Panera Bread Inspired French Onion Soup
The 665 Panera Bread outlets in 35 states are famous for fantastic sandwiches, but its this delicious French onion soup that gets most of the cloning requests. The biggest difference I find with Paneras formula versus other onion soup recipes is the inclusion of a small, almost undetectable, bit of tomato sauce. So, rather than opening up a whole can of tomato sauce to use just one tablespoon, I discovered that a bit of ketchup works perfectly. Panera Bread also makes their soup special by using sweet cream butter to saute the onions, and just a bit of Tabasco pepper sauce in the pot to wake everything up. The croutons on top of the soup appear to be made from the chains focaccia bread that has been buttered, cubed, and toasted until crispy, but you can use any bread you may have on hand. As for the cheese on top, the menu says its asiago-parmesan, but the cheese I tasted was more asiago than parmesan, so using plain asiago cheese (thats been shaved using a potato peeler) works like a charm.
The 665 Panera Bread outlets in 35 states are famous for fantastic sandwiches, but its this delicious French onion soup that gets most of the cloning requests. The biggest difference I find with Paneras formula versus other onion soup recipes is the inclusion of a small, almost undetectable, bit of tomato sauce. So, rather than opening up a whole can of tomato sauce to use just one tablespoon, I discovered that a bit of ketchup works perfectly. Panera Bread also makes their soup special by using sweet cream butter to saute the onions, and just a bit of Tabasco pepper sauce in the pot to wake everything up. The croutons on top of the soup appear to be made from the chains focaccia bread that has been buttered, cubed, and toasted until crispy, but you can use any bread you may have on hand. As for the cheese on top, the menu says its asiago-parmesan, but the cheese I tasted was more asiago than parmesan, so using plain asiago cheese (thats been shaved using a potato peeler) works like a charm.
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1/4 cup sweet cream butter
- 8 cups yellow onions 4 to 5 med. onions, sliced
- 2 14-oz cans beef broth
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper ground
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 drops tabasco pepper sauce
- Carbohydrate 35.4874584857568 g
- Cholesterol 30.503125 mg
- Fat 12.4450231942815 g
- Fiber 6.08908538655833 g
- Protein 6.90046891179847 g
- Saturated Fat 7.6894920966284 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (617g)
- Sodium 869.092993456633 mg
- Sugar 29.3983730991985 g
- Trans Fat 0.956568461581635 g
- Calories 270 calories
Step-by-step
- Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. When the butter is melted, add sliced onions and sauté for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring often, until onions turn brown.
- Add remaining ingredients (but not the garnish) to the pan and stir to combine. Heat soup until it's boiling, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.
- Make croutons for the top of the soup by slicing foccacia bread (or any bread you may have) into 3/4-inch thick slices. Butter both sides of those slices, then cut the slices into bite-size cubes. Bake the bread in a 425 degree oven for 15 minutes or until crispy. Shave some asiago cheese by simply dragging a potato peeler over the edge of a wedge of asiago.
- Serve the soup super hot with a handful of croutons floating on top followed by a couple tablespoons of shaved asiago cheese.
Deep caramelization requires sustained medium heat over fifteen to twenty minutes to trigger the Maillard reaction in yellow onions, transforming their natural sugars into complex savory compounds without burning the exterior flesh. Standard onion soups rely exclusively on beef stock, but incorporating three-quarters of a cup of chicken broth introduces lighter gelatin and amino acids that balance the heavy sodium profile of canned bases. Adding one tablespoon of ketchup supplies both acetic acid and concentrated glutamates, mimicking the subtle tomato note found in commercial formulations without requiring an open can of paste. Dusting three tablespoons of all-purpose flour directly over the softened alliums allows the starches to coat the fat molecules, creating a stable roux that prevents the broth from separating during the twenty-minute simmer.
- Slice four to five medium yellow onions evenly to ensure uniform browning during the initial saute phase.
- Bake buttered bread cubes at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for fifteen minutes to achieve a dehydrated crunch capable of supporting melted cheese.
- Shave aged asiago cheese with a standard potato peeler to produce thin ribbons that melt rapidly upon contact with boiling liquid.
- Store leftover portions in an airtight container for up to three days, noting that the starches will continue to thicken the broth as it rests.
Reheating stored batches over low heat prevents the dairy fats from breaking. Proper cooling before refrigeration protects food safety standards.
