The coziest, creamiest hug in a bowl you’ll ever have.
If this Carrot and Butternut Squash Soup isn’t fall in a bowl then I don’t know what is. Sweet butternut squash and carrots simmered with apple and onion, scented with warm spices and maple syrup and topped with crispy fried pepitas, coconut cream and bright lime. It’s so dreamy.
Fall is my favourite season and I usually only get the tiniest glimpse of it because I live in a place with weather that causes people ask all the time “why do we live here again?”. Our weather is generally crap, friends. The leaves turn all the beautiful colours, seemingly overnight, and we all sigh, break out our sweaters and enjoy the scenery… and then the next day there’s a crazy windstorm that blows it all to smithereens. And then it snows.
BUT, we are having the most amazing Fall this year… one where we can actually wear our puffy vests and Uggs… in a place where it often goes from beachwear straight to snowsuits, that’s saying something. I love this season so much.
I also love this soup and while I’m not generally a smooth soup person, I do really, really enjoy this. You know I love soup with texture – see my French Onion Style Cannellini Bean Soup or my Potato and Bean Soup – and so while this soup is creamy and dreamy, I couldn’t resist adding some crunch and so we’re topping it with crispy, salty, fried pepitas. We also add a little squeeze of lime when we eat it because it brightens the whole thing up.
Scroll past the recipe if you’re looking for tips, substitutions, questions, etc. and details on how to make this recipe, but if you want to get straight to it, here’s my recipe-ish…
Carrot and Butternut Squash Soup
Ingredients
For the soup:
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 4 cups squash cubed
- 2 cups carrots chopped
- 1 tart apple chopped
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 Tbsp fresh ginger grated
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- Pinch cayenne
- 4 cups broth
- 2 tsp maple syrup
- 1 cup coconut cream
For the garnish:
- 1/4 cup raw pepitas
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
For serving:
- Cilantro
- Coconut cream
- Fresh lime juice
Instructions
Make the soup:
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat until the butter melts.
- Add in the onion and sauté until softened.
- Add in the garlic and the ginger and cook for one minute.
- Add in the squash, carrots and apple, and onion to the pot. Stir well.
- Add in the cumin, and cayenne. Season with S&P.
- Pour in the broth and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and allow to simmer for about 20-25 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
- Remove the pot from the heat and, using an immersion blender blend the soup until smooth.
- Stir in the coconut cream and maple syrup.
Fry the pepitas:
- While the soup is simmering, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a small skillet. Add in the pepitas and cook, stirring often, until they’re crisp.
- Remove and toss with salt and pepper.
Finish the soup:
- Serve the soup with a drizzle of coconut cream, a sprinkle of fresh cilantro and some of the crispy pepitas.
Carrot and Butternut Squash Soup Recipe ingredients, tips, substitutions:
Broth – I use vegetable broth, but you can use chicken broth too.
Maple Syrup – you can substitute honey or agave or even brown sugar if you prefer.
Butter – if you want to make this soup vegan, just sub it out with some extra olive oil or use plant based butter.
Coconut Cream – you can sub in full fat coconut milk, or heavy cream.
Pepitas – adding the fried pepitas gives a welcome bit of texture to the creamy soup, but you can leave them off.
Cilantro – an optional garnish, but you can sub in parsley or chives if you prefer.
Carrot and Butternut Squash Soup Recipe Variations:
Roasted Butternut Squash and Carrot Version – toss the chopped squash and carrots with a little olive oil and roast at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes, until tender and caramelized. Add to the soup along with the broth.
Curried Butternut Squash and Carrot Version – when you add in the cumin, also add in a couple teaspoons of curry powder or curry paste.
Pumpkin Spice Version – pumpkin spice isn’t just for lattes. Add in a teaspoon with the cumin for extra fall flavour.
Carrot and Butternut Squash Soup recipe, how to make it…
Ready to make some soup magic? This is seriously so easy.
Start by heating olive oil and butter in a soup pot over medium heat until the butter is melted. Toss in the onions and sauté until they’re nice and soft. Add the garlic and ginger—give them about a minute to do their thing and start smelling amazing.
Now, add the squash, carrots, apple, and the softened onions. Stir it all together like a veggie party in a pot! Sprinkle in the cumin, cayenne, and season with a good pinch of S&P. Pour in the broth, bring it all to a boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer until the veggies are all tender and ready to be blended.
Time to make smooth and creamy magic! Grab your immersion blender and blend away until it’s all dreamy and smooth. Stir in the coconut cream and a splash of maple syrup for a little sweet touch.
While your soup simmers, we’ll get the pepitas ready. Heat a little olive oil in a small skillet and toss in the pepitas. Keep stirring until they’re crispy and golden, then remove them from the oil and season with salt and pepper.
That’s eat. Let’s eat. Ladle up the soup, drizzle with extra coconut cream, sprinkle with fresh cilantro, give it a squirt of fresh lime juice and top it off with those crispy pepitas. Enjoy!
looking for some recipes to serve with this soup? try these…
- Grilled Cheese with Honey Sage & Butternut Squash – it’s not squash overkill when it’s this good.
- Havarti Grilled Cheese with Pickles and Chili Crisp – in case you feel the first one would be overkill.
- Chopped Kale Salad – I think this salad would go so well with this soup.
- Serve this soup as a starter before this Puff Pastry Turkey Pot Pie or my Ground Beef Mashed Potatoes – Salisbury Style
- Or serve it for lunch followed by this Banana Bread with Pecans or Chocolate Chunk Banana Muffins with Cardamom.
If you like this Carrot and Butternut Squash Soup Recipe let me know what you think in the comments below and please find and follow me on Social Media!
