Easy Carrot Butternut Squash Soup made with carrots, butternut squash, onion, garlic, broth, and spices. Serve it with crusty bread and a salad, grilled cheese, roasted pork tenderloin, or stir in some shredded chicken to make it a complete meal!
Just like my kale salad, this recipe is inspired by the 'Savory Butternut Squash Soup' on the Fall menu at one of my favorite restaurants, True Food Kitchen.
I literally asked our server if he knew how they got the soup to be so rich in color and what spices they used to make it because I was tasting something delicious that I didn't recognize. His answer was, "roast the butternut squash soup and add allspice."
So that's what I did. 🤩 In fact, I used to call this my Vitamix Butternut Squash Soup recipe but then I decided to add carrots for more depth of flavor and realized that while I love to use my Vitamix to make it, other blenders can be used as well.
Just wait until you try this delicious soup!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
With the changing of leaves comes soup season! 🍂 I don't know about you but, in my opinion, butternut squash carrot soup tastes even better on a chilly day. Yum!
- Easy Recipe Literally, all you need to do is roast the veggies and garlic and blend them together with broth and spices. Feel free to use pre-cut butternut squash to make it even easier.
- Simple Ingredients Butternut squash, carrots, onion, garlic, broth, and spices.
- Kid-Approved Roasted carrots add a hint of sweetness, and the seasoning is not overpowering. In fact, you may want to double up on the seasonings if your kids are used to more heavily seasoned soups.
- Creamy Soup This is a creamy butternut squash soup made without heavy cream. In fact, this is a dairy-free soup. See the 'recipe variations' section for ways to make it even creamier.
- Meal Prep This soup can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge for a few days. When you are ready for a bowl of hot soup, rewarm it in the microwave in 30 second intervals until it's heated through.
Dietitian Tips
Soups are a great way to introduce your kids to new foods and increase their intake of veggies.
Tip 1 If your kids are reluctant to try a "squash soup", encourage them (don't make them) to take one bite just to taste it, explaining that you won't ask them to take a second bite if they don't want to. If they don't want more, don't make a big deal about it. Then, offer it again the next time you make it.
Remember that kids often have to be exposed to something several times before they will accept it. Exposure leads to familiarity. Familiarity leads to acceptance. Soup is no exception.
Tip 2 Let your kids see you (and other adults in the home) eat and enjoy this soup. You know that saying 'actions speak louder than words?' 😉
Recipe Variations
- Coconut Milk Substitute some of the broth with coconut milk to add the flavor of coconut.
- Maple Syrup Stir in a small amount of maple syrup to add a touch of sweetness.
- Creamier Soup To give this soup even more of a creamy texture, reduce the amount of broth added, or stir in a small amount of plain yogurt, a splash of heavy cream, or coconut milk.
- Ginger Blend in one-quarter to one-half teaspoon of ground ginger or a small piece of fresh ginger to add even more flavor. I don't suggest adding ginger until you've tried the recipe without it first.
- Curry If you love the flavor of curry, try adding a small amount of curry powder when making this soup. Similar to ginger, I suggest tasting the recipe as is first. Then, if you think it needs more flavor, feel free to add more seasoning.
Ingredient Notes
- Butternut squash Butternut squash is the key ingredient in this recipe. It's high in beta carotene and fiber.
- Carrots Use two medium carrots or one-and-a-half large carrots.
- Onion and Garlic Use a yellow onion and fresh cloves of garlic. Roasting onion and garlic give this soup a more pleasant and savory flavor.
- Broth I use low-sodium chicken broth or chicken stock to bring this to a 'soup' consistency. Chicken broth helps give this soup a savory flavor. Water or vegetable broth can be used instead to make this a vegan butternut squash soup.
- Olive Oil I use extra virgin olive oil. A neutral-flavored oil can be used instead.
- Spices Ground allspice, nutmeg, salt, and black pepper. I've used ground cloves when I didn't have allspice, and the soup was still delicious.
- Fresh Sage Leaves (optional) Add just a few tiny pieces of fresh sage to each bowl as you serve the soup to bring the flavor to the next level. If your kids have aversions to texture, feel free to leave it out.
How to Make Carrot Butternut Squash Soup
Here's a quick overview of the steps to make this Vitamix butternut squash soup. For the full list of ingredients and specific instructions, scroll down to the recipe card.
- Spread the chunks of butternut squash and raw carrots, onion slices, and garlic cloves out on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, then toss to combine.
- Roast at 425 degrees Fahrenheit in a preheated oven, on the top rack for about 30 minutes, or until the edges of the onion and butternut squash start to brown. Remove from the oven.
- Carefully place the roasted veggies into a high-speed blender or large pot.
- Add broth, salt, and spices. Use a regular blender or immersion blender to blend until smooth. If you will be serving this soup right away, warm the soup up on the stovetop on medium heat for 2-3 minutes or in the microwave until it reaches a serving temperature.
Helpful Tips
- Since broth is stored at room temperature (if left unopened) or refrigerated (once opened, or homemade), it will cool down the roasted vegetables as soon as you add it. This is why you'll need to warm up the soup before serving it.
- Butternut squash comes in various sizes. The ones I get from my CSA are on the smaller side and I consistently get about five cups of cubed flesh (give or take one-half of a cup). I have purchased larger ones that give me almost double the flesh, in which case I would double the entire recipe.
