Butternut Squash Apple Soup (Printable)

Creamy autumn soup combining roasted butternut squash and sweet apples, warming spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg for a comforting bowl in under an hour.

# What You Need:

→ Vegetables & Fruit

01 - 1 medium butternut squash (about 2 pounds), peeled, seeded, and cubed
02 - 2 medium apples such as Granny Smith or Honeycrisp, peeled, cored, and chopped
03 - 1 medium onion, diced
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

→ Liquids

05 - 4 cups vegetable broth, gluten-free if needed
06 - 1/2 cup apple cider or apple juice

→ Seasonings & Oils

07 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
08 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
09 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
10 - 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
11 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

→ Optional Garnishes

12 - 1/4 cup heavy cream or coconut cream for swirling
13 - Toasted pumpkin seeds or fresh thyme

# How To Make It:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add diced onion and minced garlic, sauté until translucent, approximately 3 minutes.
02 - Add cubed butternut squash and chopped apples to the pot. Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
03 - Sprinkle cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and black pepper over the vegetables and apples. Stir thoroughly to coat evenly.
04 - Pour vegetable broth and apple cider into the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes until squash and apples are very tender.
05 - Remove from heat. Carefully blend the soup using an immersion blender directly in the pot, or transfer in batches to a countertop blender. Purée until smooth and creamy.
06 - Taste the soup and adjust salt, pepper, or spices as needed.
07 - Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with a swirl of cream and a sprinkle of toasted pumpkin seeds or fresh thyme if desired.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • The natural sweetness of butternut squash and apple creates a perfect balance without needing added sugar, something I discovered after years of over-sweetening everything.
  • You can make this soup on a Sunday and enjoy the flavors deepening throughout the week, which saved me on many busy weeknights when all I could manage was reheating.
02 -
  • Never fill your blender more than halfway with hot soup, a lesson I learned after a spectacular kitchen ceiling disaster that took hours to clean.
  • The soup will thicken considerably as it cools, so dont worry if it seems slightly thin right after blending, a revelation that prevented me from ruining many batches by over-reducing.
03 -
  • Cut the butternut squash into similarly sized cubes to ensure they cook evenly, a technique that eliminated the annoying partially-raw chunks I used to find when blending.
  • For the creamiest possible texture, peel the apples even if using a high-powered blender, as the skins can sometimes leave tiny flecks that disrupt the velvety finish.
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