# Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Brown Butter and Croutons

A smooth soup from roasted butternut squash, bell pepper, carrot and a whole head of garlic, blended with slowly caramelized onions, vegetable broth and heavy cream. The squash is roasted, not boiled, so the water cooks off and the edges brown. Brown butter is drizzled over each bowl, then pan-toasted croutons and pumpkin seeds go on last. About six servings.

- **Prep:** 20 min · **Cook:** 45 min · **Total:** 65 min
- **Servings:** 6
- **Difficulty:** Easy
- **Cuisine:** European
- **Category:** Soups, Dinner, Oven Recipes
- **Video:** [Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Caramelized Onions and Brown Butter](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WsG1wqQzYM)
- **Recipe page:** https://webspoon.world/recipes/roasted-butternut-squash-soup-with-brown-butter-and-croutons/

## Ingredients

### Soup

- 1 kg butternut squash (2.2 lb, peeled, cut into same-size cubes)
- 1 pc bell pepper (cut into big pieces)
- 1 pc carrot (cut into thick slices)
- 1 head garlic (whole, unpeeled)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 pcs onions (sliced)
- 100 ml water (scant ½ cup, for the onions)
- salt (to taste)
- black pepper (to taste)
- 500 ml vegetable broth (2 cups; use less for a thicker soup)
- 150 ml heavy cream (⅔ cup)

### To serve

- bread (a few slices, crusts on, cut into cubes)
- 50 g butter (3½ tbsp)
- pumpkin seeds (a sprinkle per bowl)

## Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 200 °C (400 °F). Peel the butternut squash and cut it into same-size cubes so they roast evenly.
2. Cut the bell pepper into big pieces; the tough skin comes off easily after roasting. Cut the carrot into thick slices.
3. Line a sheet pan with parchment. Spread the squash, pepper and carrot out with gaps between the pieces so they roast instead of steaming. Add the whole head of garlic and drizzle everything with 1 tbsp olive oil.
4. Roast for 30–40 minutes, until the squash is soft inside and browned at the edges. _(timer: 35 min)_
5. Meanwhile, slice the onions and put them in a dry pan over medium-low heat. Add 100 ml (scant ½ cup) water, cover and cook for 10 minutes; under the lid the onions soften in the steam without burning. _(timer: 10 min)_
6. While the onions are covered, cut the bread into cubes, crusts and all.
7. Uncover the onions. Keep cooking over medium-low heat, stirring, for 15–20 minutes, until they are deep golden brown. Do not stop when they are merely soft and translucent. _(timer: 18 min)_
8. Take the sheet pan out. Pull the skin off the pepper pieces and squeeze the soft garlic cloves out of their skins.
9. Put the squash, carrot, pepper and garlic in a blender. Add salt and black pepper, pour in the vegetable broth (less for a thicker soup) and the heavy cream, then add the caramelized onions. Blend until smooth. If the soup has cooled, warm it gently in a pot.
10. Toast the bread cubes in a dry pan over medium heat, tossing, until golden.
11. Melt the butter in a small pan over medium heat and cook for 3–5 minutes. It foams and crackles first; when it goes quiet and brown specks appear on the bottom, take it off the heat at once. _(timer: 4 min)_
12. Ladle the soup into bowls, drizzle the brown butter over the top, add the croutons last so they stay crunchy, and sprinkle with pumpkin seeds.

## Notes from our kitchen

Roast the squash rather than boiling it: in the oven the water cooks off and the edges brown, which is where the depth of flavour comes from; boiled squash gives a watery soup. Leave gaps on the sheet pan, or the vegetables steam in their own juices. Cut the pepper into big pieces so the skin can be peeled off in one go after roasting. The onions are cooked in a dry pan: water under a lid softens them first, then the uncovered stage over medium-low heat takes them to deep golden brown; stopping when they are only translucent misses the sweetness. Adjust thickness with the broth: start with less and add more. For the brown butter, watch the pan rather than the clock: foaming and crackling is the water leaving; silence and brown specks mean it is done and must come off the heat immediately, or it burns. Add croutons only at the table.

## Variations

- **Other squash:** Any dense pumpkin or winter squash works in the same weight; cut it into even cubes and roast until the edges brown.
- **Lighter version:** Replace the heavy cream with more broth or with milk. The soup will be thinner and less rich.
- **Oven croutons:** Toss the bread cubes with a little oil and bake on a tray at 200 °C (400 °F) until golden instead of toasting them in a pan.

## Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

- Calories: 300
- Protein: 5g
- Fat: 20g
- Carbs: 28g
- Fiber: 4g
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 450mg

## FAQ

### Can I boil the squash instead of roasting it?

You can, but the soup tastes flatter and more watery. Roasting cooks off the water and browns the edges, and that browning is the main flavour of this soup.

### How thick should the soup be?

As thick as you like. Add the broth gradually while blending: 500 ml (2 cups) gives a pourable cream soup; use less for a thicker one.

### Can I make it ahead?

Yes. The blended soup keeps for 3 days in the fridge and freezes well. Reheat gently and make the brown butter and croutons fresh before serving.

### How do I know the brown butter is ready?

It stops crackling, smells nutty and shows brown specks on the bottom of the pan, usually after 3–5 minutes over medium heat. Take it off the heat at that moment.

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Source: [Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Brown Butter and Croutons — Webspoon World](https://webspoon.world/recipes/roasted-butternut-squash-soup-with-brown-butter-and-croutons/)