Easy Methods To Make Panera French Onion Soup
Copycat Panera Bread French Onion Soup
I dont know why I love this recipe so much. But every time I go to a restaurant and I order this French Onion Soup. I am certain that Panera french onion soup calories will enrich your taste buds. So lets start the steps to make the recipe.
- 4 medium Vidalia sweet onions
- 2 can Beef broth
- 3 tbsp Flour or Wondra
- 1 1/2 tsp Coarse ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 loaf Crusty french bread
- 1 lb Thinly sliced Gruyere cheese
- 1 Butter
Panera French Onion Soup
What makes this soup particular? This soup is filled with chopped completely seasoned onions in each single chew. There are many crispy croutons and a very good mix of melted cheese on high. You may recreate this scrumptious soup at dwelling with this simple to arrange copycat recipe.
Reading: Panera french onion soup recipe
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Panera Bistro French Onion Soup Copycat
Published: by Brooke · This post may contain affiliate links, which can earn us a commission.
Feel like a big bowl of Panera Bread’s famous soup, but want to save some cash? Try our Panera bistro French onion soup copycat version. It’s full of sweet, dark caramelized onions and a savory beef broth topped with crispy focaccia croutons and melted Gruyère cheese.
Need more Panera copycat soups in your life? Try our 10 vegetable soup or our black bean soup for when that craving hits.
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Tips On Making Panera French Onion Soup
This homemade onion soup is already easy to make, but here are a couple of cooking tips to make it even easier and for you to make the best version of this Panera favorite at home.
- Dont cut your onions too thin because we dont want them to melt away in the soup.
- Saute the onions until they are soft with a deep sweet flavor and a rich golden brown color. This is how we can tell that it has deeply caramelized, just how we want it for our onion soup.
- Dont add too many herbs into your soup. Were only adding thyme to our broth to keep it simple, flavorful, and aromatic. You can also add in some bay leaves if you like. But be careful in mixing in other herbs because they can be overpowering and can mess up the overall taste of the dish.
If you want them ready for serving, you can ladle your onion soup in soup crocks or oven-proof soup bowls, top them with cheese-topped baguette slices, and broil them in the oven for 3 to 4 minutes or until the cheese has melted.
Read Also: Onion Soup Mix And Potatoes
Panera Bread Cobblestone Muffins
These muffins have a cinnamon-raisin and spiced apple filling, along with a streusel top and icing drizzle.
If youre going to start your day with a muffin, it really should be this one. Its loaded with flavor and filling enough to get you to lunch.
These are made with a yeast-based dough, making them more of a cinnamon roll. Youll need to make the dough ahead, giving it time to rise.
Paneras Thai Chicken Salad
This salad is spicy, crunchy, and loaded with extras. The Thai chili vinaigrette and spicy peanut sauce alone are reason enough to make this recipe.
I love the inclusion of edamame, which doesnt get enough love if you ask me. And I always add in the sliced mango to add a freshness to the dish.
If you want to boost the flavor, make extra vinegarette and let the chicken marinate for a few hours before grilling.
Read Also: Lentil Soup Nutrition Benefits
Homemade Croutons Are Easy To Make
If you would like to make your homemade croutons for the soup in a skillet, you can get a loaf of sourdough bread and cube it up into large pieces.
Add about a tablespoon of butter to a large skillet and then add the bread cubes. Sprinkle in seasoned salt and some garlic powder, and toast the bread until it becomes nice and brown.
If you have an air fryer, you may want to try my air fryer croutons.
Panera Bread French Onion Soup Copycat Recipe
Whenever I go to Panera Bread I have a bowl of their French Onion Soup. It is my absolute favorite soup. Just thinking of it makes me hungry. Long ago, in 2010, I happened to find a Panera Bread French Onion soup copycat recipe that seemed easy, if a bit time-consuming. Then, I found a few more recipes. I made a few adaptations, combining the recipes until I found a combination I liked. The results are well worth the trouble.
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Spinach And Cheese Egg Souffl
Did you just recoil at the word soufflé? Its not something you can just whip up on a whim.
Truth be told, this is less of a soufflé and more of a baked egg pastry or a quiche. You need not whip egg whites here!
Use ready-made crescent rolls for the crust, and simply pour the filling inside.
I like the smaller, shallow dishes for these, but you could use a larger pie plate if its all you have.
Ive talked about my love for the humble potato before. Its hands-down, the most versatile vegetable out there.
In this soup, its pretty close to addictive, not to mention, cheap!
