Roasted Butternut Squash and Garlic Soup
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The weather this week called for soup. Wanting something new, I turned to Sally Schneider’s A New Way to Cook and found a recipe for roasted pumpkin and garlic soup described as “utterly simple” and “exceptionally creamy,” all of which sounded perfect.
The recipe called for roasting sugar pumpkins or any winter squash and a head of garlic together, then puréeing the flesh of the two together with stock.
It sounded too simple to be good, but Sally has never steered me wrong, so I made it and was astonished by its flavor. After puréeing the soup, Sally suggests stirring in a few tablespoons of heavy cream or crème fraîche, which I did, but I wouldn’t have missed this final enrichment had I not.
What was going on here? Why was it so good? For two reasons, I think. Time, for one: during the 40 to 60 minutes in the oven, the flavors of both the squash and the garlic intensify. As they roast, they sweeten and soften, emerging meltingly tender with caramelized edges.
And second, the stock. Sally suggests using chicken stock, but I used vegetable stock, which, if you have never made, I can’t recommend enough: it takes no time to throw together, simmers for only 45 minutes, and tastes complex and rich upon completion. I made the stock while the squash and garlic roasted.
Upon being blended, the roasted vegetables transform into the silkiest purée, needing nothing more than a pinch of salt, a few twists of pepper, and, of course, a loaf of bread for dunking.
How to Make Roasted Butternut Squash and Garlic Soup, Step by Step
Gather your ingredients: garlic and butternut squash.
To prep the squash, halve it, and scoop out the seeds. To prep the garlic, cut the head in half crosswise (through the equator).
Rub the squash with a drizzle of olive oil. For the garlic, drizzle a small amount of oil on the sheet pan, and rub the halved head of garlic in it, cut side down. You only need one head of garlic for this recipe, but I recommend roasting more so that you have those buttery soft cloves on hand to spread over olive oil-toasted slices of bread.
Roast for 1 hour, checking after 40 minutes — you’ll want to remove the garlic at the 40-minute mark if it’s looking caramelized and delicious.
The squash, at the solid end (not the hollowed-out end), should be very knife-tender.
The garlic should be caramelized at the edges and knife-tender as well… some of these are overdone.
You also need stock. This vegetable stock will materialize in the time your squash and garlic roast away in the oven, and if you haven’t yet made it, you will be blown away by its flavor. Promise.
After 45 minutes of simmering, drain the stock…
… and transfer it to storage containers. (I love these deli quart containers). You will have two quarts of stock.
Scoop out the flesh of the squash and the cloves from 1 head of garlic and place them in a pot. Add 1 quart of stock.
Bring to a simmer, the purée until smooth.
At this point, taste for salt and pepper. I consistently add 1 to 1.5 teaspoons of Diamond Crystal kosher salt, but, of course, you should add salt to taste. I am astonished by how tasty it is at this point, but even so, I do add the recommended 3 tablespoons of heavy cream or crème fraîche.
Whisk or stir to incorporate, then taste and adjust as needed with more salt and pepper to taste.
Serve as you wish…
If you’re feeling up for it, you could top the soup with frizzled sage leaves and olive oil-toasted bread…
… but, real talk: bread of some sort is all you need. Peasant bread is never a bad idea…
… neither is olive oil-toasted croutons: to make these, simply heat up some extra-virgin olive oil in a skillet stovetop, add torn bread cubes, season with salt, and cook for about 2 minutes or until the cubes are golden at the edges.
PrintRoasted Butternut Squash and Garlic Soup
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 1.5 quarts
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Adapted from Sally Schneider’s A New Way to Cook.
Notes:
You need 1 whole head/bulb of garlic for this recipe — not a single clove.
Ingredients
- 1 whole butternut squash, 2.25 to 2.75 lbs
- 1 whole head/bulb of garlic, see notes above
- extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 quart of stock of choice, such as vegetable or chicken
- kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons of crème fraîche or heavy cream, optional
- Fresh cracked pepper to taste
- bread for serving, such as peasant bread or focaccia or no-knead thyme dinner rolls
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper (for easier cleanup).
- Halve the butternut squash: slice off the bottom of the bulbous end, stand the squash upright, then carefully cut straight down through the center. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and discard. Rub the halved sides with a drizzle of olive oil then place them halved side down on the prepared sheet pan. Cut the head of garlic in half through the equator. Rub a small amount of olive oil on the sheet pan and place the garlic, cut side down, in the olive oil. Transfer to the oven.
