We love a healthy soup recipe, but we love it even more when it’s rich, decadent, and velvety smooth, while still being nutritious. Loaded with veggies, Roasted Butternut Squash Soup is a creamy classic, and you can taste the “low and slow” in the results.
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I’m sure running a restaurant is stressful, but I assume it’s even moreso if you own a niche dining establishment that’s dedicated to one food. If you’re gonna open a PB&J cafe or make nothing but mac and cheese, you better corner the market when it comes to quality control.
That being said, as a diner, I love this journey for me. I love that there’s somewhere that literally only serves rice pudding or pancakes or pommes frites. While I’d never order one of everything on the menu, I, uh, don’t have so many qualms about trying one of every flavor. *wink wink nudge nudge hiccup*
If some enterprising foodie had done this for roasted vegetable soups, I probably wouldn’t be playing out my bizarre obsession for all of you here on this blog. Instead, I’ve got roasted tomato soup, roasted cauliflower soup, roasted pumpkin soup, roasted acorn squash soup, roasted carrot soup with apples, roasted carrot soup with ginger…
I almost wish I was joking. And yet here we are, with another variation of butternut squash soup. Because – you guessed it – it’s roasted. And it’s glorious. And until someone opens up The Tureen Canteen (you can have the name for free), I’m not going to be able to stop.
Roast That Squash!
Unless a method yields truly egregious results (usually boiling or, like, leaving on the hood of your car in the sun on a hot summer day), I am an advocate for cooking by any means necessary (there is a reason I tested and perfected 6 different ways to cook butternut squash!).
But if you can roast a vegetable, you should roast a vegetable. This goes triple for winter squash.
Roasted butternut squash takes a bit more time, but it gives the soup so much additional flavor and depth. It’s worth the time investment, and with our oven-to-blender method, it doesn’t even require additional dishes. Plus, you’ll still have a creamy, rich soup on the table in about 1 hour.
Butternut squash can be roasted in halves, or in diced chunks. We prefer to roasted peeled, seeded, and diced butternut squash because the additional surface area maximizes the caramelized edges and aforementioned complex flavor. That being said, there is such a thing as too much caramelization. (Shocking, I know.) Sometimes, you might border on char, and this particular soup recipe does not call for burnt edges.
This is where a casserole dish, instead of a baking sheet, comes in handy. Using a casserole dish to roast the squash, onions, celery, and herbs prevents burning, plus it builds up just enough steam to get the supporting veggies nice and soft, while the squash gets golden and caramelly. (This trick works great for butternut squash mac and cheese too!)
How to Make Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Delicate butternut squash, warming spices, and a splash of cream make for a cozy roasted butternut squash soup. Roasted the vegetables lends more flavor and naturally sweetens the squash. Puree in a blender for a velvety smooth finish.
- Toss diced butternut squash, onion, celery, and garlic cloves in a casserole dish with olive oil, salt, pepper, and nutmeg until evenly coated. Nestle the fresh thyme, fresh sage, and a bay leaf into the mixture.
- Roast for 45 minutes in a 400°F oven, tossing every 15-20 minutes.
- Discard the bay leaf, then shake the thyme and sage stems to remove any loose leaves.
- Transfer the roasted vegetables and pan juices to a blender.
- Add broth and heavy cream, then blender for 1 minute; scrape down the sides, if needed, and blend an additional 30 seconds. Add additional broth if the soup is too thick and process an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Ladle into soup bowls and serve right away, garnished with pomegranate seeds and fresh herbs.
Chef’s Tips!
- This soup is on the slightly sweeter side thanks to roasted squash, but if you prefer your soup much sweeter (think Panera-style) toss the vegetables with 1-2 tablespoons of maple syrup or brown sugar before roasting, or add a diced apple to the mix.
- A high-powered blender like a Vitamix or Blendtec will yield an extra creamy soup, but you’ll still get terrific results with a regular blender – we use a Ninja.
