Butternut squash soup is the one everyone wants to make in October, and the thing that stops most people is the squash itself. Peeling a butternut is a slippery, slightly dangerous job, and cubing it takes forever. Here’s the good news: you don’t have to do either with this roasted butternut squash soup.
You just cut it in half, scoop out the seeds and roast it cut side down. After an hour, the flesh scoops out like soft butter and the skin gets thrown away. Roasting also gives the soup a deeper, sweeter, slightly caramelized flavor than boiled cubes ever do. Add an apple and a splash of vinegar at the end, and you get a soup that tastes balanced instead of just sweet.
Cook’s note: Before halving the squash, slice a thin strip off one side so it sits flat on the board. A squash that rolls while you cut it is how most butternut accidents happen.
RECIPE
Easy Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Ingredients
- 1 large butternut squash about 3 lb, halved lengthwise, seeds scooped out
- 1 large yellow onion quartered
- 1 apple Honeycrisp or Gala, quartered and cored
- 4 cloves garlic unpeeled
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 pinch ground nutmeg
- 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth plus more to thin
- 1/2 cup heavy cream or canned coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup optional
- toasted pumpkin seeds and fresh sage for serving
Method
- Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment.
- Brush the cut sides of the squash with some of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place them cut side down on the sheet. Toss the onion, apple and garlic with the rest of the oil and scatter them around the squash.
- Roast for 45 to 55 minutes, until a knife slides easily through the thickest part of the neck. Take out the onion, apple and garlic after 35 minutes if they’re getting too dark.
- Once cool enough to handle, scoop the squash flesh into a large pot and discard the skin. Add the onion, apple and the garlic squeezed out of its skins.
- Add the cumin, nutmeg and broth. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 5 minutes.
- Blend until completely smooth with a stick blender, or in batches in a countertop blender with the lid vented and covered with a towel.
- Stir in the cream, vinegar and maple syrup, if using. Thin with more broth if you like, then taste and adjust the salt.
- Serve topped with toasted pumpkin seeds, a swirl of cream and a few crispy sage leaves.
Nutrition
Notes
Private Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Why This Is the Easiest Way to Make It
- No peeling, no cubing. Halving a squash takes one minute. If it’s too hard to cut, microwave it whole for 3 minutes first to soften the skin.
- Everything roasts on one pan. The onion, apple and garlic go around the squash, so there’s no sautéing step.
- Cut side down. The squash steams in its own skin and gets tender and creamy, while the cut side caramelizes against the pan.
- Only 5 minutes of simmering. Everything is already cooked. The pot just brings it together.
The Two Ingredients That Balance It
A lot of butternut squash soups taste flat or one-note sweet, a bit like baby food. Two small additions fix that:
- An apple. It roasts right alongside everything else and adds a light, fruity tartness you can’t quite pick out but would miss.
- Acid at the end. A teaspoon of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice makes all the other flavors sharper. Taste the soup before and after, and you’ll see the difference right away.
The maple syrup is optional. Taste first. A well-roasted squash is often sweet enough on its own.
How to Pick a Good Butternut Squash
- Choose one that feels heavy for its size, with matte, even beige skin and no soft spots or green streaks.
- A long, thick neck and small round bulb means more flesh and fewer seeds.
- A 3 lb squash gives about 4 cups of roasted flesh, enough for 6 bowls.
Flavor Variations
- Thai-style: use coconut milk, and stir 1 to 2 tablespoons of red curry paste and a thumb of grated ginger into the pot. Finish with lime instead of vinegar.
- Sage brown butter: brown 3 tablespoons of butter with a handful of sage leaves and drizzle it over each bowl. It’s the fanciest-tasting option with the least effort.
- Smoky: swap the cumin for smoked paprika and top with crumbled bacon. If you’re after something heartier with a Cajun kick, try this dirty cabbage with sausage.
- Curried: add 1 1/2 teaspoons of mild curry powder with the broth.
- Vegan: vegetable broth and coconut milk, and it’s fully plant-based.
A Note on Blending Hot Soup
This isn’t just a formality. Hot liquid in a sealed blender builds pressure fast and can blow the lid off. Fill the blender no more than halfway, take out the small center cap, and cover the opening with a folded kitchen towel. Start on low and work up. An immersion blender avoids the issue altogether, and it’s one less thing to wash.
Serving Ideas
Toasted pumpkin seeds add crunch (you can even roast the squash’s own seeds while the oven’s on). Crispy sage, a swirl of cream, crumbled goat cheese or a drizzle of chili oil all work well too. Serve it with crusty bread, or make it a squash night with a tray of roasted delicata squash on the side. And if you like this kind of soup, the Jarrahdale pumpkin soup is a close cousin. For a creamy bowl without the sweetness, try the Irish funeral soup. There are more in our soup recipes.
Storage and Freezing
Butternut squash soup is one of the best soups to freeze. It keeps 5 days in the fridge and 3 months in the freezer. Freeze it in portions, leaving a little headspace in the containers since it expands. It thickens as it sits, so add a splash of broth when you reheat. For the silkiest texture, leave out the cream before freezing and stir it in once hot.
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup FAQs
Can I use pre-cut squash? Yes. Roast about 2 1/2 lb of cubes on a sheet pan at 425°F for 30 to 35 minutes, tossing once.
Can I use frozen butternut squash? Yes, roast it from frozen at 425°F for about 35 minutes. The flavor is a bit milder, so don’t skip the apple and vinegar.
Why is my soup stringy? Some squash are fibrous. Blend longer or push it through a strainer.
Is butternut squash soup healthy? It’s naturally low in fat before the cream, high in fiber and packed with vitamin A. Use coconut milk or skip the cream for a lighter bowl.
