Spiced Roasted Butternut Soup
A velvety roasted butternut soup warmed with gentle pantry spices like cumin, coriander, and smoked paprika - perfect for cool evenings and easy to batch-cook and freeze.
Servings 6
Calories 47kcal
Ingredients
- 1 large butternut pumpkin about 1.5 kg, peeled, deseeded, cut into chunks
- 2 tablespoons olive oil plus extra for roasting
- 1 large onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic smashed
- 1 medium carrot chopped
- 1 litre vegetable or chicken stock
- 1/2 cup coconut milk or cream
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey optional, to balance
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch of chilli flakes or cayenne to taste
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C. Toss the butternut pieces with 1 tablespoon olive oil, half of the ground cumin, ground coriander, turmeric, smoked paprika, cinnamon, chilli, and a good pinch of salt. Spread on a baking tray in a single layer.
- Roast for 25–30 minutes, turning once, until the pumpkin is soft and caramelised on the edges.
- Meanwhile, heat the remaining olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and carrot and cook gently for 8–10 minutes, until soft and sweet but not browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
- Sprinkle in the remaining spices and stir for about 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Add the roasted butternut along with any tray juices, then pour in the stock. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 10 minutes so the flavours meld.
- Take the pot off the heat and blend the soup until completely smooth using a stick blender, or carefully in batches in a regular blender.
- Stir in the coconut milk or cream and the maple syrup or honey, if using. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper and extra chilli if you like more heat. If the soup is too thick, thin it with a little extra stock or hot water.
- Reheat gently before serving. Swirl a little extra cream or coconut milk over each bowl and finish with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of smoked paprika or toasted seeds.
Notes
Notes:
This soup freezes very well; cool completely, then portion into containers and freeze for up to 3 months. For extra flavour, serve with crunchy croutons tossed in smoked paprika and olive oil.
Grandma always said a good soup should hug you from the inside out. This butternut pot was her favourite on cool evenings – she’d roast the pumpkin until it turned sweet and golden, then let the spices do the rest. Don’t rush it; let it simmer gently while you set the table and call everyone in. By the time they sit down, the whole house will smell like home
Nutrition
Calories: 47kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 0.2g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 25mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 0.05g | Vitamin A: 87IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 0.4mg