Butternut squash soup is the quintessential fall and winter comfort food, and my roasted version takes it to a whole new level! It’s delightfully creamy, bursting with sweet and savory flavors, and perfect for any dinner occasion. Every year, I eagerly hunt for the best butternut squash at the market to create this beloved soup. Whether you’re planning a cozy weeknight meal or preparing a hearty dish for holiday gatherings, this roasted butternut squash soup is sure to become a staple in your kitchen.
Why You’ll Love This Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
People adore this roasted butternut squash soup for its rich, velvety texture and the deep, caramelized flavors that roasting brings out in the vegetables. It’s a versatile dish that’s perfect for any season, whether you’re looking for a comforting meal on a chilly evening or a nutritious option for a light lunch. Plus, it’s naturally vegan and gluten-free, catering to a variety of dietary preferences.
Key Ingredients
- Butternut Squash: The heart of the soup, providing a creamy and sweet foundation.
- Coconut Milk: Adds a luscious, dairy-free creaminess that enhances the soup’s texture.
- Red Onions and Bell Peppers: These vegetables contribute sweetness and a subtle crunch after roasting.
- Garlic: Infuses the soup with a rich, aromatic depth.
- Tomatoes: Offer a hint of acidity that perfectly balances the sweetness of the squash.
- Vegetable Broth: Creates a hearty and satisfying base for the soup.
- Fresh Ginger (optional): Introduces a warming spice that complements the other flavors.
- Spices: A blend of cumin, paprika, thyme, and rosemary adds complexity and richness to the soup.
Simple Steps to Create Your Perfect Soup
- Preheat and Prepare: Start by heating your oven and preparing the vegetables. Peel and chop the butternut squash, red onions, bell peppers, and garlic for even roasting.
- Season and Roast: Toss the vegetables with olive oil and your favorite spices. Spread them on a baking sheet and roast until they are golden and tender, allowing the natural sugars to caramelize.
- Blend and Combine: Once roasted, blend the vegetables with vegetable broth and a touch of fresh ginger if desired. This creates a smooth and creamy base.
- Heat and Finish: Pour the blended mixture into a pot, stir in the coconut milk, and warm the soup on the stove until it’s perfectly heated through.
- Serve and Garnish: Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with fresh cilantro or a drizzle of coconut milk for an extra touch of flavor.
Why This Soup is a Crowd-Pleaser
This roasted butternut squash soup stands out because of its rich, comforting flavors and smooth texture. The roasting process enhances the natural sweetness of the vegetables, while the blend of spices adds depth and warmth. It’s a versatile recipe that’s easy to customize with your favorite toppings, such as roasted pumpkin seeds, a splash of lime juice, or a dollop of yogurt, making each bowl uniquely delicious.
Perfect for Any Occasion
Whether you’re preparing a cozy dinner for your family, hosting a dinner party, or meal prepping for the week, this soup is a fantastic choice. Its vibrant flavors and nourishing ingredients make it suitable for various dietary needs and preferences, ensuring that everyone can enjoy a bowl of this delightful soup.
TIPS FOR THE PERFECT ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP
- Choose the Right Squash: Opt for butternut squashes that are heavy for their size and have a firm, unblemished skin. Larger squashes tend to have more flesh, providing a creamier texture for the soup.
- Uniform Chopping: Ensure all vegetables are chopped into similar sizes to promote even roasting. This prevents some pieces from burning while others remain undercooked.
- Don’t Overcrowd the Baking Sheet: Spread the vegetables out in a single layer on the baking sheet. Overcrowding can lead to steaming instead of roasting, resulting in less caramelization.
- Enhance with Fresh Herbs: Adding fresh herbs like thyme or rosemary towards the end of roasting can infuse additional layers of flavor into the soup.
- Adjust Sweetness and Spice: Taste the soup before serving and adjust the sweetness with a splash of maple syrup or the spice level with additional chili flakes or black pepper to suit your preference.
- Use an Immersion Blender: For an ultra-smooth texture, use an immersion blender directly in the pot. This method reduces the number of dishes and ensures the soup is perfectly blended.
- Storage and Reheating: This soup stores well in the refrigerator for up to five days and freezes beautifully. Reheat gently on the stove, adding a splash of broth or coconut milk to restore its creamy consistency if needed.