This recipe uses a chicken base, which is a reduced form of chicken stock that is brimming with flavor .
I like my soup to have some texture, so I usually mash half of the potato and leave the rest diced.
Panera Bread Recipes To Make At Home
With these easy Panera Bread recipes, you can have your favorites right at home!
Do you like to try new things at Panera, or do you have a standard order? I know I choose the same chicken and wild rice soup, just because I know its fantastic.
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I love that Panera makes all their bread in-house, and if you time it right, the place smells unreal when it comes fresh out of the oven.
And I cant leave without picking up a few of their Kitchen Sink cookies.
Theres so much to choose from and try at Panera between the salads, soups, sandwiches, and bakery, so it was hard to pick just 20 recipes here.
Hopefully, your favorite is on the list. Give one of these copycat Panera recipes a try today!
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Ingredients For Panera Bread French Onion Soup
What do you need for this recipe? You will need beef stock, chicken stock, butter, and lots of onions. We are also going to add some beef soup base for a nice depth of flavor, and a touch of thyme.
- Butter you can use either salted butter or unsalted butter
- Yellow onions
- Gruyere cheese
- Asiago cheese
When preparing your onions for this recipe you will find that they chop their onions rather large, and they are chopped, not sliced. The chopped onions make sure that the onion pieces end up in every bite. It is nice when you can dive into a bowl of soup and get something more than broth in every single bite of soup.
When purchasing ingredients for the soup, I suggest that you buy stock instead of broth. I think it has more flavor, and you want all of the flavors you can get with this soup. The soup base also adds a lot of flavors. You will find it sold near the soups.
They top their soup with croutons. You can use store-bought, make them in a skillet, or learn how to make croutons in an air fryer.
The cheese that is tops the soup is Gruyere cheese combined with a touch of Asiago cheese.
This soup is a savory soup that is easy to prepare. This soup reheats very well so this soup will taste even better the next day.
So If I Can Pick Panera French Onion Soup At My Local Cafe Why Would I Make It At Home
Well, here are a few reasons you might consider making it at home:
- Avoid the hassle. I love the restaurant, but logistically, my local one is a bit of a mess. There is no drive-thru and the inside pre-order and grab your bag has been eliminated. To get the soup, I have to either plan ahead or order on-site often having to wait for one of the two pick up spots to be available, which can take a while. With tight schedules and young kids in the car, this is less than ideal, having the ability to have the soup ready when I want it is a true GAME CHANGER!
- You can make enough for the whole family for the price of a bowl for one. Lets be honest, being able to save some extra here and there, without sacrificing flavor is always a plus in my book.
- This soup keeps VERY well for meal prep or freeze-to-eat-later. You can make one batch and eat the soup multiple times.
- Tailor it to EXACTLY your tastes. I know when I get the soup at the cafe I always end up needing to add extra seasonings. Making it at home eliminates this issue as I simply make it my way from the beginning.
Recommended Reading: Chicken And Rice With Lipton Onion Soup Mix
Strawberry Chicken Salad With Poppy Seed Dressing
I love adding fruit to a salad. It just brightens the whole dish up and gives such great sweetness to go along with the salty meat or savory dressing.
This recipe actually included blueberries, too, making it super fruity. And the pecans give it a fantastic crunch.
The poppy seeds give the dressing such an unusual flavor, and I love the black flecks throughout the dish. But you can leave them out if you cant find them in the store.
Whats In Our Panera French Onion Soup
For our version of this beloved Panera French onion soup, you will be greeted with melted Swiss cheese nestled on top of the soup. You can use Emmental or Gruyere cheese, but we went with Gruyere for its slightly sweet, salty, and nutty flavors that add to the savory taste and soft and creamy texture of our dish.
Well be dousing the sweet onions in red wine before adding the beef broth and cognac to make our meaty broth. Lastly, were mixing in freshly toasted croutons topped with melted cheese stirred into our broth to make our bistro french onion soup extra thick and creamy.
Read Also: Campbells Chicken And Broccoli And Rice
Copycat Panera French Onion Soup
Hot from the oven with gooey melted Gruyere cheese, warm baguette bread, and the salty, tart, and aromatic flavors of onions, bay leaves, and thyme, This Copycat Panera French Onion Soup is the perfect bistro inspired comfort food.
My favorite way to warm up any chilly day is with a good soup. This one is a great recipe to have around because the ingredients are easy to find, and I often have them on hand.
