✔ Updated · new copycat recipe with step photos, built from Panera's own ingredient label
This copycat Panera tomato soup is velvety, gently sweet and creamy, with soft hints of garlic and oregano. I built it from Panera's own ingredient label, and it takes 40 minutes from pantry cans to bowl.
How Do You Make Panera Tomato Soup at Home? (Quick Answer)
Soften a diced onion in olive oil and butter, add garlic and dried oregano, then simmer a can of whole tomatoes and a can of tomato puree with water, a little sugar and salt for 20 minutes. Blend until completely smooth, stir in heavy cream and simmer 2 minutes more. Serve with croutons or a grilled cheese.
At a glance
The one tip that matters: Blend it longer than you think. Panera's soup is completely smooth, and that velvet texture only comes from a full minute or two of blending before the cream goes in.
Why You'll Love This Soup
- Velvety and gently sweet with a soft, creamy finish instead of a sharp tomato tang.
- Built from Panera’s own label tomatoes, water, cream, onion, butter, olive oil, garlic and a sweet-salty seasoning.
- Pantry friendly two cans of tomatoes, an onion and a carton of cream.
- Vegetarian Panera's version uses water, not chicken stock, and so does mine.
- Made for dunking grilled cheese, croutons or a hunk of crusty bread.
What Is in Panera's Creamy Tomato Soup?
Panera prints the ingredients on its grocery soups, and the Panera at Home creamy tomato soup label is short: tomatoes (with tomato puree and citric acid), water, heavy cream and onions, then 2% or less of butter, a seasoning of sugar, salt and spices, corn starch, extra virgin olive oil and garlic (checked October 2026). Panera describes it as accented by hints of garlic and oregano.
Two things surprised me: there's no stock at all, and the sweetness comes from added sugar. Both made it into this copycat. The amounts are mine, since Panera doesn't publish its recipe, and the cafe soup may differ slightly from the grocery version.
Ingredient Notes
Exact amounts are in the recipe card below.
- Whole peeled tomatoes: one 28 oz can. Whole tomatoes are usually better quality than diced, which often contain firming agents that stop them breaking down.
- Tomato puree: one 15 oz can, for deep color and a thick, smooth base.
- Heavy cream: gives the velvety body without curdling. Half and half works but the soup is thinner.
- Olive oil and butter: both are on Panera's label. Oil keeps the butter from burning while the onion softens.
- Dried oregano: just a teaspoon, for the herby note Panera mentions.
- Sugar: balances the acidity. Adjust it to your tomatoes.
Step-by-Step Photos
Here's how it comes together. Exact amounts, times and temperatures are in the recipe card below.
Tips for Success
- Use water, not chicken stock. Panera's label lists water and no stock, which is why the soup tastes so purely of tomato. I use water and only swap in vegetable stock when my tomatoes taste a little dull.
- Taste your tomatoes first. Canned tomatoes vary a lot. If yours are sharp, add the full tablespoon of sugar, or even a little more. If they're sweet, start with 2 teaspoons.
- Brown the onion just a touch. A little gold at the edges adds a savory sweetness that tastes like it simmered all afternoon. Dark brown onions turn the soup bitter.
- Blend before the cream. Blending the hot tomato base first gives a smoother texture, and adding cream at the end keeps it from catching on the bottom of the pot.
- Vent the blender lid. Hot soup expands in a blender. Fill it halfway, take the center cap out and hold a folded towel over the hole. I learned that one the messy way.
- Keep it below a boil once the cream is in. A gentle simmer is plenty. Hard boiling can make the cream separate, especially in an acidic soup.
- Make the croutons from day-old bread. Toss cubes with olive oil and a pinch of salt and bake at 375°F for 10 to 12 minutes, until golden and crisp.
Copycat Panera Creamy Tomato Soup
6
servings10
minutes30
minutes230
kcal40
minutesA copycat-style version of Panera’s creamy tomato soup: onion softened in olive oil and butter, garlic and oregano, whole tomatoes and tomato puree simmered with water, a little sugar and salt, blended smooth and finished with heavy cream. Serves 6.
