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This Panera ten vegetable soup copycat is a light, tomato-tinged vegetable broth packed with tender zucchini, carrots, green beans, potatoes, and spinach. It tastes clean, savory, and gently herbal, and it’s naturally vegan. You can have it on the table in about 55 minutes with one pot.
Why Everyone Wants to Recreate This Soup
The appeal is simple: a big bowl of vegetables that doesn’t feel like a diet meal. The broth is light but savory, and each spoonful gives you a mix of textures, from soft potato to snappy green bean to silky spinach.
As a dietitian, I love it because it’s a vegetable-forward soup that’s filling without cream or meat. As a chef, I know that kind of soup lives or dies on technique. Each vegetable has to go into the pot at the right moment so nothing turns to mush.
That’s what this version focuses on. I build flavor in the base, add the sturdy vegetables first, and finish with the delicate ones. I also add a little sweet paprika, a nod to my Hungarian kitchen.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup)
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into half-moons (about 1 cup)
- 2 celery ribs, sliced (about 1 cup)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced (not counted in the ten)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika (Hungarian if you have it)
- 6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth (or water plus 2 bouillon cubes)
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, with juices (fire-roasted works too)
- 1 medium Yukon Gold potato, cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 1 cup)
- 1 cup green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces (frozen is fine)
- 1 cup chopped green cabbage (thin ribbons or 1/2-inch pieces)
- 1 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1 small yellow squash, quartered lengthwise and sliced (about 1 cup)
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach (or 1 cup chopped kale, simmered 5 minutes)
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 tablespoon fresh leaves)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (start with 3/4 teaspoon if your broth is regular, not low-sodium)
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (or 2 teaspoons dried)
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice (or red wine vinegar)
How to Make Panera Ten Vegetable Soup
Step 1: Build the Flavor Base
Heat the olive oil in a 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery with a pinch of the salt. Cook 6 to 7 minutes, stirring often, until the onion is translucent and the edges just begin to soften.
Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, and paprika. Cook 60 seconds, until the paste darkens to a brick red and smells sweet. Don’t let the paprika scorch, or it turns bitter.
Step 2: Add the Broth and Sturdy Vegetables
Pour in the broth and diced tomatoes, scraping up any browned bits. Add the potato, green beans, cabbage, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil over high heat.
Step 3: Simmer Until the Potatoes Are Tender
Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and partially cover. Cook 15 minutes, until a piece of potato slides off a fork with no resistance. The broth should look slightly golden-red, not cloudy.
Step 4: Add the Quick-Cooking Vegetables
Stir in the zucchini and yellow squash. Simmer uncovered 5 to 6 minutes, until the pieces are tender but still hold their shape and color. Overcooked squash turns the soup watery and dull.
Step 5: Finish and Season
Fold in the spinach and cook 1 to 2 minutes, until just wilted. Remove the pot from the heat and discard the bay leaf. Stir in the remaining salt, the pepper, parsley, and lemon juice, then taste.
The lemon won’t make the soup taste sour. It makes the vegetables taste brighter. Add salt a pinch at a time until the flavors pop.
How Close Is This to the Panera Version?
The overall style matches: a light, brothy, vegan soup with a mix of vegetables and a tomato backbone. Panera’s exact formula isn’t something I can confirm, so this is a copycat based on flavor and technique, not an official recipe.
The vegetable lineup may differ a bit from what you remember, and the paprika is my own addition. To get closer to your memory of the original, cut the vegetables small and uniform, and keep the broth thin and clear rather than thick. If you want a slightly heartier bowl, add a splash more tomato paste.
What Is in Panera 10 Vegetable Soup?
It’s a vegetable soup built on a tomato-and-vegetable broth, and the “ten” refers to the number of vegetables in the bowl. Because ingredient lists can change, check Panera’s current allergen and ingredient information for the official list.
My ten are onion, carrot, celery, tomato, potato, green beans, cabbage, zucchini, yellow squash, and spinach. For seasonal sourcing, summer is the best time to make this, when zucchini, squash, tomatoes, and green beans are at the farmers’ market. In winter, lean on canned tomatoes, cabbage, and kale.
Is Panera Ten Vegetable Soup Discontinued?
Menu availability changes over time and by location, so the soup may not be there when you visit. I can’t tell you its current status. The Panera app or website, or a call to your local café, is the quickest way to find out.
Whether it’s on the menu or not, making it at home means you can control the sodium, use seasonal produce, and have leftovers for the week.
Panera Ten Vegetable Soup Nutrition: What About This Version?
My homemade version is roughly 130 calories per 1 1/2-cup serving, based on six servings and standard ingredients. This is an estimate, not a lab analysis.
- Calories: about 130
- Fat: about 4 g
- Carbohydrates: about 21 g
- Fiber: about 5 g
- Protein: about 4 g
- Sodium: about 450 mg with low-sodium broth, and noticeably higher with regular broth
For Panera’s own numbers, use their official nutrition calculator, since I don’t want to quote figures I can’t verify. To add protein, stir in a can of rinsed white beans or chickpeas during step 3.
