El Niño has arrived with a bang here in Los Angeles – we’ve had two days of heavy, drenching rain. Rainy weather for me equals soup weather so I’m sharing this roasted butternut squash soup with you. It’s a little bit sweet and a little bit spicy – a warm, nourishing soup perfect for a cold, raw, rainy day.
This is a simple, flavorful soup that uses only a few ingredients. The butternut squash is roasted in its skin, giving it a lovely, caramelized flavor. The roasted butternut squash is then added to a sautéed onion, garlic and apple mixture. A trio of spices – cumin, turmeric and curry powder – are added for a mellow, spicy kick.
Butternut squash can be difficult to handle – it’s awkward to peel and chop. So instead of peeling, I roast it in its skin. Once roasted, it’s easy to scoop out the flesh and add it to the soup pot.
A couple of notes:
- I used a granny smith apple because I like the tartness of a granny smith but I’ve made this before using fuji apples and it came out great – so I think any apple will do.
- For a vegan version – leave out the swirl of yogurt on the top.
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Roasted butternut squash soup – a simple, warm, nourishing soup perfect for a cold, wintery day.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 65 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 2 to 6 1x
Ingredients
- 1 butternut squash – about 3 pounds
- 3 tbs olive oil
- 1 large onion
- 1 granny smith apple
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp curry powder
- 8 twists of black pepper from a pepper mill
- 4 cups of water
- 1 vegetable bouillon cube
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Chop off the top of the butternut squash and then split the squash in half with a sharp knife. Scoop out the seeds from the squash and rub 1 tbs of olive oil over the inner and outer surface of the squash.
- Line a baking pan with parchment paper and place the squash face down in the pan.
- Roast the butternut squash in the oven for 50 minutes.
- Remove the squash from oven and set aside to cool slightly.
- Peel and roughly chop the onion and granny smith apple.
- Peel and mince the garlic cloves.
- Heat 2 tbs of olive oil in a soup pot. Add onion, apple and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring often.
- Add turmeric, cumin, curry powder and black pepper to the onion and apple mixture. Stir to combine.
- Using a spoon, scoop out the butternut squash and add it to the soup pot with the onion and apple mixture. The squash should be very soft and easy to scoop out – leaving the outer skin behind. Discard the skin.
- Stir the squash with the onion and apple mixture to combine. Add 4 cups of water and 1 bouillon cube to the soup pot. Bring to a boil and then turn down to simmer. Simmer the soup for 15 minutes.
- Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth.
- Once you’ve added the soup to each bowl, swirl in the topping of your choice – I used a little yogurt and fresh black pepper.
Notes
If you are using a blender, please make sure to only fill the blender 1/3 to 1/2 way up with soup before blending and take the blender cap off covering the opening with a kitchen towel. This will prevent any kind of blender soup explosion/disaster.
Sheila
Thanks for the tip..baking squash face down, they developed a wonderful flavor. Soup was delicious, photos terrific.
★★★★★
Geraldine
Baking the squash face down faces a big difference in this recipe – glad you appreciated the tip! Thanks for leaving a comment and rating – much appreciated!
Wooclip
love it, so delicious
Geraldine
Thanks!
sippitysup
The green apple must make this soup fly over the moon. Love everything about this. GREG
Geraldine
Thanks, Greg!
sue|theviewfromgreatisland
It’s going to be a gloomy rainy week here, so I hoarding comforting soup recipes like this one!
Geraldine
Thanks, Sue!
Cathleen @ A Taste Of Madness
Butternut squash soup has been on my to-do list for SO long now! Yours looks amazing!
Geraldine
Thanks, Cathleen!
Jeff the Chef
I just had butternut squash soup for dinner, and was thinking, “I should make this,” and then, bam! I stumble onto your post! i think the universe wants me to make this. (Yes, the infinite expanse of all that exists is interested in my meal choices.)
Geraldine
Hi Jeff – wouldn’t it be great if the infinite expanse was focused on our meal choices! Hope you enjoy it if you make it.
Denise | Sweet Peas & Saffron
This soup looks like the perfect healthier comfort food! I need to try roasting butternut in its skin because it is SUCH a pain to peel!
Geraldine
Thanks, Denise – I’m with you – peeling butternut squash is no fun at all!
