Finally burn through all those thanksgiving leftovers & looking for something fresh and easy, this Roasted Squash Soup with Herbed Croutons & Spiced Pepitas is just the recipe for you. I love a one-pot soup, and let me tell you, this recipe requires very little prep, which we love after spending a holiday in the kitchen. I combined an easy sheet pan recipe with a one-pot recipe, which means not only is the recipe easy but clean up is too!
Don’t let squash scare you, whether it’s the flavor, texture, or breaking down the squash itself. Sometimes simply cutting the squash in half can be the most taxing part, that’s why I like roasting my squash whole on a baking sheet, that way I can eliminate having to peel or cube the squash. Simply slice in half and scrape out the seeds, keep the seeds or toss them, your choice! They do toast up very nicely, similar to pumpkin seeds.
Different recipes will of course call for different cooking methods for roasting whole squash. I have tried both squash side down and squash side up, if I am cooking spaghetti squash, than I prefer to cook it squash side down in a rimmed baking dish with about an inch of water at the bottom. That results in tender strands of squash. But if I am roasting whole butternut or acorn squash I prefer to roast it squash side up and drizzle it with oil so it starts to break down and caramelize! Either way will work as long as your squash is tender and can be scooped out with a spoon.
Also, who doesn’t love fresh, homemade croutons with their soup? Specifically a bite-sized warm, salty, herb covered crouton? I also highly recommend topping with the toasted pepitas or squash seeds, they add the perfect crunch as well as a little spice!
Try these other soup recipes!
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with the prepared acorn squash, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, onion, and garlic cloves. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Roast for 40-50 minutes until tender.
Scrape out the roasted squash with a spoon and transfer to a large stockpot, add in the roasted carrots, sweet potatoes, onion, and garlic. Add in the vegetable stock and heat over medium-high heat. Simmer for 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat and carefully blend with an immersion blender until all lumps are smooth. If you don’t have an immersion blender, blend in batches in a traditional blender.
Once the soup is smooth add in the milk or cream and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper as needed. In a large mixing bowl combine the cubed Italian bread, olive oil, dried or fresh herbs, salt, and pepper. Toss to combine. Spread out evenly on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 5-10 minutes until toasted.
In a small mixing bowl combine the pepitas, olive oil, chili powder, salt, and pepper, toss to combine. Spread out evenly on a baking sheet and toast under the broiler on high for 3-5 minutes, careful not to burn. Serve the soup topped with the toasted pepitas and croutons. Best served immediately but the soup will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge. We also like plain Greek yogurt or sour cream and some fresh herbs as a garnish!
Equipment
- Immersion blender
Ingredients
For the Squash Soup:
- 2-3 pound Butternut squash, cut in half, seeds removed
- 1-2 pound Acorn Squash, cut in half, seeds removed
- 2 Medium sweet potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
- 3 Whole carrots, roughly chopped
- 1 Large white onion, peeled and cut in half
- 3-4 Cloves garlic, peeled
- 3 tbsps Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tsps Garlic Powder
- 3 cups Vegetable broth
- 1 cup Whole milk or half & half
For the Herb Croutons:
- 1 Loaf, Italian Bread, cut into cubes
- 1/4 cup Olive oil
- 1 tsp Fresh or dried parsley, chopped
- 1 tsp Fresh or dried thyme, chopped
- 1 tsp Fresh or dried rosemary, chopped
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- Fresh ground black pepper
For the toasted pepitas:
- 1/2 cup Raw pepitas
- 2 tbsps Olive oil
- 1/2 tsp Chili powder
- Salt & pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Line a large baking sheet with the prepared acorn squash, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, onion, and garlic cloves. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Roast for 40-50 minutes until tender.
- Scrape out the roasted squash and transfer it into a large stockpot, add in the roasted carrots, sweet potatoes, onion, and garlic. Add in the vegetable stock and heat over medium-high heat. Simmer for 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat and carefully blend with an immersion blender until all lumps are smooth. If you don't have an immersion blender, blend in batches in a traditional blender.
- Once the soup is smooth add in the milk or cream and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper as needed.
- In a large mixing bowl combine the cubed Italian bread, olive oil, dried or fresh herbs, salt, and pepper. Toss to combine. Spread out evenly on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 5-10 minutes until toasted.
- In a small mixing bowl combine the pepitas, olive oil, chili powder, salt, and pepper, toss to combine. Spread out evenly on a baking sheet and toast under the broiler on high for 3-5 minutes, careful not to burn.
- Serve the soup topped with the toasted pepitas and croutons. Best served immediately but the soup will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge.
Did you make this recipe? I would love to see!
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