Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Spiced Pistachios

This roasted butternut squash soup is a perfect treat for fall and winter months, with subtle warming spices that aren’t overpowering. The squash purees into a healthy, creamy soup without any actual cream, and you can optionally use vegetable stock in place of chicken stock to create a vegan butternut squash soup. The pistachios add flavor and crunch (as well as an eye-catching garnish). If you’ve been looking for the best butternut squash soup recipe, look no further.  

If you love butternut squash as much as I do, you know what a treat it is to finally see it at the market once fall arrives. Whether it’s diced to make a simple roasted butternut squash side dish, baked into macaroni and cheese, or pureed into a silky soup like my butternut lobster bisque, the results are always fantastic.

The seasonal widespread availability of butternut squash makes it a perfect choice when you crave a creamy, rich soup that’s healthy and filling. Scroll to the bottom for the recipe, or keep reading for my homemade soup tips! 

Butternut Squash Soup Ingredients

• Butternut squash
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Yellow onion
• Celery
• Garlic cloves
• Dry white wine (optional but recommended)
• Chicken or vegetable stock
• Thyme
• Cinnamon
• Nutmeg

If you want to make a pumpkin soup or acorn squash soup instead, you can swap in equal quantities in place of the butternut squash.

Spiced Pistachio Ingredients

• Pistachios
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Brown sugar
• Cinnamon
• Chili powder
• Cayenne pepper

You can skip the spiced pistachios if you’d rather opt for a side of crusty bread (or whatever your preference may be). However, I definitely recommend adding them. Not only do the nuts add texture and a fragrant blend of spices, but they make the soup more visually appealing. They can also be prepared up to one week in advance and stored in an airtight container at room temperature.

Tips For The Best Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

You have two options for roasting: 

1. The first option is to peel, seed and dice the squash (or purchase it pre-diced from the produce section to save time). You can see step-by-step photos in my tutorial on how to roast butternut squash.
2. Your other option is to make a whole roasted butternut squash. This will take longer than roasting diced pieces, but you save time by not having to peel and dice, so it’s all a matter of preference. I think the squash flavor is enhanced when you roast it diced instead of whole, because more surface area is gettin caramelized in the oven. You can find more precise roasting instructions in the recipe itself.

Nut Substitutions: If you don’t want to use pistachios, you can swap them out for other nuts (almonds or pecans would be amazing), butternut squash seeds, or pumpkin seeds, following the same method of preparation (the seeds might roast more quickly). I love using pistachios here, but roasting the butternut squash seeds is a perfect way to use more of the vegetable.

Alcohol: This recipe includes a small amount of white wine. Alcohol is always optional in soups, and most of the alcohol cooks away, leaving only the flavor behind. It’s wonderful, subtle and so worth it.

However, if you don’t consume alcohol, simply swap it out with water or more stock. If you don’t want to purchase an entire bottle of wine just for the recipe, you can buy smaller bottles. I like using small boxes of Vendange Chardonnay (their Cabernet is also good for recipes that use red wine).

Stock: I always recommend making homemade stock for the best results. Check out my recipe for chicken stock, as well as my time-saving recipe for Instant Pot chicken stock. 

Equipment: I use this enameled cast iron Dutch oven for all of my soups and stews. To puree the soup, I use a Vitamix blender, which gets my soups ridiculously smooth and velvety. However, any standard blender will work, as will an immersion blender or food mill.

How to Chop an Onion

This recipe calls for chopped onions. Check out my fast and easy technique for how to chop an onion with step-by-step photos!

More Butternut Squash Recipes

If you like this soup, you may also enjoy my Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta, Butternut Squash Galette with Goat Cheese and Sage, and Baked Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese! I also love this Roasted Butternut Squash with Smoked Paprika and Turmeric from Healthy Seasonal Recipes. 

You can also check out my full archive of butternut squash recipes.

Print Pin Recipe

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

5 from 9 votes

This Roasted Butternut Squash Soup is total comfort food! The spiced pistachios are optional, but they add texture, flavor and a beautiful garnish.

