This Butternut Squash and Apple Soup is comfort food in a bowl, ready in just under an hour. It’s creamy, smooth, with just the right hint of sweetness from apples, balanced with a little kick from cayenne pepper. By sautéing onions, cooking butternut squash and apples, and simmering them with spices and broth you can create the perfect soup for chilly evenings. Top it with fresh apple chunks and a dollop of sour cream for that extra bit of creaminess and crunch.
Simple to Make, Yet Utterly Satisfying
This recipe starts by throwing everything together in a Dutch oven, letting the flavors blend as the squash and apples soften. Some apple cider gets added at the end, giving the soup a subtle sweetness without overpowering the other ingredients.
A little pinch of cayenne pepper makes a huge difference in the soup. But don’t worry. It doesn’t make the soup spicy. It just adds a touch of warmth and a subtle bite that lingers in the background. You can leave it out if you’re not a fan of spice.
This Butternut Squash and Apple Soup is one of those comfort food recipes that just feels like home. While butternut squash is a winter squash, it’s available all year long. Most grocery stores have it cut into cubes, saving you the step of peeling and cutting.
Fresh apples are both blended with the squash and then sprinkled on top for a little texture and lots of flavor. This is similar to Panera’s butternut squash soup, it’s one of my favorites. Of course this one is much better and you can make a large batch and keep it in the freezer.
This hearty soup is a great option if you’re looking for something a little different from the usual fall recipes but still want those cozy, nostalgic flavors. Serve it up with some cornbread muffins, buttermilk biscuits or garlic bread.
Why You’ll Love Butternut Squash Soup with Apples
- Easy to make: With simple ingredients and minimal prep, this soup comes together quickly, making it perfect for busy weeknights.
- Rich, comforting flavors: The sweetness of the apples, paired with the creamy butternut squash and warm spices, creates a cozy, flavorful dish.
- Perfect for fall: This soup is ideal for cooler weather, offering that warm, hearty feeling we all crave when the seasons change.
Just a Few Fall Ingredients
- Pantry staples: You’ll need some unsalted butter, salt, cumin, cayenne pepper, and chicken broth. You can also use vegetable broth instead.
- Apple cider: This is added at the end and boosts the apple flavor. Apple juice will work also.
- Vegetables and Fruits: You’ll need a sweet onion for this recipe. I use a Vidalia onion. Try to get a decent-sized butternut squash, around 2 pounds or so. You’ll also need apples. I like to use sweet apples like Red Delicious, McIntosh, Fuji, or Gala apples. I don’t recommend using Granny Smith Apples or Honeycrisp apples as they’re too tart for this soup.
- Optional toppings: Try a dollop of sour cream and some fresh apple pieces for a little texture. A splash of coconut milk or heavy cream would be delicious as well. If you want some crunch, you can sprinkle a few croutons or pumpkin seeds on top as well.
Step-by-Step Process to Make This Easy Butternut Squash Soup Recipe
Step One: Peel and Dice Squash
Peel and dice the butternut squash into cubes, or to save time, buy the precut squash.
Step Two: Cook the veggies
Add the squash to a large Dutch oven or pot to sauté with the onions. Then add the chopped apples and seasoning. Let them cook for a bit until they begin to soften.
Step Three: Add Liquid and Simmer
Pour in just enough water to cover the squash and apples, and bring everything to a boil. Turn the heat down to low, cover the pot, and let it all simmer. You want the squash and apples to get really soft, so give it a little time.
Step Four: Blend
Once everything’s nice and tender, pour the mixture into a food processor or regular blender and blend until smooth. You could use an immersion blender but the soup won’t be quite as smooth.
Step Five: Finish
Pour the blended soup back into the pot and stir in some apple cider. When you’re ready to serve, sprinkle some fresh apple pieces on top. Add a dollop of sour cream for extra creaminess if you like!
How Can I Make the Soup Thinner or Thicker?
If the soup is too thick, you can thin it out with some extra chicken broth, cream, or apple cider. If it’s too thin, you can toss in some canned pumpkin.
Make Ahead and Freeze
You can portion the soup in individual airtight containers and store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat in a small pot on the stovetop or microwave.
Recipe Tips and Variations
- If you want to make this soup completely vegetarian, you can swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth.
- If you don’t feel like cutting up an entire butternut squash, you can buy pre-cut cubes, I’m all for saving some elbow grease.
- Sprinkle some fresh herbs on top for garnish, like thyme or sage, to boost the flavor.
- Play around with other warm spices like cinnamon, ginger, and paprika for a different flavor profile.
More Soup Recipes I Bet You’ll Love
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Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 medium sweet onion diced
- 1 butternut squash peeled and seeded (about 2 lbs)
- 4 medium apples peeled, cored and chopped. Red Delicious, Mcintosh, Fuji, any sweet apple
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup apple cider or juice
Instructions
- Add butter to a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. When melted, add chopped onions, cooking until softened, about 3 minutes.
- Chop squash into 1 inch pieces and add to the Dutch oven, cook until slightly soft, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Reserve ½ cup of chopped apples and sprinkle with lemon juice for serving on top of the soup.
- Add the rest of the chopped apples to the Dutch oven along with, salt, cumin, cayenne, chicken broth and just enough water to cover the squash and apples, about 1 cup. Bring to a boil and turn down the heat to low, cover and simmer until both the squash and apples are soft, about 25-30 minutes.
- Add to a food processor and process until smooth. Return to the Dutch oven and add apple cider. Serve with fresh apple pieces on top and sour cream if desired.
Barbara’s Tips + Notes
- You can use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
- Apple juice can be used instead of apple cider
- Use any sweet apple you like, avoid tart apples like HoneyCrisp or Granny Smith.
Nutrition
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Merrie says
This soup looks beautiful but had way too much cumin for our taste. To be fair, we didn’t add the cider because the recipe called for so little and we could only find cinder in quarts (and wouldn’t have any use for left overs). To try to tone down the cumin we added 8 oz of yogurt and 4 Tbs brown sugar. It helped, but the soup was still just okay.
Barbara Curry says
I’m sorry it had too much cumin for you. Apple juice can be used instead of apple cider. It does add to the overall flavor.
Merrie says
The soup mellowed overnight and it’s better today. For reference, I used 20 ounces of frozen butternut, so more squash could have evened out the cumin. Per your notes, I added some cinnamon before popping it into the fridge last night and that added a pleasant note.
Mike Garavelli says
Hi there,
My sister and I made Creamy Butternut Squash and Apple recipe and it was delicious. I never knew butternut squash, onions, and apples would taste so good together. We are going to make it again.
Barbara Curry says
Thanks for leaving a review. It’s soup weather around here right now so I might have to make a batch this weekend.