This cozy Butternut Squash Apple Soup blends squash, apples, and fall spices into a creamy, velvety bowl. With tips to make it vegan or traditional, it’s a nourishing soup that feels just as perfect for a weeknight dinner as it does on your Thanksgiving table.
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This butternut squash apple soup is my favorite way to celebrate fall produce. Sweet apples, tender squash, and hearty vegetables simmer together with herbs until soft, then get blended into a silky smooth puree. A swirl of coconut milk or heavy cream finishes it off, giving you the best of both worlds: a soup that is luxuriously creamy, whether vegan or classically prepared.
Adding apples adds brightness and just enough natural sweetness, making this squash and apple soup taste balanced and layered rather than heavy. It’s wholesome and nourishing, but still cozy enough to be fall comfort food. I love making a big batch on Sundays, then reheating bowls all week long for easy fall dinner ideas.
For more warming, healthy fall recipes, try my Kabocha Squash Soup, Instant Pot Bean Soup, Italian Lentil Soup, or High-Protein Potato Soup.
Why You'll Love this Butternut Squash Apple Soup
- Sweet + Savory Flavor: The mix of butternut squash, sweet potato, and apple creates a soup that’s earthy and naturally sweet, balanced with herbs for depth of flavor.
- Vegan or Classic: Make it dairy-free with coconut milk or go traditional with heavy cream. Both options give you a smooth, luxurious soup, so you can choose what works best for you.
- Simple Ingredients: No fancy groceries here. Just budget-friendly, fresh produce, pantry spices, and broth come together into something special.
- Make-Ahead Friendly: The flavor improves as it sits, making it a great recipe to meal prep or make ahead for Thanksgiving.
- Family-Approved: Even kids (I.e., my selective-eating toddler!) love this apple butternut squash soup's gentle sweetness and mild, cozy seasonings.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Butternut squash: Peel, seed, and cube into 1-inch chunks. This is the star of the soup, so choose one with deep orange flesh for the sweetest, richest flavor.
Sweet potato: Adds a velvety creaminess and natural sweetness, helping the soup feel more filling.
Apple: Fuji, Honeycrisp, or Cosmic Crisp add brightness and a hint of tart-sweet flavor, giving the soup a delicious lightness. For a more tart profile, use a Granny Smith apple.
Onion: Yellow or white onion adds savory depth, building the soup’s flavor base.
Carrots: Provide color, sweetness, and body, rounding out the veggie mix.
Olive Oil: For sautéing and a drizzle of richness on top. A little goes a long way in enhancing the finished flavor.
Vegetable Broth: For a savory base and moisture, making the soup spoonable. Use vegetable stock for a vegan version, or chicken broth if you’re not vegan.
Coconut Milk or Heavy Cream: Either one adds richness and makes the soup velvety smooth. Coconut milk brings natural sweetness and a hint of tropical flavor, while cream makes the soup indulgent and classic.
White Wine Vinegar: Adds brightness and cuts through the natural sweetness. Apple cider vinegar works if that’s what you have on hand.
Bay Leaf, Dried Rosemary, and Rubbed Sage: These herbs give the soup its cozy fall character. You can swap 3 times the amount of fresh rosemary, or sage if preferred.
Salt: Sharpens all the other flavors, so season to taste before serving. Start with 1 teaspoon and add more as needed.
How to Make Vegan Butternut Squash Soup
For the complete recipe and measurements, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1: Sauté the Veggies and Aromatics.
Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, apples, rosemary, and sage. Sauté for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent.
Step 2: Simmer the Vegetables.
Add the sweet potatoes, butternut squash, bay leaf, broth, and ½ teaspoon of salt. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium heat, cover, and simmer 24-26 minutes, or until all vegetables are fork-tender.
Step 3: Blend the Soup.
Remove the bay leaf, stir in coconut milk or cream, and vinegar.
Step 4: Blend, Season, and Serve.
Use an immersion blender to puree until smooth, or carefully transfer in batches to a regular blender with the lid vented. Season the hot soup with additional salt if needed.
Serve hot with a drizzle of coconut milk or olive oil and sprinkle flaky salt and pumpkin seeds if desired.
Recipe Pro-Tips
- Cut vegetables evenly: This ensures the squash, sweet potato, and carrots all cook at the same rate. If some chunks are bigger, they’ll still be firm when the rest of the soup is ready to puree.
- Don’t skip the vinegar: That little splash at the end may seem small, but it makes a huge difference. It balances the natural sweetness of the squash and apple and brightens the whole dish.
