As the cold months settle in, it's time for some cozy, warming comfort foods! I almost always have a batch of soup going and this Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup topped with jumbo croutons and spicy paprika oil is one of our favorites. It's a savory, one-pot soup recipe that doesn't require roasting any ingredients before adding them to the soup!
This soup is delicious to serve with some Sourdough Discard Focaccia, Sourdough Discard Breadsticks, or some Caramelized Shallot Focaccia.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- This savory, one-pot soup doesn't require roasting any ingredients before adding them to the soup.
- The spicy paprika oil gives this soup a bit of a spicy kick.
- Soup is easy to freeze! Make a big batch and freeze some to enjoy later.
- This is an easily adaptable recipe that you can make your own with a few easy substitutions and variations.
Ingredients
There are just a few key ingredients you'll need to make this recipe.
- Butternut squash: You can be pretty generous with the butternut squash for this recipe; I always go for a larger rather than smaller squash. That said, if you find yourself a bit short on squash, you can always add more carrots to compensate.
- Garlic: I highly recommend using whole garlic cloves (rather than pre-chopped garlic) as it has so much more flavor. This soup will be pureéd, so you don't even need to dice them; a rough chop is fine!
- Carrots: These can be any shape or size. Since we'll pureé the soup, it doesn't matter the shape of carrot that you use. I personally choose to peel the carrots, but this is optional! If you're not going to peel the carrots, make sure to clean them very thoroughly before adding to the soup.
- Fresh ginger: This gives the soup some nice depth and great flavor.
- Soup stock: I like to use homemade chicken stock, but you can easily make this with vegetable stock or any other of your choice!
- Crusty bread: For the croutons, you'll need some crusty bread. A few slices of sourdough or a baguette are prefect for this. And if you have a loaf that is a few days old and going hard, that's perfect to make homemade croutons.
See full recipe below for detailed directions.
Substitutions & Variations
This is a very adaptable recipe (most soups are!), so feel free to modify to suit your tastes or the ingredients you have on hand. A few of my favorite variations are:
- Use vegetable stock (rather than chicken stock) to make this a vegan soup
- Use sweet potato instead of butternut squash: No butternut squash on hand? Use sweet potato instead!
- If you have a few odds-and-ends ingredients in the fridge (some half-chopped onions or shallots, some extra herbs, half a tomato, etc.), throw them in!
- Change up the toppings! If you like to top your soup with something else (or perhaps no topping at all), go for it!
I have not tested this recipe with other variations, but if you do, let us know how it turns out in the comments! I always love to hear how you're adapting these recipes and use those as ideas for future recipes as well!
How to make Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup
This recipe comes together in a few easy steps! You'll have hot soup ready to enjoy in no time.
Cube and chop all of your ingredients. The soup will be puréed, so this can be a rough chop!
Sautée the onions and garlic in a large soup pot or Dutch oven.
Add the chopped butternut squash and carrot.
Add spices. Cook for 1 minute, stirring to combine.
Add the chicken or vegetable stock, stirring to combine.
Cover and simmer for 25 minutes until the squash and carrots are fork-tender. Let the soup cool, then purée in a blender or in the soup pot with a hand-held immersion blender.
Expert Cooking Tips
- The soup will be puréed, so you don't need to worry about carefully chopping the ingredients. A coarse chop is fine!
- You can adjust the thickness of the soup by adding more soup stock (or water).
- Let the soup simmer until the squash and carrots are fork-tender (you can easily pierce them with a fork).
- Soup is great for freezing! Once the soup has cooled fully (after puréeing), transfer to a freezer-safe container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
How to purée soup
There are two easy ways to purée soup:
Transfer to a blender: Let the soup cool, then work in batches to transfer the soup to a blender. Blend until puréed and smooth, then transfer the soup to a storage container or large bowl and repeat with remaining batches.
Make sure not to overfill the blender, otherwise you'll end up with soup all over your kitchen!
Use a hand-held immersion blender: Let the soup cool in the soup pot or Dutch oven, then use a hand-held immersion blender to purée the soup in the pot. You can then transfer the finished soup from the pot to your serving bowls or storage containers.
Equipment
You just need a few kitchen basics to make this recipe. Use a Dutch oven or a large soup pot (I like to use a Le Creuset 5-Quart Dutch Oven). Keep in mind that a larger pot is easier to work with than a pot that is too small!
You'll also need a blender or a hand-held immersion blender to purée the soup. I love to use my Ninja Countertop Blender for this (the center column comes out for much easier blender cleaning!).
Storage
Refrigerator Storage: Once the soup has fully cooled, transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat the soup on the stovetop, or in the microwave for 60-90 seconds until warm.
Store the croutons separately in an airtight bag or container. Store the paprika oil in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Freezer Storage: Once the soup has fully cooled, transfer to an airtight and freezer-safe container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, let the soup thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then heat in the microwave for 60-90 seconds until warm.
I recommend freezing individual servings of soup in plastic bags (about 2 cups of soup). Then you can reheat individual servings of soup whenever you need them, rather than having to reheat the whole batch!
Recipe FAQ
Yes, I would certainly recommend it. You can transfer the soup to a blender, or you can purée with an immersion blender directly in the pot.
You can modify the amount of chicken stock that you add to the soup to make it thicker or thinner. If you feel like it's still too thick, add a little water to reach your desired consistency.
No! This is a one-pot recipe. Of course, if you would rather roast the squash first, you certainly can. Just make sure to simmer the soup long enough for all ingredients to be fork-tender.
No. This is a savory butternut squash soup recipe that does not use any coconut milk.
Yes! You can add sweet potatoes instead of the butternut squash or carrots, or you can add sweet potato in addition to those ingredients. You would just use less of each ingredient so you have the same amount of squash + carrots + sweet potatoes as is written in the recipe.
Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup
Ingredients
For the Soup
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 3 garlic cloves chopped
- 1 butternut squash 3-4 lbs, peeled and cubed
- 1 cup carrot chopped
- 1 Tablespoon fresh ginger grated
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- roasted pepitas optional, for serving
For the Croutons
- 2-3 cups crusty bread cubed
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
For the Spicy Paprika Oil
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
For the Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup
- Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and sautée until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sautée for an additional 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the chopped butternut squash, carrot, ginger, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg. Cook and stir for 1 minute, then add the chicken broth and stir to combine. If needed, add additional water to ensure all ingredients are submerged in liquid.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 25 minutes, or until the butternut squash and carrots are fork-tender. Remove from heat and allow the soup to cool.
- Transfer the soup to a blender or use a hand-held immersion blender to blend to a smooth consistency. If you feel the soup is too thick, you can add more water as needed.
For the Jumbo Croutons
- While the soup simmers, preheat oven to 350°F.
- Coarsely chop the crusty bread into ½-inch or ¾-inch cubes. Drizzle with 2 Tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss to combine and evenly coat. Spread on a baking sheet.
- Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes, tossing halfway, until they are browned and crisp. If you're making larger croutons, they may need some additional time. Set aside to cool.
For the Spicy Paprika Oil
- Before serving, heat ⅓ cup olive oil in a small saucepan over low heat. Add the paprika and red pepper flakes, stirring constantly, just until fragrant (1-2 minutes).
- Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
- To serve, fill bowls with soup, drizzle with spicy paprika oil and add jumbo croutons. Top with roasted pepitas, if desired.
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