Roasted Butternut squash soup
Equipment
- Oven
- Baking sheet
- Blender or immersion blender
- Large Pot
- Knife and Cutting Board
- Mixing bowls
Ingredients
- 1 small to medium-sized Butternut Squash
- 7 fl oz Coconut Milk 200 ml
- 1-2 Red Onions
- 1-2 Bell Peppers
- 1-2 heads of Garlic
- 2 Tomatoes or 1 cup of Cherry Tomatoes
- 1 1/2 cups Vegetable Broth 350 ml
- 1 tsp Fresh Ginger optional (grated)
- Olive Oil enough to drizzle over vegetables
- Fresh Cilantro for garnish
Seasoning:
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Ground Cumin
- 1 tsp Paprika
- 1 tsp Dried Thyme
- 1 tsp Dried Rosemary
- 1 tsp Chili Flakes optional, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Set your oven to 390°F (200°C).
- Prepare the Vegetables: You can either peel and chop the butternut squash, or, like I do in the video, simply cut the squash in half for roasting. Note: Halving the squash will require a longer roasting time, while chopping the vegetables smaller will speed up the cooking process.
- Season the Vegetables: Add the seasonings (pepper, cumin, paprika, thyme, rosemary, and chili flakes) to the vegetables. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat evenly. If halving the squash, drizzle olive oil on the exposed flesh. Cover the dish with aluminum foil.
- Roasting: Roast for about 1 1/2 hours, or until the vegetables are golden and soft inside. If you've chopped the vegetables smaller, the roasting time can be reduced. If you've halved the butternut squash, expect a longer roasting time. For the last 10 minutes, remove the aluminum foil to allow the vegetables to caramelize slightly.
- Blending: Once roasted, scoop out the flesh of the butternut squash (if halved) and transfer all the vegetables to a blender. Add the vegetable broth and ginger (if using), and blend until smooth and creamy.
- Cooking the Soup: Pour the blended mixture into a pot and place it on medium heat. Stir in the coconut milk and cook for about 2 minutes, allowing everything to warm through.
- Final Touch: Adjust the seasonings to your taste. Garnish with fresh cilantro, a drizzle of coconut milk, and a pinch of chili flakes if desired.
Best Soup I ever cooked!!
Normally I take Hokkaido, but this is so much easier and most tastiest pumpkin soup ever ((:
This is such a flavorful soup! Easy and very delicious, even for my picky kids. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Awesome and tasty recipe! Easy to prep at all steps. I’ve broiled the veggies as a last step before adding them to the mixer.
You’ll need to roast veggies much longer than recipe says to. Mine had to roast for 1.5 hours. Kids screaming hungry the whole time. Ended up just feeding them the grilled cheese because they were starving. Husband and I still waiting till veggies are soft enough to put into blender…
I’m really sorry to hear about the squash taking longer than expected – that sounds frustrating, especially with hungry kids waiting! Sometimes ovens can be a bit unpredictable. The size of the squash pieces and even where you place them in the oven can make a difference. Next time, maybe try cutting them a bit smaller or starting earlier if you can. Hang in there, and I hope the soup turns out delicious when it’s ready!
First time ever making butternut squash soup. It was so fantastic. Was I supposed to peel the squash before baking?
You’ve got options! Either peel it before baking or just scoop out the flesh afterwards. Whatever you prefer 🙂
Tess,
I am in the middle of the recipe, I chose to slice the entire squash with my mandolin, in 1/4″ slices. Hopefully this works and cooks quickly.
So delicious and super easy to make non-vegan (I used heavy cream, chicken stock, and normal cheese). The squash and carrots took significantly longer to cook, but I figured they would, just plan ahead. So worth it!
Great tasting soup! I live at a high altitude so roasted the vegetables at 375 for about 1.25 hours. Used two small red onions and 2.5 roma tomatoes. At the end I added some salt. Delicious!! Will make again!
I wrapped the squash in foil and cooked on a cookie sheet. Cooked the other veggies in a pan with foil. That really helped so I could cook the squash for longer.
Very easy to assemble and make. This also took longer than an hour. Oven time was 1 1/2 hours at 380. Other than that great recipe. I will be making this again
Made this last night. AMAZING!!! The squash took longer than an hour- I’d recommend cutting into smaller pieces- but it was worth the wait! This recipe is perfection! 🤌🏼
It turned out great. I added the pepper flakes to the blend and the ginger. It has a nice kick to it. The timing was perfect for the size butternut squash I used. Looking forward to trying other recipes from you!
I absolutely loved this recipe. So easy to make also. And so, so yummy 😋 🤤
I made this a few months ago and it was so delicious! I came back here today because I’m making it again! Great work on keeping the blog !
I have a bell pepper allergy. Do you have a recommendation for an alternative pepper or vegetable, should I just make it without bell peppers?
