This warm and cozy Butternut Squash Apple Ginger Soup is perfect on a cool evening in the fall!
Fresh butternut squash swirled with aromatic onion, garic, and fresh herbs in a steaming broth. Half an apple and fresh ginger add a tantalizing touch of sweetness and depth of flavor a step above your average butternut squash soup.
![Butternut Squash Apple Ginger Soup in a bowl](https://mallorythedietitian.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Butternut-Squash-Soup-final2-826x1024.webp)
Why You'll Love this Butternut Squash Apple Ginger Soup
This is one of my absolute favorite soups to make in the fall for SO many reasons!
What you'll love about this recipe:
Butternut Squash Apple Ginger Soup Ingredients
Be sure to check out the full printable recipe and ingredient list below.
Butternut Squash
Butternut squash is of course the star of the show here! It’s known for being one of the sweetest of the winter squashes and it’s perfect for soup!
Nutrition 101: Butternut squash has a ton of good-for-you stuff. Just one cup of cubed butternut squash has 14% of your daily value of potassium, 11% of your daily value of fiber, 12% of your daily value magnesium and a whopping 48% of your daily value of Vitamin C!
Avocado Oil
You can use either avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil!
Nutrition 101: Avocado oil is a heart-healthy oil that is high in oleic acid, a healthy fat!
Yellow Onion and Garlic
Aromatic yellow onion and garlic add a complex flavor base that complements the sweetness of the butternut squash and apple.
Nutrition 101: Onion and Garlic are in the allium family of vegetables. This means they have a sulfur compound called organosulfur. They are full of antioxidants and even have antibacterial properties!
Fresh Herbs
The combination of fresh sage, rosemary, and thyme will have your house smelling amazing and add a savory flavor to this butternut squash apple ginger soup!
Honeycrisp Apple
You can use any variety, but I love using honeycrisp apple in this recipe! If you don’t like your butternut squash soup as sweet, you can cut out the apple! But using just ½ an apple adds a bit more sweetness that I think adds the perfect balance.
Nutrition 101: Apples are a great way to add a little extra nutrition to this butternut squash apple ginger soup! They contain fiber, vitamin C, and potassium.
Ginger
Ginger adds a subtle hint of spice and zest to this soup….just the perfect amount of zip in every bite!
Nutrition 101: Ginger has anti-inflammatory properties and antioxidants. It can also help with weight loss, glucose control, and supplementation with ginger has been shown to decrease triglycerides and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol. It can also improve brain health and have a possible neuroprotective effect!
Chicken Broth
I personally love using chicken broth in my Butternut Squash Apple Ginger Soup because it adds a little bit of protein and I prefer the heartier flavor. But you can absolutely use vegetable broth instead!
You’ll also need a dutch oven or large pot and a blender or emulsion blender!
Variations and Substitutions for Butternut Squash Apple Ginger Soup
There are endless ways to customize this recipe, but below are just a few ideas!
Ingredient substitutions
- Broth: make it vegan by subbing vegetable broth to replace the chicken broth!
- Oil: feel free to use extra virgin olive oil instead of avocado oil!
- Herbs: If you don’t want to buy fresh herbs, use dried herbs if you prefer! To do so, simply use about ⅓ of the amount the recipe calls for in fresh herbs.
- Apple: you don’t have to use Honeycrisp! Use any variety you want or skip the apple altogether if you prefer.
Butternut Squash Apple Ginger Soup Step-by-Step Directions
Don’t forget to check out the full printable recipe at the bottom of this post for ingredient amounts and notes!
Step 1: Prep your ingredients! Wash your butternut squash. Then peel it, remove the seeds, and dice the squash into ~¾ inch pieces. Wash and dice ½ an apple (I prefer skin on), chop ½ a yellow onion, mince 3 cloves of garlic, and chop your fresh herbs and ginger.
Step 2: Heat the oil in a large dutch oven or pot over medium high heat. Add the onions and cook for ~5-7 minutes, until translucent. Add salt and pepper. Then, add the diced butternut squash to the pot and heat for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Next add the apple and cook for another 3-5 minutes.
