Food & Cooking Recipes Soups, Stews & Stocks Soup Recipes Apple-Butternut Squash Soup 4.6 (11) This smooth, creamy soup is perfect for chilly weather. Servings: 6 Jump to recipe The bright, vibrant color of this creamy butternut squash soup is just one of the things that make it so appealing. But what really sells us on this full-on fall soup is its flavor: butternut squash is paired with apples and spiced with cumin, coriander, ginger, and cayenne. This simple soup simmers for just 30 minutes, making it perfect for an easy weeknight dinner or as an addition to the Thanksgiving table. The flavors only get better with time, so it’s a great recipe to make ahead for the holidays. It’s rich, creamy, and nourishing, but not too heavy—it's all the best of autumn in a bowl. Credit: Rachel Marek 29 Butternut Squash Recipes to Get You Through the Winter Choosing Butternut Squash When selecting a butternut squash, there are a few things to consider: Perfectly ripe squash should feel heavy for its size. If a squash feels light, the flavor hasn't fully developed, and it may not have much flavor.Give the squash a few gentle taps on the outside. It should sound hollow, not too dense or solid.The skin should be a deep beige with minimal scratches or blemishes. Look for a squash with a smooth exterior free of any green streaks near the stem end. Safely Cutting and Peeling Butternut Squash Trim the ends: Slice off the stem and root ends with a heavy, sharp knife such as a chef's knife. Use your body weight to help cut through the squash's hard exterior.Peel the skin: Hold the squash in one hand and run a vegetable peeler down the length of the squash with the other. You may need to peel back a few layers until you reveal the bright-orange flesh.Halve and remove seeds: Cut the squash crosswise into two halves. The bottom half of the squash can then be halved again to scoop out the seeds. Prevent slipping: When chopping tough vegetables like butternut squash, it's a good idea to secure your cutting board. A few layers of wet paper towel underneath will keep the board from slipping and sliding on the counter. To Puree or Not We love the silky smooth texture of this soup when it's pureed. If you prefer a chunky soup, you can skip this step. You can use a countertop blender to achieve the smooth texture. Or, if you have an immersion blender, you can puree the soup right in the pot. Directions Credit: Rachel Marek Cook onion: Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to soften, about 4 minutes. Credit: Rachel Marek Add squash and cook: Add squash and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 10 minutes. Credit: Rachel Marek Add apples, spices, and stock: Add apples, salt, cumin, coriander, ginger, cayenne, black pepper, stock, and water (just enough to cover). Credit: Rachel Marek Simmer soup: Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and cook until vegetables are very soft, about 30 minutes. Credit: Rachel Marek Credit: Rachel Marek Puree: Puree in batches in a food processor or blender until smooth. Credit: Rachel Marek Credit: Rachel Marek Warm soup: Return to saucepan. Heat over low, thinning with more water if necessary. Credit: Rachel Marek Serve: Ladle into bowls; garnish with diced apples, jalapeño slices, and sour cream if desired. Credit: Rachel Marek How to Serve Butternut Squash Soup If serving as a main dish, pair bowls of this soup with warm bread for dipping, a big green salad, or with grilled cheese sandwiches—who says that pairing only works with tomato soup? This soup also makes an excellent side for roast chicken, pork tenderloin, or steak au poivre. Toppings for Butternut Squash Soup We call for diced apples, jalapeño slices, and sour cream in our recipe, but those are just the start. Here are some other toppers we like: Crumbles of creamy goat cheese or shreds of Gruyère A drizzle of full-fat coconut milk or heavy cream Salty crumbled bacon bits Roasted pumpkin seeds or squash seeds How to Store and Reheat Butternut Squash Soup If you have any leftovers, let the soup cool to room temperature, then ladle it into airtight containers. Refrigerate for up to three days or freeze for up to three months. Reheating To reheat, pour the soup into a saucepan and warm gently over medium heat, stirring occasionally. This should take 10 to 15 minutes. If frozen, thaw the soup in the refrigerator overnight before reheating. Frequently Asked Questions How do I enhance the flavor of butternut squash soup? To enhance the flavor of butternut squash soup, the best thing you can do is choose a ripe squash (see our tips earlier in this recipe). The apples we use in this recipe also enhance the flavor of the soup; their slightly tart flavor is the perfect complement to the sweet, earthy butternut squash. Another way to enhance the flavor is to season the soup as you cook, adding salt and pepper and tasting it. When you season as you go, the flavors of the soup will meld together perfectly. Do you leave the skin on butternut squash for soup? No, we do not leave the skin on butternut squash when we use it for soup. While butternut squash skin is edible and could be delicious when roasted, we like to remove it when we make soup. The flesh of the squash is soft and tender—perfect for a smooth pureed soup, and we don't want the skin to get in the way or make the soup less silky. Why is my butternut squash soup gritty? Your butternut squash soup tastes gritty most likely because the squash for the soup was undercooked. Make sure all of your vegetables (and fruits), not just butternut squash, are very tender before you blend them. That will produce a delicious creamy soup every time. Can I use other squash for this soup? Yes, you can use other winter squash for this soup. Sugar pumpkin, acorn, and honeynut squash varieties make great substitutes for butternut squash in this soup because they are also sweet and have quite a creamy texture. Peel and cut them into cubes as the recipe states. 6 More Fall Soup Recipes to Try Butternut Squash Soup With Coconut Milk and Ginger Creamy Broccoli and Spinach Soup Gingery Beet Soup Roasted Squash and Parsnip Soup Lentil Soup With Crispy Kale Acorn Squash Soup With Kale Updated by Riley Wofford Riley Wofford Riley Wofford is a recipe developer, food stylist, and writer with over 15 years of experience and holds a Professional Culinary Arts diploma from the International Culinary Center. In addition to decorvow.com, Riley's work can be found in TODAY.com, Delish, Food52, and Marley Spoon.