Peppers, carrots, celery, kale, tomatoes, and corn, oh my! This copycat recipe of Panera’s 10-vegetable soup is filled to the brim with spices and healthy goodness. The perfect rainy day meal!
Dare I say that Panera is the best fast-food chain? Controversial? Is this going to start any fights?? Possibly, but I stand by what I said.
During this cold weather, there is nothing better than a giant bowl of soup. Except for soup in a bread bowl. THANK YOU PANERA for making this an option I can order for lunch and dinner.
Packed with vegetables, this is a copycat recipe of Panera’s ten-vegetable soup recipe. The vegetable medley makes this recipe about the healthiest thing ever, and I am going to have this soup on a regular basis this winter.
A WHOLE LOT OF VEGGIES
Why is it called 10 Vegetable Soup? It is chock full of healthy veggies- 10 to be exact! It is a healthier option when you are eating out at Panera, and is a delicious soup to recreate at home. All the vegetables are easy to find at a grocery store. You may already have some in your fridge (be sure to check the back LOL).
- Onion
- Garlic
- Yellow bell pepper
- Red bell pepper
- Poblano pepper
- Carrot
- Celery
- Corn
- Tomato
- Kale
If you don’t have some of these vegetables on hand, you can totally switch them out for what you do have. Different vegetables such as green beans, spinach, or even butternut squash would be tasty alternatives. Changing it up allows you to create your own soup recipe! Customizing your own copycat recipe is fun and allows you to pack in all your favorite flavors.
INGREDIENTS
So besides 10 vegetables, you may be wondering what else makes up this delicious dish. This dish is filled with pantry staples and comes together in about an hour. As the lovely Ina Garten says, how easy is that?
Olive Oil: Oil helps to thicken soup.
Onion, carrot, and celery: Classic mirepoix base that helps to flavor the soup.
Yellow bell peppers: Yellow peppers add a healthy, crunchy texture.
Red bell peppers: Red peppers contains 169% of your daily recommended vitamin C intake! Heck yes.
Poblano peppers: Poblano pepper is great in this recipe because it is mild. If you like heat, you can use half a jalapeno instead.
Corn: Fresh, frozen, or canned corn works great in this recipe. I like to use canned corn for convenience.
Fire-Roasted Tomatoes: Fire-roasted tomatoes bring an extra kick to this recipe. If you like something milder, use regular canned tomatoes or 2 tablespoons of tomato paste.
Paprika: Made from dehydrated peppers, paprika adds a subtle spice.
Cumin: This spice has a warm, nutty flavor that pairs well with chili powder.
Chili powder: This spice adds a nice punch of heat. If you are sensitive to spice, try substituting it for Aleppo chili pepper, which is milder.
Salt & pepper: To season the soup.
Broth: I prefer to use chicken broth, but if you want to make this vegan use vegetable stock.
Barley: I like to use barley, but you can replace it with brown rice or wheat berries. The cook time will be the same, so it is a super simple swatch.
You may be wondering, is this soup vegan? If you use vegetable broth, yes! If you are looking to add some vegan protein, you could add lentils, black beans, or garbanzo beans.
This is not only vegan soup- you can certainly add some shredded chicken to make this soup extra filling.
HOW TO MAKE COPYCAT PANERA SOUP
This soup is so easy to make- the longest part is prepping and chopping all of those vegetables! Pro tip: have a good cutting board and a sharp knife! Once that job is done, it comes together quickly.
SAUTE: Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, sautee the onions for 5 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the yellow pepper, red pepper, poblano pepper, carrot & celery. Cook for 8-10 minutes until the veggies soften and brighten in color.
SEASON: Create a well in the middle of the pot and add garlic, paprika, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Let this cook for 1 minute to soften, then mix into vegetables. Cook for another 2 minutes until fragrant. Add tomatoes and 1 cup of broth, stirring to deglaze the pan. Get all those delicious brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan! Add the remaining stock. If you are using fresh or frozen corn, add it to the pot now.
SIMMER: Bring the soup to a boil and then add in the barley or brown rice. Reduce to a simmer and cook, partially covered for 40 minutes until the barley is soft and chewy. Mix in kale. If you are using canned corn, add it now. If you want to brighten the flavors, add a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime juice. If you want to get super fancy, you can also top it with fresh lemon zest. Enjoy with a large chunk of delicious, crusty bread!
Could it be any easier?? Possibly…
HOW TO COOK IN AN INSTANT POT
This soup can also be made in the Instant Pot! Yesss. If you are short on time, this cooking method will help free up some of your time.
SAUTE: Set the Instant Pot to SAUTE and heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Once hot, add the onions and cook for 5 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the yellow pepper, red pepper, poblano pepper, carrot & celery. Cook for 8-10 minutes until the veggies soften and brighten in color.
SEASON: Create a well in the middle of the pot and add garlic, paprika, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Let this cook for 1 minute to soften, then mix into vegetables. Cook for another 2 minutes until fragrant. Add tomatoes and 1 cup of broth, stirring to deglaze the pan. Add the remaining broth and barley. If you are using fresh or frozen corn, add it to the pot now.
PRESSURE COOK: Turn off the heat and then set it to PRESSURE COOK. Set it on high pressure and 15 minutes. Make sure the pressure release is set to sealing. It will take about 20 minutes for the pressure to build. Once the timer goes off, change the pressure release to venting and let the steam out. Add in the kale and corn (if using canned).
Ten Vegetable Soup (Easy Panera Copycat Recipe)
Equipment
- Large Pot
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion diced
- 1 yellow bell pepper diced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1/2 poblano pepper diced
- 2 carrots diced
- 3-4 celery stalks diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon chili pepper
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 14.5 oz fire-roasted tomatoes diced
- 1/2 cup barley rinsed
- 6-8 cups broth
- 1 bunch kale use as much as you want
- 14.5 oz corn
Instructions
- SAUTE: Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, sautee the onions for 5 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the yellow pepper, red pepper, poblano pepper, carrot & celery. Cook for 8-10 minutes until the veggies soften and brighten in color.
- SEASON: Create a well in the middle of the pot and add garlic, paprika, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Let this cook for 1 minute to soften, then mix into vegetables. Cook for another 2 minutes until fragrant. Add tomatoes and 1 cup of broth, stirring to deglaze the pan. Add the remaining stock. If you are using fresh or frozen corn, add it to the pot now.
- SIMMER: Bring the soup to a boil and then add in the barley or brown rice. Reduce to a simmer and cook, partially covered for 40 minutes until the barley is soft and chewy. Mix in kale. If you are using canned corn, add it now. If you want to brighten the flavors, add a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime juice.
Notes
- Soup will stay fresh in the fridge for 5-6 days.
- Rinse barley to remove any dust and debris. Not rinsing can sometimes lead to a dirty flavor.
- Switch up the vegetables to whatever you have in your fridge!
- This recipe works great with brown rice if you don’t have barley.
- To add protein, add in lentils, garbanzo beans or shredded chicken.
If you want to make it extra delicious and hearty, try making a bread bowl at home. The spicy broth and filling veggies will rock your taste buds. Tell me in the comments below if you agree that 1. Panera is the best and 2. this soup is the perfect cold day soup!
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