Roasted Butternut Squash Apple Soup
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This roasted butternut squash apple soup is creamy, comforting, and bursting with fall flavor. Caramelized butternut squash blends with sweet apple, fresh sage, and coconut milk for a gourmet twist on a fall classic. Cozy, healthy, easy to make, and naturally dairy-free, it’s one of those recipes you’ll crave all season long.
Most people have a go-to fall recipe or two they crave each year, like pumpkin smoothies or apple crisp. For me, this butternut squash and apple soup tops the list.
Every fall, when the seasonal produce makes its appearance, I get giddy because I know this soup is in my future. It’s one of those recipes that’s dirt simple to make, but tastes like a gourmet meal.
The sweetness of the roasted butternut squash and apple pair perfectly with fresh sage and coconut milk. The flavor profile is comforting, yet elevated, and tastes like fall in a bowl. Simple enough to prep ahead for easy weeknight meals but fancy enough to wow your dinner guests.
Why You’ll Love This Roasted Butternut Squash Apple Soup
- Fall classic: between the squash, apple, and sage, this soup is fall comfort food at its best. It has the most amazing flavor!
- Simple ingredients: this soup uses simple, wholesome ingredients, but tastes like it came from a fancy restaurant.
- Easy to make: this recipe uses roasted butternut squash halves, which lets you skip the hassle of peeling and chopping it. Roasting also caramelizes the squash and enhances its flavor. So it’s a win-win!
- Crowd pleaser: this butternut squash soup is tasty enough to please even the pickiest of eaters. It’s gluten-free, dairy-free, Whole30, Paleo, and can easily be made vegan by swapping the chicken stock for veggie broth.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Butternut squash: the star ingredient! You’ll need about three pounds of butternut squash to make this soup. Look for a larger squash, or double up and use two smaller ones.
- Coconut oil: to saute the onion, apple, and sage. Feel free to use olive oil instead.
- Apple: adds a natural sweetness that pairs perfectly with butternut squash.
- Onion + garlic: adds depth of flavor and savory notes to balance the soup’s sweetness.
- Sage: adds herby notes to the soup that complement the squash and apple. Feel free to use another herb like rosemary, thyme, or parsley.
- Chicken stock: adds a rich flavor and makes this soup easier to blend. Chicken or veggie broth works too!
- Coconut milk: a dairy-free sub for cream that gives this soup a luscious texture.
- Lemon juice: adds a tart bite to the soup to help round out the flavor profile.
- Salt + pepper: brings out the flavors of the other ingredients.
How to Make This Butternut Squash Soup
Step 1: Roast the squash. Preheat your oven to 425°F. Trim off the top of the squash and stand it upright on a cutting board. Slice it in half lengthwise.
Then, scoop out the seeds and pulp with a spoon. Ice cream scoopers are perfect for this!
Place the squash halves on the parchment paper-lined baking sheet, cut side up. Rub the squash with coconut oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Flip the squash cut-side down and roast for 45-50 minutes or until the squash turns soft and the skin pierces easily with a fork.
Step 2: Sauté. While the squash roasts, chop up the apples, onion, and garlic. Heat 1 tbsp of coconut oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Once hot, add the chopped onion and apples. Sauté for a few minutes until it turns translucent and the apples begin to soften. Add the garlic and sage and cook until fragrant (about 1 minute), stirring frequently. Set aside until the squash is done.
Step 3: Transfer squash. Once the squash is soft and cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh with a large spoon. Discard the skin and add the roasted squash to the pot. Pour the chicken stock and coconut milk into the pot and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Then, cover with a lid, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes.
Step 4: Blend. Add the lemon juice, salt, and pepper, and blend it up! You have two options here. You can use an immersion blender and puree right in the pot. Or you can transfer the soup to a high-speed blender. This method is more involved, but it gives this soup a silky smooth texture. So IMHO, it’s worth the extra work!
Blend for a minute or two until smooth. If using a high-speed blender, you may need to puree in batches. I’ve included some helpful tips below to help the process go more smoothly. Pour soup into bowls and garnish with a swirl of coconut cream, some crispy sage, or whatever toppings you like.
How to Make Crispy Sage
This roasted butternut squash soup is delicious on its own. But if you’re feeling fancy, adding some crispy sage takes this soup to the next level. It’s an extra step, but it’s super easy to make. And it’s a great way to use up those extra sage leaves! Here’s how to make it:
Step 1: Pour some olive oil into a skillet (enough to just coat the bottom). Heat the oil over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, gently lay the sage leaves flat in the oil in a single layer. Let them sizzle for about 30 seconds or until crisp.
Step 2: Carefully transfer the fried sage leaves with some tongs onto a paper towel. They’re delicate, so handle with care. Sprinkle with sea salt and allow them to cool for a couple of minutes. That’s it!
Helpful recipe tips
Serving Suggestions
You can serve this butternut squash soup as a starter, side, or main dish. If enjoying it as a main dish, pair it with some crusty bread, cornbread, or a simple salad. Or for the ultimate comfort food meal, pair it with a grilled cheese sandwich. On weekdays, I like to keep it simple and usually serve this soup as a side with some grilled chicken and roasted veggies.
This butternut squash soup with apple also makes a delicious starter dish for dinner parties. Or for a festive spin, serve this soup in shot glasses as a fun appetizer for your Thanksgiving meal.
Storage
Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also freeze this soup! Pour into a freezer-safe glass container with a secure lid, and you’re good to go. Just be sure to leave about an inch of space at the top. Soup and other liquids expand when frozen.
Roasted Butternut Squash Apple Soup
Ingredients
- 1 large butternut squash (about 3 pounds)
- 1 cup onion, chopped (about 1/2 medium onion)
- 1 medium apple, chopped
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup fresh sage (about 12-15 leaves)
- 1 tbsp coconut oil (plus more for roasting the squash)
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 can coconut milk
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425°F. Trim off the top of the squash and stand it upright on a cutting board. Slice it in half lengthwise. Then, scoop out the seeds and pulp with a spoon.
- Place the squash halves on the parchment paper-lined baking sheet, cut side up. Rub the squash with coconut oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Flip the squash cut-side down and roast for 45-50 minutes until the squash turns soft and the skin pierces easily with a fork.
- While the squash roasts, heat one tbsp of coconut oil in a stockpot over medium heat. Once hot, add the chopped onion and apple. Saute for a few minutes until the apples soften and the onion turns translucent. Add the garlic and sage and saute for a minute until fragrant, stirring frequently.
- Once the cooked squash is cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh with a spoon. Discard the skin and add the roasted squash to the pot. Pour the chicken stock and coconut milk into the pot and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Then cover with a lid, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the lemon juice, salt, and pepper, and then carefully transfer the soup to a high-speed blender. Blend for a minute or two until smooth and creamy. You may need to do this in two batches. See notes below for blending tips.
- Pour blended soup into bowls and garnish with pepitas, sage, or a coconut milk swirl if desired.
Notes
FAQ
If you make this butternut squash soup, I’d love to know what you think! Drop me a comment below:
