Classic, easy and delicious! My Roasted Butternut Squash Soup, is … simply perfect!
This recipe was first published 3 years ago, but I wanted to update the post and re-share it, as it remains my favourite and one of the first things I make when the weather cools every Fall!
I know there are dozens of versions of roasted butternut squash soup out there, but this is the one that I make and have made for years, so I though I’d share it. It’s simply perfect and if you’re craving a simple and satisfying squash soup this Fall, I promise you won’t regret making this one.
This soup starts with roasted squash. Roasting the squash really brings a wonderful flavour to this soup. It also means you don’t have to peel or cut the butternut squash into chunks, and if you’ve ever done that, you know that’s a bonus! I’ll often roast the butternut squash off ahead, maybe the night before or the morning of the day I’ll be making the soup. Simply roast, let cool a bit, then scoop the roasted flesh out in to a bowl and refrigerate. You can also make this soup ahead and re-heat, which is perfect for Thanksgiving. If the soup thickens while sitting in the fridge, simply thin with a little more chicken stock, if needed, but re-heat first, then add stock.
Added to the soup is a bit of onion a bit of thyme and it is finished with maple syrup and heavy cream. Optionally, add a bit of grated apple to your soup, for another layer of flavour to this classic butternut squash soup.
Cook’s Notes for Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
The addition of a bit of grated apple to the soup is optional, so don’t worry if you don’t have an apple on hand. It does add a lovely depth of flavour to the soup. If using a sweet apple, you may wish to reduce the amount of maple syrup you add to the soup slightly.
The most important tip for making this soup is to taste at the end of cooking and adjusting the seasoning as necessary. As with all soups, the saltiness of the stock used will vary, so you may need to add only a little or a bit more, but you will probably need to add some. I can’t stress this enough. Honestly, the one thing that I’ve learned that has made the biggest improvement in my cooking is to learn to salt properly. So taste your soup and add salt, then taste again and add a bit more if you need to.
This is my favourite version of this soup, but when I’m looking to change it up a bit, I’ve added a bit of curry powder or smoked paprika. You can make this soup vegetarian by using vegetable stock. If you don’t eat dairy, you could substitute coconut cream for the heavy cream or just omit the cream altogether, for a less creamy, but still delicious soup. So many ways to make this one your own!
When it came time to garnish my soup for photos, I kept it simple with just a few drops of heavy cream, that I ran a skewer through and a few fresh thyme leaves. For a heartier version, garnish with some simple homemade croutons (or maybe bacon-fat crisped croutons!).
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Ingredients
- 6 cups roasted butternut squash (from 2 medium-large butternut squash)
- 3 Tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 medium apple optional, peeled, cored and shredded
- 1 sprig thyme
- 1/3 cup real maple syrup
- 2/3 cup heavy (35%) cream
Instructions
- Roast the squash (can do ahead and refrigerate): Preheat oven to 375° Cut squash in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, scoop out and discard the seeds and dark orange stringy flesh. Place squash cut side down on to a baking sheet. Note that you want the squash to lay perfectly flat, so you can get some caramelization going for best flavour. If they won't all lay flat, use two baking sheets if necessary and rotate their position in the oven half way through roasting. Roast in pre-heated oven for 60-70 minutes or until very soft when you press on the top of the squash.
- Remove from oven and using a spatula, flip the squash halves over and allow to cool a few minutes. Using a spoon, scoop all the roasted squash flesh out and in to a bowl, being careful not to take any of the skin. Discard squash skins. If making the soup immediately, measure out the amount of cooked squash needed for the soup and set aside. Any extra squash can be refrigerated or frozen and used for another purpose.
- For the soup: In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook, stirring, until onion has softened and is translucent, but not browned. Add the measured roasted squash. Add the chicken broth and stir to combine well. *If using the optional shredded apple, add it now as well. Add the fresh thyme sprig. Bring to a light boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, then reduce heat to medium-low and allow to simmer, uncovered, for 20-30 minutes to blend the flavours.
- REMOVE THYME SPRIG and discard. Using an immersion blender (or alternately in small batches in a blender) puree the soup well until smooth. In the soup pot, add the maple syrup and the heavy cream to the pureed soup. Stir well to combine and allow to cook over medium-low heat a few minutes to warm through.
- Taste soup. Add salt as needed and some freshly ground pepper. You don't want to be skimpy with the salt! Salting well is the key to bringing out all the great flavours in this soup. Maple syrups vary in intensity. If you don't notice a subtle maple taste in the soup, add a bit more maple syrup, as needed. Serve warm garnished with drops of heavy cream and fresh thyme leaves. If you like, use a skewer to run through the drops of cream to make a pretty design.
Lucie says
I have made this recipe many times, it’s my husband’s favourite soup. I add a bite of curry powder and cayenne pepper since we like food a little spicy. Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe with us
Jennifer says
So glad you are enjoying it, Lucie! Thanks so much :)
Kelly says
I made this today, and I have to say it is without a doubt the best soup recipe I have ever tried. My daughter and hubby cannot get enough! Thank you for sharing! This will be a staple in my home over the winter months .
Kelly
Jennifer says
So glad you enjoyed it, Kelly! Thanks so much :)
Olivia says
It was so easy to make and even though I substituted coconut milk for the heavy cream it was still so delicious!
Jennifer says
So glad to hear, Olivia! Thanks so much :)
Jodi in YYC says
This was amazing and perfect!! I did add the apples-and the ones I used were leftover from my daughters lunch, so they had been sprinkled with some cinnamon and nutmeg and sat for a day. I rinsed that off a bit, but they still had the flavour. It was just the right addition. Your recipe has such an awesome blend of flavours with the thyme, cream, maple syrup, apples and onion. This will go into the family recipe rotation for sure!! Thank you!!
Jennifer says
So glad you enjoyed it, Jodi :) Thanks so much!
Jules says
This was easy to make and turned out delicious! It also froze really well. Was a hit with the family. 👍👍
Jennifer says
So glad you all enjoyed it, Jules :) Thanks so much!
Cash says
I’ve made this soup twice now this year. Once with chicken broth and once with veggie broth (both homemade, proportions approximate lol).
Turned out great both times! I thought it was maybe a tad too sweet the first time but my girlfriend liked it with more syrup more haha
This is now my go-to for a great butternut squash soup – thanks for the writeup.
Jennifer says
So glad you enjoyed it, Cash :) Thanks so much!
Sinead says
Delicious! Subbed veggie broth and full fat coconut milk to make it vegan, and added a touch of cinnamon. Will make this again!
Jennifer says
So glad you enjoyed it, Sinead! Thanks so much :)
Amanda says
This recipe turned out great! I opted to add the apple but also sauteed some chopped garlic right when the onion was almost done.
Jennifer says
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks :)