This Butternut Squash Soup recipe is the must-make cozy soup for fall! Featuring roasted butternut squash pureed with sautéed onions, apples and plenty of robust seasoning. Finish this velvety smooth soup off with cream, sour cream or crème fraiche, plus your favorite soup garnishes, such as pumpkin seeds, crumbled bacon or crispy sage leaves. Best of all, this simple butternut squash apple soup requires just 8 basic ingredients and 15 minutes of preparation. Recipe can be scaled up or down by using the slider if you hover your mouse over the number of Servings.
2 ½ - 4 Cupslow-sodium Chicken Stock or Veggie Broth – as needed
Optional:Heavy Cream – to taste (substitute: half and half)
OptionalGarnish:Toasted Pumpkin Seeds or Toasted Walnuts- to taste
OptionalGarnish:Crème Fraiche, Greek Yogurt, or Sour Cream- to taste
Optional:Garnish:Whole Sage Leaves- fried (SEE NOTES)
Instructions
Preheat oven: Arrange the oven rack in the middle position. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or aluminum foil for easy clean up.
Prepare squash: Place squash on a clean cutting board. Use a sharp chef’s knife to cut the squash in half, lengthwise from root to tip. Use a large spoon to scoop out the seeds and discard. Use a fork to pierce each squash half several times. Using a pastry brush or your fingers, rub 1 tablespoon of oil or melted butter all over the cut sides of squash. Season liberally with salt and pepper.
Flip over and roast: Arrange the squash halves cut-side-down (so the skin is facing up) on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until the squash is fork tender and the flesh is easily pierced with a fork. Flip the squash over, so the skin is down, and let sit until cool enough to handle.
Meanwhile, prep rest of ingredients: While the butternut squash is roasting in the oven, prepare the rest of your ingredients. Chop the onion, garlic, and herbs; set aside. Peel and chop the apple. Add the apple to a small non-reactive bowl. Add the lemon juice to the bowl and toss to coat; set aside. Measure your spices; set aside. Measure stock; set aside.
And, sauté veggies + aromatics: Melt the remaining 2 TBS butter or oil in a large heavy bottomed pot, or Dutch oven, over medium heat. Add the onion, apple in lemon juice, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cayenne. Season with 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion and apples are soft, about 5-6 minutes. Add the garlic, chopped sage, and thyme. Cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant and the onions are very soft, about 1-2 minutes. Turn off the heat or remove the pot from heat and set aside.
Scoop out squash and add to pot: Use a large spoon to scoop the butternut squash flesh out of the skin and into pot; discarding the squash skin when done.
Add stock: Return pot to medium-high heat and add 2 ½ cups of the stock. Stir well to combine.
Simmer: Bring contents to a boil. Reduce to maintain a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes or until contents are meltingly tender.
Blend: Turn of the heat under the pot. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until very smooth. Alternatively, you can transfer the soup in batches to a high-speed blender and blend. Return soup to pot.
Add cream and adjust for taste: Turn heat to low to warm soup. Taste the soup and adjust for flavor – adding cream for richness, stock or broth to thin the soup, honey for sweetness, spices for warmth, and/or salt and pepper for overall flavor.
Serve: Ladle soup into bowls. Top with crispy sage leaves, pumpkin seeds and a dollop of yogurt if using. Enjoy!
Notes
Cream: I typically add a tablespoon of cream, just for richness. However, my family prefers more – about 1/3 cup.
For Crispy Sage Leaves: Melt ½ TBS of butter in skillet over medium heat. Add the sage leaves and cook until for 30 seconds to 1 minute, per side, or until crisp. (Sage leaves fry quickly!) Use tongs to transfer crispy sage leaves to a paper towel to drain. Set aside until ready to garnish soup.
Yield: approximately 5 cups
Nutritional information is an approximation based upon 6 servings. Exact information will depend upon the brands of ingredients and precise measurements used.