Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

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Savor the taste of fall with Roasted Butternut Squash Soup. This vegan soup is healthy, nourishing, and delicious comfort food in a bowl.

I love everything about this time of year. I love the fashion (the scarfs, gloves and hats), I love the outdoors (the red and orange falling leaves and the snow-capped mountains), and I love all the seasonal vegetables and fresh herbs. Pumpkins, squash, yams, thyme, rosemary and sage.... Need I say more? If I could give the holidays a "taste", a spoon of this roasted butternut squash soup would pretty much be that "taste".

Why You Will Love this Roasted Butternut Squash Soup Recipe

The most popular soup recipe on Pinterest. This post was first published in 2015 and has become the most popular soup recipe that has been pinned on Pinterest ever, and for good reason. It is packed with butternut squash, gets some sweetness from the carrots, and it's got a bite from the cayenne powder.
Healthy and nourishing. This roasted butternut squash soup is just all around comfort food - without the guilt. This soup is super healthy. It's vegan, gluten-free and whole 30 compliant. Which also means that there is no cream, no milk, and no butter! Yet this soup has a very creamy and smooth texture from the butternut squash and is not lacking in any flavor. You really can't get any healthier than that.
Loaded with flavor. This roasted butternut squash soup is a packed with so much flavor in every bite. It is rich, earthy, sweet, and has a slight kick. When butternut squash is roasted in the oven it gets caramelized and it's natural sweet flavor intensifies for an incredible depth of flavor. Pair it with savory veggies and fragrant herbs and you've got an incredible balance of flavors.
Easy to make. The beauty of this soup is that it is so easy to make. All you do is chop up your veggies, roast the ingredients together, puree, and thin it out with broth.

Vegan Butternut Squash Soup

The first year that I hosted Thanksgiving dinner at my house, one of our guests was allergic to dairy. So, I had to come up to with alternative recipes to my usual dishes, including the whole roast turkey (usually doused in butter), creamy mashed potatoes (full of dairy goodness), sautéed garlic green beans (also in butter) and of course, roasted butternut squash soup. For the soup, I decided to make it without butter and cream and see what happens. Well, what happened was quite amazing. The soup turned out absolutely delicious, if not tastier.

Ingredient Notes

To make this easy Roasted Butternut Squash Soup, you will need to gather the following simple ingredients (full measurements in recipe card below):

butternut squash - choose a firm butternut squash that is heavy without any blemishes on its skin. It should also have a sweet aroma which indicates that it is ripe and ready to be used.
carrots - adds natural sweetness and color to our butternut squash soup.
celery - when picking out celery, look for ones that are crisp.
onion - yellow or white onion works well in this recipe.
garlic - for the best and most potent flavor, use real cloves of garlic. However, you can substitute with 2 tablespoons garlic powder for a similar taste.
fresh herbs - we use fresh sage, thyme, and rosemary in this soup for the best depth of flavor. You can also substitute with dry herbs. I recommend using half the amount if using dry herbs - use 1 teaspoon dried sage, 1 teaspoon dried thyme and ½ teaspoon dried rosemary.
cayenne red pepper powder - cayenne pepper gives the soup quite a kick but is a nice balance to the sweet squash. I recommend starting with a pinch and adding more if needed. If you are not a person who can tolerate spicy flavors, then leave it out completely.
salt and pepper
olive oil - we use olive oil to roast the veggies. You can also substitute with vegetable oil or avocado oil.
vegetable stock - use vegetable broth to keep the soup vegan or use chicken stock or bone broth if you don't have a dietary preference.

You will also need a large half sheet baking pan, food processor or heavy duty blender, and a large cooking pot like a 4 quart Dutch oven.

Butternut Squash Soup Recipe Video

This soup is super easy to make. All you have to do is literally throw your ingredients into a roasting pan, let the oven do its work, then puree and serve. Yes, it is that easy. Watch the recipe video below for a quick one-minute demonstration, and follow along the instructions below.

How to Make the Best Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Prep the vegetables: Peel, pit and chop the butternut squash into 1 inch squares. Chop the carrots, celery and onions in big chunks. Peel the garlic keep the cloves whole or halved. Add everything into a large half sheet baking pan.

Season the vegetables: Add the herbs with stems removed (it will be easier to puree later if stems are removed, especially for the thyme), red pepper powder, salt and pepper. Add olive oil and toss to coat.

Roast the vegetables: Roast for 1 hour in a preheated 350 F oven, until veggies are soft and fork tender. To check if fork tender, insert a fork into the vegetable. If it comes out easily, then it is fork tender and done. You will want to check the carrots in particular, as they may take the longest to cook. If the vegetables are not soft and fork tender, then cook for another 15 minutes. Keep checking every 15 minutes.

