Panera Tomato Soup Recipe Copycat

Today, I have a copycat version of the Panera Tomato Soup Recipe for you. If you love Panera Bread restaurant, and especially their vegetarian creamy tomato soup then this is for you!

This homemade tomato soup recipe is great for those days you would much rather just hang out in your PJs. Creamy Tomato soup can be so comforting.

How to Make Panera Bread Tomato Soup

Let's prepare a pot of this panera creamy tomato soup. It is quite easy to make and I will walk you through it. Jump down to the printable recipe card if you prefer.

The recipe makes 6 servings.

Prep Time: 15 mins | Cooking Time: 30 mins

What you need to Make the Tomato Soup

Here is everything required to make this easy tomato soup.

• ½ tablespoon olive oil light or classic
• ½ medium onion chopped
• 1 medium carrots chopped
• 1 celery rib chopped
• 3 cloves garlic finely minced
• ½ tsp red pepper flakes
• basil to taste
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 3 ½ cups low sodium chicken stock (or vegetable stock for vegetarian version)
• 28 oz fire roasted tomatoes can, diced, drained (or you can use 8 fresh tomatoes,diced)
• ¼ cup tomato paste
• ½ tbs sugar
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• hot sauce to taste (optional)
• croutons optional
• sour cream optional
• fresh basil or parsley  optional garnish

You will also need a Dutch oven or other good soup pot.

Preparing

Put olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat.

Once hot, add onion, carrot, celery & garlic. Stir to coat with oil, then add salt, pepper, and pepper flakes (a couple pinches of each).

Stir frequently until the veggies are lightly browned.

Sprinkle the flour over the veggies and stir to evenly coat.

Pour in chicken stock.

Add tomatoes, tomato paste, bay and sugar. Stir. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer and cover. Simmer for 15 minutes, then remove from burner and retrieve the bay leaves.

Pour the mixture to a blender till ¾ of the way full, and puree. Temporarily, pour puree into a bowl, while repeating the pureeing with remaining soup. (If you have an immersion blender, you can puree soup right in the pot.)

Return all the pureed soup to the pan and stir in the butter and cream. Turn burner on to medium, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring regularly.

Give the tomato bisque a final seasoning, with salt & pepper and adding in the basil or fresh chopped parsley (to taste). Add hot sauce, (if you like) to taste.

To Serve: Garnish with a dollop of sour cream or croutons

Serving

Try teaming this rich vegetarian soup with my Copycat Panera Tuna Sandwich or a crispy grilled cheese sandwich! It is also great in a soup and salad pairing. A simple tossed salad with my copycat Chick-fil-a Avocado Lime Ranch dressing would be an excellent choice.

Storing the Soup

Whether you want to make a pot of this copycat Panera tomato soup ahead of time or need to store leftovers, it holds well.

Simply cool the soup to room temperature, then seal in an airtight container and place in the refrigerator or freezer. It will last for up to 4 days in the fridge and as long as 3 months when frozen.