Panera Bread’s 10 Vegetable Soup Recipe

This easy homemade version of Panera Bread’s 10 Vegetable Soup is packed with fresh, nutritious ingredients and bold flavors. This meatless soup is so rich and hearty that every bowl is a full meal. Sure, there’s some chopping involved, but see my hack below for handling all the chopping. It’s a rich, chunky, and flavor-packed soup that everyone will love!

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I’m usually a meaty soup fan, but this vegetable soup recipe ticks all the boxes, and every spoonful is packed with flavor and nutrition! This soup is loaded with carrots, spinach, corn, chickpeas, rice, peppers, zucchini and more. It’s like a garden in a bowl!

This 10 vegetable soup recipe makes a big potful, but it freezes like a dream! We eat it for lunch or dinner and then I freeze the rest for meals during the week. It’s terrific to have a hot bowl of this hearty soup whenever I’m craving it.

Ingredients

• Olive oil – Use regular olive oil, not extra virgin. Extra virgin can taste bitter when cooked at high heat.
• Yellow onion – White onion works. Red onion is too sweet for this soup.
• Carrots – Dice them small so they cook evenly with the celery and onion.
• Celery – Dice it small so it cooks at the same rate as the carrots.
• Zucchini – Add it partway through cooking, not at the start. Zucchini cooks quickly and turns mushy if overcooked.
• Red bell pepper – Any color bell pepper works, but red adds the best sweetness.
• Yellow bell pepper – Adds color and mild sweetness.
• Jalapeño – Remove the seeds for milder heat. Keep them in if you like it spicy.
• Garlic – Fresh garlic only. Jarred garlic won’t give the same clean flavor and can turn bitter when cooked.
• Cumin – Ground cumin. A little goes a long way—too much will overpower the vegetables.
• Dried rosemary – Dried rosemary goes a long way. Measure carefully or it’ll overpower the soup.
• Paprika – Sweet or smoked paprika both work. Smoked adds extra depth.
• Tomato paste – Double-concentrated tomato paste has richer flavor, but regular works too.
• Vegetable stock – Use low-sodium or no-sodium-added stock so you can control the salt level.
• Frozen corn niblets – Add straight from the freezer, don’t thaw. Fresh corn works too.
• 15-ounce can chickpeas – Rinse well or the liquid will make the soup cloudy.
• 15-ounce can diced tomatoes – Don’t drain them. The juice adds flavor and body.
• Bay leaves – Dried bay leaves work best. Remove them before serving—they’re not edible.
• Cooked brown rice – Cook it separately and add at the end. Cooking rice directly in the soup makes it gummy and absorbs too much broth.
• Fresh baby spinach – Add at the very end so it wilts without turning dark or mushy. Don’t use frozen spinach—it’ll make the soup watery.
• Lime juice – Fresh lime juice only. Bottled lime juice tastes flat and won’t brighten the soup.
• Salt and pepper – Season to taste.

Worried about all that chopping? Never fear! Check out this alligator chopper! It makes quick work of all the chopping!

How To Make Copycat Panera Bread’s 10 Vegetable Soup

Scroll down for the full recipe card with exact measurements and printable instructions.

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery and sauté about 5 minutes until softened. This is your base, so give it the full 5 minutes. Softening it properly is the foundation everything else builds on.

Stir in the zucchini, red and yellow bell peppers, jalapeño, and garlic and cook another 3 minutes. Seed the jalapeño if you want the flavor without much heat, or leave the seeds in for more kick.

Sprinkle the cumin, rosemary, and paprika over the vegetables and cook 1 to 2 minutes. Toasting the spices against the hot vegetables before the liquid goes in is what deepens the whole pot, so don’t rush past it.

Pour in the vegetable stock, then add the tomato paste, corn, chickpeas, diced tomatoes, and bay leaves. Stir it all together, bring it to a gentle boil, then lower the heat and simmer 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in the cooked brown rice and fresh spinach and cook 5 minutes, until the spinach wilts. Add the rice already cooked, not raw, or it drinks up the broth and you end up with a pot of mush instead of soup.

Stir in the lime juice and season with salt and pepper, then fish out the bay leaves. The lime at the end is what lifts all ten vegetables, so don’t skip it thinking it’s optional.

Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh herbs or lime wedges if you like. Serve hot.

Chef Jenn’s Tips

• Dice your veggies uniformly to ensure even cooking.
• Smoked paprika adds a deeper, more complex flavor.
• For extra heat, add more jalapeño or a sprinkle of red pepper flakes.
• Add spinach at the end to maintain its vibrant color and texture.
• Swap the brown rice with quinoa or barley for a fun twist.

Make It A Meal

Enjoy this soup on its own for a light, satisfying meal, or pair it with a side of crusty bread or a fresh salad. For something heartier, serve it with a grilled cheese sandwich or baked sweet potato. It also makes a wonderful appetizer for a larger meal.

Storage

This soup is meal-prep friendly and stores beautifully. Let the soup cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 5 days. To freeze, pour the cooled soup into freezer-safe bags or containers, leaving space for expansion. It can be frozen for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave for a quick, comforting meal.