I cooked with bell pepper and next time I just won’t use it. I felt the pepper took over the flavor so I’m just going to omit it.
We have replaced the pepper with sweet potato, sometimes we just use carrot and squash, normal potatoes too, chuck whatever you want in
I’m stumped at what is the beautiful red drizzle at the end. I don’t see it listed any where?
it’s extra coconut milk and some chili oil 🙂
Would you add sweet potatoes?
This is the best soup I’ve ever made. I love squash soup and I love red pepper soup, and the two together was amazing. Roasting the veggies, adding tomatoes, so much roasted garlic and all the herbs was chef’s kiss. I used cubed squash (cut into small pieces) and took the garlic out of the head, so it took about 20-25 minutes at 400°F until everything was soft and starting to caramelize. I used chicken stock, because that’s what I had. It was divine. I’m prepping for a hurricane so now it can rain all it wants to and I’ll be cozy with my soup and no yeast bread. Thank you!
Thanks Michelle for these tips on reducing baking time. Thanks Dr Vegan for your simple, beautiful recipes.
Can I use regular milk don’t have coconut milk or heavy cream?
Any thoughts on how to modify this for someone with nightshade allergies? No tomatoes or bell peppers.
Making this for dinner tonight. what is the red drizzle? I doubt see it mentioned in the blog.
it’s extra coconut milk and some chili oil 🙂
It shows a carrot in the photos but not in the recipe? Carrots or no?
Delicious! Added a little Thai red curry paste and maple syrup! Will definitely make again!
What is that RED DRIZZLE added to the finished soup?
Delicious soup! You see carrots in the roasting picture but they aren’t mentioned in the list of ingredents.
it’s extra coconut milk and some chili oil 🙂
AmazIng soup! I have the same question. What is the red and white drizzle added at the finish?
Looks so good, but i cant figure it out. Please
it’s extra coconut milk and some chili oil 🙂
Hat sehr lecker geschmeckt. Aber welche Zutat für die Würze ist als zweites aufgeführt? Erdküchlein steht bei mir? Noch nie gehört und Google auch nicht. Hab Salz genommen 😅 aber falls es was anderes ist bitte nochmal schreiben 🙏🏻
Hej hej! Kreuzkümmel ist gemeint. Ground cumin wurde etwas eigenwillig übersetzt. 😅
Excellent recipe! I’ve made it a couple times now. Reading other peoples issues with the roasting I’ve made a couple variations that I personally like.
Logistical Changes
1. Use cubed butternut squash instead of whole. My local grocery (Wegmans) offers freshly cubed butternut squash. Each package is 20oz and I’ve found that two 20oz packages are a good amount. It reliably roasts in 1 hour or less when spread out on a large baking sheet. This not only saves having to peel and handle a whole squash, but makes timing of roasting more reliable (I see in the comments people are in the “roast for 90 mins and it’s still not done” mode, which can be frustrating).
2. Many blenders come with a “hot soup” mode. If you’re lucky enough to have one of these, it makes the post-roast process substantially easier. Basically, put the roasted veggies in the blender right out of the oven, turn on hot soup mode, and the blender will come to speed and heat up the mixture (which is already quite hot having just come out of the oven…). Do this for three minutes or so, add the milk, let it churn for another two minutes, and pour directly from blender into the bowls for serving! Saves a whole step of putting this on the stove and dirtying more dishes.
Taste Changes
1. Real cow’s milk does work better than coconut. I am not a vegan and found this blog on social media. It’s a fantastic recipe, but I have found that coconut milk doesn’t handle the heating process as well and doesn’t taste quite as full. Just an observation as someone who drinks mostly almond milk and coconut milk day to day for smoothies and with oatmeal.
2. SALT! We are mostly low sodium, and eat foods without added salt in general, so don’t personally have a taste for salt. But added salt to this recipe really brings out some of the flavor. Would probably recommend adding the salt as a single tsp with the rest of the seasoning, and then add to taste after the soup is done.
3. Jalapenos – Not for everyone, but I added two (sliced and de-seeded) jalapenos to the roasting tray alongside the other veggies. It definitely gives this recipe a slight kick, which I loved. Not too much though because the roasting mellows out the jalapeno heat.
4. Onions – Two red onions is a little too much overpowering of onion. 1-15 red onions was perfect.
Fantastic recipe overall. 40oz of cubed butternut squash (which I think is about the yield of a medium butternut squash) plus everything else in the main recipe above yielded 64oz of soup, or one large Vitamix blender of soup, which is a lot for such a filling soup. We freeze about half of it for later! Cheers.