Can You Make Panera 10 Vegetable Soup in a Crock Pot?
Yes, a slow cooker works well if you stage the vegetables. Sauté the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, tomato paste, and paprika on the stovetop first if you can. That quick step adds depth.
Add the sautéed mixture to the crock pot with the broth, tomatoes, potato, green beans, cabbage, thyme, and bay leaf. Cook on low 6 to 7 hours or on high 3 to 4 hours, until the potato is tender.
Stir in the zucchini and yellow squash for the last 30 minutes, then the spinach for the last 5 minutes. Finish with salt, pepper, parsley, and lemon.
Can You Make Panera 10 Vegetable Soup in an Instant Pot?
Yes, and it’s the fastest route. Use Sauté mode for the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, tomato paste, and paprika, about 5 minutes. Add the broth, tomatoes, potato, green beans, cabbage, thyme, and bay leaf, and scrape the bottom well so it doesn’t trigger a burn warning.
Cook on high pressure for 3 minutes, then quick release. Switch back to Sauté, add the zucchini and squash, and simmer 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the spinach, then season and finish with lemon and parsley.
Can You Make It Ahead or Freeze It?
Yes, this soup keeps well. Refrigerate it in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The flavor deepens overnight, so leftovers often taste better than day one.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced about 1 cup
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into half-moons about 1 cup
- 2 celery ribs, sliced about 1 cup
- 3 clove garlic, minced not counted in the ten
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika Hungarian if you have it
- 6 cup low-sodium vegetable broth or water plus 2 bouillon cubes
- 1 can diced tomatoes, with juices 14.5 ounces
- 1 medium Yukon Gold potato, cut into 1/2-inch dice about 1 cup
- 1 cup green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces frozen is fine
- 1 cup chopped green cabbage thin ribbons or 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced about 1 1/2 cups
- 1 small yellow squash, quartered lengthwise and sliced about 1 cup
- 2 cup fresh baby spinach or 1 cup chopped kale, simmered 5 minutes
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 tablespoon fresh leaves
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt start with 3/4 teaspoon if your broth is regular, not low-sodium
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley or 2 teaspoons dried
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice or red wine vinegar
Instructions
Step 1: Build the Flavor Base
- Heat the olive oil in a 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery with a pinch of the salt. Cook 6 to 7 minutes, stirring often, until the onion is translucent and the edges just begin to soften. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, and paprika. Cook 60 seconds, until the paste darkens to a brick red and smells sweet. Don't let the paprika scorch, or it turns bitter.
Step 2: Add the Broth and Sturdy Vegetables
- Pour in the broth and diced tomatoes, scraping up any browned bits. Add the potato, green beans, cabbage, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil over high heat.
Step 3: Simmer Until the Potatoes Are Tender
- Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and partially cover. Cook 15 minutes, until a piece of potato slides off a fork with no resistance. The broth should look slightly golden-red, not cloudy.
Step 4: Add the Quick-Cooking Vegetables
- Stir in the zucchini and yellow squash. Simmer uncovered 5 to 6 minutes, until the pieces are tender but still hold their shape and color. Overcooked squash turns the soup watery and dull.
Step 5: Finish and Season
- Fold in the spinach and cook 1 to 2 minutes, until just wilted. Remove the pot from the heat and discard the bay leaf. Stir in the remaining salt, the pepper, parsley, and lemon juice, then taste. The lemon won't make the soup taste sour. It makes the vegetables taste brighter. Add salt a pinch at a time until the flavors pop.
To freeze, cool completely and freeze for up to 3 months. The potatoes and zucchini soften a little after thawing, so for the best texture, freeze the soup before adding the zucchini and spinach, then add them fresh when reheating. Reheat gently on the stove until steaming.
More Copycat Recipes to Try
- my favorite salad
- Chicken Chesapeake Sandwich Recipe – Hungarian Chef
- Maggiano’s Taylor Street Baked Ziti Recipe – Hungarian Chef
Rebecca Novak is a trained chef with over 10 years of experience in the food industry. She has worked in both fine dining and casual Hungarian restaurants and specializes in creating dishes using fresh, seasonal ingredients. She also loves exploring different cuisines worldwide, which allows her to bring unique flavors and ideas to the recipes she creates for Hungarianchef.com. On Hungarian Chef, Rebecca covers a wide range of home cooking, including dinners, side dishes, appetizers, desserts, sauces, and breakfast recipes. Her posts include comforting classics like cabbage goulash and chicken soup, along with restaurant-inspired favorites. Readers can use her recipes as step-by-step guides, relying on the ingredient lists, timings, storage notes, and substitution tips to plan meals, cook with confidence, and adapt dishes to what's in their kitchen. Read more