Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Hello friends, and welcome to the first autumn-ish recipe of the year: Roasted Butternut Squash Soup!

Well, technically butternut squash is a late summer AND early fall thing. But this particular soup has all of those cozy autumn vibes, and I’m also very excited for scarf season to be here soon. So we are going to skip slightly ahead in our timeline to fall for this one!

This one honestly doesn’t require a ton of hands-on time. Roasting the squash for this recipe is the most time-consuming aspect, but once it’s roasted it’s very quick to make!

No more dilly-dally today. Let’s go!

Ingredients

• Butternut squash – our star! I’ve tried many different versions of butternut soups and I truly believe that roasting the squash gives us the yummiest flavor – so that’s what we are doing for this recipe!
• Onion and garlic – the best way to add extra flavor to any soup.
• Veggie broth – the main liquid component to get it nice and soupy! You can always adjust the amount of broth based on what consistency you prefer.
• Tahini – this adds just a tiny bit of nuttiness to our soup that pairs well with our fall inspired spices.
• Maple syrup, nutmeg, rosemary and ginger – this is where a lot of our slightly sweet and fall-inspired flavors come in! These flavors are all pretty strong, so if you really like them and want to add more for even more of a boost, feel free!
• A couple other spices – just to round things out.

How to Make Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

The abbreviated version:

1. Halve your butternut squash
2. Roast your butternut squash
3. Sautee onion and garlic
4. Scoop out the butternut squash flesh
5. Blend everything together!

Tips & Tricks

• Want a different consistency of soup? Just add more or less veggie broth based on preference!
• Want more of that cozy, fall feeling? Feel free to add more maple syrup, ginger, or nutmeg to get this affect! These are all pretty strong flavors so the recipe uses relatively small amounts of them – but adjust based on taste to your hearts desire!
• Want a bit of a kick? Get crazy and experiment with some cayenne pepper if you’d like! I haven’t tried this myself but I think it would be a fun addition if you like a little heat.
• Let’s talk toppings! I love using roasted pumpkin seeds (I buy mine from Trader Joes) as a topping for a bit of a crunch, but you could also use small crackers or croutons of your choice to accomplish this! A sprinkle of cinnamon is also delicious if you are a cinnamon fan.
• Worried because your squash is particularly big or small? No worries! When I make this recipe I always try to buy a squash that is around 4 pounds, but if yours is bigger or smaller you can just adjust everything else accordingly! If it’s smaller, start with maybe half of the seasonings and broth and add more as you blend to get the consistency and flavor you want. Similarly, if your squash is significantly larger, just add a little extra of everything! Also keep in mind that a smaller squash may need less cooking time and a larger one may need more. Just keep an eye on it while it roasts and take it out when the flesh is easily pierced with a fork!
• And lastly, don’t skip the foil when roasting your squash! I tried roasting my squash on a silicone mat for one of my tests, and it just didn’t come out the same. I highly recommend sticking to the foil for this one!

Enjoy!

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Recipe by Delaney Marie

Servings

4-5

servings

Cooking time

50

minutes

Hands-On Time

20

minutes

Total time

1

hour 

10

minutes

This butternut squash soup is creamy with cozy vibes and the perfect balance of savory and sweet! Roasting the butternut squash gives it a deep and delicious flavor, and it blends with our fall-inspired spices beautifully. The squash takes about 50 minutes to roast but hands on time is relatively quick at only around 20 minutes. The total time for this recipe is 70-90 minutes depending on how long your squash needs to cool before being handled. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 butternut squash (ideally around 4lb)

• 1 medium yellow onion, diced

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 3-3.5 cups veggie broth (homemade or store bought)

• 2 tsp tahini

• 2 tsp pure maple syrup

• 1/8 tsp nutmeg

• 1/4 tsp dried rosemary

• 1/4 tsp ground ginger

• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/8 tsp pepper

• Optional Toppings:

• Roasted pumpkin seeds

• Sprinkle of cinnamon

Directions

• Preheat your oven to 425. While it is preheating, prep your butternut squash by chopping off the stem on top and then cutting your butternut squash in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, scoop out the seeds and stringy parts from the center of the squash and discard. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place both halves of the squash face down on the sheet.
• Once the oven is preheated, roast your squash in the oven for 45-50 minutes. When it’s done it should be very soft and you should be able to easily pierce the flesh with a fork.
• Set your squash to the side and allow it to cool a bit. While it is cooling, sauté your diced onion on the stove top on medium-high heat with a bit of water until fork tender (this typically takes me about 8 minutes). As it cooks, add small amounts of water if necessary to prevent the onion from sticking to the pan. Add your garlic to the pan and sauté for another minute. Remove from heat.
• Once your squash is cool enough to handle, scoop out as much of the flesh as you can and add it to a blender. This process can sometimes be a bit messy depending on how soft your squash got! You want to separate the flesh from the skin as much as possible, but technically the roasted skin is edible – so don’t stress if little bits of it sneak their way in! Discard the large chunks of skin once you are done.
• Add your sautéd garlic and onions, 3 cups of the veggie broth, and all other ingredients to the blender. Blend until smooth, and add more veggie broth as needed to reach desired consistency. Add more seasonings to taste if necessary.
• By now your soup is likely still warm from the roasted squash, but if you’d like it hotter just pour it into a soup pot and heat it on the stove until it reaches your desired temperature.
• Serve with optional toppings such as roasted pumpkin seeds or a sprinkle of cinnamon. Enjoy!

Happy cooking, friends! If you made this recipe don’t forget to tag me (@joyfulbalanceofficial) on facebook or instagram so I can cheer you on for your soup-making ways.

Stay well!