Easy Roasted Butternut Squash (Print Version)

Velvety roasted butternut squash soup, naturally sweet with warm spices. Ready in one hour for cozy nights.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 1 large butternut squash (about 2 pounds), peeled, seeded, and cubed
02 - 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
03 - 2 garlic cloves, peeled
04 - 1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped
05 - 1 stalk celery, chopped

→ Oils & Dairy

06 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
07 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (optional, for richness)

→ Liquids

08 - 4 cups vegetable broth, low sodium preferred

→ Spices & Seasonings

09 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
10 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
11 - 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
12 - 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste

→ Garnishes

13 - 1/4 cup heavy cream or coconut milk
14 - Toasted pumpkin seeds
15 - Fresh thyme leaves

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - Toss cubed butternut squash with 1 tablespoon olive oil, a pinch of salt, and pepper. Spread evenly on the prepared baking sheet. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, until tender and caramelized at the edges.
03 - While squash roasts, heat remaining olive oil and butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery; cook for 5 to 7 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
04 - Add roasted butternut squash, vegetable broth, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and pepper to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
05 - Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth. Alternatively, carefully blend in batches using a countertop blender.
06 - Taste the soup and adjust seasoning as needed with additional salt, pepper, or spices.
07 - Serve hot, drizzled with cream or coconut milk and sprinkled with pumpkin seeds and fresh thyme if desired.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • It tastes like autumn in a bowl without requiring you to be an experienced cook.
  • The roasting step is where all the magic happens—your squash becomes naturally sweet and deeply caramelized, so you barely need anything else.
  • One pot, one blender, and you've got something that feels fancy enough to serve guests but humble enough for a Tuesday night alone.
02 -
  • Don't skip roasting the squash—boiling it will give you soup that tastes like disappointment, but roasting it brings out a natural sweetness that feels almost decadent.
  • An immersion blender is genuinely worth having around; it turns this from a three-step process into a one-step process and makes you feel like a kitchen wizard.
  • Taste your broth before you use it—some store-bought versions are aggressively salty and can completely derail the whole thing if you're not paying attention.
03 -
  • If your immersion blender isn't powerful enough to get things completely smooth, blend in batches in a regular blender—lumpy soup is no one's favorite soup.
  • Buy a pre-cut butternut squash if peeling one from scratch feels like too much work; you're still doing the actual cooking, which is where the skill comes in.
Go Back