Panera is welcoming soup season by bringing back a fan-favorite menu item.
On Sept. 24, Panera Bread announced its fall menu is now available at cafes nationwide. The centerpiece of the menu is the “Fall for Your Favorites Meal,” which features three signature soups — including one that was discontinued seven years ago.
To promote the new menu, Panera tapped “Gilmore Girls” actors Jared Padalecki and Matt Czuchry for a commercial that highlights the “personalities” of Panera’s latest soup lineup: Fireside Chili as the “dependable classic,” Autumn Squash Soup as the “sophisticated choice,” and Black Bean Soup, returning after a seven-year hiatus, as the “brooding favorite.”
Panera’s Fall Menu
- Harvest Medley Chicken Salad: This new menu item features mixed greens and arugula tossed in balsamic vinaigrette, topped with a whole-grain blend, grilled chicken, mandarin oranges, feta cheese, dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds, toasted pecans and crunchy beet strips.
- Black Bean Soup: This prodigal, vegetarian soup returns to the menu after seven years, featuring black beans, onion, celery, red bell pepper, carrots, lima beans, potatoes, lemon juice and garlic.
- Autumn Squash Soup: This seasonal classic (and my personal favorite item on the menu!) features butternut squash and pumpkin blended with vegetable broth, honey, apple juice and spices like cinnamon and curry, and finished with sweet cream and roasted pumpkin seeds.
- Hearty Fireside Chili: This item features chili made with beef, kidney beans, fire-roasted tomatoes and green chili peppers simmered in a broth with chili spices and cilantro.
- Crème Brûlée Latte: This new beverage features espresso, foamed milk and crème brûlée syrup and is topped with whipped cream and salted caramel sugar.
- Seasonal Pumpkin Cookie: ‘Nuff said.
Panera’s fall menu is available for dine-in, delivery, Rapid Pick-Up or drive-thru where available, for a limited time, and prices vary by cafe. The Fall for Your Favorites Meal is available exclusively on the Panera app.
Ciabatta Dippers Return
The big, soupy launch follows the early-September return of Panera’s Ciabatta Dippers, sandwich-and-soup pairings designed for dunking. Customers can enjoy two options available for a limited time at participating cafes nationwide:
- French Dipper: This returning item features marinated steak, melted provolone and asiago cheese and garlic aioli on ciabatta, paired with a dipping portion of Bistro French Onion Soup.
- Chicken Pesto Dipper: This new item features grilled chicken, melted provolone, Parmesan cheese and basil pesto spread on ciabatta, paired with a dipping portion of Creamy Tomato Soup.
