This Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup is everything you want in a cozy fall dish! It's silky smooth and a little sweet, and full of warm, fall flavors. It's hearty enough to serve as a main course but elegant enough for the start to a holiday meal.
I especially love making butternut squash and sweet potato soup around Thanksgiving. It's the kind of dish that looks impressive but is simple and can be made ahead of time. The roasted vegetables caramelize in the oven, and when they're blended with coconut cream and a little cinnamon, every bite tastes like fall comfort in a bowl!
Butternut squash and sweet potato soup is perfect with a loaf of crusty bread! Sometimes I'll make a stuffed garlic bread or, if I want to keep things a bit healthier, I'll saute some green beans and mushrooms for the side. It's a thick, filling soup, and we'll often have it as our main course on chilly nights.
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Ingredients
- Butternut squash: All we'll do here is cut the squash in half and roast it (no need to peel). You can substitute acorn squash if you'd like.
- Sweet potatoes: These will be cut into medallions and roasted alongside the squash.
- Olive oil: Used for roasting the vegetables.
- Salt: Salt = Flavor. 🙂
- Black pepper: Just a touch to balance the soup's sweetness.
- Green apples: Green apples are slightly tart which also helps to balance the sweet flavors of this soup.
- Vegetable broth: You can use homemade or store-bought.
- Unsweetened almond milk: Feel free to substitute dairy milk for this if you prefer.
- Cinnamon: You might think this doesn't belong in a soup, but it adds such a wonderful fall flavor and your belly will be happy!
- Nutmeg: See above. 🙂
- Coconut cream: This makes the soup silky and adds just a hint of coconut flavor.
- Toasted pumpkin seeds: These add some texture to an otherwise smooth and silky soup.
- Croutons (optional): These also add a nice texture to the soup, although I usually omit them if I'm serving it with bread and just stick with the pumpkin seeds. Trader Joe's has seasonal pumpkin croutons that I love to use when I can find them.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 375°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Prepare the vegetables: Arrange the sweet potato medallions on one baking sheet and the butternut squash halves on the other. Drizzle both with olive oil, then season them with salt and pepper. Toss them gently with your hands to make sure they're coated evenly.
- Roast until tender: Roast the sweet potatoes for about 20 minutes, or until they're soft and starting to brown. Roast the butternut squash for about 35 minutes, or until it's tender when pierced with a fork. Note: I'll often roast the vegetables the day before and refrigerate them to save some time.
- Blend the soup: Scoop out the insides of the squash and place it in a food processor or blender, discarding the seeds and skin. Add the sweet potatoes, apples, vegetable broth, almond milk, coconut cream, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Blend until it's completely smooth and creamy.
- Simmer: Pour the blended mixture into a large soup pot and simmer over medium-low heat for 20 minutes or so, stirring occasionally, giving the flavors time to meld.
- Serve and garnish: Ladle the soup into bowls and drizzle with any remaining coconut cream. Top each bowl with pumpkin seeds and croutons for a little crunch.
Equipment Needed
- 2 Baking sheets: You'll need two large baking sheets (one for the sweet potatoes and one for the butternut squash). One will also work as long as everything can fit in one layer.
- Parchment paper: This prevents the veggies from sticking to the sheet pan and makes cleanup super easy. If you don't have any, give the pan a quick spray with cooking spray (the veggies are coated with olive oil so that will help, too).
- A sharp knife and a cutting board: The only cutting you need to do is to slice the sweet potatoes and halve the squash, but you'll still want a sturdy board to protect your countertops.
- Blender or food processor: An immersion blender will also work! You can add everything directly to the pot instead of a blender or food processor, then blend it directly in the pot.
- Large soup pot: The soup needs time to simmer to bring out its flavors, and a large soup pot is perfect for this.
- Spatula or wooden spoon: For stirring the soup and scraping down the sides if necessary.
- Measuring cups and spoons: The spices in butternut squash and sweet potato soup need to be accurately measured. I usually just eyeball the amounts in the palm of my hand, but for this one I make sure the amounts are spot-on. Too much cinnamon or nutmeg can be overpowering, so measure accurately.
- Serving bowls and ladle: I like to use wide, shallow soup bowls for this recipe, but any soup bowls will do.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
- Make-ahead: This butternut squash and sweet potato soup is perfect for prepping ahead of time. One option is to roast the vegetables the day before, then refrigerate and continue with the recipe the next day. Or you can make the soup entirely up to two days in advance, then refrigerate in an airtight container. Warm it over low heat on the stove, stirring occasionally.
- Refrigeration: Let any leftovers cool completely before transferring to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.
- Freezing: You can freeze the soup in freezer-safe containers or bags for up to 3 months (leave a little room at the top for expansion). Thaw it overnight in the fridge, then reheat it on the stove over low heat until it's warmed through. (I freeze mine in freezer cubes for individual servings).
- Reheating tips: It's important to reheat butternut squash and sweet potato soup slowly so it doesn't lose its creamy texture. If the soup thickens too much after chilling, just add a small amount of milk or broth until it loosens up a bit (add just a little at a time, and remember that it will thin out a little as it heats up).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use other types of squash?
If you can't find butternut squash, acorn squash is a great substitute. The flavor will change slightly (acorn squash is milder and nuttier).
Do I have to roast the vegetables?
Roasting is key to the flavor in this soup. It caramelizes the natural sugars in the squash and sweet potatoes, which adds a lot of flavor! You can steam or boil them if you have to but it won't be quite as flavorful.
Can I make this soup nut-free?
Just substitute the almond milk with dairy milk, soy milk, oat milk, or coconut milk.
Can I use an immersion blender instead of a food processor?
An immersion blender works well and makes cleanup even easier. Just blend the soup directly in the pot until it's smooth.
How can I make it spicy?
Add a little cayenne pepper, a pinch at a time, until it reaches your perfect spice level. You can also just serve the cayenne at the table so people can add it as they like.
What can I serve with this soup?
It's wonderful with a simple green salad or a side of roasted vegetables. A good, crusty bread is practically a must, or even a grilled cheese sandwich.
Related Recipes
Looking for more fall soup recipes? Try these:
Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup
This creamy fall soup is perfect for chilly nights with a loaf of crusty bread. It's also a wonderful starter for a holiday meal!
Ingredients
- 1 butternut squash, halved and the seeds removed
- 3 sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into medallions
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
- 2 green apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
- 16 ounces vegetable broth
- 4 cups almond or dairy milk
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg (freshly grated if possible)
- ½ cup coconut cream (plus extra for drizzling if desired)
Toppings (optional)
- ¼ cup roasted pumpkin seeds
- ¼ cup croutons
Instructions
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 340Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 3gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 22mgSodium: 910mgCarbohydrates: 38gFiber: 6gSugar: 8gProtein: 14g
This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix.
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