Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

An easy, comforting autumn soup with roasted shallots, maple syrup, and a hint of nutmeg.

There is something about autumn that makes a pot of homemade soup especially inviting. And when butternut squash and apples are in season, why not bring the two together? This Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Soup might just be the perfect soup for the season!

It's creamy, slightly sweet, wonderfully flavorful, and surprisingly simple to make. The secret is roasting the squash, apples, and shallots together before blending them into a silky-smooth soup. Roasting brings out the natural sweetness of the squash and apples, while the shallots add a lovely savory depth. A little maple syrup, a splash of plant-based cream, and a pinch of nutmeg bring everything together.

And that gorgeous golden-orange color? Pure autumn in a bowl!

A Little Roasting Makes All the Difference

Rather than cooking everything in broth, I like to roast the vegetables and fruit first.

The high oven temperature caramelizes the edges of the squash, softens the apples, and mellows the shallots. It creates a richness of flavor that you just don't get from simmering alone.

Once everything is roasted, the blender does most of the remaining work.

The result is a smooth, velvety soup that tastes as though you've spent hours preparing it.

Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

Prep time: About 20 minutes

Roasting time: About 40 minutes

Total time: About 1 hour, plus finishing

Servings: Approximately 6–8, depending on portion size

Ingredients

• 2 small butternut squash (about 1 pound each), peeled, seeded, and cut into bite-sized chunks

• 2 apples, peeled, cored, and chopped (I used Honeycrisp)

• 3–4 large shallots, peeled and cut into chunks

• Olive oil, for drizzling

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• About 4 cups vegetable broth (I used Better Than Boullion No Chicken Broth)

• About ¼ cup pure maple syrup, or to taste (start with a very small amount and add until it tastes good to you.)

• About ½ cup plant-based heavy cream (I used Country Crock Homestyle Dairy Free Heavy Whipping Cream)

• A pinch of ground nutmeg

Optional flavor boosters:

• A splash of Vermont Boiled Cider from King Arthur Baking, to intensify the apple flavor

• North Country Garlic Maple Seasoning from The Spice House, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven.

Heat your oven to 450°F.

2. Prepare the squash, apples, and shallots.

Peel and seed the butternut squash and cut into bite-sized pieces. Peel, core, and chop the apples. Peel the shallots and cut into chunks. NOTE: Peeling shallots can be a fussy task, but a James Beard Chef friend taught me a clever workaround. Cut the flower-end tip off. Using a very sharp paring knife, make a shallow cut in the outer peeling... then put them into a bowl of very hot tap water for a few minutes. Drain. The peels should come off easily with the tip of a paring knife.

3. Season and roast.

Arrange everything in a large roasting pan. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Roast for approximately 40 minutes, turning occasionally, until the squash is tender and the edges are beginning to caramelize.

4. Blend until smooth.

Transfer the roasted mixture to a high-speed blender in batches. Add the broth a little at a time, using approximately 4 cups total, and blend until silky smooth.

Be careful when blending hot ingredients. Work in small batches and follow your blender manufacturer's instructions for venting steam.

5. Finish the soup.

Pour the blended soup into a large pot. Stir in the maple syrup, plant-based heavy cream, and a pinch of nutmeg. Warm gently over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.

6. Add your own finishing touches.

I added a little boiled apple cider to enhance the apple flavor and some North Country Garlic Maple Seasoning from The Spice House. Both were delicious additions!

Taste and adjust the seasonings. You may want a little more salt, a touch more maple syrup, or additional broth to reach your preferred consistency.

Serve warm and enjoy!

A Few Notes From My Kitchen

Choose a flavorful apple. I used Honeycrisp apples because I love their natural sweetness and bright flavor. Other sweet-tart apples would work nicely, too.

Don't skip the roasting. Those lightly browned edges add wonderful flavor. Just be sure to turn everything occasionally so the vegetables roast evenly.

Adjust the sweetness. Depending on your squash and apples, you may not need the full ¼ cup of maple syrup. Start with less and add more to taste.

Make it your own. The boiled apple cider gives the soup an extra little burst of apple flavor, while the garlic-maple seasoning adds an interesting savory-sweet note. Neither is essential, but both are worth trying.

Prefer a lighter soup? Reduce or omit the plant-based cream and add a little extra broth. The blended squash gives the soup a naturally creamy texture all on its own.

Simple Ingredients, Wonderful Flavor

One of the things I love most about cooking with seasonal produce is that it doesn't take much to make something special. A couple of small butternut squash, two apples, a handful of shallots, and a few pantry staples become a beautiful pot of soup.

It's comforting enough for a chilly autumn evening, elegant enough to serve as the first course of a holiday dinner, and easy enough to make any day of the week.

And best of all, it's entirely plant-based.

Sometimes the simplest recipes are the ones worth making again and again.

Enjoy!