Spicy Roasted Butternut Squash Soup is the perfect autumn soup. It’s creamy, savory, and slightly sweet with a kick of spice! This roasted butternut squash soup is made with roasted butternut squash, potatoes, carrots, cayenne pepper, and homemade chicken broth. It’s filling, flavorful, and very perfect for any cold autumn night!
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I don’t know about you, but it’s finally starting to feel like a fall here in Kansas. So of course I had to make a big pot of soup.
Even though I had already made this soup last week I had to make it again because it’s soooo good! For dinner, I served it with herb-roasted duck with potatoes and carrots, and homemade challah bread. It was the perfect way to enjoy the first taste of cooler weather.
Butternut squash soup is our favorite go-to recipe for soup season. It’s a creamy soup made with simple ingredients like butternut squash, carrots, and potatoes. The squash once roasted is very sweet and flavorful and when combined with the other ingredients, it becomes a delicious soup that we can’t get enough of!
You can totally cook the butternut squash in the soup without roasting it first but by roasting the squash beforehand, it really takes this soup to a whole new level of deliciousness!
This recipe makes a big batch so it’s perfect for meal prep at the beginning of the week. Serve this spicy squash soup by itself or topped with pumpkin seeds and a drizzle of heavy cream. It would also be perfect to serve with homemade challah bread, white bread, or dinner rolls for Thanksgiving dinner.
No matter how you serve it, this is the best butternut squash soup recipe for fall!
Recipe ingredients
Chicken broth – can also use vegetable broth or homemade chicken stock. Use more or less depending on how thick you like your soup.
Butternut squash – 1 large butternut squash peeled and deseeded. It gets roasted before being cooked in the soup to develop a richer and sweeter flavor.
Potatoes – roasted until tender and just starting to brown. Potatoes help to thicken the soup. Use 4 small potatoes, we don’t want the potatoes to diminish the butternut squash flavor in this soup.
Carrots, celery, onions, and garlic cloves – chopped and sauteed. Makes the soup more savory and the carrots help to add a natural sweetness to the soup. Everything will get blended later on.
Cayenne pepper – Use 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper to make this a spicy butternut squash soup. You could also use jalapeno peppers and poblano peppers to make it even spicier. Make sure to keep the seeds!
Thyme – You can use a couple of fresh thyme sprigs or dried thyme.
Salt and ground black pepper – season to taste.
Olive oil – used to roast and saute the vegetables. Can also use regular or refined coconut oil or avocado oil as well.
How to Make Creamy Butternut Squash Soup
All ingredients, measurements, and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step one. Start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, then line both a 9×13 baking pan and sheet pan with parchment paper then set aside.
Step two. Next, cut the ends off the butternut squash, then peel it using a vegetable peeler. Cut the squash in half then scoop out the seeds using a large spoon. Wear plastic gloves while doing this so you don’t get the squash sap on your hands. Lastly, cut the squash into even cubes. Place the cubed squash into the 9 x 13 baking pan.
Step three. Peel, cut, and rinse the potatoes then transfer them to the other sheet pan. Drizzle both vegetables with a bit of olive oil, then roast for 40 – 60 minutes or until the potatoes are just starting to brown and the squash is soft and well-browned. The potatoes will be done first. Take the roasted vegetables then set aside to allow them to cool.
Step four. While the squash cools, saute the onions, carrots, and celery in a large pot on medium-high heat with 1 – 2 tablespoons of olive oil until soft. Then add in the minced garlic, allowing it to cook for 30 seconds – 1 minute so it can become fragrant. Lastly add in the fresh or dried thyme, salt, and ground black pepper.
Step five. Transfer the cooked potatoes and squash to the pot along with the chicken broth. Allow the soup to come up to a boil then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook covered for 30 – 40 minutes for the flavors to combine.
Step six. Blend your soup using either an immersion blender or using a high-speed blender in 2 – 4 cup portions. Make sure to allow our soup to cool for 1 – 2 hours before doing this so you don’t burn yourself.
Step seven. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed, then serve your spicy butternut squash soup topped with pumpkin seeds or a splash of cream. Enjoy!