- Use an immersion blender: It’s the easiest way to puree hot soup right in the pot, and no need to risk spills. If you only have a regular blender, vent the lid to let steam escape so it doesn’t pop off.
- Adjust thickness to your liking: Like a heartier, spoon-coating soup? Let it simmer uncovered a few extra minutes. Want something lighter? Stir in more broth after blending.
- Make extra: This soup freezes like a dream. I often double the recipe to have quick bowls of cozy fall goodness ready for weekday lunches and busy weeknights.
Recipe Variations
- Curry-Spiced Apple Squash Soup: Stir in 1-2 tablespoons red curry paste in place of the dried herbs. It adds warmth and a little kick.
- Warm Spices: Swap the rosemary and sage for 1 teaspoon cinnamon and ½ teaspoon ginger powder. Finish with a drizzle of maple syrup for a sweet-spiced vibe that pairs beautifully with the apple.
- Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Apple: Roast the squash cubes at 400°F for 25-30 minutes before simmering. Roasting deepens the sweetness and adds caramelized flavor. So good!
- Vegan Apple Butternut Squash Soup: Stick with vegetable broth and coconut milk. Top with a drizzle of coconut cream and toasted pumpkin seeds for extra richness and a touch of protein.
- Creamy Butternut Apple Soup: Use chicken broth and heavy cream for a more indulgent, restaurant-style finish. Perfect for holidays when you’re going all out.
Serving Suggestions
This butternut squash soup with apple is perfect with crusty bread, a green salad, or a gooey grilled cheese. Serve it as a light lunch, weeknight dinner, or as a first course for Thanksgiving. Add pumpkin seeds or fresh herbs as garnish for extra flair.
Storage Directions
- Refrigerating: Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: Cool the soup to room temperature before transferring it to a freezer-safe container and freezing for up to 3 months. Freeze in individual batches for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge or gently in the microwave.
- Reheating: Warm on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, or microwave until hot.
FAQs
Yes. Substitute 1 tablespoon each of fresh rosemary and sage for the dried herbs. Add fresh thyme if you’d like more herbal depth.
Yes. Sauté the onion, apple, and spices first, then transfer everything to a slow cooker. Cook on low 7-8 hours, stir in coconut milk or cream and vinegar at the end, and puree.
Save this Recipe for Later on Pinterest
More Butternut Squash Recipes
- Air Fryer Butternut Squash
- Easy Mashed Butternut Squash
- Butternut Squash Farro
- Savory Bread Pudding with Roasted Butternut Squash
- Spiced Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup
If you liked and made this Butternut Squash Apple Soup Recipe, don't forget to rate it and let me know how you liked it in the comments. I always love hearing from you!
Recipe Card
Butternut Squash Apple Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil plus additional to garnish
- 1 large apple (Fuji, rave, HoneyCrisp, Cosmic, etc.) peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 3 medium carrots peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 medium yellow or white onion chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- ¾ teaspoon rubbed sage
- 1 large sweet potato peeled and cubed into 1-inch chunks
- 1 medium butternut squash (about 2.5 lbs) peeled, seeded & cut into 1 inch chunks
- 1 ½ quart (6 cups) vegetable broth or stock (or chicken broth/stock if not vegan)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon salt plus additional to taste
- ¾ cup coconut milk or heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
Instructions
- Heat a Dutch oven or stock pot over medium-high or medium heat. Add the olive oil, bring to heat and add the onions, carrots, apples, dried rosemary, and rubbed sage. Sauté for 5-6 minutes, or until the onions are translucent.
- Add the sweet potatoes, butternut squash, ½ teaspoon of salt, bay leaf, and vegetable broth or stock. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer covered for 24-26 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes and carrots are fork tender.
- Remove the pot from the heat. Remove the bay leaf. Stir in the coconut milk and tablespoon of the white wine vinegar. Blend with an immersion blender (or carefully add the hot liquids to a high-speed blender and blend with the vent removed) until smooth.
- Season the hot soup with additional salt if needed. Serve hot with a drizzle of coconut milk (or heavy cream) and olive oil and sprinkle flaky salt or pumpkin seeds if desired.
Notes
- Refrigeration: Leftover soup keeps covered in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: The soup can also be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator for 8-12 hours or on low-heat in the microwave.
- Reheating: Warm up the soup over medium-low heat on the stovetop over on medium heat in the microwave, stirring as it warms, or until heated through.
