What’s the first restaurant you think of when you hear the word “soup”?
It could be a local cafe down the street.
Maybe a French-inspired bistro or high-end steakhouse.
Photo: Shutterstock. Design: Eat This, Not That!
Or, for many peopleincluding myselfit may very well be the fast-casual eateryPanera Bread.
The combination bakery-cafe got its start in St. Louis circa 1987 with an initial hyper-focus on selling fresh-baked bread.
I ordered a cup of every single soup on the menu for $6.99.
Megan Hageman / Eat This, Not That!
With every spoonful, I formed opinions on each steamy soup and found one clear winner.
Let’s jump into the rankings in order from least to most adored.
The look:Sad and oily.
Megan Hageman / Eat This, Not That!
I wasn’t impressed when I popped the lid off this one.
The broth is a light yellow shade, and it somehow looks both translucent and murky.
The taste:I didn’t feel soothed by this soup at all.
Photo: Megan Hageman/Eat This, Not That!
The base is thin, watery, and dull as dishwater.
And the chicken is nearly tasteless and dry, despite soaking in its briny bath.
One highlight is the egg noodles.
Photo: Megan Hageman/Eat This, Not That!
I would recommend sticking to your grandma’s recipe next time you’re feeling under the weather.
It does its job quietly, never attracting too much attention.
The look:A muted orange-red colormuch less vibrant of a hue than fresh tomatoes.
Photo: Megan Hageman/Eat This, Not That!
The whole soup looks uniform, and flecks of spice or other add-ins don’t stick out.
The taste:Like a big serving of pasta sauce.
Something about this cup reads very sauce-like to me.
Megan Hageman / Eat This, Not That!
It could be the consistency.
It’s smooth and somewhere in between thin and thick, but it also has juicy tomato chunks throughout.
All in all, it is what it is: a basic and straightforward tomato soup.
Megan Hageman / Eat This, Not That!
It would pair well with melty grilled cheeseand Panera serves a rather tasty one.
Then, don’t forget healthy portions of both Monterey Jack cheese sauce and melty Asiago cheese.
Potato chunks and bacon bits are few and far between amongst the broth but accounted for.
Megan Hageman / Eat This, Not That!
After diving in, a few of my spoonfuls would come up spudless.
But, the potatoes I did find would all but disintegrate on my tongue on impact.
Whether it’s improved or not though remains to be seen.
This latest recipe has been dubbedHearty Fireside Chili(sounds cozy, doesn’t it?)
and starts with a base of beef this time instead of turkey.
The look:The entire stew takes on a fiery color of deep burnt red.
The taste:It’s a fine chili.
Let’s start there.
The chili trio of beef, beans, and tomatoes offers a pleasing texture in every bite.
The look:Not dissimilar from the tomato soup, but in the burnt orange shade of butternut squash.
It really does taste like fall poured into a cup.
Ground pureed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and soy sauce are also included.
Fontina and mozzarella cheeses and croutons are the icing on top.
The look:This isn’t the most attractive of soups.
The croutons do improve its presentation.
The taste:What this soup lacks in looks, it makes up for in taste 100 times over.
The onions have perfectly cooked down, with no trace of bitterness.
Pro tip:check that to forgo the apple or chips and add a French baguette as your side.
French bread with your French soup only makes sense, right?
The look:A deep cream color and unbelievably dense.
It barely wiggled at all when I shook it lightly in the cup.
Once stirred, I could see a hearty amount of chicken and other ingredients.
Stinginess is not at play here.
The taste:I think this may be one of Panera’s most underrated menu items.
It has the rich creaminess of the chain’s Broccoli Cheddar soup.
The chicken is fresh and plump, and the consistency resembles chicken and dumplings, which I adore.
The fusion of cheesy sauce with chopped broccoli and shredded carrots is an instant favorite.
“Pick two” takes on a whole new meaning with mix-and-match bathing suit separates for men and women.
The look:Akin to the Cream of Chicken and Wild Rice Soup.
It comes in nearly the same light yellow to cream color and shares a similar level of thickness.
Its distinguishing factor is the green broccoli heads and florets peeking out from below the surface.
The taste:It’s a fan favorite for a reason.
Digging into the cup is like accepting a warm, cheesy hug.
There is also plenty of itsomething that has held for all of my Panera soup indulgences.
The chain does not skimp on that front.
Top everything off by dipping a baguette into the smooth liquid, and you’re golden.
This Broccoli Cheddar soup never seems to miss.
This story has been updated to include new information and remove outdated information.
