This lightened up version of Roasted Butternut Squash Soup features butternut squash, apple and a tasty blend of warm spices in a flavor packed soup. It’s the ultimate Fall soup recipe!
Want to save this recipe?
We'll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
This yummy soup has a perfect velvety texture you’d expect from a hearty, creamy soup. However, instead of relying on the heavy cream for richness and flavor, this recipe uses it as an optional garnish.
The soup is naturally sweet from the butternut squash and the apples and has a gorgeous spiced flavor from fresh sage, cumin, cinnamon, smoked paprika and a little cayenne pepper. You’d never guess it was lightened up!
Is this soup healthy?
This soup is full of wholesome, nutritious ingredients like butternut squash and apple. Butternut squash and apple are both full of yummy flavor and packed with vitamins and fiber. It skips the fatty heavy cream and other ingredients that can add unwanted fat or calories.
INGREDIENTS
You only need a few ingredients to make this flavor packed Roasted Butternut Squash Soup:
- Butternut Squash: You can use frozen or fresh cubes of butternut squash.
- Onion: I like to use a sweet yellow onion.
- Apple: Go for a sweet, red apple but any apple will work.
- Butter: You can substitute with olive oil
- Chicken broth: If desired, you can substitute with vegetable broth.
- Fresh sage leaves
- Dried spices: Cinnamon, cumin, smoked paprika and cayenne pepper give this soup so much flavor.
- Salt & Pepper
- Heavy cream or coconut cream: This is totally optional and just drizzled on at the end as garnish.
Use vegetable stock, olive oil and coconut cream to make this recipe Vegan. Plus, this recipe is already naturally Gluten Free as well!
HOW TO MAKE BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP
Roast the veggies. Add the butternut squash, onion, and apple to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Arrange butter slices on top of mixture. Bake for 45 minutes at 400°F.
Simmer the roasted vegetables. Add the roasted vegetables, chicken broth, sage leaves, cumin, cinnamon, smoked paprika and cayenne pepper to a Dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot. Stir to combine and bring to a low boil. Let the soup simmer for 15 minutes to combine flavors.
Puree the soup. An immersion blender makes this easy! Don’t have one? Transfer the soup to a blender and blend until smooth!
Garnish and serve. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot with a drizzle of cream, if desired.
How to serve Butternut Squash Soup:
Want to serve this as a meal? Serve with a nice Fall themed salad or a grilled cheese. I recommend a fontina, brie or havarti grilled cheese with this butternut squash soup.
You can also add some homemade croutons or add some roasted butternut squash or pumpkin seeds to the top of this soup! The options are endless!
RECIPE VARIATIONS
- Make it vegetarian or vegan. For a vegetarian version, substitute vegetable broth for chicken broth. To accommodate a vegan lifestyle, switch the chicken broth to vegetable broth, the butter to olive oil and garnish with coconut cream.
- Add a little more heat. Up the heat level with a sprinkle of warming crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper.
Can I make this soup ahead? Can I freeze it?
Yes to both. You are able to make this soup ahead and heat it when you are ready to serve. If serving a crowd, you can always keep it warm and ready to serve in a slow cooker set to warm.
You can also freeze this butternut squash soup in freezer safe containers for up to 3 months. Just transfer the cooled soup into them and seal them tightly before freezing.
OTHER LIGHTENED UP SOUP RECIPES
This butternut squash soup is one of my favorite Fall recipes. If you are looking for other lightened up soup recipes, try these:
- Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Slow Cooker Ham & Bean Soup
- Creamy Roasted Mushroom Soup Recipe [Low Carb]
- Fire Roasted Tomato Basil Soup
I am excited for you to try this Roasted Butternut Squash Soup. It’s one of our favorites every year and we make it almost weekly throughout October and November!
Perfect butternut squash and sweet apples combines with Fall spices to create the perfect warm comforting feeling we are all craving this time of year. Make sure and leave a review below letting me know how this recipe turns out for you!
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Ingredients
- 2 lbs peeled and cubed butternut squash, fresh or frozen
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 1 large red apple, cored, peeled and diced
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, thinly sliced
- 2 ½ cups chicken broth
- 5 large sage leaves
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- salt & pepper, to taste
- heavy cream or coconut cream, optional garnish
Want to save this recipe?
We’ll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add butternut squash, onion, and apple to prepared baking sheet. Arrange butter slices on top of mixture. Bake for 45 minutes.
- In a large dutch oven, or heavy bottomed pot, add roasted vegetables, chicken broth, sage leaves, cumin, cinnamon, smoked paprika and cayenne pepper. Stir to combine and bring to a low boil.
- Cook for 15 minutes to combine flavors. Puree soup until smooth with an immersion blender (or by transferring soup to a blender and blending until smooth).
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot with a drizzle of cream, if desired.
Video
Nutrition
Categories:
Post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
We always have a big crop of butternut squash and have sage so this is on repeat. I don’t bother to peel the apple, use 4 cups broth and only a dash or pinch of cayenne pepper but follow as is otherwise and it’s very good. I have a Blendtec blender and purées it beautifully.
Unfortunately this was WAY too spicy for me, my mouth was on fire with one bite. I am a wuss when it comes to spicy food so i considered leaving out the cayenne but put it in to follow the recipe. And after one bite my mouth was on fire, I couldn’t enjoy any other flavor. My husband didn’t mind that but said he felt it had too much cumin for his taste. I just wanted to post this for anyone else who can’t handle spicy, this may be too much for you.
I agree 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper is overpowering. I dropped it to a dash or pinch and is more balanced.
I agree with you Lizz, I love spicy food, but this was too spicy to enjoy & I did even use all that is called for. Next time I will cut down on the both the cumin, smoked paprika, & cayenne. I added quite a bit of NF greek yogurt to try and tone it down.
I made this soup tonight and it was delicious. It really hit the spot on this frigid night. I used veggie broth, also added a half bag of baby carrots and only used 1/2 tsp of smoked paprika. I cheated by using pre-diced butternut squash. I toasted pepitas and sprinkled them into our bowls for some crunch. Thank you for sharing your recipe!
wow the apple and pumpkin is such a perfect combo, and I love the sage addition, also the photos are gorgeous!
I made this soup tonight and it is phenomenal! Seriously shocked at how good it was with no cream. I almost added some before tasting it and I’m very glad I didn’t. My husband asked me to add this to our family thanksgiving menu. Thank you!
I am So Happy for you…it was good at Thanksgiving.
So glad you liked it Eleanor!!
I hope you feel better! This soup sounds delicious. I’m thinking it would make a great starter for Thanksgiving!
Yes, it would be an awesome starter for Thanksgiving! Not too heavy! 🙂
Thai is simply stunning! I can’t wait to try it – love that there is no cream!