Easy butternut squash soup made with apple cider and finished with creme fraiche. This is a perfect lunch, dinner or appetizer as soup shooters.
If you want a curried version, check out this vegan curried butternut squash and sweet potato soup.
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My husband was under the weather last week, and weakly pleaded for this soup from underneath a mountain of quilts one afternoon. I nearly fainted. He wasn't begging for a burger or ice cream topped with hot fudge. He was requesting, sit down for it, a vegetable based soup. That's when I realized just how sick he was. He was hallucinating that he wanted vegetables.
I didn't waste any time, and set out to make this one I created a few years ago. I love how the apple cider brightens the squash, and had some thoughts to update the photo in the back of my mind.
But while the squash, onion, and broth were doing a slow rumba on the stove in my favorite Le Creuset pot, I spied a little container of crème fraîche in the refrigerator. I pulled it out, and could already taste it in the soup. I scooped out a heaping spoon of lusciousness, and streaked it though the soup, thanking the kitchen gods for this unexpected gift.
In no time at all, it was done. And in not much more time, it was all gone. The meat eater had downed two bowls!
Tips for Cutting up a Butternut Squash
First whack off the top and bottom of the squash with a sharp chef's knife.
Slice the squash in half, across its width, where its body expands, and slice each half in half again, this time lengthwise.
Use a Y-shaped vegetable peeler to easily removed the tough outer skin. A spoon makes quick work of scooping out the seeds and pulp.
Finally, slice it into cubes, using a chef's knife.
Tips for Removing the Seeds for Roasting
If you want to reserve the seeds for roasting, they can be slippery little devils to untangle from the pulp. Just fill a bowl with water and plop in the pulp. Removing the seeds while everything is submerged is much easier.
Serving Tips
A confetti of cracked roasted chickpeas or roasted hazelnuts adds a nut crunch and nutty flavor.
This is a great soup to serve as a soup shooter appetizer! Just ladle the soup into each small glass and top with a couple cracked roasted chickpeas.
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Butternut Squash Soup with Apple Cider
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 10 cups 1-inch cubed butternut squash 1 large squash
- 2 cups diced yellow onion
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup apple cider
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 -3 tablespoons crème fraîche
- ¼ cup spicy roasted chickpeas, cracked
Instructions
- In a large heavy-bottomed pot, warm the oil and melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the butternut squash and onion and sauté until the onion softens – about 10 minutes. Pour in the broth and cider, and add the salt. Simmer until the squash becomes tender, about 15 minutes.
- Pour the soup into a blender and puree to a smooth, silky soup, and return to the pot. Gentle stir in the crème fraîche.
- For serving, crack open a few roasted chickpeas to sprinkle over each bowl.
Notes
Nutrition
If you're interested in more soups, check out my Wimpy Vegetarian Soups Board on Pinterest!
If you're interested in more dishes with winter squash (including butternut), check out my Wimpy Vegetarian Winter Squash Board on Pinterest!
Mary @ Fit and Fed
Beautiful! Love the idea of the cracked roasted chickpea garnish. Between that and the swirl of creme fraiche it's very inviting. You have a lucky husband, and you're slowly converting him to love vegetables!
rossi
I have been used apple cider in my butternut squash soup for years
Its fantastic
also when I want to make it vegan
brown sugar and apple cider rocks it
thank you for this post
Danielle
I never thought of using apple cider in my butternut squash soup - what a great idea!
change
nice
Sonia Chauhan
I so enjoy your site and your recipes. Would you please consider adding a print option so we can enjoy your recipes a little more easily. Thank you.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks so much for your comment!! There's a print button under the photo in the recipe. Does it not work for you?
nicole (thespicetrain.com)
This soup looks mouthwatering, I love how you styled and photographed it. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Moses Brodin
What a gorgeous soup. It looks like molten gold and your photos of it are wonderful. I hope you have a great weekend. Blessings…
Deborah M Lyman
I have been using your recipe now for, I think 3 seasons, but have changed it up a bit. I ROAST the squash, Onion and add one to two roasted apples.
I ADD all the spices as if it were a pumpkin pie, 2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ginger, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp. cloves, 1/2 tsp allspice. I also add 1 to 2 TBSP of dark molasses. At the end I skip the chickpeas or nuts and instead of stirrring in Creme Fraiche, I stir in about 1/4 cup of half and half. Depending on the sweetness of the roasted squash, some of the spices would be adjusted. It is ALWAYS a hit in the fall.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thank you so much for letting me know how you make this! It sounds absolutely delicious, and now I want to try your recipe!!! The great thing about food and recipes, is we can make tweaks to make it our own. I love this. Happy fall to you!
Kelly Hubbard
I'm Chef Corey from Family Fresh Meals. This crockpot recipe is so unique! Love it :)I just started a new recipe Linky called Sunday Funday: Recipe of the Week.This recipe would be perfect for the first week theme CROCKPOT.Hope come join the fun. Hope you stop by and join!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Hi Corey, thanks so much! How can I find it? I went to your site, but didn't see it.
wonderworlds
I have been using your recipe now for, I think 3 seasons, but have changed it up a bit. I ROAST the squash, Onion and add one to two roasted apples.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
That sounds like a perfect way to coax deeper flavors into this soup! It's a very flexible soup, like many soups, and I love your adjustments!
Holly Hooper
I can’t wait to try some of your recipes! I just got my first crock pot (and I’m a senior) and am exploring the world of slow cooked food. Thanks!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thank you so much! And welcome to slow cooking! It's such a great way to cook while you do errands, or just relax with a book 🙂
Deborah Lyman
This is my "go-to" recipe when local butternut squash is prevalent in the fall here in the northeast. I make many modifications. After ROASTING a whole squash, I start by adding the onion that has been cooked separately from cooked sweet sausage which I add after using a blender. I bump up the cider to 2 cups, and the broth to 3 cups. I add in 3 TBSP of maple bourbon, 3 TBSP of molasses, 1/2 a tsp of ginger, 2 tsp of cinnamon, 1/4 tsp each of cloves and allspice. Instead of creme fraiche, I use 3TBSP of half and half. It comes out deliciously. Depending on how sweet the squash is, will depend on if I adjust the spices a bit.
In the past, I have also added cooked apples to puree with the squash and onion. This latest batch (11/12/2022),, I had roasted an acorn squash with butter and brown sugar. Eating one 1/2 and scooping out the cooked squash, melted butter and brown sugar right into the butternut/onion mix before pureeing. The soup is outstanding!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I'm so happy you loved it! It's a very flexible soup 🙂
Paul Brown
This is an awesome easy fall dinner! I love the contrasting textures and flavors.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I'm so happy you liked it!!
Nancy Thomson
I fixed this last night and three generations of the family - from age 3 to 80 - all loved it. A great fall recipe with just a few simple ingredients and super easy prep. I used a stick blender to puree it right in the cooking pot. Will definitely make again!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I'm so happy you all loved it! Thanks for letting me know!!