This sweet and spicy butternut squash soup is hearty, delicious thanks to roasting the butternut squash first. It’s perfect for a crispy fall day.
I need spoons that don’t show reflections. Or, a better editing program. Mom, dad, Ulysses…it’s called Lightroom and it has my name written all over it.
Holy possibilities overload with this soup! What I thought was going to be a simple decision between spicy and sweet turned into an epic internal debate.
Let me recount the different ways I contemplated making this soup:
-sweet with maple/brown sugar theme
-combined with apples (ugh, no juice in the house, could be weird with milk)
-plain butternut, slightly spiced with curry/cumin maybe?
-spicy, using some of those chipotle chilis in adobo sauce I still have leftover!
-a squash medley since there are 2 acorns & a kabocha on my countertop
Oh, and then there were the toppings:
-something fresh, green and bright
-bacon (until realizing Ulysses ate it all)
-brown sugar roasted pumpkin seeds
-spicy roasted pumpkin seeds
It’s honestly amazing there’s a soup to actually post about right now and that I’m not still in the kitchen trying to decide.
In the end I kind of cheated, not really choosing one specific direction and ended up combining both the sweet and spicy elements (told you I was indecisive.) Such a good idea. Totally sweet squash soups usually leave me almost nauseous by the end, while totally spicy soups leave my taste buds fried for the rest of the day.
Meet the perfect in between.
Sweet by roasting the squash first with maple syrup and brown sugar. Spicy by adding a chili in adobo sauce and curry powder. Rounded out with nutmeg and cinnamon and you’ve got one delicious, hearty soup.
It really would’ve been awesome with crumbled bacon on top for a salty kick. I’m not gonna lie, I silently cursed Ulysses when I opened the drawer the bacon was supposed to be in to find it empty. I’m thinking we need to implement an “I finished it” list on the fridge for situations like this. You finish something, you write it on the list. Makes sense and helps keep my sanity. Win, win.
Sweet and Spicy Butternut Squash Soup
This sweet and spicy butternut squash soup is hearty, delicious thanks to roasting the butternut squash first. It's perfect for a crispy fall day.
Ingredients
- 1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed & chopped into 1 inch cubes
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 clove of garlic, chopped
- 1 chipotle chili in adobo sauce, seeds scraped out and chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon curry powder
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 vegetable bullion cube
- 2 cups of hot water
- 1/2 cup 1% milk
- 3/4 cup almond milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
- Grease a baking sheet well.
- Combine squash, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt, pepper, brown sugar and maple syrup in a large bowl and toss to combine.
- Spread mixture evenly onto baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes.
- Lower heat to 400 degrees and roast for another 25 minutes, tossing occasionally.
- Remove from oven, set aside.
- In a large dutch oven or other heavy bottomed pot, heat remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat.
- Add onions & garlic and sauté for 3-5 minutes until slightly softened.
- Add chili & remaining spices and sauté for another 3-5 minutes.
- Add bullion cube, water and the roasted butternut squash. Stir until cube is dissolved.
- Turn heat off and puree using an immersion blender on low until it reaches a chunky pureed consistency*.
- Add both milks and stir to combine.
- Can be served immediately or warmed up for later.
Notes
*This soup is thick. If you prefer it more liquid, I would add 3-4 cups of water with the bullion cube and puree longer.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 402Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 27mgSodium: 1076mgCarbohydrates: 39gFiber: 5gSugar: 22gProtein: 12g
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For the most precise nutritional data use your preferred nutrition calculator based on the actual ingredients you used in the recipe.
Do you prefer sweet or spicy squash soups?
What are some things your spouse/significant other does that drive you crazy?
Ian
Thursday 1st of December 2022
When do you put the squash back in? With the garlic? With the chili? After the broth?
Gina Matsoukas
Monday 5th of December 2022
Recipe has been updated, sorry about that oversight!
Melissa L Harlow
Tuesday 17th of August 2021
Can you use regular or coconut milk if you don't have almond milk?
Gina Matsoukas
Tuesday 17th of August 2021
Yes, you can.
23 Thanksgiving Recipes to Please Everyone at Your Table
Friday 14th of November 2014
[…] via running to the kitchen […]
Colleen
Sunday 12th of January 2014
I love butternut squash soups, but I have a very small collection of recipes so when I saw this one I wanted to make it right away. Today was the day it finally happened. Excellent soup! I accidentally used 4 cups of water and the soup still came out nice and thick and creamy, too. Great taste combo. I'm going to roast the butternut squash seeds and add those on top w/ some cilantro. On the next run, I am going to add that bit of salt on top (like the bacon), use two squash but not double the sugar. I'll let you know how that goes. Oh, now I have this can of chili's in adobo sauce, any ideas on what to make with them? I love the flavor and that on chili went a very long way. Thanks!
100 Healthy Thanksgiving Recipes
Friday 22nd of November 2013
[…] Sweet and spicy butternut squash soup Pumpkin potato soup Creamy potato leek soup – Tasty Yummies Butternut squash and pear soup – White on Rice Parsnip and apple soup - Healthy Green Kitchen Golden beet soup with roasted garlic cashew cream – With Food + Love Creamy pumpkin soup – The Comfort of Cooking […]