Thank you for all your feedback!!
Aaron,
Did you try coconut cream? It’s thicker and richer than coconut milk but still vegan. Some stores carry it and should be next to the coconut milk cans. (Which is different from the thinner more watery coconut milk in the fridge dairy section).
I did take longer than anticipated however my squash was pretty large . It was delicious, I added a little bit of Ceylon cinnamon, other than that I followed this recipe . My husband loved it too .
Made this today. Delicious. I used almost the whole container of vegetable broth because it was so thick. The coconut milk tops it off. Thanks
Made this today and it’s delicious.
Glad you liked it!! 🙂
Quelle recette délicieuse et réconfortante ! J’adore l’idée d’associer la douceur de la courge butternut avec la richesse du lait de coco, et le fromage grillé en accompagnement est tout simplement irrésistible. J’ai essayé votre recette hier, et toute ma famille s’est régalée. Auriez-vous des astuces pour ajouter une touche épicée à cette soupe ? Peut-être du gingembre ou un peu de piment ? Merci pour vos belles idées culinaires, je reviendrai sûrement sur votre blog pour d’autres découvertes gourmandes !
This was Amazing! I really enjoyed making this soup. I went with your recipe, but next time I will put my flair on it for sure. I love to cook and if you don’t mind I will build upon this soup recipe. I set aside some of the soup and left it thicker and I am going to add some pasta to it with cheese tomorrow. Such an easy soup. I was able to do all of my housework while the veggies roasted. Then it was easy to blend it up and finish it. I made crunchy sourdough grilled cheese sandwiches too.
So glad you liked the recipe!! 🙂
So delicious! I doubled it and shared a jar with my neighbor who was dying to know what made the house smell so yummy.:)
Any chance you could share the full nutrition facts?
This soup is so delicious! I used fresh herbs from my garden and laid them on top of the veggies for roasting. I had rose harissa seasoning which has chili peppers and paprika as a substitute for the the individual spices and I think it adds a really flavorful element to the soup. I have to get off here so I can eat!
I first cooked the butternut squash for 6 minutes in the microwave. Jabbed some holes in it and set it in there skin on. I had no issue with everything needing longer to cook if anything I took it out a few minutes early. Used milk instead of coconut milk it was really good!!
Delicious!
This was delicious! I really wanted grilled cheese (we’re not vegan!) so was looking for something to go with it that’s healthier and tastier than just plain tomato soup. This was perfect! I peeled then microwaved the squash whole for 3 minutes before slicing to place in the roasting pan. It took under 1 hour (400F) for everything to get to the perfect texture for blending. I added more stock because we like it a little thinner and it turned out really good. The perfect amount of flavor from each of the vegetables and seasonings. This was sooo good and super easy!!! The whole family (teens included!) loved it!
Are you using canned coconut milk or coconut milk in the carton(like the almond milk or oat milk comes in) There’s a difference in consistency so just wondered.
Hey! Thanks for your comment! I used canned coconut milk 🙂
This is a damn good soup!! A few of your videos have popped up on my Facebook, so I wanted to give this a try and it’s excellent! Super hardy, super easy to make. I chopped up my squash into good size chunks and it cooked perfectly with everything else in about an hour. Can’t wait to try another!
Hi my husband cannot have any night shade vegetables. Is there something else I can substitute for the tomatoes and bell peppers or will it be just as good without them?
Yum!!! I made this soup and it is so wholesome and delicious. I loved the kick it has. I added some salt to the roasting veggies. A bit more vegetable broth about 2 cups total and some heavy whipping cream just a splash. It did take some time to roast the butternut squash but I expected that. I also roasted on 400 degrees for about an hour and a half. They went straight into the blender on soup mode and right into my bowl. It’s a keeper!! Thanks for sharing.
Best recipe I’ve ever tried for this soup! Excellent – robust flavor! Freezes well! Thank you!
In love with this soup! I made it tonight. I chopped all the veggies into semi large pieces, cooked at 390 for probably 40ish minutes. I added one large carrot to the veggie mix and I used chicken stock instead of veggie. So… not vegan, but delicious! With a Gouda grilled cheese! Yumm!
Made this today and it was soo good and even more important my husband loved it . This recipe is a keeper!
I have one question though or more of an observation , in one of the pictures ( the one that has veggies in the pan ready to roast) carrots are pictured but not listed in the recipe itself. I’ll try adding the carrots next time and see how they enhance the flavor.