Puree the vegetables: Transfer cooked vegetables to a food processor or heavy duty blender with 1 cup of vegetable stock and puree until smooth and creamy, or until desired consistency is reached. You may need to do this in a couple batches. You can also blend the soup directly in the pot using an immersion blender.

Simmer: Pour the mixture into a large cooking pot. Add the remaining vegetable stock and stir well. Simmer on low for 10 minutes. If the consistency of the soup is too thick, just thin it out with some water until you reach your desired consistency.

Serve: Garnish with your favorite soup toppings such as extra fresh herbs, chopped nuts or pumpkin seeds, and a drizzle of coconut cream or dollop of sour cream on top (optional). Serve warm.

Recipe Variations

There are many ways to customize butternut squash soup. Here are some of our favorites:

Sweeten it. Add in a drizzle of maple syrup or honey to sweeten the soup if you prefer.
Make it creamy. Make it creamy and stir in some heavy cream at the end or keep it vegan with coconut milk like in our 30-Minute Butternut Squash Soup
Add apples. Add diced apples into the soup to give it a natural sweetness and tartness. See our Butternut Squash and Apple Soup for tips. You can also substitute the apples for pears.
Add other veggies. Add in other veggies when you are roasting the butternut squash soup such as cauliflower, red bell peppers, or potatoes.
Experiment with spices. Play around with different flavors by adding in different spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg, ginger, or curry powder.
Add beans. Make the soup heartier by adding in some cooked beans like lentils, chickpeas, or white beans.
Adjust the spiciness. This soup gets a little kick from the red pepper powder. If you are adverse to a little spice, I would recommend that you add less red pepper powder (or leave it out completely) and once the soup has been pureed, add more as desired to taste.

How to Serve Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Serve this Roasted Butternut Squash Soup for a light lunch or dinner whenever you are craving a warm and cozy bowl of fall or winter soup, or as a starter on your Thanksgiving dinner table. We love serving butternut squash soup with a side of crusty homemade bread for dipping including:

Recipe Tips and Tricks

Choose the right butternut squash. When picking out a ripe butternut squash to cook with, look for one that is firm, heavy for its size, and has a matte skin (not glossy) without any blemishes or soft softs.
Use pre-cut butternut squash. To save time, you can use fresh pre-cut butternut squash and roast as directed in the recipe.
Adjust the consistency: If the consistency is too thick, just thin it out with more stock or some water until you reach your desired consistency. If you prefer a thicker soup, simmer it a bit longer to reduce the liquid.
Add your favorite soup toppings. Serve this butternut squash soup as is or garmish with your favorite toppings. Some popular options are pumpkin seeds, croutons, fresh herbs, chopped nuts, bacon bits, or a drizzle of cream.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make roasted butternut squash soup without a blender?

Absolutely! You can make a chunky version by using a potato masher or fork to lightly mash the vegetables. The soup will still taste amazing, it just won't have a smooth and velvety texture.

Help! I added too much pepper. How do I make this soup less spicy?

To reduce the level of spiciness, you can do one of two things. The first option is to dilute the soup by adding more liquid such as more broth or add in some cream. Secondly, you can balance out the spiciness in the soup with added sweetness such as a drizzle of maple syrup or honey.

How do I store butternut squash soup?

You can easily store this easy butternut squash soup by placing the pot with the lid in the refrigerator, or transferring the soup to an airtight container. It will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.

Can I freeze butternut squash soup?

Yes, this easy butternut squash soup recipe freezes beautifully. So, if you can't finish it all (since this recipe yields a large pot of soup), just freeze it for later. To freeze, transfer soup to an airtight container and place in the freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat, let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight or place on the counter and let it thaw at room temperature. Then, reheat on the stove over medium-low heat. It's so convenient on a lazy fall or winter evening.

Storing and Freezing Instructions

Make Ahead Instructions

Can I make this soup ahead of time? Absolutely. This is one of the reasons that I love this roasted butternut squash soup so much, and why it's such a great choice to make on a holiday dinner. You can make it ahead in one of two ways:

Make the entire soup ahead of time: Make the entire butternut soup a day or two ahead of time and easily reheat it later on the stove over medium-low heat. The soup may thicken a bit after being refrigerated, so if it is still too thick after reheating, just add in a little water to thin it out to the consistency that you like.
Roast the vegetables in advance: You can roast the vegetables up to a day ahead, allow them to cool to room temperature and then store in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Then, when you are ready to make the soup, puree the vegetables and make the soup as per recipe instructions.

How to Store

Allow the roasted butternut squash soup to cool to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 5 days.

How to Reheat

Reheat on the stove over medium-low heat until warmed through. You may need to adjust the consistency with more broth or some water if it has thickened up too much when stored. You can also reheat it in the microwave in 30 second increments until warm.

How to Freeze

Once cooled to room temperature, store butternut squash soup in an airtight container or freezer bag (leaving some room for expansion) and freeze for up to 3 months. Allow it to thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating according to the instructions above.

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