Creamy Roasted Butternut Squash Bisque: Simple Squash Soup
This savory roasted butternut squash bisque is the perfect soup for the fall season. With roasted butternut squash, fresh herbs, and heavy cream, this flavorful bisque is warming and nourishing.
What Makes This Soup So Good?
- While most butternut squash soups have sweet ingredients in them, this soup is made with savoriness in mind. Flavorful, savory ingredients balance the sweetness of the squash for a well-balanced bisque with great depth of flavor.
- This soup is made only with whole-food, simple ingredients that you may already have on hand. Simple is often best!
- Butternut squash bisque is the perfect main dish because it is a very hearty soup. The squash gives it a lot of body to fill you up.
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Ingredients
Butternut Squash: The main ingredient of this bisque, and for good reason! Butternut squash is hearty, healthy, and absolutely delicious. It makes for a bisque that is flavorful and satiating enough to be a main dish.
Sage, Rosemary, Thyme, and Red Pepper Flakes: This delightful combination of herbs and spices makes this bisque complex and savory. Sage and thyme bring the quintessential autumn flavors and the red pepper flakes add just a little spice to warm you up.
Onions, Carrots, Celery, and Garlic: I add these four aromatics to nearly every soup I make because they give it a robust, flavorful base. If you want to avoid chopping them in the future, you can try out a homemade freezer mirepoix to have on hand.
Heavy Cream: This makes for a delicious, creamy soup that will please even picky eaters. It can also be substituted with coconut cream to make the soup lighter and dairy-free.
Vegetable Broth: Broth is part of what makes this bisque so savory! Use carton broth, vegetable stock cubes with water, or homemade broth. You can substitute for chicken stock if you desire.
What to Serve with Butternut Squash Bisque
Butternut squash bisque is great as a main dish or served as a starter or side dish. I prefer to serve it as the main dish with a variety of yummy sides to complete the meal. Here are a few ideas:
- Buttered sourdough bread, breadsticks, or focaccia
- Grilled cheese sandwiches
- Autumn green salad
- Warm roasted veggies
- Fall fruit salad
You can find even more ideas with recipes in my post on best dishes to serve with pumpkin soup.
How to Make Vegan Butternut Squash Bisque
One of the great things about this recipe is how easily it is made dairy-free. If you want to make it a little lighter or suitable for a plant-based diet, simply substitute the cream with a can of full-fat coconut milk. I frequently make this soup this way and it is absolutely delicious!
Can You Freeze Butternut Squash Bisque?
Yes, you can. Butternut squash bisque freezes really well in a jar, bag, or another airtight container. If you are going to freeze the soup, I recommend leaving the cream out and adding it when you serve the soup.
How to Freeze Butternut Squash Bisque
- Let your bisque sit out on the counter to cool to room temperature.
- Package the bisque into mason jars, silicone bags, or freezer bags.
- Label the bisque with the type of bisque and the date.
- Store in the fridge overnight to reduce the temperature even further. This is an optional but recommended step.
- Store in the freezer for up to a year.
How to Freeze Liquids in Jars
If glass jars are your container of choice, make sure you follow these guidelines when freezing your soup:
- Always ensure you are leaving at least 2 inches of headspace at the top of the jar.
- When you put the jar in the freezer, do not twist the lid on tightly; rather, leave it sitting loosely atop the jar. Once the liquid is frozen, you can tighten the lids to prevent freezer burn.
- Ensure the bisque has completely cooled to fridge temperature before freezing it.
How to Thaw Frozen Soup
When you’re ready to eat your bisque, I recommend pulling it out of the freezer and allowing it to thaw in the fridge for 12-24 hours. This is the easiest way to thaw it.
If you’re in a rush and need it thawed more quickly, run it under hot water until you are able to remove the bisque from its container and heat it in a saucepan over the stove.
Roasted Butternut Squash Bisque Toppings
There are so many delicious ingredients to add to the top of the soup for additional flavor, texture, and visual appeal. Here are a few of my favorites:
- Roasted pumpkin seeds or butternut squash seeds
- Fried Sage
- Homemade croutons
- A dollop of sour cream (or vegan sour cream)
Equipment Needed
- Large soup pot (I like a stainless steel pot or a Dutch oven)
- Immersion blender or high-speed blender
- Baking Sheet
Frequently Asked Questions
What can I use instead of butternut squash?
You can substitute the butternut with any other winter squash that you like. Pumpkins, kabocha squash, acorn squash, or red kuri squash are great options.
Is it necessary to peel butternut squash before roasting it?
Nope! For this recipe, we will roast the squash in its skin and scoop the flesh out once it is cooked. If you want your butternut squash to be cubed rather than pureed in its final form (say, for a salad or sheet pan meal), peeling may be necessary.
How do you thicken butternut squash soup?
If you accidentally add too much broth or your squash is on the smaller side, you may find your soup too thin. You can thicken it by simmering the soup for a while to boil off some of the water content. You can also add a roux or cornstarch to thicken it.
More Delicious Recipes for Soup Season
- Vegetarian Tortilla Soup
- Homemade Tomato Basil Soup
- Autumn Harvest Soup
Roasted Butternut Squash Bisque
This savory butternut squash bisque is the perfect hearty soup for autumn nights. This soup is warming, nourishing, and flavorful with roasted butternut squash, fresh herbs, and coconut milk.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 2 large carrots, diced
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 1 large butternut squash
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tbsp fresh sage, minced
- 1 tsp fresh rosemary, minced
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- 6 cups veggie broth
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Cut the butternut squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Brush the cut side with a little oil and place on a sheet pan, cut side down.
- Bake the butternut squash for 45-60 minutes, or until fork tender. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool while you prepare the rest of the bisque.
- Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Add the carrots, celery, and onion and sauté until the onions are soft and translucent. Add the garlic and herbs and sauté for another minute.
- Pour broth into the pot and bring to a simmer.
- Scoop the roasted butternut squash out of its skin and add it to the soup. Simmer until the carrots and celery are soft, around 10-15 minutes.
- Add heavy cream to the pot and blend with an immersion blender until creamy and smooth. Alternatively, blend the bisque in a stand blender (see notes). Add more vegetable broth as needed to achieve your desired consistency.
- Serve topped with roasted pumpkin or butternut squash seeds, fried sage leaves, or homemade croutons
Notes
- If you use a regular blender, allow the soup to cool slightly first. It’s best to also leave the cap off of the blender lid and cover the hole with a towel so the hot liquid doesn’t pressurize the blender.
- If you’re in a rush, you can skip roasting the butternut squash. Instead, peel it with a vegetable peeler, dice the peeled squash, and add it to the pot with the broth. Simmer the butternut squash until it is fork-tender.
- Feel free to use dried sage, rosemary, and thyme if needed. Reduce the amount by ½ if using dried herbs.
- To make it dairy-free, substitute full-fat coconut milk in place of the cream.