Traci | Vanilla And Bean
So happy the rain has arrived, despite the down pour. It is so badly needed. We’ve got standing water in our fields around here. The little ponds have turned into lakes! The ducks seem so happy! Oh my goodness.. love the spices and flavor combinations in this hearty soup, Geraldine! No doubt, butternut can be one tough customer to cut. Roasting it is smart and I think, brings out it’s caramel undertones. Delicious my dear! xo
Geraldine
Thanks, Traci. Ha – would love to see your ducks splashing around!
Linda | The Baker Who Kerns
This looks delicious. I can’t believe I haven’t made butternut squash soup yet this winter season. Gotta make this!
Geraldine
Thanks, Linda!
lucie
This is THE best soup, ever ever ever! So good!
Geraldine
Thanks so much, Lucie!
Robyn @ Simply Fresh Dinners
Hi Geraldine,
This is the perfect soup and I love the flavorings. Your pictures are so beautiful all I need is a diving board! Have a great weekend 🙂
Geraldine
Thanks so much, Robyn. Hope you had a great weekend too!
Kelly @ Inspired Edibles
Geraldine, I was having a conversation with my husband last night about how I feel like just rolling myself into an extra large wool sleeping bag with a heating device and drinking soup/tea all day! The combination of grey, cold and rain makes you want to nest something fierce and most of all maybe, seek warmth. This delightful soup is hitting all the right buttons for me right now :). Isn’t it amazing how roasting transforms the flavor of butternut squash…it’s so worthwhile (and easy too). Stay warm & cozy and enjoy your weekend.
Geraldine
Thanks, Kelly! I’m loving that we are getting an actual “winter” in Los Angeles. Last year I don’t think I wore a jacket or sweater all winter because it was so warm. Hope you had a great weekend, too!
Meghan | Fox and Briar
I love the combination of apple with the butternut squash here! And roasting it in the skin is such a time saver, which is just what I like 🙂 We get lots and lots of rain up here in the PNW, but you must be getting ours now because it is fairly dry lately. Either way, this soup is perfect for a cold, rainy day, wet or dry!
Geraldine
Thanks so much, Meghan!
Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop
I’m glad you are getting rain. However, I hope the flooding they are predicting doesn’t come! This soup looks lovely. I really like your combination of spices. Stay dry out there!
Geraldine
Hi Kathy – it’s a double edge sword – we need the rain but the amount that comes down in El Nino years can be overwhelming.
annie@ciaochowbambina
Yep, this is one of my favorite soups…especially with the addition of the apple. And it’s just perfect for the chilly damp weather you guys are experiencing. Stay warm, my friend! PS) Your website looks beautiful!
Geraldine
Thanks, Annie – I treated myself to a site redesign and I couldn’t be happier!
Emma {Emma's Little Kitchen}
I see we’re on the same page 😉 Great tip on the butternut squash, I will give it a go next time. Peeling them can be some cumbersome!
Geraldine
Thanks, Emma – loved your soup too!
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary
Butternut squash is one of those things that I can eat daily during the winter, so obviously I am LOVING this soup!! Roasted butternut squash and apples is such a lovely combination and turned into a soup is just perfection!! El Nino was pretty nasty to us a few weeks ago, but now it is just COLD COLD COLD. I need a few vats of this delicious soup and my comfy clothes ASAP! Cheers, my dear! <3
Geraldine
I used to avoid butternut squash, Cheyanne, since it was such a drag to peel and chop up. But roasting it in its peel has changed the game for me. And yes to soup and comfy clothes! Stay warm.
Megan @ Pip and Ebby
This recipe is so simple and looks incredible! Butternut squash is something I never think to cook with. Thanks for the inspiration!
Geraldine
Thanks, Megan!
Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen
Sorry about the drenching rains Geraldine, but I’m totally in with this yummy soup! Cold and rainy weather equals soup weather in my book too! I love butternut squash, so I’ll definitely be giving this soup a go! Thanks for sharing!
Geraldine
Thanks, Mary Ann! This is a good one – hope you enjoy it if you make it.
Julia | Orchard Street Kitchen
We’ve had rain every day this week and it’s supposed to continue for another two weeks, so I’m in need of all the soup recipes I can get! I absolutely love butternut squash soup and really like how yours has a bit of a spicy kick. And what a great tip about roasting the squash in its skin so that you don’t have to cut it. That’s exactly the kind of shortcut I love! Good luck with this crazy El Nino weather, Geraldine! (And by the way, love your blog redesign!)
Geraldine
Crazy El Nino weather is right. It’s only just started – it’s definitely going to be an interesting winter for everyone on the west coast! Happy New Year, Julia!