This post has been sponsored by Vermont Creamery, but all opinions are my own.
It’s time to start thinking about holiday entertaining!
And I can’t think of anything, second perhaps to turkey, that says “the holidays” more than squash dishes. This Vegetarian Butternut Squash Soup is wonderfully easy to make, yet carries a surprising depth of flavor, especially by adding Vermont Creamery’s Crème Fraiche as a rich and velvety topping.
Table of Contents
- How to Make Butternut Squash Soup
- Sugar Free Butternut Squash Soup: Apple For Added Sweetness
- A Dollop Of Creme Fraiche to Finish It Off
- A Few Tips for The Best Butternut Squash Soup Recipe
- Other Autumn-Inspired Recipes You Can Make with Squash
- Other Healthy Vegetarian Soup Recipe You Might Also Like
- Vegetarian Butternut Squash Soup
A dollop of Crème Fraiche luxuriously spiraled in among the vibrant autumn color of the soup is not only pleasing to the eye, but complementary as well, adding a touch of tangy indulgence to balance out the sweet buttery consistency of our favorite autumn vegetable.
Intrigued? Read on…
How to Make Butternut Squash Soup
The process of making this autumn squash soup has 3 folds.
First, you sauté your mirepoix (aka onion-celery-carrot combo). Second, you add in the butternut squash, a Granny smith apple (I’ll talk about this more below), vegetable stock, and seasonings. Then you let it simmer until butternut squash is fully softened, 20-25 minutes.
Finally, you puree all the softened veggies using an immersion blender or in a standing blender. This part is optional, but after I puree my soup I like to bring it to a boil to make sure it is smooth and velvety.
Sugar Free Butternut Squash Soup: Apple For Added Sweetness
If you have ever made butternut squash soup, you know that it could be somewhat bitter. You do need something sweet to offset the bitterness.
Up until last year, I always added a few tablespoons of maple syrup, but recently I read on a magazine that most people add in a tangy Granny Smith apple to the soup.
As I was getting ready for this recipe, I gave it a try and I thought it was a game changer. The sweet and sour taste of a Granny Smith balanced the bitterness beautifully. Plus, I didn’t have to add in any other sweeteners.
A Dollop Of Creme Fraiche to Finish It Off
I don’t know about you, but I think creme fraiche is one of those pleasures in life that is complementary to both savory and sweet dishes. As you can see in the photos, I drizzled each bowl with some creme fraiche for some added tang and creaminess.
If you are serving this easy butternut squash soup to your family during the holidays, don’t skip the creme fraiche. It is truly a nice addition to the overall soup making it a luxuriously creamy and delicious. My favorite, Vermont Creamery creme fraiche is available in most supermarkets in the cheese section and it can be used in several other dishes other than soups.
A Few Tips for The Best Butternut Squash Soup Recipe
- Feel free to play around with spices: While I was doing my research, I saw some people add in a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg into the soup in various websites and cookbooks. I didn’t, because I wanted to keep this recipe super simple. But if you want, feel free to add some for a little more holiday spirit.
- Standing Blender (like Vitamix) or Immersion Blender: To get a creamy butter squash soup without any added heavy cream, you do need a blender. Regardless of which one you use, be sure to let it run until it is super smooth. Once it is fully pureed, be sure to bring it to a one last boil (especially if you are pureeing it in batches using a standing blender) so that it will be nice and warm.
- Can I make this soup a day in advance? Absolutely. As a matter of fact, I think it is better on the next day. Simply, make it a day before serving, place it in an airtight container, and keep it in the fridge. You might need a little bit (¼ cup to ½ cup) more of vegetable stock or water to thin it out if it is too thick.
- Can I freeze it? Yes, you can. As long as it is kept in an airtight container, this vegetarian butternut squash will be good upto 1-2 months in the freezer. Simply thaw overnight in the fridge a day before you plan on serving it.
- Can I serve this butternut squash soup to my vegan guests? Yes, you can. The butternut squash soup recipe itself is vegan. Simply omit creme fraiche at the end.
The holidays can bring added stress if you’re cooking for a crowd, but they don’t have to, as long as you take the time to prepare some dishes in advance and by using tried and tested foolproof recipes. I’ve tested and re-tested this butternut squash soup recipe, so you can guarantee that it’ll surely please your guests.
Other Autumn-Inspired Recipes You Can Make with Squash
- Pumpkin Creme Fraiche Pasta with Sage
- Vegan Stuffed Acorn Squash
- Roasted Kabocha Squash Soup
- Roasted Delicata Squash
- Butternut Squash Noodles
- Slow Cooker Butternut Squash
Other Healthy Vegetarian Soup Recipe You Might Also Like
- Ribollita Soup
- Vegan Ginger Carrot Soup
- Lentil Soup
- Middle Eastern Lentil Soup
- Sunchoke Soup Recipe
- Broccoli Feta Soup
- Pumpkin Ginger Soup
- Need more inspiration? Check out all our easy soup recipes
Vegetarian Butternut Squash Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 stalks of celery, chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
- 3 pounds butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup Vermont Creamery creme fraiche
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large heavy bottom pot (I used a 5.5 quart Dutch Oven) over medium high heat. Add in the onion, celery, and carrots. Cook, stirring frequently, until all vegetables are softened, 5-6 minutes.
- Add in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add in the squash, apple, vegetable stock, salt and pepper. Put the lid on, bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to medium-low, and cook until a knife inserted into a squash comes in and out easily, approximately about 20 minutes.
- Puree the soup using an immersion blender. Alternatively, you can blend the soup in a blender (like Vitamix).
- Ladle soup into bowls. Top it off with a dollop of creme fraiche and garnish it with parsley. Serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
The texture was great but the soup was pretty bland. Added sage and rosemary and that helped.
I used a little coconut milk for the sweetness and nuttiness and it was fabulous! lots of herbs and spices too. yay.
I love the addition of coconut milk. Thanks for sharing your experience Sharon.
Made recipe exactly as set out but found that the soup was rather bland. Definitely needed salt (know this is a personal choice) but also added ground cumin to give it a bit of a kick. Would definitely make it again, with the adjustments mentioned!
Hello,
So happy to hear that you liked it.
I agree with you, salt is usually a personal choice. The good thing is that you can always add in more.
So happy to hear that you enjoyed it.
Cheers,
Ice
Stunning video and photos..
So happy to hear that you liked it Shibani. Thanks so much for coming by.
This looks like the most perfect butternut soup recipe – especially with apple and creme fraiche. I can’t wait to try it! Also these photos are STUNNING. That microgreen garnish – all the heart eyes!!