This roasted butternut squash soup is the best comforting soup, perfect for the fall and winter season. It’s creamy, a little bit sweet and perfect served with warm bread.
Years ago, my husband and I went out in February to celebrate Valentine’s Day and our engagement anniversary at a really nice restaurant in our city and for the start of our meal, our first course we got an amazing delicious, and creamy butternut squash soup. I needed to duplicate that soup, and I think I finally have.
This butternut squash soup has a little bit of sweetness, and a little bit of savory. It’s so creamy, warm, comforting, and so delicious, and is one of my favorite soups.
I roasted the squash with butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and a little salt to give it such a nice base sweetly fall inspired flavor for this soup. It’s made with simple ingredients, and is perfect served with bread for a main dish, or enjoy this cozy soup as a side dish with your favorite sandwich.
Ingredients Needed:
This is a quick overview of the ingredients you’ll need for this easy Roasted Butternut Squash Soup recipe. Specific measurements and full recipe instructions are in the printable recipe card below.
- large butternut squash – or you can use 2 medium butternut squashes
- unsalted butter – this adds a great flavor and helps sauté the onion and apples.
- brown sugar – this adds a little sweetness, and brings out the natural sweetness of the squash. Try maple syrup instead for a yummy flavor.
- ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg
- salt and black pepper – adds a little flavor
- green apple – this is the secret ingredient in this soup, adding a little sweetness, and tartness to the soup, I use granny smith apples
- yellow onion – this adds a delicious savory flavor
- sage leaves – adds a nice flavor, but you can substitute your favorite fresh herbs.
- chicken broth – you can use chicken stock too, or use a vegetable broth to make the soup vegetarian.
- heavy cream – makes the soup nice and extra creamy, you can skip it if you like the texture without it.
How to make Roasted Butternut Squash Soup?
- Roast the squash. Cut the squash in half and scoop the seeds out of the center. Place the squash on a lined sheet pan, or roasting pan. Brush some melted butter across the top of the squash halves. Then sprinkle the tops with brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and some of the salt. Bake the squash until its tender.
- Make the soup. Add more butter to the pot and let it melt over medium heat. Then add in the apple pieces, onion, and sage. Sprinkle them with a little salt and pepper and cook until the apples and onion pieces are soft.
- Scoop the soft squash out of the skins and add it to the pot with the apples and onions.
- Add in the chicken broth, salt, pepper, and stir it all together. Break up the squash pieces as you stir it all, and let the mixture simmer for several minutes.
- Blend. Transfer the mixture in batches to a high powered blender, or use an immersion blender in the pot to mix until everything is smooth and creamy.
- Add in the heavy cream and stir it into the soup completely. Serve the soup in bowls topped with additional cream, and sunflower seeds, pepitas, or croutons on top for a nice crunch.
Tips and Tricks:
- Don’t rush the roasting process; allowing the squash to caramelize enhances the overall taste of the soup. Plus getting it nice and soft makes it much easier to blend up and mix into the soup.
Substitution Ideas:
- If you want to make it a little lighter, try substituting half and half for the heavy cream in the soup.
- To make the soup dairy free you can use your favorite plant butter, or olive oil instead of dairy butter, and and coconut milk instead of the cream.
- You can swap butternut squash for any winter squash, like acorn squash, sugar pumpkin, or butternut squash.
- Customize the soup with your favorite herbs and spices. Add a pinch of cayenne pepper for a kick, or a pinch of ground ginger for a warm, rich flavor if desired. Other options are rosemary, or thyme.
Frequently Asked Questions:
How to store leftover soup?
Let the soup cool to room temperature and then transfer any leftovers to an airtight container. The soup can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave until warm, or reheat in a pot on the stove top.
Because this creamy soup stays great in the fridge for a few days it is a great make-ahead option, and some actually prefer the flavors after storing it overnight as the flavors meld together in the fridge.
Can I freeze this soup?
The soup can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Store it in a freezer safe container, or freezer safe bag. When you are ready to enjoy it again, let it thaw in the fridge overnight, then reheat it the same as above.
What are good Soup Toppings?
This soup is great on its own, but it’s fun and delicious to add toppings for variety and texture. Her are some favorites:
- Fresh herbs like sage, rosemary, or fresh thyme
- Pepitas (roasted pumpkin seeds) or sunflower seeds
- Croutons
- A drizzle of heavy cream (or coconut milk)
- A dollop of sour cream
- Crispy bacon or pancetta
Is this soup vegetarian or vegan?
Our version of this soup isn’t vegetarian or vegan, but can easily be made that way with a couple quick substitutes. Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth to make it vegetarian. To make it vegan use a plant based butter and coconut milk, or skip the cream completely.
Can I add other vegetables to the soup?
You can add extra vegetables to the soup if you want. Feel free to experiment by adding other veggies, to add more nutrients or flavor, such as carrots, celery, sweet potatoes, or red bell pepper. You can roast them with the squash in the oven, or saute them with the onion to get them soft before blending.
This roasted butternut squash soup is a comforting dish that is a must make in the fall. It’s creamy, flavor and is a total crowd-pleaser. It’s perfect served up with some warm bread or rolls.
More Soup Recipes:
- Autumn Soup
- Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup
- Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup
- Cheddar Baked Potato Soup
- Turkey Orzo Soup
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Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Ingredients
- 1 large butternut squash
- 4 TBS unsalted butter (divided)
- 2 TBS brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup green apple (diced)
- 1/2 cup yellow onion (diced)
- 8 fresh sage leaves
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 cup heavy cream (additional to garnish)
- roasted sunflower seeds (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
- Cut your squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Lay squash on a baking sheet lined with foil.
- Brush 2 TBS of melted butter over the tops of your squash.
- Combine brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and 1/2 tsp salt in a small bowl and spread over the top of your squash.
- Bake for about 1 hour until squash is tender. When done, remove from oven and set aside.
- Melt additional 2 TBS of butter in a large deep pot over medium heat. Add the apple, onion and sage and season with a little salt and pepper and cook until apple and onion are soft, about 8 minutes.
- When the squash is cool enough to handle, scoop the flesh out of the squash and add it to the pot with the apple and onion. Discard the skins.
- Add in the chicken broth, 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper and stir everything together. Lower the heat to medium low and then bring to a simmer, breaking up the big pieces of squash as you stir. Simmer for about 15 minutes.
- Blend everything together until nice and smooth.
- Return to the pot and stir in the heavy cream.
- Top with additional cream and sunflower seeds when serving if desired.
Nutrition
This roasted butternut squash soup was first posted on November 20, 2014. The photos and text were updated on August 30, 2023.
Baffled says
I wonder if you can give me some advice?
I had a very big calamity with pumpkin soup last year, and wondered what is the best way to contact you, to tell you the story, so we can work out what went wrong.
Aimee says
Hi, I’m happy to try and help if you want to email me aimee@lmld.org, did you make our recipe last year?
Natalie says
Aimee, this sounds so yummy! I love butternut squash! I wonder how this would turn out if I used frozen squash, and how I would go about the steps differently. I’m not much of a cook (working on that!). Any ideas?
Ellen Garrett says
This is #1, we loved it. I think I will have to prepare and freeze some butternut squash just to have it year round.
Lydia @ Suitcase Foodist says
I love that you topped it with sage leaves… They are my fall addiction…
Aimee Berrett says
Thanks Lydia! We love fresh sage over here too. Luckily its our biggest plant in our herb box and it survives the winter so we have it almost year round!