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Panera is a standby for many when it comes to sandwiches, but the chain might be known even more so for the soups. The best Panera Bread soups are perfect comfort food; elite when you're sick, and warming on a chilly, winter day.
Which bowl of soup should you order, though? What is the actual best soup from Panera? I couldn't get my hands on Corn Chowder or Ten Vegetable Soup, but here are eight of the best Panera soups, ranked.
Prices and availability are subject to change.
Price:$7.39 cup / $8.89 bowl
I don't really even know what to say about Panera's broccoli cheddar soup. For me, it's the gold standard. Nobody does it better, and I mean nobody. Not my mom. Not your mom. Only John Panera's mom. (I don't know who founded Panera but that seems like a safe shot.)
This soup is rich and creamy, and even though there's broccoli in it, you stay safe from a thousand little floating bits of green. I don't know how they pull that one off. Eating this soup out of a crusty bread bowl is one of life's greatest indulgences. Broccoli cheddar is the best soup at Panera by a country mile.
Price: $7.99 cup / $9.49 bowl
There are very little cravings like the craving for chili, and though it comes for me infrequently, when it does I cannot run away from it. Though it's not Panera Bread's best soup, this chili absolutely scratches the itch here.
The turkey chili is hearty and loaded with chunky veggies, one of which is edamame. Is this the standard? Does my location have a whimsical prankster in the kitchen? I don't know. I don't care. I love this.
Price: $7.39 cup / $8.89 bowl
I cannot comprehend a soup more perfect for a breezy fall day than this son of a gun right here. This is an autumnal flavor death match, every ounce of cinnamon, clove, and allspice trying to body slam some creamy squash. It's decadent chaos and I love it.
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Price: $7.39 cup / $8.89 bowl
There's a severe matter of personal preference going on here, but listen up. I don't like rice pudding. You can yell at me and tell me how wrong I am all you want, but that's all there is to it.
Cream of chicken and rice, one of Panera's most popular soups, just feels like a soupy, long grain rice pudding. I like it fine, but dang, I wish I wasn't thinking about rice pudding.
Related: Panera Merging With Two Other Fast-Casual Brands
Price: $7.39 cup / $8.89 bowl
There's a good chance you already know exactly what this tastes like. It's a classic creamy tomato-basil soup. This is the Old Faithful of the soup world, reliable as can be, but not particularly exciting. Give it a boost with a grilled cheese sandwich.
Price: $7.79 cup / $8.99 bowl
I want to like this so badly. It's kind of like a combination of a few classic Thai soups, but it's a little ... too watery?
The aroma is just right, but this is more like the flavor of coconut milk, rather than the texture of coconut milk. The red bell peppers, shredded carrots, and shiitake mushrooms are nice, but the white meat chicken is pretty dry. If you like watered down Thai soup, give this a look.
Price: $7.39 cup / $8.89 bowl
There are a few universal truths about homestyle chicken and egg noodle soup. For one, chicken bone brothe cures any illness. For another, you will never have tender chicken. The chicken is always as dry as the Sahara.
Both of these things are true of Panera's chicken soup, unless of course your illness is sodium-related, because this thing is a salt bomb you're not prepared for.
Price: $6.99 cup / $8.19 bowl
Goodness gracious me oh my, this is bad food. Before today, I thought Panera made exclusively terrific soups. I thought that, really, at the end of the day, every soup at Panera is Panera's best soup.
This bistro French onion soup, which tastes like water and onions, contains a tiny bit of cheese and zero croutons. I'd skip this one if I were you.