As you may or may not have realized, I’m a creature of habit. I definitely like to try new things, but have my “regular” breakfasts that I make as well as regular meals I order when I go out.
Panera is one of those places that I stick to my regulars. I usually go for one of their Signature Salads, but every now and then I get a little crazy and get a “You Pick Two.” A chilly night calls for a bowl of soup and the Low-Fat Vegetarian Garden Vegetable Soup with Pesto was calling my name!
A low-fat vegetarian soup with diced tomatoes, sliced zucchini, yellow beans, fresh Swiss chard, cauliflower, bell peppers and pearled barley in a tomato broth. Garnished with a dollop of nut-free basil pesto.
Of course, I also went with one of my staples on the side; Thai Chopped Chicken salad, and I was glad that I did. While the soup was good, the taste didn’t quite live up to the description. It was a decent vegetable soup, but I definitely felt like it was missing something. I’m not sure I would really recommend this soup to anyone, unless they were looking for something light with not a ton of flavor.
Looking back, it was definitely missing something.. see that dollop of nut-free basil pesto? Yea. Me neither.
I’ve enjoyed the soups at Panera before, so I wouldn’t simply pass judgement on all of the soups on the menu from this one experience. And even though it was a bit disappointing, I think I would go back and give this soup a try again. With the pesto!
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Foodbuzz. I was provided a gift certificate and compensated for my time. All opinions are my own and were not influenced in any way.
Barr & Table 