By Gwynedd Stuart |
The best Panera soup at the grocery store tastes as good as—if not better than—the soup at Panera Bread. Seriously. I’ve eaten a lot of Panera Broccoli Cheddar soup in my day (their half-sandwich-cup-of-soup situation was a go-to when I started my first office job in a very office-y area in Florida), and I emerged from this taste test thinking that the Panera Broccoli Cheddar soup that comes in a little microwavable tub in the grocery store’s deli section is even more delicious than the stuff you get at the restaurant. Fight me! (Actually, please don’t; it’s just soup.)
We wanted to taste test all 14 Panera at Home soups to find the best Panera soup at the grocery store, but were only able to find seven of them at our local grocery stores. So, no, you won’t find their lobster bisque on this list, but we did our best. (Also, I am dying to try their lobster bisque; if you’ve tried it, put your review in the comments.) We’ll be sure to update this ranking with more soups in the future, but, in the meantime, dig a spoon into our ranking of these seven soups. (Note: All of these are good, so even the number seven soup is still pretty tasty.)
- Chicken Tortilla
Panera’s Chicken Tortilla soup is chunky and substantial. And it tastes like chicken tortilla soup, not just a vaguely Mexican chicken soup. I swear, I could taste corn masa. That said, the predominant flavor besides that is cumin. It adds a little bit of smoke, but it also dulls the rest of the flavors. Nothing about this really shines, although I do think a spritz of fresh lime juice would help. If you buy this Panera at Home soup, buy some limes, too!
Read our ranking of the best chicken noodle soup
Credit: Merc / Target
- Baked Potato
This Panera soup took the top spot in our ranking of the best potato soup, and even then I said, “It’s good! But other Panera soups are better.” It’s a filling, rib-sticking soup with big chunks of potato and chewy pieces of bacon, but it doesn’t really have a hero flavor. Nothing pops, but, you know, that’s okay for potato soup. It exists to be salty and filling. And this is one of the best Panera soups if you want something that’s salty and filling and won’t challenge your palate.
Read our ranking of the best potato soup
See AlsoEvery Panera Grocery Store Soup, Ranked Worst To Best - MashedWe Tried 9 Panera Bread Soups From The Grocery Store And This Is Our Favorite - The Daily MealCredit: Merc / Target
- Creamy Tomato
I wish this Panera soup had just a littttttle more going on in the flavor department. It’s very tangy and tomatoey and has a nice creamy backbone without being overwhelmingly milky or creamy, but it could use something else—maybe some garlic or basil. But, as it is, it’s a really tasty and basic tomato soup that you don’t have to bust out a pot to cook. We didn’t try this as part of our best tomato soup taste test, but I’m curious how it would stack up. You know what else would help? White rice! If this were a tomato rice soup it would be pretty perf, honestly. Really lean into the blandness. Or, the carton shows this with croutons floating in it and that’s a good idea—parmesan-crusted croutons would bring this to another level. Basically, I think you should buy this; just be prepared to zshush it up a little.
Read our ranking of the best tomato soup
Credit: Merc / Instacart
- Mexican Street Corn Chowder
Panera’s Mexican Street Corn Chowder is very good and very indulgent. It’s so creamy and has a good amount of corn, although it has a lot of pepper skins, too. This is a real must-love-skins situation, for real. I’m not sure if I was dealing with pepper skin or corn skin, but I found myself continuing to chew on stuff long after I’d taken a slurp of soup. The chowder base tastes a little tangy, like fresh cotija cheese. One weird thing is that this contains chunks of potato. I mean, I get that it’s chowder, but the potato just doesn’t really fit, although I guess it makes it heartier, so that’s nice. It’s not the best Panera soup, but I wouldn’t turn down a bowl!
Credit: Merc / Pavilions
- Italian Style Wedding
This Panera soup was the biggest surprise. Mini meatballs kind of give me the creeps, so I was prepared to dislike this, but it’s actually really good. The broth is so chickeny tasting, almost like it contains schmaltz. (I checked the ingredients and, yup, chicken fat is listed.) Tarragon adds a little bit of fresh herbaceousness, too. It’s full of greens, little pearls of pasta, which are very fun to eat if a little gummy, and, yes, little meatballs. As I said, I don’t typically eat wedding soup because I do not like small, rubbery meatballs. After eating this I still do not like small, rubbery meatballs, but I will say that I can totally tolerate them in this flavorful broth.
Credit: Merc / Giant
- Autumn Squash
When she taste tested butternut squash soups, my colleague Justine Sterling put this one in the top spot. I’ll admit that I didn’t rush out and try it, because even though I’d trust her taste buds with my life, I don’t think butternut squash soup is terribly exciting. Oh, you pureed some squash and added cream? Congrats, I guess! Anyway, without being hyperbolic or shouting, I gotta say that this soup is SO GOOD. It tastes a little sweet because it contains warm spices like ginger and a little bit of honey, but it’s also extremely savory. There are little crunchy things in there. I truly do not know what they are, but I love them! Maybe onions? Maybe squash? Who knows! Anyway, the number one ingredient is pumpkin and goddamn if we shouldn’t all be eating pumpkin soup more often. If cheesy soups aren’t your style, this is the best Panera soup.
Read our ranking of the best butternut squash soup
Credit: Merc / Target
- Broccoli Cheddar
You know it. You love it. But if you haven’t had the grocery store version of the best Panera soup, you’re missing out. I swear, Panera at Home Broccoli Cheddar soup is just about perfect. It’s so creamy and so cheesy and so indulgent. It’s like eating molten cheddar cheese with a spoon, but it also contains broccoli florets and little shreds of carrot, so, you know, it’s actually good for you (I know it’s not, but let me live this fantasy). It’s a treat-yourself kind of meal and it’s literally zero effort.
Credit: Merc / Instacart
Panera!
Rating:
8.5/10
Sporks
Panera!
Rating:
8.5/10
Sporks
Panera!
Rating:
8.5/10
Sporks
Panera!
Rating:
9/10
Sporks
Panera!
Rating:
9/10
Sporks
Panera!
Rating:
9.5/10
Sporks
Panera!
Rating:
10/10
Sporks
Products we couldn’t find: New England Clam Chowder; Turkey, Sausage, Kale & Quinoa; Lobster Bisque; Creamy Chicken & Wild Rice; Chicken Noodle; Greek Style Lemon Chicken
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About the Author
Gwynedd Stuart
Gwynedd Stuart, Sporked’s managing editor, is an L.A.-based writer and editor who spends way, way too much time at the grocery store. She’s never met an Old El Paso taco or mozzarella stick she didn’t like.
