This Roasted Butternut Squash Soup recipe is an easy, healthy, warm dinner that will support your crusade against Jack Frost. Make your roasted butternut squash in the oven, because chopping is hard and scooping is fun. Then blend it up with some apples, onions, and sage. Originally published January 13, 2015.
Table of Contents
- Roasted Butternut Squash Soup ingredients
- How to make Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Apple
- How to roast Butternut Squash for this Roasted Butternut Squash Soup Recipe
- How to make Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Apple
- What to serve with Roasted Butternut Squash Apple Soup
- Troubleshooting Roasted Butternut Squash with Apple and Heavy Cream
- More easy and healthy soups!
- Roasted Butternut Squash Apple Soup Recipe
We had a dumpling-making party the other night with some friends, and I got to try out my friend Kate’s chain-mail glove:
She asked for a chef’s knife for Christmas a while back, and got this instead. A chain-mail glove, to protect your fingers from nicks, cuts, and probably the apocalypse. She didn’t get the knife until the next Christmas. Because, priorities.
Kate is a violinist, and her husband is afraid she will actually chop off her fingers. Which, in his defense, are a pretty solid asset when it comes to fiddling. Now her fingers are safe. And now she can get into all the bar fights she wants, because even brass knuckles got nothin’ on this chain-mail.
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup ingredients
Here’s a quick shopping list to help you gather your ingredients. See the recipe card below for the full ingredients and instructions!
- Butternut squash (1-2, depending on size – about 4 pounds)
- Butter
- Granny Smith apples
- Onion
- Sage, fresh or dried
- Vegetable or chicken broth
- Heavy whipping cream
- Salt and pepper
- Pepitas (pumpkin seeds, for garnish)
How to make Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Apple
Here’s a quick overview of how to make this soup. Scroll down to the recipe card below for the complete ingredients and instructions!
- Preheat the oven and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Cut the butternut squash in half and place the squash cut-side-up on the lined baking sheet. Brush with butter and season with salt and pepper. Roast until tender.
- Chop the apples and onion.
- Melt butter over medium heat. When it is hot, add the apples and the onions. Stir in the sage and add salt and pepper to taste. Cook over medium heat until softened.
- Scoop the flesh of the butternut squash into the pot with the apples and onions. Add the broth, water, and salt and pepper and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat, simmer for 15-20 minutes, then turn off the heat and add the cream.
- Blend the soup using an immersion blender; alternatively, transfer it to a regular blender, puree it in batches, and then return the soup to the pot and heat up again, if necessary.
- Garnish with pepitas and a drizzle of cream, if desired.
How to roast Butternut Squash for this Roasted Butternut Squash Soup Recipe
Have you ever chopped a raw butternut squash? Having a metal glove on for that job is not a bad idea. Those babies are tough to get through. But I have good news! You only have to chop the squash in half for this recipe, no dicing or slicing. Just roasting and toasting. (“No more rhymes now, I mean it!” “Anybody want a peanut?”)
Butter, salt, pepper. Don’t skimp on any of them. My life’s mantra.
How to make Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Apple
Roasting does something magical to butternut squash. It brings out all it’s good qualities. When you combine those good qualities with a healthy dose of apple, onion, and sage (fresh or dried), you get a perfect 1-hour weeknight meal. This soup is perfect for freezing if you have leftovers. Serve with crusty bread and salad. We actually ate this with leftover Bacon Ricotta Crostini, which I highly recommend!
P.S. Don’t try to toast butternut squash seeds on the same pan that you roast it on…they will burn. See exhibit A above. Doh!
What to serve with Roasted Butternut Squash Apple Soup
I love serving this soup with a big hunk of fresh bread. If you don’t have time to make any, just grab a loaf of French bread at the store. Here are some of my favorite breads and rolls if you are feeling the baking vibes!
Quick and Easy French Bread << this might honestly be faster sometimes than going to the store and it’s soooo good!
The Only White Bread Recipe You’ll Ever Need << simple, fluffy, high rising, and astonishingly fast, you’re going to love this one
Easy Fluffy One Hour Dinner Roll << these will erase your fear of baking with yeast.
Garlic Knots Recipe << these chewy, garlicky, goes-with-everything rolls are my favorite
Garlic and Rosemary Skillet Bread << get out the cast iron skillet and a heck ton of garlic, it’s time to make all the other bread jealous.