- Garnish can make or break a simple soup! We like pomegranate seeds and fresh herbs.
Season It Your Way
- For a spicy soup, roast 1 poblano and/or 1 jalapeno pepper along with the squash and vegetables. Keep or remove the seeds from the pepper(s) depending on your preference for spice.
- We love a curried squash soup, and this roasted butternut version is easily adaptable. Instead of fresh herbs, toss the vegetables with 1 tablespoon curry powder, 1 teaspoon turmeric, and 1 teaspoon cumin. You can also add either ½ teaspoon dried ginger or 2 teaspoons fresh ginger.
- Want spicy curry squash soup? Add 1-2 tablespoons of thai red curry paste to the blender with the roasted vegetables for a spicy curry finish, then garnish the butternut soup with Thai basil or cilantro.
- Want to add a bit of sweetness? Peel and dice 1 medium apple to roast and blend with your soup vegetables, or add 1-2 tablespoons of maple syrup to the vegetables before roasting.
Storing and Freezing Butternut Squash Soup
Store leftover roasted butternut squash soup in the refrigerator for up to 5 days in a sealed container. Frozen soup will keep for up to 6 months in an air-tight container.
Did you make this roasted butternut squash soup? I’d love to know how it turned out! Leave a comment and a rating below.
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Recipe
Creamy Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Print Recipe Rate this Recipe Pin RecipeRecommended Equipment
- Handheld Stick Blender
Ingredients
- 1 medium (3-lb) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and diced into 1.5” pieces (about 6 cups)
- 1 medium Vidalia (sweet) onion, sliced to ½”
- 2 stalks celery, sliced into 1” pieces
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp ground pepper
- pinch nutmeg
- 1 sprig fresh thyme, plus more for garnish
- 1 sprig fresh sage, plus more for garnish
- 1 bay leaf
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 3-4 cups broth, chicken or vegetable
- pomegranate seeds, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400°F.
- Place the squash, onion, celery, and garlic cloves in a casserole dish. Drizzle with the olive oil, then season with the salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Toss until the vegetables are evenly coated with the oil and spices. Nestle the thyme, sage, and bay leaf into the squash and onions.
- Transfer to the oven and roast for 60 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes, until the vegetables are soft and starting to caramelize around the edges.
- Discard the bay leaf. Pick up the thyme and sage stems and shake to remove any loose leaves.
- Carefully transfer the contents of the casserole dish to a blender using a slotted spoon; pour any residual pan juices into the blender.
- Add the heavy cream and 2.5 cups of broth to start. Blend on high for 60 seconds, then scrape down the sides and blend 30 seconds longer. Taste for seasoning and adjust the salt and pepper to taste. If the soup is too thick, add more broth one-quarter cup at a time, blending for 30 seconds after each addition, until the consistency is to your liking.
- Serve right away, garnished with pomegranate seeds and fresh herbs (sage or thyme) to taste.
Notes
- Serve as a main dish with a tossed green salad and sourdough bread.
- Serve 1-cup portions as an appetizer or side dish.
- Replace the heavy cream with full-fat coconut milk or cashew milk for a dairy-free recipe.
- Spicy. Add 1 poblano and/or 1 jalapeno pepper along with the squash and vegetables. Keep or remove the seeds from the pepper(s) depending on your preference for spice.
- Curried. Omit the fresh herbs and toss the vegetables with 1 tablespoon curry powder, 1 teaspoon turmeric, and 1 teaspoon cumin. Add either ½ teaspoon dried ginger or 2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger.
- Spicy Curry. Omit the fresh herbs. Add 1-2 tablespoons of thai red curry paste to the blender with the roasted vegetables; garnish with Thai basil or cilantro.
- Sweet. Peel and dice 1 medium apple to roast and blend with the soup vegetables, and/or add 1-2 tablespoons of maple syrup to the vegetables before roasting.
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