What’s the Best Panera Soup? A Food Editor, Nutritionist & Cookbook Author Have Thoughts

Author image: Candace Davison, PureWow executive editor

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Published Jan 23, 2025

panera soup ranking, including chili and potato soups

panera bread

If you ask anyone what the best Panera soup is, you’ll quickly learn people fall into two major camps: Team Broccoli Cheddar vs. Team Cream of Chicken and Wild Rice. Both dishes are wildly popular and have inspired all kinds of copycat recipes, but the truth is, Panera Bread offers so many more options than just that.

Whether you’re craving something comforting on a chilly winter day, want to deviate from your usual order at the chain—or are looking for a healthy, dietician-approved option, I’ve got your back. PureWow Food Editor Taryn Pire and I have literally made it our jobs to taste Panera’s lineup, and I turned to Marjorie Nolan Cohn, MS, RD, LDN, CEDS-S and Clinical Director of Berry Street, a virtual nutritional counseling service, to weigh in on what we deem the best soups at the restaurant.

Meet the Experts

Marjorie Nolan Cohn is the founding Clinical Director at Berry Street, where she has advanced virtual nutritional counseling across the U.S. With a background in eating disorders treatment and media advocacy, she authored two books and supported clinical innovations at Renfrew Center and Monte Nido. She holds a master’s in food and nutrition science from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
Taryn Pire is PureWow’s food editor, where she tests recipes, reviews new menu items at restaurants and covers everything from kid-friendly dinner ideas to the latest food trends. Her work has appeared in Food52, Taste Talks and New Jersey Family Magazine, and prior to entering the media industry, she worked as a bartender and barista.
Candace Davison is the vice president of editorial content at PureWow, where she oversees food and home content. She’s published two cookbooks and has contributed to others, as well as developed recipes for a range of brands and media outlets.

How I Ranked the Best Soups at Panera

Taste, texture and overall nutritional value all played a role here. And yes, taste is subjective, but it’s a serious factor here: How robust is the flavor? Is any ingredient overpowering, or worse, do they all meld together into a sea of sameness?

As for texture, I considered variety, noting that everything should be bite-sized and tender, so you’re never reaching a finger inside your mouth wondering if you just chipped a tooth on a barely simmered celery stalk.

For the nutritional value, I sought general guidelines and recommendations from Nolan Cohn (opt for lower-sodium, avoid trans fats and look for a mix of carbs, protein and healthy fats). I then cross-referenced all to see which soups had the highest marks across all three categories to arrive at this ranking. (So yeah, I got really nerdy with this.)

The Best Soups at Panera, Ranked

panera bread

7. Rustic Baked Potato Soup

Chunks of potato, crumbled bacon and chives bob in a bowl full of creamy, Monterey Jack cheese sauce, making this essentially a deconstructed loaded baked potato. It’s decadent, but also, a little one note compared to Panera’s other offerings. Plus, it didn’t score high in the nutrition department, given that it contains high levels of sodium (1,840 per bowl—well above the 500 to 700 mg per meal that the American Heart Association recommends) and cholesterol per serving (75 mg), and one ingredient Nolan Cohn says you should avoid* as much as possible: trans fats (half a gram per bowl-sized serving).

*For more insights on what Nolan Cohn suggests looking for (and avoiding) when ordering soup—or buying some from the grocery store—see the FAQ section below.

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6. Creamy Tomato Soup

As delightful as this soup is for dipping (is there a better pairing for grilled cheese or Ciabatta Dippers?!), it’s not quite as healthy as you might think. A bowl contains half a gram of trans fats, according to Panera’s nutrition data and 1,120 mg of sodium.

That said, the flavor is hearty and the soup itself is more filling than your typical tomato. It’s “thick, acidic and bright, giving off major vodka sauce vibes when eaten with a sandwich instead of a spoon…but maybe that’s the Jersey in me talking,” Pire says.

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5. Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Even the most broccoli-averse cannot resist this soup. It’s so creamy, so cheesy—it’s practically fondue masquerading as soup (making it the perfect vessel for a bread bowl). So while it scores high in the flavor department, it was not one of Nolan Cohn’s top picks. One bowl of soup contains 2.5 grams of trans fat and 1,560 mg of sodium.

