 days in a paper bag. Freeze soup separately for up to 2 months without the bread.
- Reheating: Reheat soup on medium-low heat to 74°C / 165°F internal if you added chicken broth, and toast the empty bowl at 180°C / 350°F for 5 minutes to re-crisp before filling.
- Pro tip: Shred cheddar from a block instead of pre-bagged to avoid anti-caking starch that clouds the broth, and see sheet pan quesadillas for another easy bake.
- Make ahead: Make bread bowls first since they need a 1-hour rise and full cooling before soup goes in.
