Roasted Butternut Squash Soup is a cold-weather staple! We love this silky butternut soup served with spicy roasted chickpeas for extra flavor. Vegan, Vegetarian, and T-Rex toppings available, so there’s something for everyone!
Roasting the butternut squash until caramelized and tender is totally key here. The flavor blows any other method out of the water.
To capitalize on extra flavor and also streamline our squash-to-soup process, let’s just go ahead and roast some carrots and onion along with it!
The result?
A velvety, flavorful soup that is so crazy tasty you won’t be able to put down your spoon!
To me, this baller butternut soup tastes like Thanksgiving in a bowl.
As an added bonus, the roasted veggies made my house smell so completely divine! I have a feeling we’ll be making this one a whole lot this Fall + Winter. Love it so!
what are good spices to add to butternut squash soup?
Looking for some extra ways to season your soup? Aside from salt and pepper, you can also add nutmeg, allspice, ginger, and/or cayenne pepper. Fresh sage and sautéed or roasted garlic are popular pairings as well!
I like my soup on the simple side, so I spice the soup accordingly. A little salt, pepper, and sautéed garlic with some spicy seasoned chickpeas on top and I’m as happy as can be!
I seasoned my crispy chickpeas with smoked paprika, garlic powder, cumin, ground cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. They were so tasty right off the pan that I literally had to force myself to save enough for the soup.
They lend some flavor to the soup as well, making them a healthy + crazy tasty topping option!
Speaking of toppings…
what toppings can you add to butternut soup?
Aside from the roasted chickpeas I’ve included in the recipe below, there are so many tasty toppings you can add to this soup! Here are some tasty options to choose from:
vegan toppings
- roasted pepitas
- toasted pecans
- croutons
- scallions or chives
- shawarma chickpeas
- sriracha chickpeas
- cashew cream
- hot sauce
vegetarian toppings
- heavy cream or sour cream
- crispy roasted parmesan chickpeas
- grated cheddar or parmesan cheese
t-rex toppings
If you’ve been waiting this entire post for me to mention bacon I totally get it! You’re welcome to top the soup with crispy bacon if you’re jonesin’ for some. Vegetarians can opt for vegan bacon bits as well!
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
This silky, scrumptious roasted butternut squash soup is my new favorite soup recipe! By roasting the veggies first and browning the wee bit of butter that we’re using for the soup’s creaminess, we’re able to infuse this tasty soup with so much extra flavor! Gah! Love it so!!!
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup is a cold-weather staple! We love this silky butternut soup served with spicy roasted chickpeas for extra flavor. Vegan, Vegetarian, and T-Rex toppings available, so there's something for everyone!
Recipe yields approx. 4 bowls or 6-7 cups of soup.
Ingredients
- 1 butternut squash (approx. 2.5 pounds)
- 3 large carrots
- 1 onion (white or yellow)
- 1 TBSP avocado oil (or favorite healthy oil)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 TBSP unsalted butter
- 3 cloves garlic smashed + minced
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- additional salt + pepper to taste
SPICY ROASTED CHICKPEAS
- 15 oz canned chickpeas
- 1 TBSP avocado oil (or favorite healthy oil)
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/8 tsp ground cumin
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
Instructions
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F. Make sure you have two large rimmed baking sheets handy as well as a blender.
Drain and rinse your chickpeas and place on a stack of paper towels to dry a bit. The drier the chickpeas the crispier they'll get in the oven. Woot!
Cut your squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Pierce skin of squash a few times with a knife. Peel and cut your carrots into 3 portions. Peel onion and cut into 8 quarters.
Place your squash (cut side down), carrot, and onion on a large rimmed baking sheet (or roasting pan). Drizzle with 1 TBSP oil (extra if desired) and season with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Pour 1/4 cup of water over the squash. (it will evaporate as the squash roasts)
Pat chickpeas dry and add to your second baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 TBSP oil and season with 1/4 tsp salt. (The rest of the spices will be added after)
Place both pans on the center rack in your oven and roast. Chickpeas will be done at 30 minutes and the squash and veggies will be done after 45-50 minutes.
While your veggies roast, combine spicy chickpea seasoning in a small bowl: paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, cumin, black pepper. Set aside and once chickpeas are done roasting, sprinkle with the seasoning blend, mix 'em up, and set aside. They will crisp up more as they cool!
In a medium-large pot, melt 2 TBSP butter over medium heat. For extra flavor, let's brown the butter first to add some nutty flavor to our soup! Let your butter melt untouched, then once it starts to simmer and brown, add minced garlic and whisk constantly until butter is golden and fragrant. Add your vegetable broth, cover, and reduce heat to low.
Once your squash is ready, allow to cool enough t handle, then peel off the skin of the butternut. Alternatively you can scoop the squash out with a spoon.
Working in batches, blend the veggies with the broth in your blender until silky. I was able to add half the veggies and half the broth and get it all blended in 2 batches. Filling blender only 2/3 full is best as hot liquid expands.
Return the soup to your pot and mix well. Add any additional seasoning to taste and feel free to add extras like nutmeg, allspice, cayenne pepper, etc... Keep covered over lowest heat setting until ready to serve.
Dive in while it's hot and top soup with seasoned chickpeas and your choice of toppings from the notes below. I like mine with chickpeas, scallions and a teeny drizzle of cream!
Recipe Notes
VEGAN TOPPINGS: roasted pepitas, toasted pecans, croutons, chopped scallions or chives, cashew cream, and/or hot sauce
VEGETARIAN TOPPINGS: heavy cream or sour cream, grated cheddar or parmesan cheese, etc...
T-REX TOPPINGS: You're welcome to top the soup with crispy bacon if you're jonesin' for some. Vegetarians can opt for vegan bacon bits as well! Chicken broth may be used in place of veg broth if needed.
For a vegan soup, replace the butter with oil, to taste.
Using an immersion blender in place of a blender? Cut your carrot into smaller pieces for roasting (so they soften more and blend more easily) and make sure you're using an extra large pot to blend the soup in to prevent splashing.
If you get a chance to try this roasted butternut squash soup, let me know! Leave some love in the comment form below or tag your photos with @peasandcrayons on Instagram so I can happy dance over your creation!
bonkers for butternut?
- Honey Roasted Butternut Squash with Cranberries and Feta <– READER FAVORITE!
- Butternut Black Bean Burgers <– FREEZER FRIENDLY!
- Baked Butternut Squash Fries
- Roasted Butternut Squash and Wild Rice Salad
Jessica Flory
You knocked it out of the park, Jenn!! Delicious!
Therese M
Made this soup for dinner tonight…very yummy!
Jenn, now that I’m retired, I’ve really been getting into cooking, and loving it! I subscribe to several food blogs and yours is one of the best! This is the second recipe I’ve made, and both turned out wonderful!
Jane
I made this Butternut Squash Soup tonight and it was so easy abs ridiculously delicious. Thank you for sharing it!