Butternut Squash and Red Pepper Soup is the perfect way to make the transition into Fall's cooler months. If you still have warm weather, this soup can be served chilled and is incredibly refreshing. But if you've already crossed into colder weather and are craving a warm bowl, there is nothing better than a warm bowl of homemade soup!
This is a creamy soup with a bit of a spice kick from the cumin and red pepper flakes. This soup can also easily be made dairy-free and vegan.
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Loved this recipe. My new favorite soup. I've made it twice since discovering the recipe and will not use any other one. Soooo delicious!
- Cat
Why you'll love this recipe
- This is a savory butternut squash soup that doesn't use any coconut milk.
- This is an easy, healthy recipe that is packed with flavor and comes together in just 45 minutes!
- Soup freezes well, so you can make a big batch and store some for later!
- You can add your favorite toppings to make this your own: serve with crusty bread, fresh herbs, halved cherry tomatoes, or even red pepper flakes for additional spice.
- Soups are a great way to use up any miscellaneous ingredients you may have in your fridge. Extra tomatoes? Peppers? Carrots? If it makes sense, throw them in!
- Serve this soup with Sourdough Discard Naan, Sourdough Discard Rolls, or Sourdough Discard Bread Sticks.
Ingredients
This Butternut Squash and Red Pepper Soup comes together with just a few key ingredients. Also remember that soup is very forgiving. If you have a little more or a little less of one ingredient, it will still be delicious!
- Butternut squash: You'll need about 4 cups of chopped butternut squash for this recipe, which is about equivalent to one small butternut squash.
- Have some left over? Make this Vegan Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese!
- Cherry tomatoes: I used cherry tomatoes, but you can use any kind of tomato for this recipe. I recommend fresh rather than canned tomatoes.
- If you have a lot of cherry tomatoes on hand, you might like this Sourdough Discard Tomato Focaccia, too!
- Red bell peppers: You'll need 2 fresh red bell peppers that will give this recipe a bit of sweetness.
See full recipe below for detailed directions.
Substitutions & Variations
Soups are a great place to use up odds and ends in your kitchen. Have a few things in your fridge that would be good to use up? Throw them in! Feel free to play with it and always remember you can add more broth if your soup is looking too thick.
- Clean out the fridge - Have a few shallots that you'd like to use? Substitute them for the onion. Have some zucchini, sweet potatoes, carrots, or other veggies that seem like they would work well? Throw them in! If you add more veggies, you can either reduce some of the other ingredients or simply add more soup broth or water to make a larger batch.
- Use sweet potatoes - Not a fan of butternut squash, or perhaps you don't have enough for the recipe? Use sweet potatoes instead!
- Use yellow and orange peppers - Instead of red bell peppers, you can use yellow or orange peppers for a light and bright flavor.
- Increase the spice level - Like your soup a little spicier? Add more red pepper flakes and paprika, or you can also add some cayenne pepper for a little kick.
I have not tested this recipe with other variations, but if you do, let us know how it turns out in the comments!
How to Make Butternut Squash and Red Pepper Soup
This soup comes together in just a few easy steps! The full recipe with detailed directions is at the bottom of this post.
- Step 1: Coarsely chop your butternut squash and red peppers. Toss with olive oil and spread on a baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
- Step 2: Heat olive oil, onion, and garlic in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- Step 3: Mix in your spices, then add the vegetables (tomatoes, red pepper, and butternut squash) and soup stock. Top with fresh thyme, bring to a boil, and simmer.
- Step 4: Let the soup cool slightly, then purée until smooth in a blender or with a hand-held immersion blender. Mix in the honey and milk, then serve!
Expert Cooking Tips
- Since you're going to purée the soup, a coarse chop on the vegetables is fine! No need to spend tons of time chopping.
- This soup can be served warm or chilled!
- You can adjust the thickness of the soup by adding more soup stock or water at any time, even after blending.
- Serve this soup with a slice of Easy Sourdough Discard Bread, Sourdough Discard Focaccia, or Sourdough Discard Garlic Rolls.
Storage
Refrigerator Storage: Let the soup cool fully, then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. Reheat the soup on the stovetop, or in the microwave for about 60-90 seconds.
Freezer Storage: Soup freezes very well. Once fully cooled, divide the soup into airtight containers, jars, or even freezer-safe plastic bags, and freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, let the soup thaw in the fridge overnight, then reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave for 60-90 seconds.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, just make sure to use a vegan soup stock option (such as vegetable stock), a non-dairy milk, and omit the honey.
Once the soup has cooled, transfer the soup to a blender and blend in batches until smooth, or you can use a hand-held immersion blender to blend the soup directly in the pot.
Yes, you can. Use ½ teaspoon of dried thyme in place of 1 teaspoon of fresh thyme. You'll also omit the thyme sprigs during the simmering.
More Easy Healthy Soup Recipes
If you tried this Butternut Squash and Red Pepper Soup or any other recipe on my website, please leave a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I'd love to hear from you! Happy Baking!
Butternut Squash and Red Pepper Soup
Equipment
- Dutch oven or other soup pot
- Blender or immersion blender
Ingredients
- ¼ cup olive oil divided
- 4 cups butternut squash peeled and diced
- 2 red peppers chopped
- 1 onion chopped (about 2 cups)
- 4 garlic cloves chopped
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme plus additional sprigs for simmering
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- ½ cup water
- ⅓ cup non-dairy or regular dairy milk
- 2 Tablespoons honey
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200℃). Toss the chopped butternut squash and red peppers with 2 Tablespoons olive oil and spread on a large baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes until soft.
- Heat 2 Tablespoons olive oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and sautée 3-4 minutes, until fragrant and soft. Add roasted peppers and butternut squash, tomatoes, salt, pepper, thyme and spices. Top with chicken or vegetable broth and ½ cup water, and stir to combine. The vegetables may not be completely covered by the liquid.
- Add an additional 2-3 sprigs thyme to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes until all vegetables are fork-tender.
- Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Remove thyme sprigs. Working in batches, blend the soup in a blender until smooth, or use a hand-held immersion blender to blend the soup in the pot. If needed, add more water to reach your desired soup consistency. Stir in the milk and honey, then serve.
Cat says
Loved this recipe. My new favourite soup.Ive made it twice since discovering the recipe and will not use any other one.
Soooo delicious!
Jessica Vogl says
I love this, thank you! I don't share many soup recipes, mostly breads, so it's nice to hear that these are also loved!
Adrianna says
Made this last night and both my toddler and I loved it! I skipped the honey at the end since I already thought it was sweet enough but maybe next time I'll try it to compare. Can't wait to make this again.
Carissa says
Wow this was good! I didn't follow measurements too closely, but this is my new favorite butternut squash soup recipe.
Jessica Vogl says
Soup is so forgiving! Always love to measure with your heart 🙂
Amanda says
the whole house smelled so goodddd this recipe is sooo good no fresh thyme and it still turned out phenomenal. easy and yummy. hubby loved it to. I am going ot make it again and using dried thyme cause could find fresh sold out lol