Roasted Butternut Squash Soup – With Tahini & Zaatar

This creamy roasted butternut squash soup recipe is my go-to warm-me-upper. It always reminds me of autumn, when the days get colder and I crave warm hearty soups. With its smooth flavour and the infusion of middle eastern spices this soup is a welcome indulgence for our taste buds.

I had butternut squash soup before but typically flavoured with sage (affiliate link) or thyme. This Lebanese butternut squash recipe gave me a whole new palette of flavours to experience.

For this recipe, the butternut squash can easily be substituted with Pumpkin. Pumpkin and tahini and zaatar is a great combination.

Not only do the flavours speak for this recipe, but also the health benefits. This roasted butternut squash soup is vegan and low carb. Low in calories (86 kcal per 200gr) and high in Vitamin B6 and carotene. A delicious and guilt free indulgence.

How to roast the butternut squash for soup?

I have always found pealing and chopping uncooked butternut squash hard, so I prefer roasting butternut squash for soup. Not only for its sweeter flavours but also out of convenience. It is easy to scoop out the flesh with a spoon once roasted.

There are two ways I roast butternut squash. Firstly, you can just roast it whole. Stab it with a long knife a few times, rub some olive oil into it and place it into the hot oven (about 200 degrees Celsius/ 392 degrees Fahrenheit) for about 20 minutes. Once it cooled down, the flesh is very soft and you can peel the skin off with your hands!

Secondly, you can cut it in half, if you like, remove the seeds and roast it with the cut side up. Just drizzle some olive oil on top and roast at about 200 degrees Celsius/ 392 degrees Fahrenheit for twenty minutes.

As an alternative to roasting the butternut squash, you can always use this air fryer butternut squash recipe.

How to blend the butternut squash

The easiest way is to use an immersion hand blender. If you don’t have one, you can use a kitchen processor – or a soup maker. Another way of blending the butternut squash without a blender is to mash it up with a potato masher.

Seasoning the Butternut Squash Soup.

The flavours in this soup are very subtle but effective. The cardamom pods have a smoky flavour that is contrasted with sweet nutmeg and cinnamon. The all-spice rounds the flavour off with a bit of a peppery taste.

The taste becomes complete if one drizzles the tahini and sprinkles the zaatar over it. Don’t miss out on this step, as this allows the individual to adjust to their taste.

How to serve this soup

We just serve the butternut squash soup with bowls of tahini and zaatar and parsley on the side. Everyone can help themselves. The parsley is also a great garnish.

This soup goes well with some fresh or toasted white bread. Pita and some hummus is also a great alternative.

Can you make this butternut squash soup recipe ahead of time?

Butternut squash soup is one of those recipes that taste better the next day. So of course, you can make it in advance. I would not add the tahini or zaatar until it is thoroughly heated up though, just before serving.

Another alternative is to just roast the butternut squash one or two days ahead and then make the rest of the recipe later– for a quick mid-week meal.

How to store roasted butternut squash soup

The soup will keep in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. It also freezes very well, so you can make it in bulk ahead for cold winter months.

More Vegan Vegetables Dishes

• Spinach and Pea Soup with Mint
• Swede and Carrot Soup
• Vegan German Potato Salad with Cucumber
• Vegan German Potato Salad with Apple
• German Red Cabbage with Apple

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Source: this recipe was adapted from Comptoir Libanais, Pumpkin Soup

Recipe