Troubleshooting Roasted Butternut Squash with Apple and Heavy Cream
A crowded pan = soggy roasted vegetables. Sometimes you just want to make a ton of veggies, so you ignore the rule about giving them enough space. No no no! Vegetables release water as they cook. If they’re too close together, the water will steam the veggies instead of evaporating. For this soup we’re just cutting a squash in half before we roast it, so there aren’t any crowding concerns.
If your soup tastes bitter and you haven’t added any bitter ingredients, it’s probably your squash. If there’s a sudden hot spell, cold snap, or pest infestation when your squash is growing, it can make the squash produce bitter chemicals. Poor stressed out squash! I’ve never personally had this problem, but if your soup is really bitter, throw it out. It’s frustrating to toss dinner after all your hard work making it but it’s better than spending the entire night in the bathroom regretting it. FACTS.
Butternut squash soup is only thin if you add too much liquid. Get the squash-to-broth ratio right in the first place and you’re good to go. Personally, I think the ratio in this recipe is perfect, but you can adjust it to your personal preference. If it’s too thin, you can mix a tablespoon of cornstarch in a quarter cup of cold water or broth (I like to whisk it with a fork to ensure zero lumps, gross), then whisk it into the soup. It’ll take a few minutes to thicken but it will work. On the other hand, if you’re feeling like the soup is too baby-food-texture, just add a little more broth. Or better, cream. YOLO.
More easy and healthy soups!
Kale, Chicken, and White Bean Soup with Parmesan Shavings << feeling a cold coming on? This is the STUFF to pack you full of superfood goodness.
Minestrone with Sausage and Pesto << yes, I added sausage. And pesto. This soup is loaded!!
Creamy Tomato Soup << a grilled cheese’s best friend forever.
Ground Turkey Vegetable Soup << some people call this weight loss soup, I call it delicious.
Creamy Zucchini Soup with Popcorn Garnish << don’t knock it til you try it! It’s like adding croutons to your soup but way more fun.
Vegetable Soup from Cookie and Kate
Carrot Soup with Ginger and Brown Sugar from The Salty Side Dish
Thai Butternut Squash, Sweet Potato, Carrot Soup from Carlsbad Cravings
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Roasted Butternut Squash Apple Soup
Ingredients
- 1 large butternut squash, or 2 small (4 lbs total)
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
- 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 8 sage leaves, fresh, minced, or 1-2 tablespoons dried sage
- 3 cups vegetable , or chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoons salt, or more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
- 1/3 cup cream
- 1/2 cup roasted pepitas, pumpkin seeds, to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Cut the butternut squash in half, starting at the top and working your way down. See this post for a tutorial on chopping butternut squash. (For this recipe, we are only cutting it in half.)
- Place the squash cut-side-up on the lined baking sheet. Brush with 1 tablespoon melted butter, making sure to coat all the flesh. Season very generously with salt and pepper.
- Roast the squash in the preheated oven for about 50-60 minutes, or until it is tender. A knife inserted in the flesh should slide through easily. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- Meanwhile, chop the apples and onion.
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the other 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. When it is hot, add the apples and the onions. Stir in the chopped sage or dried sage (I’ve tried both, tastes great either way). Add salt and pepper to taste (in addition to what’s called for on the ingredient list.)
- Cook over medium heat until softened, about 7-10 minutes. If the squash is not done, turn off the heat and set aside.
- Use a spoon to scoop the flesh of the butternut squash into the pot with the apples and onions. Throw away the skins.
- Add the broth, water, 1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 15-20 minutes, using a spoon to break up any large pieces of squash.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the cream.
- Blend the soup using an immersion blender. If you don’t have one, transfer the soup in batches (at least 2) to a regular blender. Open the spout top and cover with a kitchen towel before blending to allow the steam to escape. (If you don’t, you will end up with boiling hot soup all over your kitchen.) Return the soup to the pot and heat up again, if necessary.
- Garnish with pepitas and a drizzle of cream, if desired.
I am a squash lover and always wanted to try a soup recipe like this, but thought it would be time consuming. But this recipe was easy and quick. I used my own homemade chicken broth. So I made the soup, my squash was 3 pounds, adjusted the remaining ingredients to that, used 1 TBS of the sage, used the immersion blender and it was a success! So soothing, comforting, DELICIOUS, and wonderful texture and mouthfeel! Beautiful soup! Passed it on to my friends along with your web link to this page. I hope they make it – it does not disappoint!
