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Learn how to make creamy, hearty buttercup squash soup. It’s easy, healthy, and full of flavor and comes with a tested stovetop and slow cooker option.
Fall season means soup season in my house, and I’m lucky to have a LOT of soup recipes to choose from. Currently, I love pumpkin curry soup, cheeseburger soup, and my famous buttercup squash soup recipe.
Everyone in my family LOVES it when I find this squash at the grocery store and make this soup. It’s just out of the ordinary enough to keep things interesting while filled with flavors everyone loves. It’s rich, creamy, and deceptively full of veggies, and I know you’ll love it!
Table of Contents
What is a buttercup squash?
Buttercup squash is a type of winter squash. It’s best identified by the dark green rind, greenish-grey striations, and round cap on the bottom. Buttercups are one of the sweeter species of squash, usually compared to butternut squash or honeynut squash, and they can be prepared similarly as well.
Here are some reasons why you’ll love this recipe:
- Incredibly creamy. A little bit of heavy cream goes a long way and makes for a ridiculously smooth, rich, and creamy soup that tastes incredible.
- Minimal prep time. Most of the time making this soup is spent roasting the veggies in the oven. Once they’re tender, just simmer them with your broth ingredients and blend everything together. It’s really that simple.
- Healthy and nutritious. This soup is loaded with vitamins, minerals, and fiber while being lower in fat and still so flavorful.
- Vegetarian and gluten-free. Just like my cream of asparagus soup, this soup is free of meat and gluten and can easily be made vegan by swapping the cream for non-dairy milk.
For more easy and delicious squash recipes, check out this butternut squash casserole or this spaghetti squash casserole.
Ingredients needed
Aside from the buttercup squash, everything else you’ll need to make this soup is relatively simple. Here are the specifics:
- Buttercup squash. Look for a dense squash with a firm cap and even coloring. I find that this squash is plentiful at most green grocers.
- Carrots and onion. Essentials for any hearty soup.
- Garlic. For aromatics, preferably fresh.
- Olive oil. For roasting the veggies.
- Maple syrup. Also for roasting the veggies and adding a subtle sweet flavor that’s key to any good squash soup.
- Salt and pepper. To taste.
- Vegetable stock. For the broth.
- Heavy cream. To add creaminess to the broth. This can be swapped with coconut milk or extra vegetable stock to make a leaner soup.
- Cinnamon and nutmeg. Warming spices to compliment the squash.
- Raw pumpkin seeds. For garnish.
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
How to make buttercup squash soup
What I love about this recipe is that once the squash is roasted, it’s essentially hands of.
Step 1- Prepare the veggies: Preheat the oven to 400F/205C. Add the veggies to a roasting pan. Drizzle the veggies with olive oil and maple syrup, then season them with salt and pepper.
Step 2- Roast veggies: Roast the veggies for 25 minutes or until fork-tender.
Step 3- Combine the ingredients: Transfer the roasted veggies to a large pot and add vegetable stock, heavy cream, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Give everything a gentle mix.
Step 4- Blend and serve: Simmer the soup for 5-10 minutes, then puree with an immersion blender. Serve the soup warm, garnished with pumpkin seeds and a splash of extra heavy cream.
Can I use a slow cooker?
Yes! As easy as this soup is to make on the stovetop (my preference), it’s even easier to make with a slow cooker. I tested it and it’s fabulous so here is what to do:
Roast the veggies as mentioned, then transfer them to the slow cooker along with the stock, heavy cream, and spices. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 2 hours, then blend with an immersion blender until creamy.
Recipe tips and variations
- Cut the veggies into equal-sized small chunks. So they cook more quickly and evenly.
- Add extra vegetables. One of my favorite parts of making pureed soups is being able to sneak in extra veggies. Roast zucchini, bell peppers, cauliflower, or sweet potatoes along with the squash and other veggies.
- Switch up the spices. Try curry powder, smoked paprika, or cayenne pepper for a spicy kick.
- Add some texture. Set aside some of the roasted veggies and add them back once you’ve blended the soup.
- Use a regular blender. If you don’t have an immersion blender, use a smoothie blender and work in batches. Just remember to remove the fill cap to let out steam while blending.
- Make a heartier soup. Since this soup is pretty light on its own, I like to serve it with garlic bread or coconut rice.
- Use other types of squash. If you can’t find buttercup squash, you can make this exact recipe with butternut squash, acorn squash, or pumpkin.
Storage instructions
To store: Stored in an airtight container, buttercup squash soup will stay fresh for up to 7 days.
To freeze: Freeze cooled buttercup squash soup in portions for easy thawing and meal prep. Transfer the soup to freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to 3 months.
To reheat: Transfer the soup into a pot and reheat it on low-medium heat. Stir occasionally and add more stock or cream if needed.
Frequently asked questions
No, the skin of buttercup squash should be removed before eating.
More soup and stew recipes to try
- Stuffed pepper soup– All the best parts of the stuffed pepper in hearty soup form.
- Cauliflower soup– Like this one, the cauliflower is roasted to perfection.
- Oxtail soup– The meat FALLS off the bone.
- Spicy ramen– My secret trick to transform a pantry staple into a filling meal
- Mexican soup– Full of spices and so filling.
Buttercup Squash Soup
Ingredients
- 1 small buttercup squash 3 1/2 cups cubed squash
- 1 1/2 cups carrots peeled and chopped
- 1 small onion peeled and quartered
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200C/400F.
- Add the buttercup squash, carrots, onion, and garlic to a roasting pan. Drizzle the veggies with olive oil and maple syrup. Season the veggies with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Roast the vegetables for 25 minutes, or until tender.
- Transfer the vegetables to a large pot and add the vegetable broth, heavy cream, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Simmer for 5-10 minutes then puree with an immersion blender.
- Serve soup warm.
