Panera's Cream Cheese Potato Soup

"This is my favorite recipe for potato soup. It's a copycat of the one they use to serve at the St. Louis Bread Company (Panera). The recipe originally called for shredding your potatoes, but I never could get them to cook that way. I know they should cook faster, but I never could get it to work."
 
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photo by DianaEatingRichly photo by DianaEatingRichly
photo by DianaEatingRichly
photo by DianaEatingRichly photo by DianaEatingRichly
photo by DianaEatingRichly photo by DianaEatingRichly
photo by ChefShane5978 photo by ChefShane5978
photo by AlainaF photo by AlainaF
Ready In:
1hr
Ingredients:
6
Serves:
4-6
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ingredients

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directions

  • Combine broth, potatoes, and spices.
  • Boil on medium heat until potatoes are tender.
  • Smash a few of the potatoes to release their starch for thickening.
  • Reduce to low heat.
  • Add cream cheese.
  • Heat, stirring frequently, until cheese melts.

Questions & Replies

  1. is there a truck to adding the cream cheese where it doesn't circle? I've the recipe and it tastes great but the crea. cheese juat doesn't fully break down.
     
  2. Where is the onion and garlic in the recipe?
     
  3. What type of potatoes works best, I suspect a Russet might be appropriate, something that can be mashed? Let me know your thoughts. Thanks
     
  4. Does ground red pepper = Cayenne pepper?
     
  5. How can I print a recipe from this app? Hopefully you guys will know. Thanks bunches!
     
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Reviews

  1. My family loves this soup. There are a few things I done different that made it taste richer. Instead of cooking the potatoes on the stove top, (I think this maks them watery) I baked them in the microwave with the skin on. I let them cool down and then peel them and cut them into chuncks. They stay together much better, and they have a much better taste to them. If you are using red potatoes, which I prefer, leave the skin on them. I also saute my onions and garlic in a pan with butter really slow so they don't brown. I put the chicken broth in the pot first, then the onions and butter. I let the cream cheese get to room temp, and then use my wire strainer to mash the cream cheese through it with the back of a spoon. It dissolves much easier. After the soup comes to a slow boil, I add the potatoes and turn in down on simmer for a while. When I serve it, I put crispy bacon cumbles on top along with cheddar cheese and green onions. I also think it is good with a dollop of sour cream. Bake a pan of corn bread, and you have the most delicious meal you could ever eat. I use one cream cheese to one carton of chicken broth. I have to double or triple this recipe......Yuuuuuum
     
  2. If sweet little baby Jesus floated down from a cloud and handed you a bowl of soup, this would be it. <br/><br/>This soup was so good that I created a username just to review and comment on it. I made the soup exactly as written. Even after adding the cream cheese I was still skeptical that it would come out okay (it's kind of ugly looking until the last minute). But after whisking in the cream cheese and letting it simmer on low heat for about 5 minutes it was obvious that this was one HELL of a soup. <br/><br/>Add an additional russet potato or two if you prefer a heartier soup, but I thought that the texture was velvety and wonderful as is.
     
  3. Thank you for posting this recipe. My boyfriend was diagnosed with cancer and had half of his tongue surgically removed last July. He finished chemo and radiation 4 months ago. This is the first thing he was able to eat with ease and enjoy at the same time.
     
  4. This was delicious! This is a definite keeper. Here are a couple things that I did a little differently, preparation-wise. To avoid the possibility of the cream cheese curdling (as some have said), I put my cream cheese in the blender in fourths, added some of the broth and blended to perfection. I also put a whole onion in the food processor before adding it to the soup. My kids are funny about seeing big chunks of onion in ANYTHING, so this was a great way to hide the onion and still get the great flavor. I also doubled the recipe. Simply delish!!!
     
  5. I had a block of cream cheese that was near expiry and I was looking for a meal to use it up on. I'm so glad I found this recipe!!! I'll never make potato soup another way again!! It was thick and creamy, very flavorful with plenty of potatoes. And it smells out of this world! I made a few modifications. I didn't peel the potatoes. I sauteed the onions in butter & olive oil, then added 2 cloves of garlic, a pinch of red pepper flakes and the potatoes and let them cook for a few minutes before adding the broth. I used 4 cups of water and 4 bullion cubes. Finally, I threw in about 2 tbsp of dried chives. Quick, easy and AMAZING -- thank you Shawn!!
     
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Tweaks

  1. Sautee 1/2 onion & 1 clove garlic at low heat until translucent and tender. Then add broth, and room temperature cream cheese. (Keep at a very low heat so the cream cheese melts slowly and won't curdle. Use Philadelphia cream cheese!) Cook baked potatoes in microwave, then cool, peel and cut into small pieces before adding. Cook for a while and mash potatoes liberally. Added some parsley (approx 1 Tbsp) and a bay leaf.
     
  2. It looks so fantastic in the picture - served in a baked potato shell. I suggest instead of using cubed potatoes, bake them first, scoop out flesh and add to stock with the rest as instructed, rebake the shells to get them crispy and serve in the potato skins.
     
  3. EXCELLENT! Love the subtle "kick" from the white/red pepper -- great addition. Doubled potatoes, as well. Added cheddar and crumbled bacon as a topping. Keep stirring at the end, so as to avoid the "skin" that forms. Will absolutely make this again. A+
     
  4. Added onion, bacon, flour
     
  5. This recipe was wonderfully tasty and very simple to make. My husband and even my little boy loved it! I was short on chicken broth and substituted my missing 1 cup broth with 1 cup of heavy cream. It was thick, creamy, and the perfect potato soup recipe. Try this one, you won't regret it!
     

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