Step 3: Add the fresh herbs, ginger, and garlic to the pot. Wait about 30 seconds to 1 minute and then pour in the chicken broth. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer for about 20 minutes, covered.
Step 4: Once the butternut squash and apple are tender and able to be pierced with a fork, remove the soup from the heat. When it cools a bit, blend the soup either in a blender or with an emulsion blender until it is the consistency you like! If you prefer thinner soup, you can add more chicken broth.
Expert Tips for Butternut Squash Apple Ginger Soup
Tips & Tricks
- If you prefer a thicker soup, you can use a bit less broth. Add more broth if you want a thinner soup!
- Time saving tip: If you want to save some time, feel free to use pre-cut butternut squash! One 3 lb squash is about 4 cups diced!
FAQS: Frequently Asked Questions, Answered!
Q: How do I choose a butternut squash?
When choosing a butternut squash, look for one with a deep orange color. Avoid a pale color since it indicates the squash likely isn’t fully ripe!
Q: Can I use dried herbs instead of fresh?
Fresh herbs give this recipe the authentic fall flavors I love, but you can totally use dried herbs if that’s easier and you have them on hand! To do so, simply cut the amount you use by ⅓. So if the recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of fresh rosemary, use ⅓ teaspoon of dried!
Q: Is butternut squash healthy?
Absolutely! In 1 cup of diced butternut squash there is around 60 calories. They also provide fiber, potatssium, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and Magnesium.
How to Store Your Butternut Squash Apple Ginger Soup
- In the fridge: store in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge (use your judgement).
- In the freezer: store in an airtight container for up to 3 months in the freezer. You can thaw it in the fridge or under running water. Reheat on the stove over medium heat.
How to Serve Butternut Squash Apple Ginger Soup
Butternut squash soup toppings I love are a dollop of greek yogurt and some pepitas (pumpkin seeds) on top! 🙂
Pair this Butternut Squash Apple Ginger Soup with a Beet and Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese or a side of nice sourdough bread!
Add some protein with a side of roasted chicken. Or eat this soup as an appetizer before your main dish!
More Soup Recipes
If you enjoy this Butternut Squash Apple Ginger Soup, you may also like some of my other soup recipes!
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! I would love to hear from you! If you made this recipe, please leave me a review below or tag me in a photo or story on Instagram….I LOVE knowing there’s people out there trying out my recipes! 🙂 IG: @mallorythedietitian
📖 Recipe
Butternut Squash Apple Ginger Soup
Equipment
- 1 dutch oven or large pot
- 1 blender or emulsion blender
- 1 garlic press optional
Ingredients
- 1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and diced about 3 lbs or 4 cups diced
- 2 tablespoon avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil
- ½ yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ honeycrisp apple, diced
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated or ⅓ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped or 1 teaspoon dried sage leaves
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary or ⅓ teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme or ⅓ teaspoon dried thyme
- 4 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large dutch oven or pot over medium high heat. Add the onions and cook for ~5-7 minutes, until translucent. Add salt and pepper. Then, add the diced butternut squash to the pot and heat for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Next add the apple and cook for another 3-5 minutes.
- Add the fresh herbs, ginger, and garlic to the pot. Wait about 30 seconds to 1 minute and then pour in the chicken broth. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer for about 20 minutes, covered.
- Once the butternut squash and apple are tender and able to be pierced with a fork, remove the soup from the heat. When it cools a bit, blend the soup either in a blender or with an emulsion blender until it is the consistency you like! If you prefer thinner soup, you can add more chicken broth.
Sarah
I made this soup tonight and it turned out sooooo good!!! I am trying to do more meatless meals and this one hit the spot. Thanks for sharing the recipe, keep 'em coming! 🙂
Mallory
Thank you so much for taking time to leave this review, Sarah! 🙂 I am so so happy to know that you loved the soup! Please come back for more recipes...I'll be posting them every week!