- Time-saving tip: buy pre-packaged, pre-cut butternut squash. It can be found in the produce section of many grocery stores. I even saw it at Costco.
- This is a great make-ahead option for busy days. The roasted vegetables can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator until you are ready to blend them. Or make the soup ahead of time and store it refrigerated in an airtight container for up to three days.
- When blending, start on the lowest speed. Gradually increase the speed of the blender.
- Do not double the garlic or onions unless you are doubling the whole recipe. I did this once and my daughter went from loving the soup to not wanting any of it.
- Using a high-speed blender (that can handle hot food safely) saves time, makes less mess and gives the ultimate soup consistency when compared to using an immersion blender. While I haven't used a food processor to make this, I'm sure it would work as long as it's made to handle hot food and can hold a large volume.
- If you double the recipe, pour just enough broth to get you to the "max capacity" line of your blender (I love my Vitamix). The soup mixture will be thick. When you are ready to serve the soup, pour the soup mixture in a soup pot or Dutch oven. Add the rest of the broth and stir to combine. Warm to a serving temperature.
Questions You May Have
First, I use a good quality vegetable peeler to peel off the outer skin of a clean butternut squash.
Next, I use a sharp knife to cut off both ends of the butternut squash.
Then, I cut the butternut squash in half lengthwise and use a spoon to remove the seedy part. Last, I use the sharp knife to cut the butternut squash into strips and then into cubes. This takes 'work', but I look at it as increasing my level of N.E.A.T., ha!
Yes, many people cook butternut squash this way. Microwaving it (instead of roasting it) will not give this soup the same savory flavor or color.
Serve this butternut squash soup with grilled cheese sandwiches, cheese quesadillas, turkey wrap, Chicken Caesar Salad or Italian Chicken. Or if your kids are really hungry, serve this soup as a side to a larger meal that you would otherwise make like roasted chicken, pork tenderloin, leftover turkey dinner, a casserole, etc.
Yes. Once cooled to room temperature, place remaining soup in a freezer-safe container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Related Recipes
More Easy Fall Recipes
Did you make this butternut squash soup recipe and love it? Please leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below. A 5-star rating is the best compliment!
And remember to take a picture of your savory soup and tag me @carrots.and.cookies on Instagram so I can see it!
📖 Recipe
Carrot Butternut Squash Soup
Equipment
- 1 High-speed blender I use a Vitamix blender for a creamy consistency. Can use a regular blender or immersion blender instead.
Ingredients
- 5 cups Butternut squash About one small butternut squash peeled, seeds removed, and cubed.
- 2 Carrots Medium sized carrots washed, ends removed, and cut into chunks.
- ½ Yellow onion sliced
- 2 cloves garlic fresh garlic cloves, peels removed.
- 3 cups broth low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
- ¼ teaspoon salt I use sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon Allspice or ground cloves
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 sage leaves Cut into small pieces. Optional, for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425° Fahrenheit.
- Place cubes of butternut squash, carrot, onion, and garlic on a large sheet pan. Drizzle olive oil, then toss to coat. Add pepper and a tiny pinch of salt.
- Roast on the top rack of the oven for 30 minutes, or until edges are browned.
- Remove from oven. Place roasted vegetables, broth, the rest of the salt, and spices in your Vitamix or in a large pot (if using an immersion blender). Blend on high for thirty seconds to one minute, or until desired consistency is reached (it shouldn't have any chunks in it).
- When ready to serve it, warm soup on the stovetop or in the microwave. If you won't be serving it right away, store the soup refrigerated in an airtight container. Consume within three days.
- Optional: top individual bowls of soup with small pieces of fresh sage. I use my kitchen scissors for this. This is how True Food Kitchen serves it and now I know why!
Notes
- This recipe makes about 5- cups of soup.
- Chicken broth and stock have varying amounts of salt in them. If you are using a very low sodium broth or stock, you may want to add an additional one-quarter teaspoon of salt. Just remember to taste it first because there's a good chance you'll like it just the way it is 😉
- Taste the soup after blending it. If you think it needs more flavor, add more seasonings. Lately I've been doubling all of the seasonings because that's the way I like it 🙂
- If you use pre-packaged already cubed butternut squash, it will reduce the total time by about 5-8 minutes.
- To easily remove the skins of garlic cloves, carefully use the flat side of a knife to press on the clove. The skin should peel right off.
- Good quality kitchen tools are the key to making the process of cutting up a butternut squash easier.
- Use a vegetable peeler to peel the outer skin off.
- Use a sharp knife to cut off both ends and slice the squash in half lengthwise and cut the flesh of the squash into cubes.
- The broth cools down the roasted vegetables a lot. This is why it should be warmed on the stovetop or in the microwave to bring it to a serving temperature. Another option would be to let your Vitamix continue to blend the soup mixture on high speed for about 6 minutes.
Jackie says
so delicious and easy! love that it uses the blender!
Kristi says
Isn't it the best?! I'm so glad you love it!!
Melanie A says
Great, seasonal and simple recipe. it was good the next day to the to work as a reheated leftover too!
Kristi Ruth RD says
Thanks, Melanie! Leftovers are the best!