Ginger Apple Butternut Squash Soup

For almost all of my life, labor day weekend has been the decisive end point for summer and the beginning of the fall season. Obviously this was true for grade school, high school and then college, but as someone who loves the lazier days of June, July and August, I went for keeps. After college I headed straight to grad school, then RD school and then spent the last 7 years as the Wellness Director for a University in California. Labor day weekend used to mark the frenzied back to school rush and longer work days from now until holiday break.

Used to.  As of a week ago, I am officially 100% self-employed which is crazy beyond crazy. I’ve been working for a long time to make this happen but the fact that it’s actually here has me both terrified and giddy at the same time. This time around, I’ve been looking forward to Labor Day weekend for months, knowing that it symbolized the end of my previous work and the beginning of a new professional chapter.

I’m leaning into the season with this Ginger Apple Butternut Soup.

Even though I am ALL in for Fall this year, I still need to ease into the idea that I won’t be eating juicy strawberries for snacks and that tomatoes won’t taste great again until at least June of next year. Tragedies in their own right, but quickly forgiven when I know that I get to roast vegetables without sweating myself out of the kitchen and fall back in love with my favorite produce: brussels sprouts, pears and butternut squash.

I saw the first peak that the seasons were changing in the grocery store last week, a fresh display of acorn squash and butternut squash replacing where the peach bin had previously been kept. Even though I sweared off the idea that I wasn’t going to touch squash until October, I gave in at the idea of this silky, smooth soup.

A quick roast of butternut, apple, garlic and onion pureed with fresh ginger and coconut milk. This isn’t the soup that needs to simmer for hours upon end; it’s ready from start to finish in less than 1 hour.

While it’s great on it’s own, I decided to top it with a sunflower seed brittle for a fun contrast of textures. Grab your silpat, mix a smidge of oil and maple syrup with raw sunflower seeds and then bake until toasted. As it cools, the seeds will clump together to make brittle.

One hearty bowl of this soup and you’ll know that summer Fall is coming.

If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag your Instagram photos with #delishknowledge . I absolutely love seeing your creations. Happy cooking! 

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Ginger Apple Butternut Soup

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5 from 8 votes

Ginger Apple Butternut Squash- a MUST make this Fall! Velvety, creamy vegan and gluten-free soup.

Servings: 6 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Equipment

• Blender
• Sheet Pan
• Soup Pan

Ingredients 

• 2 1/2 pounds Butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes (from one 3 to 3½ lb squash), about 6-7 cups
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil, divided
• 2 medium apples, peeled, cored, and roughly chopped
• 1 medium onion,  cut into large chunks
• 2 whole garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 15 oz. can light coconut milk

Candied Sunflower Seed Topping**

• 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
• 1 tbsp. 100% pure maple syrup

Instructions

For the Soup

• Preheat the oven to 425°F and line two baking sheets with parchment. Using two sheets keeps the squash from crowding and steaming.
• Toss the butternut squash with 2 teaspoons olive oil, rubbing with your hands so every piece is coated. Season with a pinch of the salt and pepper, spread in a single layer across both sheets, and roast for 20 minutes.
• Toss the apples, onion, and garlic cloves with the remaining teaspoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Flip the squash, add the apple mixture to the sheets, tucking the garlic under squash pieces so it doesn't burn. Roast 20 to 25 minutes 
• While the vegetables roast, heat the vegetable broth with the ginger, nutmeg, and cayenne pepper in a large sauce pan until warm. 
• Transfer about half the roasted vegetables and half the warm broth to a high-speed blender, filling it no more than halfway. Remove the center cap from the lid and cover the opening with a folded towel so steam can escape. Start on low, then blend on high for a full 1 to 2 minutes until completely smooth. Pour into the same saucepan you just had the broth in. Repeat with the remaining vegetables and broth.
• Return the purée to the pot and stir in the coconut milk. Warm over medium-low for about 5 minutes without letting it boil, so the coconut milk doesn't separate. If it's thicker than you like, thin with a splash of broth or water. Season with the remaining salt, plus more to taste and black pepper.
• Serve with candied sunflower seed brittle or toasted sunflower seeds. The sunflower seed brittle can be made ahead of time, place in an airtight container to store.

For the Candied Sunflower Seeds

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine sunflower seeds, maple syrup, oil and salt. Arrange the sunflower seeds in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes until seeds are toasted and golden brown, stirring often. You’ll want to check often during the last 5 minutes of baking to make sure the seeds don’t burn.
• Remove from oven and cool completely. As the seeds cool, they will stick together like brittle. Break apart and garnish on soup.

Notes

For the silkiest texture, push the soup through a fine-mesh sieve with the back of a ladle to remove any remaining fibers.

The soup thickens as it sits, so thin leftovers with a little broth when reheating. It keeps 4 to 5 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 285kcalCarbohydrates: 41gProtein: 5gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gSodium: 696mgPotassium: 842mgFiber: 7gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 20498IUVitamin C: 44mgCalcium: 112mgIron: 2mg

Course: dinner, healthy, Soup

Cuisine: glutenfree, soup, Vegan, Vegetarian

Author: Alexandra Caspero