Roasted Butternut Squash Soup Recipe

This dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan recipe for Roasted Butternut Squash Soup is easy and delicious to enjoy during the fall. It’s a creamy blend of butternut squash and ripe pears with just enough spice from ginger for added flavor!

Whether it’s an everyday meal or a holiday feast, pair this creamy soup with Italian focaccia bread to complete your meal.

As the cooler weather arrives, it’s time to start thinking about warming up with homemade fall soups.

And who doesn’t enjoy a good bowl of soup? It’s the ultimate comfort food.

Whether a hearty escarole and bean soup or a protein-rich lentil soup, these easy soup recipes taste great and provide a comforting way to enrich our diets as the weather gets colder.

One of my favorite healthy soup recipes to prepare this time of year is this plant-based soup recipe. It is an easy and flavorful combination of roasted butternut squash, ginger, and pears.

It’s a perfect recipe for cool evenings, especially when the weather changes and we start craving heartier meals.

This soup is not just great for every day; it’s also perfect for serving at your next holiday get-together.

This festive-looking soup can be prepared ahead of time and freezes well, saving you time in the kitchen during the holiday season while still delivering delicious flavor!

Jump to:

• Ingredient Notes
• Let’s prep our recipe
• Instructions
• How to roast squash seeds?
• Tips
• FAQ
• Hearty soup recipes to warm you up
• Recipe origins
• Side dishes for soup
• Recipe

Ingredient Notes

• Butternut Squash: Its sweet, nutty flavor and smooth texture make it perfect for soups.
• Pears: Ripe pears contribute natural sweetness and a unique fruity flavor. Any variety will work, although I am partial to Barlett pears. You can also replace these with apples (cored and peeled).
• Onion: These aromatic ingredients provide a savory, umami base for the soup. You can use white or yellow onions to enhance the overall depth of flavor.
• Ginger: Fresh ginger adds a pleasant, slightly spicy kick and a hint of warmth.
• Vegetable Broth: Vegetable broth forms the liquid foundation of the soup, infusing it with savory notes and maintaining its vegetarian or vegan status.
• Bay Leaf: Bay leaves are aromatic and add a subtle herbal note to the soup.
• Salt and Pepper: Seasoning with salt and pepper allows you to fine-tune the taste to your preference.
• Olive Oil: Olive oil is used for roasting the squash and sautéing the onion and garlic, contributing to the soup’s richness and helping to develop caramelized flavors. Although I prefer extra virgin olive oil, any mild oil works well in this recipe.
• Optional Garnishes: Try garnishing with sage leaves and toasted squash seeds to elevate the presentation.

Let’s prep our recipe

This squash soup recipe comes together in no time, but one hour of inactive cooking is needed to roast our butternut squash. If more convenient, this process can be done ahead of time.

Preheat your oven to 400°F/205°C. Line a small roasting pan with parchment paper. 

Cut your butternut squash in half. It should weigh anywhere between 3-4 pounds.

Remove the seeds and strings and set them aside for just a moment.  Drizzle the cut sides with about two tablespoons of olive oil (total) and season with kosher salt and black pepper.

Place your seasoned squash cut-side down onto the baking sheet and let it bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour. You’ll know when it’s done because you can easily insert a knife through its thickest part.

Please remove it from the oven.

When cool enough to handle, carefully scoop out all of that delicious roasted butternut goodness into another bowl. Set it aside while we start our soup.

Only 20 more minutes to go!

Instructions

Place a large pot over medium-high heat.

Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and sauté 1 diced onion, frequently stirring for about 5 minutes.

When the onions have softened, add 1 teaspoon of grated ginger and sauté for another minute.

Add 4 cups of vegetable broth, 3 chopped pears (cored and peeled), the roasted butternut squash and 1 bay leaf.

Stir together and bring to a low simmer for 10-15 minutes.

You’re only a few minutes away from soup perfection!

Remove the bay leaf. Puree soup with an immersion blender or food processor; taste and adjust seasonings 

Garnish your soup however you like… roasted seeds always make me happy, but don’t forget some fresh herbs, too!

How to roast squash seeds?

Did you know that the seeds of butternut squash are edible?

Like this recipe for roasted pumpkin seeds, they make a healthy snack. They are also great to use as a garnish for homemade soups. 

Once you scoop the seeds from the squash, place them in a large bowl of cold water. The seeds will easily separate from the pulp.

Transfer the seeds to a paper towel and pat dry. Place the dry seeds in a bowl and season with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste. Toss to coat.

Once the butternut squash has roasted, spread the seasoned squash seeds on the same parchment paper-lined baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes until golden brown. Toss 1-2 times during the roasting process. 

Tips

• The time needed to roast the butternut squash is approximately one hour, and this process can be done beforehand.
• If possible, use any variety of ripe pears, as they provide just a hint of sweetness to the soup.
• Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
• Feel free to season with your favorite spices -paprika, turmeric, and curry all work well with the natural sweetness of this soup.
• For a non-vegan version, chicken stock can be used.

FAQ

Hearty soup recipes to warm you up

These soup recipes are perfect anytime you need a comforting and satisfying meal. They are easy to make and can be customized to your liking.

• Vegetable Barley Soup: Warm up this winter with this vegetable barley soup. Loaded with fresh veggies, fiber-rich barley, and a flavorful broth, this vegetarian soup is perfect for a comforting and delicious meal.
• Escarole and Bean Soup: Who can resist the classic Italian combination of beans and greens? 

Recipe origins

We had an abundance of pears in the house recently, and most of them went towards making different flavor combinations for this crockpot pear butter. But I managed to hang on to the few ripe pears I needed to make this, one of my favorite pear soup recipes.

The original recipe is from one of my preferred cooks, Dave Lieberman. If interested, the original recipe can be found on the food network. As usual, I’ve adapted this soup to suit my preferences.

I roasted the squash in the oven; I substituted the rosemary with a bay leaf and ginger. To reduce the number of saturated fats, I replaced the butter with extra virgin olive oil and eliminated the cream.

The velvety smoothness of this dairy-free soup with ginger is attained with only healthy ingredients. It’s the perfect soup for those inevitable cooler evenings.

★★★★★ If you have made this easy squash soup recipe with pears, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!

Side dishes for soup

Recipe

I originally published this post on September 19, 2016, republished it on October 2, 2021 and more recently on October 11, 2023 with updated content, photos and a video. Thanks for sharing!