Onions are also surprisingly healthy. They are low in calories and have high amounts of vitamin C, B, B6, and potassium. Health facts aside, onions come in a variety of colors and flavors. And they pair oh-so-well with many favorite dishes.
Fun Fact: Because of their high vitamin content, these tasty roots were historically used to treat headaches and mouth sores.
At one time, French Onion soup is something that I never would’ve thought to make at home. But once I saw how easy it was, it became a favorite winter staple around here along with White Chicken Chili and Pasta Fagioli.
This recipe tastes a lot like Panera French Onion soup. But when you make it at home its fresh, and therefore, healthier and will store better. Also, I love the way they serve it with croutons instead of a large piece of bread on top. It’s much easier to eat that way. I know you know what I’m talking about!
Panera Creamy Tomato Soup Copycat Recipe
I would probably eat soup every day if I could. In fact, I once worked in a bakery that served two different soups a day, and I was in heaven!
My issue with canned tomato soup is that it often tastes too acidic for my liking. Thats why I always make my own or rather, Paneras.
I like to use vine-ripened tomatoes and roast them with the onion and garlic before adding it all to the pot. The enhanced flavor will blow your mind.
Also, I know the sugar might seem like an odd addition, but it balances everything out. You will definitely taste the difference without it.
Between the squash, carrot, and pumpkin, this soup has to be healthy, right?
Looking through the ingredients, its definitely one of the most flavorful and healthy on the list.
You can keep it vegan by omitting the butter and cream cheese or make it extra indulgent with some heavy cream.
Of course, some coconut cream would be a great middle ground.
Read Also: Onion Soup Mix Recipe Chicken And Rice
First Up: The Famous Broccoli Cheddar
Now would be an appropriate time to mention my bias: I love Panera’s broccoli cheddar soup. I’m not alone, either, and the internet is riddled with copycat recipes .
This time around was no different. The soup delivered its signature cheesy goodness, and generous pieces of broccoli and carrots made for scrumptious texture and taste. Panera’s broccoli cheddar is like a broccoli casserole but only the good part, the part we all love, without the unnecessary bread on top.
Which brings me to the free baguette, the soup’s perfect partner. When dipped, it sopped up an appropriate amount of liquid and tasted harmonious. Broccoli cheddar is definitely the soup to beat at Panera.
Expert Tips And Variations
- Caramelized onions take time. They need to cook low and slow until they are deep golden brown. Stir them occasionally and expect them to take 45-60 minutes.
- Better the next day– French onion soup takes time for the aromatic flavors to set. This is why the soup is often better a day or two after sitting in the fridge. Its great to make this soup ahead of time, refrigerate, and then warm on the stove when ready.
- To Thicken French Onion Soup – This soup is not often thickened. However, if you like a thicker soup, you can make a roux with flour and add it to the pan, with beef broth.
- I like to cut the bread into bite size pieces because it is much easier to eat, however, you can just cut the bread into 1 inch slices, brush some olive oil on them, and toast them in the oven, then place one whole slice on top of the soup and mound with cheese.
- If you’re craving this soup but are on Keto, here’s some tips for you:
- Use low carb or zero carb bread, store bought or homemade.
- Onions are pretty high in carbs, so this can be keto friendly depending on your macros.
- If you use only 2 pounds of onions, you can reduce your net carbs by 2 grams per serving.
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Ham & Cheese Breakfast Souffl
This meat-lovers version of the crescent roll soufflé is defiantly worth a try.
The salty ham with the melted cheese is such a great way to start the day, and its super simple to throw together.
This recipe as a base is fantastic, and its so easy to modify.
Ive made a version with caramelized onions and garlic, and another with some leftover rotisserie chicken and rosemary.
Why Is Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup Not Vegetarian
The Broccoli Cheddar soup served by Panera Bread is a no-vehage soup. What is wrong with this since soup containing anything obviously meaty in there should not be. Because the stock is made of chicken meat, including chicken juices, that it is kosher. According to Panera Breads website, chicken fat is beneficial.
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Panera Bread Bistro French Onion Soup
Much like potato soup, this humble dish is inexpensive but so good.
The base is an onion and beef broth, which might sound plain, but it really packs a flavor punch.
The beef flavor is really a vital aspect of this soup, but if you want it to be vegetarian-friendly, you can use vegetable stock.
Just keep in mind that it wont have such a deep and rich flavor.
Make your own croutons by baking leftover bread, and I highly recommend using the suggested cheeses.
They will melt in and add such a great taste that you wont get from a mild cheddar.