- After 40 minutes, check on the garlic. If it is knife-tender and caramelized at the surface, remove it, otherwise, let it continue roasting with the squash until done. Cook the squash for roughly 1 hour or until knife tender at the solid end.
- Let the squash and garlic cool for 20 minutes or until cool to the touch. Scoop the squash flesh into a pot. Squeeze the roasted cloves of garlic into the pot as well. Add the quart of stock. Bring to a simmer.
- Use an immersion blender to purée the mixture — alternatively, transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor and purée until smooth. If you transferred the mixture to puree it, return it to the pot and bring it to a simmer. Taste. Adjust to taste with salt and pepper to taste. I consistently add 1 to 1.5 teaspoons of Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
- If you wish, add the heavy cream or crème fraîche and whisk to incorporate. Depending on the size of the squash, you may need to add more stock to thin it to the right consistency.
- Ladle into bowls and serve with bread on the side.
- Store the soup in the fridge for up to a week or freeze for up to 3 months. When reheating day- or days-old soup, you may need to add water or more stock to thin — it thickens as it sits.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Soup
- Method: oven, stovetop
- Cuisine: Amerian
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
54 Comments on “Roasted Butternut Squash and Garlic Soup”
this sounds wonderful. What do you call one head of garlic? It looks like you are roasting several “bulbs”.
Hi! Sorry for the confusion here. 1 head = 1 bulb. I roasted three bulbs so that I could have the extra roasted garlic on hand for smearing over bread. You only need one head/bulb for the recipe, and you squeeze all of the roasted cloves of garlic from that one head into the soup… hope that clarifies!
Wonderful recipe! I’ve been making this kind especially during cold season! The variations I’ve made is mixing with softened onions and using full fat coconut milk! Divine! Love all of your recipes! Thank you!
I love a curried coconut squash soup!
Do you think you can roast pre-cut squash cubes, or does it need the layer of skin to really caramelize?
Shruti, great question… I think you probably could. You don’t want the squash to get crisp at the edges — it should be very soft with slight caramelization. The low heat should prevent any crisping from happening, so I’d say go for it 🙂
All of your recipes are so good and this one was so easy and tasty!
So nice to hear, Jodi. And thank you 🙂 🙂 🙂
Love this recipe! My grandfather used to have garlic soup after drinking as he believed it was a great cure for a hangover 🙂 By the way, I was a bit confused about the term “garlic head.” At first, I thought it referred to a whole garlic instead of a garlic “bulb.”
There is a famous David Tanis recipe (or credited to him at least) called Save-Your-Life Garlic Soup, and it is so simple and good. I am going to edit the recipe now to eliminate the confusion about head/bulb — you do want a whole head/bulb not a single clove 🙂
I haved minced garlic. Can i top that on top of ths squash while roasting?
I worry it will burn. I suppose if it’s between the cut side of the squash and the sheet pan it might be protected, but I’d hate for you to go through the effort only to produce very burnt garlic in the end.
I chop s few heads of garlic at a time and mince in a food processor, put in a jar and keep in the fridge for a couple weeks. When I needed roasted garlic for this recipe, i put a few spoonfulls in a ramekin, covered with olive oil and stuck it on the tray when roasting the squash and checked at about 30 minutes in. Use the garlic in the recipe. Save the oil and brush it over the bread before toasting!
Yum! Great tip. Love this idea. Thanks for writing and sharing 🙂
Hi Ali, I have been a subscriber for a little while now. I have only made your mum’s peasant bread (many times). I bake sourdough bread at home frequently and really enjoy reading your recipes and I love soups, we are big soup makers in Trinidad where I am originally from. I have a question on the squash and garlic soup if you don’t mind. Why not blend the vegetables with the stock and then strain everything, wouldn’t this make better use of them and give more flavour? Thanks so much for all the recipes and videos you make available to us
Hi Mark! Thank you for your kind words. Great to read all of this.
Regarding the stock, I worry that puréeing the vegetables with the water will make it too thick — I’m not sure straining it would get it to the right consistency. There also are some tough bits in the stock that might not purée very well — onion skins, bay leaf, peppercorns. Hope this makes sense!
Super simple recipe. Two ingredients. Velvety yummy!! “So creamy”. Love the garlic tones
So nice to hear this, Jon! And to hear from you. Hope you and Tina are well!
Very tasteful; I served with cheddar cheese biscuits so I had added protein.
Yum! Such a great idea, Linda 🙂
Hi, there—I just made this soup for a friend with cancer, just the right thing, smooth and comforting, not too sweet. Thank you!