Course Appetizer, Soup

Cuisine American

Keyword butternut squash soup

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 2 hours hours

Total Time 2 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Servings 6 - 8 servings (approximately)

Calories 355

Author Jennifer Farley

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

For the soup:

• ▢ 3 1/2 - 4 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced (see notes)
• ▢ 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
• ▢ 1 medium yellow onion, diced (approximately 2 cups)
• ▢ 2 ribs celery, diced (approximately 1 cup)
• ▢ 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
• ▢ 1/4 cup dry white wine (optional but recommended)
• ▢ 4 cups homemade or low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock (use vegetable stock for a vegan soup)
• ▢ 2 sprigs thyme
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, plus more as needed

For the spiced pistachios:

• ▢ 1 cup raw, shelled pistachios (see notes)
• ▢ 1 1/2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ 1 1/2 teaspoon packed light brown sugar (dark brown sugar may be substituted)
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• ▢ pinch of cayenne pepper

Instructions

Prepare the soup:

• ▢
  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Place the butternut squash on the sheet and toss with a thin coating of olive oil (about 1 tablespoon). Spread in a single layer and sprinkle lightly with salt. Roast the squash for 35-45 minutes, or until fork tender. (Note: if you want to roast a whole butternut squash instead, see the recipe notes for steps).
• ▢
  In a large, nonstick heavy-bottom saucepan or Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the onions and celery along with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes, until the vegetables are soft and starting to slightly caramelize. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute, stirring.
• ▢
  Turn up the heat to medium and continue stirring until a brown glaze begins forming on the bottom of the pot, 1-3 minutes. If you're using a nonstick pan, there won't be any brown bits (which is fine). 
• ▢
  Add the white wine. The liquid will help detach the brown bits; use a spatula to scrape them up and stir them back into the veggies. (If you don’t use alcohol, water or stock may be substituted.)
• ▢
  Add the squash, stock, thyme, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Turn the heat to high and bring the soup to a boil, then reduce to low and cover. Simmer for 30 minutes.
• ▢
  Remove the soup from the heat and let it cool, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Remove the thyme stems (the leaves will be in the soup). Carefully ladle the soup into a blender and puree, in batches, if necessary.
• ▢
  Return the soup to the pot and season with salt and pepper. As with most soups, this one will taste best the next day after the flavors have had a chance to truly mingle. You can reheat the over medium heat in the same saucepan, or in smaller batches in the microwave. The soup will keep in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. It can also be frozen in airtight containers for several months.
• ▢
  Serve soup in bowls topped with spiced pistachios and some freshly ground black pepper.

Prepare the spiced nuts:

• ▢
  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.  
• ▢
  Place the pistachios in a small bowl and add the olive oil, salt, brown sugar, cinnamon, chili powder, and cayenne pepper, stirring with a spatula to combine.
• ▢
  Spread the nuts in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet, and roast for approximately 15 minutes, shaking the pan halfway through. The pistachios are ready when they’re golden and fragrant. They can be prepared up to one week in advance and stored in an airtight container at room temperature.

Notes

You can see step-by-step photos for how to dice and roast butternut squash in this tutorial. To save time, you can use pre-diced squash from the produce section of your grocery store, or you can roast the squash whole.

Roasted Whole Butternut Squash:

1. Cut a small slice off the bottom of the squash to create a flat surface, then place the squash flat against a cutting board. Slice in half from top to bottom (use a sharp chef's knife).
2. Scoop out the seeds, then rub the squash with a bit of olive oil. Place on a parchment-lined sheet pan, flesh-side down, and roast in a 400 degree F oven until fork tender, 45-60 minutes.

If you can't find raw pistachios, the roasted ones will still work, but try to avoid salted pistachios. If that’s your only option, omit the salt from the spice mixture.

If you want to make a pumpkin soup or acorn squash soup instead, you can swap in equal quantities in place of the butternut squash.

Please read my full post for additional recipe notes, tips, and serving suggestions!

Nutrition

Calories: 355kcal | Carbohydrates: 78g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 5g | Sodium: 1039mg | Potassium: 896mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 54g | Vitamin A: 24540IU | Vitamin C: 50.2mg | Calcium: 122mg | Iron: 1.9mg

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