Copycat Panera Corn Chowder Recipe

Panera is known for serving dozens of great sandwiches and salads, but its variety of soup is among the most popular on the wide-ranging menu. The restaurant chain features different soups all year round, but there's just something special about getting to enjoy it in the colder months. Panera's corn chowder, in particular, is incredibly delicious, thanks to the melody of vegetables and its thick, potato-based broth. 

Recipe developer Kate Shungu came up with this copycat recipe that is just as easy to make at home as it would be to venture out, and get a bowl from Panera. "I love how the combination of ingredients in this recipe makes a really flavorful soup," Shungu raves. "The variety of textures is a nice bonus, too! I love being able to make a large quantity of soup for a much lower price than I can get at the grocery store, or at the restaurant," she says. 

Keep reading to find out how to make this comforting soup.

You will need to make a big pit stop in the produce section for most of the ingredients in this recipe. Pick up russet potatoes, frozen corn, vegetable stock, butter, red pepper, poblano pepper, and garlic cloves. You will also need salt, black beans, chipotle chili powder, heavy cream, lime juice, and cilantro.

Once you have those things, you can whip up this delicious and easy copycat Panera corn chowder.

First peel the skin off 1 of the potatoes. Next, dice that potato into small cubes, which helps it to cook faster. Then, add the diced potato, half the frozen corn, and 2 cups of vegetable stock in a large saucepan. Crank the heat up, bringing the mixture to a boil. 

Once the liquid begins to boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, and continue cooking for about 10 to 12 minutes, until the potatoes are fork-tender. 

Add the contents of the saucepan into a blender, and blend until nice and smooth. Shungu suggests leaving a vent at the top of the blender to allow the steam from the hot mixture to exit while blending everything together. "The special technique here is to blend part of the corn, and part of the potatoes together to make a purée," Shungu shares. "It adds richness to the soup without having to add tons of heavy cream." Once complete, set the blended mixture aside. 

Using the same saucepan, add the butter. Turn the heat to medium, and wait for the butter to melt. Next, add the chopped red and poblano peppers, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes. When the 4 to 5 minutes are up, add the minced garlic, and cook for another 30 seconds.

Go ahead, and peel and dice the second potato. Toss it in the saucepan with the peppers, and add the remaining 1 ½ cups of vegetable stock, followed by the salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, and once bubbles reach the surface, reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook the contents of the saucepan for 10 to 12 minutes, checking again to ensure that the potatoes are fork-tender.

Now, it's time to add in the remaining corn, black beans, chipotle chili powder, heavy cream, lime juice, and puréed corn mixture. Let everything cook together for a few minutes, ensuring that all of the veggies are thoroughly heated. "Just cook the soup long enough for everything to get warm throughout," Shungu notes. "You don't want to overcook the corn or black beans." 

The last thing you want to do is add the chopped cilantro, and give the soup mixture a few good stirs to combine. Then, ladle the soup into bowls, and top with the remaining cilantro if you wish. 

"I love serving this with a hunk of crusty french bread," Shungu suggests of a side pairing. Be sure to keep anything you don't eat. "Leftovers will keep for 4 to 5 days in the refrigerator. I don't recommend freezing the soup, as the freezing/defrosting process will negatively affect the texture," Shungu notes.