Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
This creamy Roasted Butternut Squash Soup is a cozy fall favorite, made with roasted squash, savory onions and warm spices. Simple, wholesome and Whole30 compatible.
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This Roasted Butternut Squash Soup is one of my favorite blended soups to welcome fall. Cubes of butternut squash roast in the oven until they’re tender and caramelized at the edges, then get blended with slowly caramelized onions, fresh sage and creamy coconut milk into a silky, cozy bowl of soup.
Roasting the squash first is what makes this soup taste so rich. The oven brings out the squash’s natural sweetness and adds a deeper, nutty flavor you just don’t get from boiling. While the squash roasts, the onions cook low and slow on the stovetop until they’re golden, building a savory base that balances all that sweetness. It’s a similar technique to my recipe for Acorn Squash Soup with Sweet Potato.
There’s no cream or butter in this recipe. Coconut milk gives the soup its creamy texture, which makes this roasted butternut squash soup naturally vegan, dairy-free and Whole30 compatible. It’s simple enough for even a beginner cook, and one batch makes 8 generous servings.
Tips for the Best Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
- Use two sheet pans. Give the squash cubes room to breathe. When they’re crowded on one pan, they steam instead of roast, and you miss out on the caramelized edges that give this soup its depth.
- Flip and rotate halfway. After 15 minutes, flip the squash with a spatula and swap the pans’ positions in the oven. This helps every cube brown evenly, no matter where your oven’s hot spots are.
- Be patient with the onions. Let the onions cook for a full 20 minutes over medium heat, until they just begin to caramelize. Rushing this step with higher heat can scorch them before they develop that sweet, savory flavor.
- Blend it your way. An immersion blender lets you purée the soup right in the pot. If you’re using a countertop blender, work in batches, fill it no more than halfway, and vent the lid, since hot soup can build up steam as it blends.
- Adjust the thickness at the end. Start with 2 cups of vegetable broth for a thick, velvety soup. Add up to 1 more cup after blending if you prefer it thinner, then taste and adjust the salt and pepper.
Serve it as a starter for a holiday dinner, or make it a meal with a hearty Kale and Lentil Salad or a protein like Maple Glazed Salmon. For the ultimate soup-and-sandwich night, pair a bowl with a Caramelized Onion & Apple Grilled Cheese. This soup also eats well as as light lunch topped with chopped chives and a crack of black pepper.
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Ingredients
- 3 pounds butternut squash, diced (about 2 small squash)
- 1 yellow onion, sliced
- 4 stalks celery, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped (6 to 8 leaves)
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 2 to 3 cups vegetable broth
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- Chopped chives for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Peel squash and scoop out seeds. Cut squash into 1-inch to 2-inch cubes.
- Place cut squash on two large baking sheets. Drizzle with 1½ tablespoons olive oil each, season with salt and pepper. Roast in oven for 15 minutes. Use a spatula to flip squash, rotate pans and place back in the oven for 15 more minutes, or until squash is cooked through and starts to caramelize.
- While squash is cooking, prepare onion, celery, garlic and sage.
- Heat remaining olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Once heated, add onion and cook until onions just begin to caramelize (about 20 minutes). Add celery and garlic, cook for 1 to 2 minutes, then add in 2 cups vegetable broth. Bring to a simmer.
- Once mixture is simmering, add in roasted squash, sage and coconut milk. Bring back to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes.
- Use an immersion blender* to purée until smooth. For a thinner soup, add additional 1 cup vegetable broth. Taste and adjust salt and pepper, as needed.
- Serve with chopped chives as garnish (optional).
- *Alternatively, add all ingredients to a blender and run on low, until desired consistency is reached.
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