Sweet and Savory Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Sausage
This roasted sweet and savory butternut squash soup with sausage is an easy, hearty soup that is both nutritious, budget-friendly, and is really, really good. The creamy, subtle richness of the roasted, sweet butternut squash, roasted garlic, sweet and spicy cinnamon, and cream cheese make this soup a cozy comfort food you’ll want to make over and over and over again. You don’t have to wait until soup season arrives…it’s good anytime of the year!
WHY THIS SOUP IS SO GOOD
✨Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Sausage is good any time of the year…it’s not just a cool weather meal. This hearty, creamy soup has a ton of rich flavor, loads of healthy fiber, and can handle all kinds of flavor directions.
✨Instead of a sweet and savory fall flavor, try making it spicy by adding jalapenos, Mexican seasonings, jalapeno cream cheese, and chorizo sausage.
✨The best part, it’s basically a one-pot meal. All you need is one large soup pot or a Dutch oven for souper easy cleanup.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED FOR THIS EASY RECIPE
Ingredients
- Squash – large butternut squash, pre-cooked in the oven or microwave
- Garlic – roasted garlic cloves or 4 cloves fresh minced garlic
- Onion – onion, one large or 2 medium size. White or yellow onion, doesn’t matter.
- Butter – butter adds richness to any food but if you prefer oil then use 2 tablespoons of olive oil or vegetable oil.
- Cream Cheese – cream cheese is so good in this soup! I prefer whipped chive and onion flavored but cubed block cream cheese is perfectly fine. If you don’t have any cream cheese on hand, then use 1 cup of regular milk or heavy cream in place of cream cheese. Note: I have used jalapeno cream cheese before and it was super good!
- Spices – cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice, cumin, fresh thyme or ground, salt & pepper
- Broth – regular or low-sodium chicken broth, chicken stock, or vegetable broth.
- Sausage – Kielbasa Sausage is a perfect sausage to use in a thick soup like this Butternut Squash Soup. Use Turkey Sausage Kielbasa for a leaner meal, Italian chicken sausages, spicy Italian sausage, or sweet Italian sausage.
HOW TO MAKE BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP
Roast the squash and garlic before starting the soup.👇
Microwave method to soften and semi-cook: Prick the outer skin of the whole butternut squash with the point of a kitchen knife or use the pronged end of a fork. Make sure you break the skin.
Microwave the whole squash for at least 6 minutes. It should be firm but semi-soft when done. Let the squash cool.
Place on a large baking sheet, cut the ends off, and then cut down the middle leaving the skin on. Scrape the seeds out, discard, or compost.
Drizzle olive oil or use cooking spray on the squash halves. If drizzling oil, make sure to smear the oil on all the flesh surface. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Clean the whole garlic heads with a damp cloth getting rid of all the loose dirt debris and papery garlic skin. Cut the tipped pointed end horizontally about 1/4 to 1/3 into the point. Drizzle olive oil on the open cut cloves of the garlic head.
Roast squash and garlic for 45 minutes at 375o. Note: Roasting the squash and garlic can be done a day or two in advance. If using minced garlic, then skip the roasted garlic step.
SOUP INSTRUCTIONS
- STEP ONE: Melt 2 tablespoons of butter or olive oil in the bottom of a Dutch oven or large pot. Saute onion and garlic (if using minced garlic) until soft, about 5 minutes.
- STEP TWO: Score cooled, roasted butternut squash into cubes, then scoop the cubed butternut from the skin and add to the sauteed vegetables in the pan. Discard cooked butternut skin or compost.
- STEP THREE: Add seasonings, (salt, pepper, cumin, fresh or ground thyme, cinnamon, or pumpkin pie spice and stir to coat the sauteed veggies.
- STEP FOUR: Add chicken broth, stir, and bring to a light boil. Turn down the heat to a simmer and let the soup mixture cook for at least 30 minutes.
- STEP FIVE: Add cream cheese and roasted garlic; let soften up in the hot broth. Note: Squeeze whole garlic head from the base into the soup.
- STEP SIX Blend with a hand-held Immersion Blender, food processor, or a regular stand-up blender. Note: If using a stand-up blender or food processor make sure the soup is cooled. This avoids “hot mess” explosions! You might need to work in batches if you have a small blender. Return processed soup to the large pot. Taste for seasoning adjustments and reheat on medium-low heat.
- STEP SEVEN: While soup is reheating cut the sausage into bite-size pieces and pan fry in a large sauté pan until browned to your liking. If using raw Italian sausage, make sure it is cooked thru…no pink!
- STEP EIGHT: Ladle soup into individual bowls and top with cooked sausages and favorite toppings. Serve with warm, crusty bread.
DELICIOUS SOUP TOPPINGS
- roasted pecans, almonds, or pumpkin seeds
- sprinkle of red pepper flakes
- parmesan cheese
- a dollop of sour cream or Mexican Crema
- store-bought or homemade croutons
- saltines
- canned French Fried Onion
- roasted chickpeas
- shredded fresh spinach or basil leaves
RECIPE Q&A😉
Why more roasted garlic than minced garlic in this recipe?
