Fall in love with this easy butternut squash soup recipe! It's the perfect thing to warm and comfort you all season long. This creamy butternut squash soup is loaded with roasted vegetables, apples, ginger, and spices and then blended smoothly for the best spoonful every time! Bonus: make on a Sunday and have leftovers all week!
This is the BEST Butternut Squash Soup
- Comfort Food Recipe. When I think of Fall recipes, I think about this hearty, delicious soup. It's creamy and cozy with the perfect blend of sweet and savory. The spices (cinnamon, cloves, and ginger) will fill your house with a wonderful aroma. So, grab a bowl and cozy up with a fuzzy blanket on your sofa! This is total comfort food.
- Roasting bring out the best flavor! Do you have to roast the vegetables first? Nope - BUT you will be missing out on so much flavor. Roasting vegetables and apple brings out so much flavor.
- Plant-based. This soup is loaded with vegetables, herbs, and spices! Oat milk or half and half can be used. This soup is full of beneficial vitamins and minerals and is low in fat and calories (if you don't add the optional butter and brown sugar at the end!
Creamy Butternut Squash Soup Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you will need to make butternut squash soup:
- Butternut Squash: I can usually find this year-round at my local grocery store; however, it is in season, typically in the fall.
- Sweet Onion: substitute white or yellow onion if preferred.
- Yukon Gold Potatoes: gold potatoes have yellow flesh and tend to be starchier potato that works great in soups for a thicker end result.
- Olive Oil: substitute with your preferred oil if you would like to.
- Fennel Bulb: fennel bulbs can be found in the produce section of your local grocery store. Fennel has a distinct flavor profile that tastes like anise or subtle licorice. When it is cooked, it becomes sweeter and pairs really well in this recipe.
- Golden Delicious Apple: the apple adds sweetness, but it is not a standout flavor in the soup. It is more of a balancing flavor with the squash, spices, and starches.
- Ginger Paste: you can also usually find this in the produce section by the herbs in your grocery store. You can also substitute for fresh grated ginger if you would like.
- Vegetable Broth: use low sodium, or regular-I have used chicken broth in a pinch, and it works just fine also.
- Bay Leaves: use whole bay leaves so that you can remove them before blending your soup together.
- Cinnamon
- Cayenne Pepper: add more if you want it to have more spice.
- Kosher Salt
- Ground Black Pepper
- Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
- Oat Milk or Half and Half: you can also mix milk and cream to create your own half and half.
- Optional: brown sugar and butter
For exact ingredient quantities, please see the recipe card below!
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Spices for Butternut Squash Soup
The spices to choose for a butternut squash soup are classically described as warm spices and herbs. Generally, you can use any spices and herbs that you would like to. Your classic Italian herbs, such as oregano, rosemary, and thyme, do pair very well if you are looking for a simple option. Warm spices are your cinnamon, ginger, coriander, clove, allspice, and cayenne pepper.
How to Make Butternut Squash Soup
Here are the step-by-step instructions for making butternut squash soup:
1. Toss or brush all of the vegetables and apple with olive oil. Place on roasting pans and cook for 1 hour until very tender.
2. Remove vegetables from the oven and let stand until cool enough to handle. Scrape the flesh from the inside of the squash. Mash or chop any larger pieces.
3. Add roasted vegetables, apple, broth, ginger, cayenne, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves, salt, and pepper to a large stock pot. Cover and bring to a simmer.
4. Remove the bay leaves. Using an immersion blender or a blender (if using a blender, work in batches), blend the soup until smooth.
5. Stir in the oat milk (or half and half), lemon juice, brown sugar, and butter. Adjust seasoning to taste. Serve.
What to Serve with Butternut Squash Soup
Garnish with a drizzle of cream or sour cream.
Top with toasted pecans, chopped fennel fronds, or sliced green onion.
Pair with your favorite warmed crusty bread to soak up every last drop of soup!
Use croutons or crackers to add texture if you'd like.
Pair with a light side salad with your favorite veggies.
How To Store Creamy Butternut Squash Soup
Allow your soup to cool completely before transferring it to an air-tight container and storing it in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Easy Butternut Squash Soup FAQs
You do not have to remove the skin before cooking it. You can peel your squash and cut it into large cubes before roasting to save time waiting for it to cool and scrape the squash from its skin. I prefer to roast everything, and while cooling, I prepare the rest of the soup.
Adding additional cream or half and half can help make it thicker. One of my go-to ways to thicken any soup is by making a cornstarch slurry by mixing 1 to 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 1 to 2 tablespoons of cold water together. Add half to your soup and combine. Wait to check your thickness and add the rest if needed.
The key is to make sure your roasted butternut squash is fork tender; otherwise, if your veggies are underdone, you will not get a nice smooth texture at the end when blended. If you did roast them until fork tender and it is still not smooth, try blending for longer and add a little extra cream if moisture is needed to help.
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Easy Recipe for Butternut Squash Soup
Ingredients
- 3½ pounds butternut squash (about 2 large)
- 1 large sweet onion (peeled and halved)
- 1 large yukon gold potato (peeled and halved)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium fennel bulb (cut into ½" cubes; save some fronds for garnish)
- 1 large golden delicious apple (peeled, cored, and quartered)
- 1 teaspoon ginger paste (grated ginger may be used)
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 pinch ground cloves
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1½ cups oat milk or half and half (bring to room temperature)
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- (optional) 4 tablespoons brown sugar
- (optional) 1 to 2 tablespoons butter
Instructions
To Roast the Vegetables
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Brush the cut sides of the butternut squash with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Place remaining vegetables, apple, and garlic cloves in a large bowl and toss with remaining olive oil. Place butternut squash (cut side down) and remaining vegetables on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast for 1 hour or until very tender.
- Remove vegetables from the oven and let stand until cool enough to handle. Scrape the flesh from the inside of the squash. Chop or mash any larger pieces of vegetables.
To Make The Soup
- Add in the roasted vegetables, apple, broth, ginger, cayenne, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Cover and bring to a simmer. Continue simmering 20 minutes, reducing heat if needed. Remove the lid and continue to simmer for 10 minutes longer.
- Remove the bay leaves. Using an immersion blender or a blender (if using a blender, work in batches), blend the soup until smooth.
- Stir in the oat milk (or half and half), lemon juice, brown sugar, and butter. Adjust seasoning to taste. Serve.
Kori's Tips
- Don't miss all of our helpful hints, substitution ideas, cooking tips, and other delicious recipes that can be found in our post. Check it out!
- VARIATIONS: A combination of milk and cream may be used for the half and half, or oat milk; use maple syrup in place of brown sugar;
- TIPS: Roasting the vegetables boosts the flavor of this soup. To save time you can roast them ahead of time. If you forget or are in a hurry, you can skip this step. Instead, you should sautee and caramelize the onions until completely soft. Follow with the fennel. Follow the recipe instructions from there.
- SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Garnish with a drizzle of cream of sour cream. Top with toasted pecans, a sprinkle of brown sugar, chopped fennel fronds, or sliced green onion.
Nutrition
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