13 Copycat Restaurant Soups and Chilis to Make at Home This Fall

Some days only a bowl from your favorite restaurant will do, and you don’t need a drive or a wait to get it. I’ve spent more than 30 years recreating restaurant recipes at home, and this collection gathers the soups and chilis I’d happily ladle up on a cold night. It starts with creamy favorites like Olive Garden’s chicken gnocchi soup and Panera’s broccoli cheddar, adds cafeteria and steakhouse classics from Luby’s and Plaza III, and finishes with five very different chilis, including Wendy’s, Panera’s turkey chili, and Houston’s James Coney Island.

Many of these make a big pot, and several taste even better the next day, so they work for meal prep, game days, and busy weeknights. Most freeze well, and I’ve noted the exceptions, like Houston’s cheese soup, which doesn’t. Whether you want something creamy, hearty, or spicy, there’s a bowl here for you.

Pick a pot, grab a ladle, and let me know which one ends up on repeat at your house this fall.

Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup

This is the one I’d start with, since it’s one of the most-commented recipes on the site and tagged Highest Rated. A butter-and-flour base, half-and-half, and store-bought gnocchi come together in under an hour. If you plan to freeze it, leave the gnocchi out and add it when you reheat, because the texture changes after freezing.

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Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana

Olive Garden’s most famous soup, packed with Italian sausage, russet potatoes, bacon, and kale in a creamy broth. I roast the sausage in the oven first so it browns without extra grease. Like many soups, it tastes better the next day, and it freezes for up to 3 months.

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Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Velveeta gives this soup its ultra-smooth texture, and sharp cheddar brings the bold flavor. You can use frozen broccoli without thawing it, and it’s ready in under 45 minutes. I love serving it with popovers or fresh yeast rolls, or in bread bowls the way Panera does.

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Panera French Onion Soup

The depth here comes from using both beef and chicken stock, plus a little beef base. I chop the onions instead of slicing them so you get onion in every bite, and it takes about 20 minutes to brown them properly. Top with croutons and Gruyère with a touch of Asiago, then broil in oven-safe bowls. The soup base freezes for up to 3 months.

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Houston’s Canadian Cheese Soup Recipe – Rich and Creamy

Carrots, onion, and celery cook down in a classic roux before chicken broth, half-and-half, and Velveeta turn it into a velvety cheese soup. Add the cheese gradually over gentle heat so it melts smoothly. Garnish with diced tomatoes and jalapeños if you like. This is the one soup here that doesn’t freeze well, so plan to eat it within 3 days.

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Chick-fil-A Chicken Tortilla Soup

The first time I tasted this soup I knew I had to recreate it, since it’s a limited-time seasonal menu item. Pureed cannellini beans make it creamy without heavy cream, and rotisserie chicken, black beans, and corn make it hearty. It thickens as it cools, so I’d make it a day ahead. It freezes for up to 2 months.

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Luby’s Beef Tortilla Soup

Most tortilla soup uses chicken, but this cafeteria version uses ground beef for deeper flavor. Cream-style corn and American cheese give it the creamy, slightly sweet texture, and a cornstarch slurry thickens it. It comes together in about 20 minutes, and it’s mild and kid-friendly.

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Plaza III Steak Soup

This Kansas City favorite is more stew than soup, with ground beef, fresh and frozen vegetables, and beef consommé in a roux-thickened broth. The original restaurant may have closed, but the recipe lives on. For a deluxe version, swap the ground beef for cubed sirloin. It freezes for up to 3 months.

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Wendy’s Chili

Wendy’s Chili has been one of CopyKat’s most requested copycat recipes for years, and I first developed this version more than 20 years ago. It’s a mild, tomato-forward chili with beef, kidney and pinto beans, and classic chili spices. Make it on the stovetop or in a slow cooker, and let it chill overnight if you can, since the flavor deepens.

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Chili’s Original Chili

This is the original version that helped build the restaurant, before the recipe changed. It’s a Texas-style, no-bean chili thickened with masa harina, with the onions cooked separately to keep their texture. It simmers for an hour and freezes for up to 3 months.

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Ruby Tuesday White Chicken Chili

This is one of my favorite Ruby Tuesday copycat recipes, and it’s a creamy white-bean change of pace from red chili. Great northern beans, shredded chicken, jalapeños, and salsa make a mild chili where you control the heat.

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Panera Turkey Chili Recipe

This lighter chili uses ground turkey with kidney beans, chickpeas, corn, edamame, and fire-roasted green chilies. It’s become my go-to for meal prep and family dinners, and it’s on the mild side. It simmers for about 30 minutes covered, and it freezes for up to 2 months.

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James Coney Island Chili

This Texas-style chili has delighted Houstonians since 1923, and it uses diced chuck roast instead of ground beef. There are no beans, and saltine crackers and masa harina thicken it. It’s great over hot dogs, in Frito pie, or by the bowl.

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