Variations
- Use vegetable stock instead of chicken broth to make a vegan butternut squash soup.
- Serve with crème fraîche, heavy cream, or coconut cream.
- Make your soup even creamier by mixing in coconut milk, coconut cream, or dairy cream into the soup after blending.
- Serve topped with fresh herbs like thyme or sage.
- Add a drizzle of maple syrup for a touch of sweetness.
- Serve your soup with a pinch of chili flakes or with raw or toasted pumpkin seeds.
- Instead of blending the soup, feel free to enjoy it chunky.
Recommended Tools
Large pot or large Dutch oven
9 x 13 baking dish and sheet pan
Food processor, high-speed blender, or immersion blender/ stick blender, to blend the soup
Plastic gloves, are used when cutting and peeling the squash so the juices don’t give you “sticky squash hands”.
Pro Tips
- If your soup is too spicy for your liking, try mixing it with more broth or with a splash of heavy cream.
- Allow the soup to cool for at least 1 – 2 hours before trying to blend it in a blender. Otherwise, the steam can build up too much in the blender and you can possibly burn yourself.
- If you want to serve your soup right away use an immersion blender or leave it chunky.
How To Store/ Make Ahead
Store leftover butternut squash soup in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. You can transfer the soup to a freezer-safe container or freezer bag to freeze for several weeks.
When ready to reheat, remove the soup from the bag then reheat on the stove on medium heat with 1/4 cup of chicken or vegetable broth until hot.
Frequently Asked Questions —
Butternut squash can go with a variety of flavors. Try using fresh or dried thyme, rosemary, and sage. Vegetables like potatoes, celery, and carrots are great options. Sweet and savory flavors like bacon, chicken broth, brown sugar, or maple syrup are great to complement the natural flavors of the squash.
Even though the squash skin is edible I like to peel it before cooking so my soup is as smooth as possible without a weird flavor or texture.
This is called “squash hands”. Sometimes after peeling or cutting a butternut squash your hands might start to feel tight and wrinkly, this is because the squash will release a sticky sap-like juice. The feeling will go away after a few hours, but to avoid this, it’s best to peel and cut the squash while wearing disposable gloves.
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Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Ingredients
- 1 medium or large butternut squash*
- 4 small potatoes
- ¼ cup olive oil divided
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 1 - 2 stalks celery diced
- 1 - 2 carrots diced
- 3 - 4 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 5 - 6 cups homemade chicken broth
- Optional
- Drizzle of heavy cream for serving
- Pumpkin seeds toasted or raw for serving
Instructions
- Start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, then line both a 9x13 baking pan and a sheet pan with parchment paper, then set aside.
- Next, cut off the ends of the butternut squash using a sharp knife, then peel it with a vegetable peeler. Cut the squash in half then scoop out the seeds using a large spoon. Wear plastic gloves while doing this so you get stick squash sap on your hands. Lastly, cut the squash into cubes then transfer the squash to the 9x13 baking pan.
- Peel, cut, and rinse the potatoes then transfer them to the other sheet pan. Drizzle both vegetables with olive oil then mix to combine.
- Roast vegetables for 40 - 60 minutes or until the potatoes and squash are tender and just starting to brown. The potatoes will be done first. Once done set aside to cool.
- Heat a large pot on medium-high heat with 1- 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the diced onions, celery, and carrots and cook until soft or about 5 minutes. Next, make a hole in the middle of the pot then add the minced garlic. Allow it to cook for 30 seconds - 1 minute so it can be fragrant. Lastly mix in dried thyme, cayenne pepper, salt, and ground black pepper.
- Add the cooked potatoes and squash to the pot along with the chicken broth. Allow the soup to come up to a boil then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook the soup covered for 30 - 40 minutes to allow the flavors to combine.
- Next blend your soup using either an immersion blender right away or wait 1 - 2 hours to blend the soup in a high-speed blender in 2 - 4 cup portions, so you don't burn yourself.
- Taste and adjust for seasoning if needed, then serve your spicy butternut squash soup topped with pumpkin seeds or a drizzle of heavy cream. Enjoy!
Notes
All nutrition information is automatically generated and should be only used as a rough estimate. This recipe card may contain affiliate links.