Not exactly related, but I wonder if you can solve a problem with your site. It constantly reloads on my iPad. Have others had this problem? Also is there a way to keep the ads from covering the content? I use your recipes all the time, and would happily pay for a subscription (like Substack) if that were an option.
Thanks!
So nice to hear, Diane! And apologies about the trouble with my site… I’ve forward your complaint to my tech people. That’s really frustrating to have content covered by ads… it shouldn’t happen. I would love to one day get to the point where I could run a substack, but it feels a little daunting at the moment.
I have made a lot of butternut squash soup recipes over the years but I must say that this one is a cut above the rest for a couple of reasons.. The layers of flavour profiles were so satisfying and rich that this recipe will be a go-to from now on. What’s not to like about sweet, caramelized garlic? This was a game changer. The added bonus was the simplicity of the recipe. I’ve already shared it with family. .Thanks Alexandra!
So nice to read this, Francisca! Thanks so much for writing and sharing the recipe, too 🙂 🙂 🙂
So cool if you to donate. Happy to visit your site to help out.
Thank you, Amy 🙂 🙂 🙂
I started this two nights ago, simmering a veggie broth with scraps on hand – mostly celery leaves, chopped carrots and wilted red peppers. By the time I finished roasting, scooping, and squeezing, it was long past dinner and we had eaten leftovers from the night before. I got to the part where I mixed the squash, garlic and broth together with the immersion blender, took a taste and thought, “all I’m going to taste is the garlic…way too much.” I refrigerated it for the next night’s dinner, not too impressed. BUT THEN. Last night I added the cream and some water to thin it out, toasted bread crumbs in olive oil, and sprinkled that with snipped fresh sage and salt til crispy. Served the soup with the flavored bread bits sizzling on top. My husband and I couldn’t believe the simple flavors that combined to create this velvety soft and creamy soup. Loved it! Thank you, Alexandra.
So nice to read this, Liz! Thanks so much for writing and sharing all of your notes. I do think this soup tastes better on day 2.
I just made this and it’s delicious. I also made the homemade vegetable broth was super easy and delicious. It’s a perfect soup for the changing weather and it feels so healthy too!
Thank you!
Great to hear, Jessica! Thanks so much for writing 🙂
I Liked this recipe – very easy to make. I added a chopped apple as well as some ginger and turmeric for additional levels of flavor. Served with cornbread muffins it made for a great meal on a cold day.
Made this tonight with crusty rolls. It was very good. However, cutting the garlic bulb in half did not work well. Next time, I would cut the end off, add some olive oil to a bit of tin foil and wrap the garlic to roast. Otherwise – four thumbs up from my husband and I, and we’ll enjoy it again tomorrow for lunch!
LOVE YOUR RECIPES! Can I use precut butternut squash? If so how long do I cook it for?
I think it will work! I cant comment on the timing, but I would rely on the visual cues: very soft in texture — knife tender but very knife tender — with slightly caramelized edges.
Another winner! Thanks so much as always. This soup is lovely and I think better the next day!
Great to hear, Hina! And I agree: better the next day 🙂
This was so delicious! I really enjoyed it. Such a small ingredient list, but so flavorful. As you said, I think it really makes such a difference when you use good homemade stock! Thank you for the recipe!
Great to hear, Susanna 🙂 Thanks so much for writing. Good stock is key here 🙂
This recipe is super easy and delicious – and was a hit with the family! I did not add any heavy cream or cream fraiche – it tasted great without
Great to hear, Chris! Thanks for writing 🙂
Was an easy and wonderful recipe. Made it while still playing with the kiddos. Loved the roasted garlic but added a little onion powder and touch of hickory syrup. Yummm, I will definitely make again.
This soup is crazy good! The flavor is outstanding and it couldn’t be simpler. Will definitely be my go-to for butternut squash soup!
Great to hear, Donna! Thanks so much for writing 🙂
Absolutely delicious! I often do a squash and apple cider soup but this will be my new go-to when i want a bit more savory than sweet. It’s a perfect combination of flavor and texture. Also tried your peasant bread for the first time to go with the soup. It was a fantastic dinner start to finish.
Great to hear, Ellen! Thanks so much for writing 🙂 🙂 🙂
I love your recipes so much and this one didn’t disappoint. Easy and tasty and my husband went back for seconds. I also love the spices are simple. I added a touch of cayenne in addition but that’s it. The crème fraiche took it up a notch too. Adding to our regular rotation. Thanks so much!
Great to hear, Angel! Thanks so much for writing and sharing your notes/thoughts 🙂
So easy, so good! Even my squash skeptics enjoyed this soup!
Great to hear, Jeannie!