Roasted garlic is nuttier and less spicy than fresh, minced garlic.
Can you make this in a slow cooker or instant pot?
Yes, you can. The instructions above will work in both an instant pot and a slow cooker.
How do I make this soup velvety smooth?
To get velvety pureed butternut squash soup use a large blender instead of a hand-held immersion blender. While blending add a little heavy cream.
BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP RECIPE TIPS💡
Make it a one pot meal. Brown the sausages first in the large soup pot and drain on a plate lined with paper towels. Saute the onion and garlic in the sausage fat instead of butter or use a combination of both.
If you’re short on time skip roasting the butternut squash by microwaving for 10-12 minutes or until the squash is soft all the way through.
Roasting butternut squash and garlic can be done ahead of time. Cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator
Roast a few carrots or sweet potatoes along with the whole squash to add extra sweetness to the soup.
Too thick? Add a cup of water, more broth, or milk for a thinner soup.
Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
Make it dairy-free by using use coconut milk or lactose-free milk.
If you’re not a big fan of garlic, leave it out.
HOW TO STORE
This soup can stay fresh in the refrigerator for about a week in an airtight glass or plastic container. This Butternut Squash Sausage Soup Recipe makes a lot of soup so you might want to freeze the leftovers. Make sure you use an airtight freezer container or single-serve freezer bags.
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Sweet and Savory Butternut Squash Soup with Sausage
Ingredients
- 1 whole whole roasted butternut squash large
- 1 or 2 head roasted garlic, whole roasted garlic head squeeze from base of head into soup
- 2 tbsp olive oil or butter or one tbsp of each
- 1 large onion
- 4 oz cream cheese (onion & chive or regular) whipped or cubed
- 2 tsp homemade pumpkin pie spice or store bought cinnamon can be substituted
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- 6 cups chicken broth 44 oz.
- 5 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 tsp ground 2 inch a piece, strip leaves and use. discard stems
Instructions
- Microwave method to soften and semi-cook: Prick the outer skin of the whole butternut squash with a knife end or a fork. Make sure you break the skin. Place it in the microwave for at least 6 minutes depending on how large the squash is. If not roasting then microwave for an additional 4 minutes…let cool before cutting.
- STEP ONE: Melt 2 tablespoons of butter or olive oil or both on the bottom of a dutch oven and add cut up veggies. Saute until soft, about 5 minutes.
- STEP TWO: Score cooled, roasted butternut squash into cubes, then scoop the cubed butternut from the skin and add to the sauteed vegetables in the pan. Discard cooked butternut skin or compost.
- STEP THREE: Add seasonings, (salt, cumin, pumpkin pie spice, thyme, black pepper) and stir to coat the sauteed veggies.
- STEP FOUR: Add chicken broth, stir and bring to a light boil. Turn down the heat to a simmer and let the soup mixture cook for at least 30 minutes.
- STEP FIVE: Add cream cheese and roasted garlic; let soften up in the hot broth. Note: Squeeze whole garlic head from the base into the soup.
- STEP SIX: Blend with a hand-held Immersion Blender, food processor, or a regular stand-up blender. Note: if using a stand-up blender or food processor make sure soup is cooled avoiding "hot mess" explosions, LOL! You might need to work in batches if you have a small blender. Return processed soup to the large pot. Taste for seasoning adjustments and reheat on medium low heat.
- STEP SEVEN: While soup is reheating cut the sausage into bite-size pieces and pan fry in a large sauté pan until browned to your liking. If using raw Italian sausage, make sure it is cooked thru…no pink!
- STEP EIGHT: Ladle soup into individual bowls and top with cooked sausages and favorite toppings. Serve with warm, crusty bread.
Whole Roasted Butternut Squash
- Preheat Oven to 375°Prick the outer skin of the whole butternut squash with a knife end or a fork. Make sure you break the skin. Place it in the microwave for at least 6 minutes depending on how large the squash is.
- When the butternut squash is semi-soft and has cooled off, cut the ends off and then cut down the middle. Scrape the seeds out, discard or compost:).
- Drizzle or spray inside of squash halves with oil. Note: if drizzling oil, make sure to smear on all the flesh surface. Sprinkle with salt and pepper or seasonings of your choice. Roast at 375° on foil or cookie sheet for at least 45 minutes. Let cool before cutting.
Roasting Fresh Garlic
- Preheat Oven to 375°Clean garlic head with a damp cloth getting rid of all the lose dirt debris. Cut the tipped pointy end about 1/4 to 1/3 into the point.
- Place on an aluminum foil sheet, drizzle olive oil on the cut open cloves, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Wrap seasoned oiled garlic heads with foil then place in the oven.
- Roast for at least 45 minutes
- Note: These roasting steps can be done a day or two in advance.
Notes
Nutrition
