Butternut Squash Leek Soup
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This Butternut Squash Leek Soup is the perfect comforting soup for the fall and winter. It’s easy to make, creamy, naturally sweetened, and delicious. You only need 1 pan, a blender or an emersion blender, and a large pot. Before you know it, dinner is ready, and you will be in soup heaven.
📄 History of Butternut Squash
Winter Squash was one of the three main crops planted by Native Americans, known as the “Three Sisters.” The other 2 are climbing beans and corn (also known as maize). Three Sisters planting is an ancient companion planting method because all three crops are grown and support each other in some way. Native Americans and early American settlers prized butternut squash for its long shelf life. The most popular and widely available butternut squash is the Waltham Butternut, which was initially cultivated in Massachusetts. Butternut squash can be roasted in the oven, cooked in an instant pot, or cooked in the microwave. Our favorite way to cook butternut squash in roasting it in the oven on a baking sheet.
🧅 Ingredients
To make this comforting, pureed soup, you will need a few staple ingredients, winter squash and herbs. All of these ingredients can be found at your local grocery store too.
- Whole Butternut Squash. A medium to large butternut works for this recipe. You want about 5 cups of cubed butternut.
- Honeycrisp Apples. We love the Honeycrisp apples in this recipe because they add a nice sweetness.
- Medium Leek. We love how leeks have a subtle onion flavor to this creamy soup. For this recipe, we use the leek’s light green parts.
- Garlic Cloves.
- Thyme Sprigs. We use about 4 springs. When they are roasted with veggies, some of the leaves start to fall off the springs. Any leaves that are still left on the springs can be easily removed.
- Fresh Sage.
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil. We used Brightland’s Chili Olive Oil in this recipe for a bit of heat, but regular olive oil works just as well. If you like a kick of heat, adding a pinch of cayenne pepper at the end will do the trick.
- Milk. We used 1/2 cup of Fairlife Lactose-Free Whole Milk to make a rich, creamy flavor. If you have heavy cream, we recommend only using 1/4 cup here. You could also substitute with 1/2 cup of coconut milk too.
- Broth. You can use either vegetable broth or chicken broth. Both add delicious flavor to this hot soup.
- Apple Cider Vinegar. We only add a touch of apple cider vinegar for that acidity touch.
- Salt and black pepper.
🍎 Toasted Pepitas With Apples
This topping adds a great texture to the soup and may even be “next level” because it adds a lovely crunch and sweetness to each bite. You only need 5 ingredients to make this topping.
- Pepita Seeds or Pumpkin Seeds.
- Honeycrisp Apple.
- Pure Maple Syrup.
- Salt.
- Cinnamon.
🫕 Instructions
- Chop the veggies. Peel and dice the butternut squash (see the section below for tips) and 1-2 Honeycrisp apples. Cut the leek by slicing off the root end and the tough green top. Slice in half lengthwise and cut the leek into thin half-moons. Mince the garlic.
- Roast the veggies. Preheat the oven to 425° Fahrenheit. Add the chopped veggies to a baking sheet with fresh sage, thyme sprigs, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add olive oil and toss to coat. Roast/Bake for 25 minutes, covered with foil, then uncovered for another 20 minutes.
- Blend up the soup. Discard the thyme sprigs, and add roasted veggies to a blender with broth, milk, and apple cider vinegar. Blend until smooth. Alternatively, add everything to a large soup pot and use an immersion blender to make the pureed soup. Taste blended soup and add more seasoning if needed.
- Make Topping (Optional): Add pepita seeds or pumpkin seeds with 1 diced Honeycrisp Apple with the skin to a medium saute pan. Add maple syrup, a pinch of salt, and cinnamon, and stir over medium heat until the seeds start to stick together.
- Enjoy. Serve soup in 4 bowls with the toasted pepitas on top and a drizzle of cream or chili oil.
🔪 How to cut butternut squash
- Slice off the top of the squash.
- Peel it and peel the round base.
- Cut in half and remove the seeds from each half with a spoon. Slice it in half with a very sharp knife. If you find it hard to cut, your knife may be dull, and you need to sharpen it.
- Slice the neck into strips and cubes. Repeat with the rounded bottom part of the squash.
FAQs
Yes! Add soup without any of the pumpkin seed and apple toppings to a freezer-friendly container. When ready to enjoy, transfer the soup to the refrigerator the night before. Heat on the stovetop or in the microwave, stirring in increments.
This soup pairs well with a Chardonnay. The floral notes of Chardonnay pair nicely with the creaminess and spice.
This Butternut Squash Leek Soup with Apples is comforting, creamy, perfectly spiced, and incredibly delicious! We hope you all love our recipe. Enjoy! ♡
Butternut Squash Leek Soup
- 5 cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed (about 1 butternut squash)
- 2 cups Honeycrisp Apple, peeled and cubed (1 large or 2 small)
- 1 cup leek chopped
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil substitute with chili-infused olive oil for a kick of heat
- ⅓ cup sage leaves, chopped
- 4 thyme sprigs
- pinch of salt and pepper plus more to taste
- ½ cup whole milk or coconut milk, or substitute with 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup pepita seeds or substitute with pumpkin seeds
- 1 Honeycrisp Apple cubed
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- pinch salt
- pinch cinnamon
- Chop the veggies. Peel and dice the butternut squash to make 5 cups.Peel and dice 1-2 Honeycrisp apples to make 2 cups. Cut the leek by slicing off the root end and the tough green top. Slice in half lengthwise and cut the leek into thin half-moons to make 1 cup. Mince the 4 garlic cloves.
- Roast the veggies. Preheat the oven to 425° Fahrenheit. Add the chopped veggies to a baking sheet with fresh sage, thyme sprigs, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add olive oil and toss to coat. Roast/Bake for 25 minutes, covered with foil, then uncovered for another 20 minutes.
- Blend up the soup. Discard the thyme sprigs, and add roasted veggies to a blender with broth, milk, and apple cider vinegar. Blend until smooth. Alternatively, add everything to a large soup pot and use an immersion blender to make the pureed soup. Taste blended soup and add more seasoning if needed.
- Make Topping (Optional): Add pepita seeds or pumpkin seeds with 1 diced Honeycrisp Apple with the skin on to a medium saute pan. Add maple syrup, a pinch of salt, and cinnamon, and stir over medium heat until the seeds start to stick together.
- Enjoy. Serve soup in 4 bowls with the toasted pepitas on top along with a drizzle of cream or chili-oil.
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