Zesty flavour from ginger and orange adds interest and puts this easy Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Ginger and Orange in a league of its own. Dairy-free, paleo and Whole30-approved.
This Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Ginger and Orange juice is warm, smooth and silky. It has a zesty flavour from freshly grated ginger and orange juice that makes it far more interesting than ordinary butternut squash soup. It's dairy-free, but creamy, and it's approved for Paleo or Whole30 diets. And if you keep your toppings plant-based, this is a vegan soup, as well.
Saturday's farmer's market was overflowing with squash, and I couldn't resist, even though I already had a bag full of gigantic heads of cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, apples, pears and more. I was in a soup mood, browsing the stalls and planning . . . cauliflower soup, tomato basil soup, carrot-ginger soup, good old chicken soup and well, I just had to add butternut squash soup with ginger to that list of mine.
I often make squash soup with a tart Granny Smith apple, or even with lemongrass and coconut milk, but this time I added the juice of half an orange and some fresh ginger. A garnish of crispy fried shallots, toasted sage leaves and bacon bits provided the sought-after crunch. This recipe is one youll
Let's make a batch of the BEST creamy Roasted Butternut Squash Soup!
Ingredients
- butternut squash: one 2 - 3 pound squash
- oil: olive oil for roasting the squash
- onion
- garlic
- ginger: freshly grated
- orange juice: freshly squeezed
- broth: vegetable broth for vegetarian diet or chicken broth,
Instructions
- First, cut the squash into cubes and roast it in the oven while you sauté onions and garlic in a large pot.
- Then, add the roasted cubes to the soup pot along with ginger, orange juice and broth.
- Simmer to allow the flavours to blend, taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary, then purée in a blender until velvety smooth.
- Finally, use the same skillet to quickly sauté thin slices of shallot, bacon and/or sage leaves to add a crispy garnish.
- Serve, and wait for the compliments!
Helpful tips
Always taste your soup once it has finished cooking and adjust the seasoning if necessary. All vegetable or chicken broths vary widely in the amount of salt added. You may need to add a little more to help bring out the flavour of the roasted squash.
Make ahead and freeze for later
This soup freezes well. I often make a double batch of this recipe, pour it into Mason jars and freeze it for winter lunches. Serve it with the Super Seedy Snack Crackers, pictured above. They're packed full of pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, and chia seeds with a little nutritional yeast added in for extra flavour.
Soup topping ideas
A plain bowl of soup is good, but a bowl of soup with toppings is better! Adding toppings adds interest, crunch and flavour and makes a simple bowl of soup far more appealing. Why not upgrade your bowl of soup into a masterpiece?
These are some of my favourite soup toppings. Choose one or more to add to your soup. And find more inspiration and suggestions for combinations in Healthy Soup Topping Ideas.
- crispy fried shallots
- fried sage leaves
- Parmesan crisps
- croutons: homemade gluten-free
- mixed herbs
- a spoonful of salsa
- spiced pumpkin seeds
- crumbled bacon bits
- crispy prosciutto
- crumbled tortilla chips
- a swirl of yogurt or sour cream
Go wild and make it a meal! Enjoy, everyone!
Butternut Squash Soup with Ginger and Orange
Ingredients
- 1 2 - 3 lb medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1 inch cubes
- 2 tsp olive oil, extra virgin
- 2 tbsp grape seed oi,l or other high temperature oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- ½ inch knob fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
- ¼ cup orange juice, freshly squeezed (about ½ an orange)
- 2 ½ cups organic vegetable broth, for vegan diet, or chicken broth
- sea salt and ground pepper
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 400°F. and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Peel and cut the squash in half. Remove the seeds. Chop into 1-inch cubes.
- Put in a large bowl and toss with 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil. Spread out on the baking sheet in a single layer and roast for 20 minutes or until tender.
- Meanwhile, saute onion in oil in a large pot until transparent but not browned. Add the chopped garlic to the pot and cook for 2 minutes.
- Once the squash is tender, add to the pot along with the ginger, orange juice and broth. Simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust if necessary.
- Transfer to a high-speed blender and puree until as smooth as velvet. You may have to do this in 2 batches, depending on the size of your blender container.
- Serve, topped with crispy shallots and toasted sage leaves, or with toasted pumpkin seeds or other topping suggested in the post above.
Nutrition
This recipe was published in 2017. It's been so popular that I've updated it with new photos, extra tips and information.
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Deb says
Thank you so much for sharing the yummy butternut squash soup with ginger and orange.It was given the thumbs up by all who supped.
Flavour & Savour says
Hi Deb,
That's great! Thanks for letting me know. Love the hints of ginger and citrus in that soup!