This Roasted Butternut, Apple and Cardamom Soup is creamy, cozy comfort in a bowl!
Sweet, earthy butternut squash, tart apples and savory onions are roasted until caramelized and tender.
Then they’re blended with fragrant ground cardamom for a smooth, well-balanced soup that’s perfect when it’s cold outside.
Plus it’s naturally vegan, dairy-free, Paleo and Whole30 friendly!
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Roasted Butternut, Apple and Cardamom Soup
Blended root vegetable soups are one of my favorite things ever. They’re just inherently comforting, simple to make and easy to make healthy.
That’s why I already have a bunch of recipes on my site like 3-Ingredient Curried Sweet Potato Soup, Parsnip, Pear and Pistachio Soup and Purple Soup.
And this combination of butternut squash, apples and cardamom is one of my favorites and deserves to join the collection.
Plus I use my favorite method for roasting butternut squash – no peeling, no chopping. Roasting it whole makes cooking butternut so much easier. You can read more about that here.
Then you just throw the other ingredients in the oven too and then blend it all up with some seasonings and you’re ready to go!
If you’re not familiar with ground cardamom, it has a sweet, musky, almost floral aroma and flavor. It’s great with other spices like cinnamon and ginger, as seen in my recipe for Spiced Candied Pecans.
What you need for Roasted Butternut, Apple and Cardamom Soup
Ingredients:
- a 2.5-3 lb. butternut squash
- two Granny Smith apples
- 1 yellow onion
- avocado oil or your favorite oil
- 1 quart (4 cups) chicken broth (or vegetable broth to keep it vegan)
- ground cardamom
- fine sea salt
- ground black pepper
Equipment:
- two stainless steel baking sheets
- aluminum foil
- a paring knife
- a chef’s knife
- measuring spoons
- a large Dutch oven or soup pot
- a cutting board
- a stick blender (I particularly love this stick blender) or regular blender (I love this one)
How to make Roasted Butternut, Apple and Cardamom Soup
First, heat the oven to 425°.
Line the baking sheets with foil.
Lay the squash on one sheet and use a paring knife to stab it in the bottom, making sure the knife gets all the way in to the cavity where the seeds are (until you don’t feel resistance). This incision will let steam escape as it cooks.
Then roast the squash for 60-90 minutes, depending on its size. (More information about roasting a whole butternut squash here.)
When the squash has about 30 minutes left in the oven, cut the apples in half from top to bottom, then cut in half again so you have 4 wedges. Cut out the seeds and stem.
Peel, halve and roughly chop the onion.
Add the apples and onion to the 2nd foil-lined baking sheet and toss with oil and salt.
Roast them in the lower rack of the oven for about 25-30 minutes, until they’re soft and caramelized.
Once the squash is done, remove from the oven and cut it in half lengthwise and split it open to release the heat. Scoop out and discard the seeds.
Add the apples and onion to a large pot. Scoop the butternut squash flesh out of the skin (if the squash is still too hot, hold it with a towel) and add to the pot.
Add the broth, salt, cardamom and pepper and use a stick blender to blend everything together until smooth.
Or, if using a regular blender, add half the vegetables and half the broth, remove the inner insert from the blender’s lid and hold a folded-up towel over the hole. Blend until smooth and pour into the pot. Repeat the process with the remaining vegetables and broth.
Put the pot over medium-high heat and once the soup is warmed through, taste to adjust seasonings and serve.
Make ahead and storage
The soup can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.
The soup can also be frozen in an air-tight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
Reheat the soup on the stove over medium heat.
Substitutions and variations
- You can use about 2.5 lbs. of sweet potatoes instead of the squash. Poke them a few times with a fork, wrap in foil, place on a baking sheet and roast for 45-60 minutes, depending on their size.
- You can add other spices as well, such as cinnamon, ginger, paprika or a bit of cayenne for heat.
- You could use two pears instead of the apples.
- You could use two large shallots in place of the onion.
- Feel free to add your favorite garnishes, such as finely diced apple, toasted, chopped nuts or seeds, chopped fresh herbs, or a dollop of yogurt (vegan/dairy-free, if necessary).
Other recipes you might like:
- 3-Ingredient Curried Sweet Potato Soup (vegan, Paleo, Whole30)
- Parsnip, Pear and Pistachio Soup (vegan, Paleo, Whole30)
- Purple Soup (vegan, Paleo, Whole30)
- Spiced Candied Pecans (gluten-free, Paleo)
- Smoky Bacon Chili with Mashed Butternut Squash (Paleo, Whole30)
Roasted Butternut, Apple and Cardamom Soup
Ingredients
- 1 (2½-3 pounds) butternut squash
- 2 Granny Smith apples (or you favorite apples)
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, plus 1¾ teaspoons, divided
- 1 quart (4 cups) vegetable broth (for vegan) or chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- First, heat the oven to 425°. Line two baking sheets with foil.
- Lay the squash on one sheet and use a paring knife to stab it in the bottom, making sure the knife gets all the way in to the cavity where the seeds are (until you don't feel resistance). This incision will let steam escape as it cooks.
- Then roast the squash for 60-90 minutes, depending on its size, until a knife easily slides through the center.
- When the squash has about 30 minutes left in the oven, cut the apples in half from top to bottom, then cut in half again so you have 4 wedges. Cut out the seeds and stem.
- Peel, halve and roughly chop the onion.
- Add the apples and onion to the 2nd foil-lined baking sheet and toss with the oil and ¼ teaspoon salt. Roast them in the lower rack of the oven for about 25-30 minutes, until they're soft and caramelized.
- Once the squash is done, remove from the oven and cut it in half lengthwise and split it open to release the heat. Scoop out and discard the seeds.
- Add the roasted apples and onion to a large soup pot. Scoop the butternut squash flesh out of the skin (if the squash is still too hot, hold it with a towel) and add to the pot.
- Add the broth, 1¾ teaspoons salt, cardamom and pepper and use a stick blender to blend everything together until smooth.Or, if using a regular blender, add half the vegetables and half the broth, remove the inner insert from the blender's lid and hold a folded-up towel over the hole. Blend until smooth and pour into the pot. Repeat the process with the remaining vegetables and broth.
- Put the pot over medium-high heat and once the soup is warmed through, taste to adjust seasonings and serve.
Notes
- You can use about 2.5 lbs. of sweet potatoes instead of the squash. Poke them a few times with a fork, wrap in foil, place on a baking sheet and roast for 45-60 minutes, depending on their size.
- You can add other spices as well, such as cinnamon, ginger, paprika or a bit of cayenne for heat.
- You could use two pears instead of the apples.
- You could use two large shallots in place of the onion.
- Feel free to add your favorite garnishes, such as finely diced apple, toasted, chopped nuts or seeds, chopped fresh herbs, or a dollop of yogurt (vegan/dairy-free, if necessary).
ChihYu says
This soup is so delicious! So smooth, creamy and comforting! And that cardamom gives such great flavor!
Paleo Gluten Free Guy says
Thanks! Yeah, the cardamom is a nice touch. 🙂