Spicy Butternut Squash Soup Recipe with Apple

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Spicy butternut squash soup with apple is a thick, flavorful blend of sweet and heat. It's an easy, healthy recipe with simple ingredients.

When butternut squash hits the market, it means one thing in our home – soup season!

But I get it! Life's chaotic. Between juggling work, kids, and a million other tasks, who's got the time to make soup from scratch?

Here's the thing. Just like our spaghetti squash soup, making this delicious soup isn't a day-long ordeal.

If you've got puree on hand, we're talking just 30 minutes. That's quicker than most take-out! We'll show you an easy way to cook butternut squash whole so you can put this easy recipe on repeat.

Are you worried about carbs? It's not as carb-heavy as you might think, and it's packed with fiber, too. Plus, there are no sneaky added sugars! The soup's natural sweetness comes from apples.

I love to curl up with a hearty bowl of this soup and a quick grilled cheese sandwich. Trust me, the combo is a lifesaver on hectic days.

You won't crave store-bought versions once you taste this sweet and spicy butternut squash soup. In fact, you'll want to use the process below to freeze cups of soup to enjoy all season long.

This happens to be a vegan butternut squash soup recipe so EVERYONE can enjoy it!

Jump to:

• Ingredients:
• How to Puree Butternut Squash
• Directions with Pictures
• Topping for Butternut Squash Soup
• Storage
• More Easy Soup Recipes
• 📋 Recipe

Ingredients:

Here's what you'll need to make spicy butternut squash soup with apples:

• Butternut squash - Buy a gourd and follow our instructions for cooking it. Or, use fresh or frozen butternut squash cubes.
• Apple is the sweetener in this recipe, so select a sweet one. Gala, honey crisp, golden delicious, Ambrosia™, and Pink Lady® are all excellent choices.
• Onion and garlic cloves
• Vegetable broth - We used a low-sodium veggie broth. Chicken broth can be used instead.
• Cinnamon and nutmeg are the main seasonings because they pair perfectly with butternut squash.
• Cayenne pepper makes this a spicy soup. And a little of this spice goes a long way. You don't have to add any. Or, you can double the amount for lots of heat!
• Black pepper and salt - Adjust the salt to taste based on the salt content in the broth.

Add a smidge of brown sugar or maple syrup if it's not sweet enough. I've never had to do this! And that's one of the reasons this is my favorite butternut squash soup recipe.

Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients with measurements plus recipe instructions.

How to Puree Butternut Squash

The most effortless way to get puree for this soup is to cook whole squash in a slow cooker! However, we'll go over other options below, too.

Quantity Guide:

• 2-pound butternut squash yields 2 to 2 ½ cups puree.
• 2 cups of ½-inch cubed butternut squash or 16 ounces of pre-cubed yields about 2 cups of puree.

Slow Cooker Method

Just place the entire (washed) gourd into a crock-pot. Don't peel it. Don't cut it. Don't add water. Just put the lid on and cook the squash on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 5-6.

The squash is done when it's tender to touch with a fork. And, there is a good margin for error if you leave it in longer than these guidelines (say another hour or so.)

Remove the seeds and scrape the flesh out of the gourd with a spoon, and it's ready to use in this soup.

Freeze any leftover squash to enjoy in recipes, like butternut squash muffins, all winter. Use the same easy process to cook spaghetti squash whole.

Roasting Method

Of course, the traditional oven-roasting method for cooking butternut squash will work, too. This method gives butternut squash apple soup extra flavor from the caramelization!

• For cubes, toss peeled and diced butternut squash with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake in a 375°F oven for about 15-20 minutes or until fork-tender. For this method, the cubes will be pureed along with the apple and onion when you make the soup.
• To cook squash halves in the oven, cut the gourd in half and scrape out the seeds. Brush the inside with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place it face down on a baking sheet and cook for about 50 minutes at 375°F. It's done when you can easily pierce the outer skin with a knife. The last step is to scrape out the pulp.

Time-saving tip: Cook and puree butternut squash a day or two in advance so it's ready when you are! 

Directions with Pictures

Here's how to make this easy butternut squash soup recipe:

1. Use one of the methods above to cook butternut squash and remove the seeds. Once the squash cools, scrape the flesh into a bowl and measure the amount needed.
2. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat. Add diced apple and onion and saute for about 5 minutes or until the onion and apple soften. Add minced garlic and spices and continue sauteeing for about 1 minute more.
3. Add broth and squash puree to the pot. Bring the mixture to a near-boil, then let it simmer on low heat for approximately 10 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and puree with an immersion stick blender or in batches in a food processor until it reaches the desired consistency.

The yield is about 5 cups.

Topping for Butternut Squash Soup

Customize this sweet and spicy butternut squash soup and make it look as delectable as it tastes!

1. Diced Apple: A garnish of freshly chopped apple amplifies the fruity undertone of the soup and adds a delightful crunch.
2. Pumpkin Seeds: Toasted or raw, pumpkin seeds (also known as pepitas) introduce a nutty flavor and a contrasting crunch.
3. Sage Leaves: Fried in a bit of butter or olive oil until just crispy, this herb offers a fragrant and earthy twist.
4. Cilantro: Freshly chopped cilantro lends a refreshing and slightly citrusy flavor.
5. Sprinkled with More Spices like Cinnamon: A light dusting of cinnamon or even nutmeg elevates the warmth of this cozy soup.
6. Coconut Cream, Heavy Cream, or Crème Fraîche: Add a dollop for a decadent, creamy soup.
7. Toasted Bread Crumbs: Sprinkling toasted bread crumbs or croutons can add a delightful crunchy texture.
8. Chopped Roasted Nuts: Consider adding roasted pecans, walnuts, or almonds.

Storage

Double the batch of this butternut squash soup recipe. It freezes beautifully.

Refrigerator: Store soup in an airtight container for about 3 days and reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.

Freezer: Butternut squash soup with apple freezes beautifully. Place soup in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag, leaving about ½ inch at the top for expansion. We use individual portion containers so the soup will thaw quickly.

Defrost: Place it in the refrigerator overnight and warm it on the stovetop or the microwave.

Reheat from frozen: Cover the container and microwave on high for 1-2 minutes, stir, and continue cooking at 30-second intervals until hot. The exact timing depends upon the size of the container used.

More Easy Soup Recipes

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📋 Recipe

This recipe was originally published on 11/27/2017 and was updated to improve the reader experience.