Easy Roasted Butternut Squash Soup (Printer-friendly)

Velvety butternut squash soup with warm spices, roasted to perfection. Naturally sweet and comforting.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 1 large butternut squash (about 2 lbs), peeled, seeded, and cubed
02 - 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
03 - 2 garlic cloves, peeled
04 - 1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped
05 - 1 stalk celery, chopped

→ Oils & Dairy

06 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
07 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, optional

→ Liquids

08 - 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

→ Spices & Seasonings

09 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
10 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
11 - 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
12 - 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste

→ Garnishes

13 - 1/4 cup heavy cream or coconut milk, optional
14 - Toasted pumpkin seeds, optional
15 - Fresh thyme leaves, optional

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss cubed butternut squash with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread evenly on baking sheet and roast for 25 to 30 minutes until tender and caramelized at edges.
02 - While squash roasts, heat remaining olive oil and butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery; cook for 5 to 7 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
03 - Add roasted butternut squash, vegetable broth, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and pepper to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
04 - Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth, or carefully blend in batches using a countertop blender.
05 - Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve hot, drizzled with cream or coconut milk and sprinkled with pumpkin seeds and fresh thyme if desired.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • It tastes like comfort without the fuss, coming together in about an hour with mostly hands-off roasting time.
  • The natural sweetness of butternut squash means you don't need cream or fancy tricks to make it velvety and satisfying.
  • Once you've made it once, you'll have the rhythm down and can practically make it on autopilot on busy weeknights.
02 -
  • Don't skip the roasting step thinking you'll save time—that caramelization is where 70 percent of the flavor lives, and it's non-negotiable if you want soup that tastes like something rather than just warm blended vegetables.
  • Taste before you serve, not after—soup needs more seasoning than you instinctively think because salt actually wakes up all the subtle flavors and prevents everything from tasting muted and one-dimensional.
03 -
  • If your soup ends up thicker than you like, don't panic—just add more warm broth a splash at a time until it reaches your preferred consistency, because soup should feel like something you want to eat, not force down.
  • For a spicy version, add a tiny pinch of cayenne to the simmering broth, tasting as you go so you don't accidentally create something that ambushes your mouth instead of warming it gently.
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