Thank you M! I’m so glad you liked the recipe. Roasting makes all the difference. Thank you for passing it on to friends!
I just made this soup, it’s cool and rainy so I thought that soup would be perfect for dinner. It turned out great, very tasty and flavourful. I only used 2 cups of broth because I was worried that it might be too thin that worked out well. I will make it again!
Happy to hear it turned out Laura! It’s the perfect soup for a rainy day!
Love this recipe! I changed slightly to make it vegan and it was outstanding. This is one of my go to recipes to have on hand during a busy week.
This recipe is far and away the BEST Butternut Squash Soup I’ve EVER made, or eaten anywhere for that matter. I didn’t add the sage at all, and the flavor was still superior. I recently made someone else’s roasted squash recipe (thinking it was yours…) and boy, was I sorry. I tossed it. No flavor at all. I’m going to make yours again this weekend, most likely with a little sage in it, because I there’s nothing better. Period. Thank you!!
I’m so glad you like the soup Lorna! Bummer that you had to throw out the other one. And do try the sage, you will love it! Thanks so much for the positive review, it means so much to us bloggers!
Happy to pass along the positive. Thank you for passing on your wonderful recipes.
I’m disappointed my soup didn’t turn out like your photo. And I followed the recipe exactly as written, i used dried rubbed sage and it gave my soup a funky yellow color. I won’t make this again.
Bummer! Sorry you didn’t like it Catherine! This is a winter time staple for me, and it is indeed quite yellow!
I just made this and it was very good! Especially, when using a warm baguette for dipping into it. Thanks for the recipe!
Warm baguette!! Yes. Always a good choice. I just made this again last week! It’s a good one. Thanks for commenting Alex!
Wow, this one seems really delicious. I’ll definitely try preparing this for my kids. :)
Thanks Sandra! I hope they love it! (and you too!) :)
OMG this is by far the best Butternut Squash soup I have ever had! Thanks so much for the recipe. The pepitas are a must and I added some Parmesan crisps on the top as well. I will never make another recipe this is the best!!!
Yay! Isn’t it the best when you find a recipe you love! I’m SO trying this with Parmesan crisps next time, best idea ever!!Thanks for the review :)
My son was sick a few days ago and this soup really helped him feel better. Thanks for sharing this delicious life saving recipe and hope to be trying others on the Food Charlatan site.
Nothing like a big bowl of soup to help you feel better! I’m so glad he liked it!
I found your recipe on Pinterest. Never worked with or made anything from butternut squash. But super excited to make this soup for Thanksgiving Day meal! Wanted to serve an ‘Autumn’ soup with dinner and I think this sounds easy, delicious, and absolutely perfect for my menu. AND…I get to use my immersion blender I got as Christmas gift last year, but have yet to use! I wanted one for just such recipes.
I hope you love the soup Rita! I love my immersion blender and you will too! There is no going back once you try it. Happy Thanksgiving!
Just made this! Planning to serve as a Thanksgiving appetizer in cordial glasses with crostini topped with homemade ricotta (with fried sage leaves mixed in). Made more than I need – any thoughts on how long this saves in the fridge and how it does in the freezer? Thanks!
Wow that sounds amazing Amanda!! The soup will keep in the fridge for about 4-7 days, and will keep in the freezer for about 3 months. Enjoy!
Thanks so much for the quick response – Happy Thanksgiving!
Made this tonight, and it was absolutely the best! Maybe I’m a Sage lover as well, but this came out just right. Thanks!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Jo’rell! Sage is just the best :)
WOW you must really like sage! I halved the amount and it was way too overpowering to eat. I’m going to try it again using teaspoons.
That’s a good point Elisa! I haven’t received any complaints and I know tons of people have made this, but I will edit the recipe to give a range. And you are right, I DO love sage! :)
Sounds yummy! Could I do this in my crockpot?
Hey Ashlee! I’ve never tried that. You could probably roast them and then add all the ingredients to a crock, then blend at the end. Yeah, I bet that would work! Let me know if you try it out!
My Fiance is lactose intolerant, is there a substitute for the cream you would recommend?
Hi Charlotte! What a lovely name! :) I recommend whipping up some cashew cream! It’s vegan and gluten and lactose free. And it would add great body to the soup. Here’s a tutorial from Beard and Bonnet.