Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Butternut squash soup is a classic fall and winter soup recipe. But today we’re roasting the butternut squash, which gives so much more depth of flavor and makes the soup easier to prepare (as you don’t have to cut the butternut squash).
Butternut Squash Soup
Roasting veggies is one of my favorite preparation methods, so it should come as no surprise that I opted for a roasted butternut squash soup over a more traditional stovetop butternut squash soup. That earthy, roasted flavor gets me every time.
Butternut squash soup is one of the top 5 fall and winter soup recipes usually on anyone’s list. And it’s one of my personal favorites, along with Carrot Ginger Soup, Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup and Taco Soup.
Of course, butternut squash soup is also the quintessential soup recipe for Thanksgiving (which is next week – yikes).
Watch my Butternut Squash Soup Recipe Video
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What Ingredients are in Butternut Squash Soup
Butternut squash soup is made from butternut squash, onions, garlic, maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, vegetable broth, salt and pepper. It’s naturally ultra-creamy (without any cream). But if you do tolerate dairy, adding just a tablespoon or two of fresh butter definitely boosts the creaminess factor.
This soup is naturally gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian and paleo friendly.
The Benefits of Roasting Butternut Squash
You could certainly make a traditional butternut squash soup on the stovetop, but there are two key benefits to roasting the butternut squash first:
- Depth of flavor: roasting any vegetable imparts an earthy, smoky, caramelized sweet flavor. And butternut squash is no different. In fact, it’s quite similar to roasting Spaghetti Squash.
- No dicing needed: butternut squash are notoriously hard to slice and cut. Many a kitchen accident has been had with folks trying to cut through pumpkins and squash. But when you roast the butternut squash no additional peeling or dicing is necessary. You just have to make one slice down the middle of the squash, then scoop the flesh out after it’s cooked. Far easier.
How To Make Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Slice the ends off the butternut squash. Making a flat surface on the ends is key, so you can stand the butternut squash on end and slice through it lengthwise. Once that’s done, use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and membrane.
Place the butternut squash on a baking tray (with the cut side up) and coat with avocado oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Once it’s coated, flip it over so that the cut side is down. Cook for 60 minutes at 425F, but keep an eye on the clock because at the 30 minute point we’ll add the onion to the baking tray (also cut side down) and continue cooking for another 30 minutes.
Let the butternut squash and onion cool to the touch. Then scoop out the flesh of the butternut squash with a large spoon and transfer to a high-powered blender like a Vitamix (this is the Vitamix I use).
Add the butternut squash and onion to your blender along with the garlic, maple syrup, salt, nutmeg, ginger and vegetable broth. I’d recommend starting with 3 cups of vegetable broth and blending to see if you like the consistency. You can always add more to thin it down. If you’re adding the butter, you can add that now as well.
Blend all of the ingredients on high for several minutes, or until creamy. If you’re using a Vitamix you can also use the soup setting to achieve a creamy and hot soup.
Pour the soup into serving bowls. Garnish the roasted butternut squash soup with pepitas, parsley and cracked black pepper – and enjoy!
For more Thanksgiving recipes to serve alongside this soup, try my Mashed Cauliflower, Roasted Delicata Squash, Pear and Pomegranate Salad, Roasted Butternut Squash, Romain and Goat Cheese Salad, Paleo Pumpkin Pie, Paleo Pumpkin Bread and Vegan Caramel Cheesecake.
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Ingredients
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
- 3 1/2 lb butternut squash
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 small yellow onion, halved
- 1 garlic clove, peeled
- 1/2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- cracked black pepper, to taste
- 2 tbsp butter, optional
Garnish
- pepitas, pumpkin seeds
- parsley
- cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees fahrenheit.
- Slice the ends off the butternut squash. With a flat surface on the bulb end, stand the butternut squash on end and carefully slice it in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to remove the seeds and membrane.
- Transfer the butternut squash to a baking tray cut side up, coat with avocado oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Then flip the butternut squash over so the cut side is down and roast for 60 minutes. At the 30 minute point, coat the cut half of the onion with avocado oil and place it cut side down on the baking tray. Continue cooking for another 30 minutes, then remove from the oven.
- One the butternut squash is cool enough to handle, use a large spoon to scoop out the flesh and transfer to a blender. Remove the outer layer of the onion and add it to the blender along with the garlic, maple syrup, salt, nutmeg, ginger, butter and vegetable broth. Start with 3 cups of vegetable broth and add more to achieve your desired consistency. Blend on high for several minutes or until creamy. If using a Vitamix, you can use the soup setting to achieve a creamy and hot soup.
- Taste the soup and add more salt and pepper if needed.
- Garnish the soup with pepitas, parsley and cracked black pepper.
Lisa's Tips
- In the video above I added 3 garlic cloves as I love garlic and it was the last from my bulb, but it definitely overpowered the soup. Stick to 1-2 garlic cloves as it's written in the recipe.
- When it comes to roasting veggies, I always recommend a heavy duty baking tray so it doesn't bend and warp while cooking.
- I'm a massive fan of my Vitamix blender, but if you're looking to buy one make sure to check out my Vitamix Comparison post.
- This butternut squash soup is a great soup recipe to meal prep. Just place it in my favorite meal prep containers and freeze.