Ingredients
- For the Soup
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup yellow onion, diced (1 medium)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes, with their juice
15 oz can tomato puree
1 1/2 cups water (or vegetable stock)
1 tablespoon granulated sugar, plus more to taste
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- To Finish
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon cornstarch (optional, for a thicker soup)
2 tablespoons cold water (for the cornstarch)
croutons and fresh basil, to serve (optional)
Directions
- Heat the olive oil and butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring now and then, until soft and just turning golden at the edges.
- Add the garlic and oregano and stir for about 1 minute, until fragrant. Don’t let the garlic brown.
- Add the whole tomatoes, crushing them with your hand or a spoon as they go in, then the tomato puree, water, sugar, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, partly covered, for 20 minutes, stirring now and then.
- Take the pot off the heat and blend until completely smooth with an immersion blender, or in batches in a countertop blender with the lid vented and a towel on top. It should be silky, with no bits of tomato left.
- Return the pot to low heat and stir in the cream. For a thicker soup, whisk the cornstarch into the cold water, stir it in and simmer for 2 minutes, until it lightly coats a spoon.
- Taste and adjust with a pinch more salt or sugar. Serve hot with croutons and torn basil, or with a grilled cheese for dunking. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
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Variations
The base is simple, so it takes swaps well.
- Tomato basil: blend in a handful of fresh basil leaves with the soup.
- Roasted: roast the whole tomatoes, onion and garlic at 425°F for 25 minutes before simmering, for a smokier soup.
- Dairy-free: swap the butter for more olive oil and the cream for full-fat coconut milk or a plain oat cream.
- Lighter: use 1/2 cup of whole milk and skip the cornstarch. Keep it well below a boil.
- A little heat: add a pinch of red pepper flakes with the garlic.
What to Serve With It
Tomato soup and grilled cheese is the pairing in our house. Max asks for my Parmesan-crusted grilled cheese every single time this pot is on the stove, and he always claims the crispy corner.
For a full soup and sandwich night, pair a cup with my copycat Panera mac and cheese, or set out two soups and let everyone choose. My copycat Panera broccoli cheddar soup is the obvious partner.
Storing and Reheating
Cool the soup and refrigerate it in a covered container within 2 hours. It keeps for 4 to 5 days, and the flavor is even better on day two.
Reheat it in a pot over medium-low heat, stirring, until it reaches 165°F, or in the microwave in 1-minute bursts. If it has thickened, loosen it with a splash of water.
More Copycat Soups
For more cozy bowls, try my Olive Garden minestrone soup, Jamie Oliver red pepper soup or Julia Child French onion soup, and find every restaurant favorite in our copycat recipes collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is in Panera creamy tomato soup?
Panera's at-home creamy tomato soup label lists tomatoes (with tomato puree and citric acid), water, heavy cream and onions, plus small amounts of butter, a seasoning of sugar, salt and spices, corn starch, extra virgin olive oil and garlic (checked October 2026). Panera describes it as accented by hints of garlic and oregano.
Is Panera tomato soup vegetarian?
Yes. The at-home label lists water rather than chicken stock, and no meat. It does contain dairy from the cream and butter. This copycat is vegetarian as written; use vegetable stock instead of water if you want more depth.
How many calories are in Panera tomato soup?
Panera's at-home creamy tomato soup lists 200 calories per 1 cup serving (checked October 2026). This homemade version is about 230 calories for each of 6 servings, a little over 1 cup each.
Can I use fresh tomatoes?
Yes. Use about 3 pounds of ripe Roma tomatoes, cored and quartered, in place of the whole canned tomatoes, and simmer for 30 minutes so they break down fully before blending. Keep the can of puree for color and body.
How do I keep tomato soup from curdling?
Add the cream at the end over low heat and keep the soup below a boil. Using heavy cream rather than milk also helps, since its higher fat holds up better to the acidity of tomatoes.
What goes with Panera tomato soup?
A grilled cheese sandwich is the classic. Croutons, a crusty baguette, a green salad or a half sandwich all work. In our house it's grilled cheese every time, cut into strips for dunking.
Can I freeze tomato soup?
Yes. It freezes well for up to 3 months. For the best texture, freeze it before adding the cream, then reheat and stir the cream in fresh. Reheat until it reaches 165°F. In the fridge it keeps 4 to 5 days.
