Panera Bread is a popular causal fast food chain that offers many different menu items from soups and salads to sandwiches and baked goods.

Like many restaurants, Panera has a seasonal menu during the fall and winter seasons. This year, the fall seasonal menu includes sandwiches, soups, and salads inspired by fall ingredients like apple, cranberry, and squash.

I had the pleasure of trying the new Roasted Turkey, Apple & Cheddar sandwich with the Vegetarian Autumn Squash Soup at the Panera in Highland Heights. Both of these items can be chosen with the “You Pick Two” meal that Panera offers, where one can choose andy two items like soup and a sandwich. With the “You Pick Two,” the meal cost about $9.00.

Of course, because Panera is considered a fast food restaurant, the wait times are not too long. However, since there was a lunch rush, I had to wait for a little bit, but no more than about 10 minutes.

The Roasted Turkey, Apple & Cheddar sandwich includes fresh ingredients such as turkey, apple and cabbage slaw, special sauce, and cheddar cheese all served on whole grain cranberry walnut bread.

At first, this may seem like an unusual combination for some, to have apple together with turkey on a sandwich, and I thought the same thing. However, all of the ingredients paired well together. The sandwich was very fresh and the bread tasted as if it was baked that morning.

The turkey was not too dry, and the special sauce was a little sweet but tangy at the same time. Moreover, the apple and cabbage slaw added a nice crunch to the sandwich.

Next, I tried the soup. I will be the first to say that a vegetarian soup, which I do not eat often, did not seem appealing to me at first. However, even one who does not like vegetarian needs to try this soup!

The soup is made from slowly simmered squash mixed with pumpkin. The broth contains several ingredients including honey and apple. Finally, the soup is topped off with pumpkin seeds.

While eating the soup, I didn’t even notice that I was eating a vegetarian dish. The soup was creamy, while the pumpkin seeds on top added texture and crunch. The soup went well with the sandwich as some ingredients such as the apple complimented each other in both the dishes.

The soups at Panera are available in a normal bowl or bread bowl. Although I tried the soup in a normal bowl, this soup would go great in a bread bowl as well. Since their soups are made fresh daily, Panera only offers certain soups on certain days. It is important to know which soups are being offered on which days, but the Vegetarian Autumn Squash Soup is offered everyday.

Next time when you are looking for a great seasonal menu with fresh ingredients, think of Panera. With many locations, it will be easy to find one near you.