One-Pot Roasted Squash Soup

By J. Kenji López-Alt

Published Feb. 15, 2023

One-Pot Roasted Squash Soup
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
1½ hours
Rating
4(987)
Comments
Read comments

You could make pumpkin or squash soup by roasting the pumpkin on a sheet tray while sautéing onions, carrots and ginger on the stovetop before combining it all with stock and blending it. But it’s tedious compared with tossing everything into an oven-safe pot, roasting it all, then blending it directly in the same pot. The onions cook a little unevenly using this method, and that’s a good thing: Some slices sweeten gently while others deeply caramelize as they roast, giving the soup more complexity. For a little sweetness, some apples or pears are added to the roast as well, but you can omit them if you prefer a more savory soup.

Featured in: Kenji López-Alt’s Family Loves This Soup. Here’s How He Made It Easier.

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: Give recipes to anyone

    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.

    Subscribe

  • Share this recipe

  • Print this recipe

Advertisement

Ingredients

Yield:6 to 8 servings
  • 2kabocha or kuri squash (3½ to 4½ pounds total), skin on and quartered, seeds, pulp and hard stems discarded
  • 1large yellow or white onion (about 12 ounces), peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1large or 2 medium carrots (about 8 ounces), peeled and roughly chopped
  • 4coin-size slices of fresh, peeled ginger
  • 2apples or pears, cored and roughly chopped
  • A few sprigs of fresh thyme or rosemary (optional)
  • 6tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
  • Salt and black pepper
  • 6cups homemade or store-bought stock, or water, plus more as desired
  • 2tablespoons maple syrup or honey (optional)
  • Juice of ½ lemon or ½ orange
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)

271 calories; 13 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 9 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 37 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 14 grams sugars; 7 grams protein; 1005 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Powered by

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Combine the squash, onion, carrot, ginger, apples, herbs (if using) and olive oil in a large Dutch oven or large, ovenproof saucepan. Season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine.

  2. Step 2

    Place the pot in the oven, uncovered, and roast until the squash shows no resistance when poked with a paring knife or cake tester, 1 to 1½ hours.

  3. Step 3

    Transfer the pot to the stovetop, and discard any woody herb stems (if using). Add the stock or water, and place over a burner set to medium-low heat. Stir with a wooden spoon to scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until it’s as smooth as you like. (You can also transfer to a standing blender or food processor in batches if you prefer.)

  4. Step 4

    Stir in the maple syrup (if using) and citrus juice. Adjust the consistency with more water or stock if desired. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and freshly ground black pepper.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Ratings

4 out of 5
987 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Comments

Bonnie

Sumptuous soup, although I could not find the Kobacha today so bought 3 large bags of frozen cubed butternut. Skipped the oven roasting and just put everything in a big pot on the stovetop until carrots were soft and then used the immersion blender. Absolutely delicious.

beth

Kabocha squashes, unlike butternut, has delicious edible peel.

Jeff

Add an Ancho chili for a classic Southwestern take on this soup.

Gail

Delicious! But next time I would roast the veg on a sheet pan — it took closer to 2 hours (and upping the oven temp to 425) for me to get the butternut squash I used to the point of tenderness. I made mine with duck stock, which made it extra rich and velvety. My husband appreciated the bits of texture from the apple skin, onions, carrots, etc. I’ll definitely make this again.

guido

An easy to make soup of remarkable depth. I added 4 cloves of garlic and doubled the amount of ginger which built more layers of rich flavor. An instant favorite with a sure place in the winter rotation.

Debbie

I followed the recipe. I love that everything gets thrown into the pot. So easy to make. The only thing I would do differently is omit the maple syrup. I don’t think (for me) that it is needed. With the pear or apple it doesn’t need anymore sweetness.

Private comments are only visible to you.

Recipe Tags

or to save this recipe.