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4. Hearty Fireside Chili

Honest question for you: Do you consider chili a soup? It’s listed on the Soups & Mac portion of the Panera menu, so we’ll go with it. While a bowl-sized serving contains half a gram of trans fats and 1,530 mg of sodium, its mix of beef, kidney beans and vegetables make it a somewhat better choice, nutritionally, than its predecessors in our ranking. The mix of ingredients “provides balanced macronutrients,” Nolan Cohn says, and from a flavor perspective, a robustness that keeps each bite interesting. Filling and flavorful? Yes, please.

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3. Chicken Noodle Soup

It’s a classic for a reason, and Panera’s tastes practically homemade. Those thick egg noodles! The generous chunks of chicken! The melt-in-your-mouth carrots and celery! Even Nolan Cohn deemed it a solid choice (while it’s trans fat-free, it—like every other soup on this list—exceeds the AHA sodium recommendation when you order a bowl-sized serving, clocking in at 1,560 mg).

Why is Nolan Cohn a fan? “It’s broth-based, making it a lighter soup. It also contains chicken, which is a useful protein source to help your immune system, energy levels and hormones,” she explains.

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2. Autumn Squash Soup

This vegetarian-friendly soup is basically fall in a bowl, with a gentle sweetness and great crunch from the pepitas that top it. There are no trans fats, but a bowl contains 1,210 mg of sodium. However! There are some qualities worth calling out to offset all the salt a bit: “Autumn squash soup is topped with pumpkin seeds, which offer vitamins and minerals that support our health,” Nolan Cohn shares. “It also is spiced with cinnamon, rosemary, cardamom, cumin, nutmeg and turmeric. These herbs and spices all add flavor without extra sodium, making them stand out in soup.”

The flavor is great, but if you’re not a fan of pureed soups, you may be left wanting more. That’s what ultimately edged it out (by a hair) from the top spot.

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1. Cream of Chicken and Wild Rice

Sorry, Team Broccoli Cheddar, but this is my ranking—and I’m firmly Team CWR. You’ll find half a gram of trans fats in a bowl, sadly, and 1,410 mg of sodium, but oh, what it offers in flavor and texture. This creamy soup has a great ratio of chicken, rice and vegetables, with enough variety to keep your palate engaged through to the final scrape of the spoon. “The cream does add additional fat, which can help you feel fuller from your meal,” Nolan Cohn notes. Overall, it ranked higher in the flavor and texture categories, and its fat content is lower than some of the cheese-based creamy soups on this list, giving it the edge in my book.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should someone look for in a soup to ensure that it's healthy?

“Look for a soup with carbs, protein and healthy fats,” Nolan Cohn says. “Many pre-made/convenience soups are carb-heavy and lack protein and good fats—add lentils, poultry or beef for protein, and drizzle in olive or avocado oil for a healthy fat boost!"

She also recommends looking for soups that are lower in sodium. “For a single meal, aiming for around 500 to 700 milligrams of sodium is a good guideline to stay within, according to the American Heart Association (AHA)…soups that are lower in sodium usually contain fresh herbs and spices for flavor—and for health benefits.” And, as you might suspect, broth-based soups tend to be lower-calorie than cream-based ones. “Heavy cream does provide dietary fat, but it can add extra calories, which may lead to weight concerns,” she explains.

Are there any key ingredients to avoid?

Beyond high sodium levels, “trans fats and hydrogenated oils should be avoided,” Nolan Cohn says.” These may be lurking in restaurant recipes or pre-made soups and have been linked to health effects. Some canned soups use hydrogenated oils to extend shelf life, which negatively impacts cardiovascular health such as increased LDL (bad cholesterol) levels, heart disease and inflammation.”

You’ll also want to watch out for artificial preservatives and colors; these additives “can cause problems for some people, such as headaches or allergic reactions. They can also upset your gut health by messing with the good bacteria in your digestive system. If consumed too often, these ingredients may harm your long-term health.”

Candace Davison

VP of editorial content

Oversees home, food and commerce articles
Author of two cookbooks and has contributed recipes to three others
Named one of 2023's Outstanding Young Alumni at the University of South Florida, where she studied mass communications and business

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