This roasted butternut squash soup is an easy, heart-warming and comforting recipe for the fall/winter. It’s smooth and creamy but is actually dairy-free!
We just switched back the clock this past weekend after daylight savings day. It’s officially dark at 5pm, officially boots weather and officially soup weather! One of my favorite soups to make during the fall and winter is this Roasted Butternut Squash Soup. This classic recipe literally only needs butternut squash and a couple other staple pantry ingredients, so I find myself making it quite often in the fall. I think you will too!
Why I love this roasted butternut squash soup
- It’s vegan – There’s no milk, cream or butter in this recipe, making it completely vegan, but completely creamy and rich at the same time.
- It’s low carb – And also keto-friendly too! That makes it a great salad if you’re trying to limit carbs at dinner or looking for a lighter fare in the evening.
- It uses basic ingredients – As long as you planned ahead with the butternut squash, the rest of the ingredient list is super simple. The remaining ingredients include olive oil, onions, garlic, maple syrup, vegetable broth, nutmeg and thyme.
- It has an amazing roasted flavor – There’s just something wonderful about roasting vegetables to use in soup. It brings out that smokey flavor of the butternut squash and makes it more caramelized and more tasty than simply boiling the squash.
How do you make roasted butternut squash soup
It’s all about the roasted butternut squash in this soup. It’s literally the key ingredient. Everything else just kinda supports it. So I start by halving a butternut squash, seeding it, peeling it and then cutting into into small 2 inch cubes. I add olive oil, maple syrup salt/pepper and cinnamon, and roast them.
While the butternut squash is in the oven, I get started on other parts of the recipe. I saute an onion with olive oil, then add garlic. When the butternut squash is fork tender, I add it to the pot.
Next I add the vegetable broth and I blend it all with an immersion blender. The soup is pretty much good to go from here, but I prefer adding some oat milk to the mixture just to make it more creamy. Oat milk is plant-based and has a pretty neutral taste that blends well into this soup.
When it’s all done, I usually add on a dollop of plant-based yogurt, which is thicker than the oat milk. That really gives it a more creamy consistency and rich taste. Throw on some fresh thyme leaves and dig in!
What spices go with roasted butternut squash soup?
Like I mentioned before, the soup really is all about the squash, and everything else just supplements that flavor. So the spices you use here can really change up the flavor of the soup and make it unique. What I would recommend is a mixture of aromatic spices (like cinnamon) with a little bit of heat (hello cayenne pepper) and a touch of fresh seasonal herbs (think of thyme or sage). We want a combination of sweet, spicy and herbaceous.
Here’s a list of spices that I think work wonderfully well with this roasted butternut squash soup. You can mix and match however you’d like. I like to keep it simple with only nutmug, black pepper and fresh thyme for serving.
- Ground allspice
- Ground cinnamon
- Ground nutmeg
- Ground ginger
- Cayenne pepper
- Black pepper
- Thyme
- Sage
This is a low-carb, keto-friendly soup that is so easy to whip up and loaded with nutrition from the butternut squash. It will make you feel warm and cozy all over with the sweet flavors of the butternut squash and nutmeg mixed with the fresh accents of the thyme. I love that it’s creamy and rich without having any milk, cream or butter. Toasted sourdough bread for dunking is totally optional.
But you know I’m gonna do it anyways… 🙂
If you make this healthy-ish feelgood Roasted Butternut Squash Soup recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories!
I created this blog post first on December 17, 2016. I am updating it today to include improved new step-by-step images and more helpful tips.
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This roasted butternut squash soup is an easy, heart-warming and comforting recipe for the fall/winter. It’s smooth and creamy but is actually dairy-free!
- 1 large butternut squash halved vertically and seeded
- Freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup oat milk
- Garnished with plant-based plain yogurt
Preheat the oven to 425°F and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
Cut the butternut squash into large 2 inch chunks, and transfer them to the prepared baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper and cinnamon, Then drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and maple syrup. Toss to combine.
Bake the butternut squash in the preheated oven for 40 minutes, flipping halfway through.
While the butternut squash is roasting, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a large soup pot. Add the onions and season with salt and pepper. Cook the onions until they soften and become translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Then add the garlic, and stir frequently until fragrant, about 30 seconds to one minute.
- When the butternut squash is cooked and fork tender, transfer it to the pot with the onions and garlic mixture. Next, add the vegetable broth. Bring the contents of the soup to a boil, then cook on medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until there are no more chunks of squash left. Stir in the oat milk. Serve hot with a dollop of yogurt and fresh thyme, if desired.
Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container. They will last about 3-4 days in the fridge, or up to 3 months frozen.
Make Ahead: You can roast the butternut squash 3 days ahead of time or even 3 months ahead of time. When ready to use, just add them to the pot along with the vegetable broth, bring to a boil and cook as usual.
Substitutes: For best results, follow the recipe as is. However here are some common substitutes that would work well in this recipe.
- Instead of oat milk, you can use any other unsweetened milk of your choice, plant-based or regular
- If you prefer to leave out the maple syrup, that's totally fine
Equipment: I love using my Cuisinart Smart Stick hand blender for blending soups. It's quick and easy and gets me the perfect consistency, without any chunks of vegetables leftover.
Nutrition: Please note that the nutrition label is only for four huge servings. If you have this as a starter or side, it can easily serve 8 people
