Roasted Butternut Squash Soup (Printable)

A heartwarming, velvety soup made with roasted butternut squash, perfect for cozy comfort on chilly days.

# Components:

→ 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

→ Liquids

05 - 4 cups vegetable broth, gluten-free
06 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

→ Seasonings

07 - 1 teaspoon salt
08 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
09 - 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
10 - 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional

→ Garnish

11 - 1/4 cup heavy cream or coconut cream, optional
12 - Toasted pumpkin seeds, optional
13 - Fresh thyme, optional

# Method:

01 - Set oven temperature to 400°F (200°C).
02 - Place cubed butternut squash, chopped onion, garlic cloves, and carrot on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and toss until evenly coated.
03 - Roast in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, stirring halfway through, until squash is tender and edges are caramelized.
04 - Transfer roasted vegetables to a large pot. Add vegetable broth, salt, black pepper, nutmeg, and cayenne pepper if using.
05 - Bring mixture to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 10 minutes to fully develop flavors.
06 - Using an immersion blender, blend soup until completely smooth. Alternatively, work in batches with a standard blender if immersion blender is unavailable.
07 - Taste soup and adjust seasoning as needed. Stir in heavy cream or coconut cream if additional richness is desired.
08 - Ladle hot soup into bowls and garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds and fresh thyme.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Roasting the squash brings out a natural sweetness that somehow tastes like comfort in a bowl.
  • You can make it vegan, dairy-free, or add cream—it adapts to whatever you need without apologizing.
  • It freezes beautifully, so one afternoon of cooking feeds you for weeks of lazy dinners.
02 -
  • Don't peel the squash raw if you can help it—it's slippery and dangerous; roast it whole first if your knife skills aren't confident, then scoop out the soft flesh.
  • The difference between good and great soup is tasting and adjusting as you go; every ingredient batch behaves slightly differently, so your palate is the real guide.
03 -
  • Stir the vegetables halfway through roasting so everything caramelizes evenly instead of some pieces browning while others stay pale.
  • If your blender struggles or the soup seems too thick, thin it gradually with more broth rather than adding it all at once—you can always add more but you can't take it back.
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