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Staying warm with this creamy Cheddar Apple Butternut Squash Soup. Autumn butternut squash pureed with sweet caramelized apples, fresh thyme, and a touch of milk to make the perfect savory soup with a touch of sweetness swirled throughout. Finish each bowl off with sautéed apples and a sprinkle of cinnamon flavored pecan crumble. It’s creamy, savory, sweet, and one of the coziest bowls of soup you’ll enjoy this fall. Promise.
I can’t believe I have yet to mention this, but the the temperatures here in the mountains have been freezing cold. I’m talking single digits in the morning COLD. It’s truly full on winter here. I wasn’t even close to being ready, but ready or not, it’s here. To make up for all the cold in the air, I’ve been making soup every single day for the last week.
Not even joking.
You guys have a new soup recipe coming your way for each of the next three weeks…really hoping you all enjoy warm soup!
Oddly, I am in LA today and tomorrow, where it’s set to be in the 80’s. Complete opposite weather. I packed sweaters, but all I really need are tees. It’s cool though, because I’m pretty much always cold, even when it’s warm out I’ll still carry a sweater.
Anyway, my point in all this rambling is that while the rest of you are experiencing fall, up here in the mountains, we’re moved on to winter. And because of that I have soup to share!
Hands down two of my favorites when it comes to autumn produce are honeycrisp apples and butternut squash. I am full on obsessed, and love incorporating both into my recipes as much as possible.
It’s hard for me to believe, but I think this is the first time I’ve paired the two together. Shocking, but glad I finally decided to work both into a recipe, because this soup is DELICIOUS.
I know it’s different, but don’t turn your head without trying it first. This soup is the perfect mix up of savory and sweet flavors. And if a soup could be addicting, this would be that soup.
One of the key steps to this soup is caramelizing the apples. This breaks them down, releases extra moisture, and intensifies their flavor before blending. Once you have the apples cooked down and caramelized, everything else gets thrown into the soup pot and simmered until the squash is tender. Then you’ll simply blend, add milk and cheddar, and your soup is done.
And yes, you do need to add the cheddar. It’s pairs with the apples like peanut butter and jelly, it’s truly the best. You need to trust me here.
While the soup is simmering away, make the crumble. Again, I know this might seem weird, but this is one of those recipes where you really just have to put aside your doubts and listen to me. OK? Cool.
The crumble is EVERYTHING. It’s extra heavy on the cinnamon, buttery, and just a little sweet. Nothing too over powering, but when sprinkled over this bowl of creamy, cheesy soup, it’s perfection beyond words. Meaning it’s so good.
And then, as if that wasn’t enough, I added some honeyed apples, because I mean, why not? I mostly did this because I wanted to make the soup extra pretty. But they ended up being incredibly delicious, and added a nice layer of texture. Highly recommending ALL the toppings. Toppings are kind of everything.
I love making this as a nice warm and cozy dinner. But it would be equally great as a starter course for Thanksgiving, which is very quickly approaching.
I’m both excited and wishing time would slow down so that I could enjoy the fall season a bit longer…
Also, is it weird that I am kind of excited to get home to the cold? I find the 80 degree temperatures in October totally off. I LOVE fall weather. Can’t wait to be home this weekend for a quick minute before heading off to NYC. Making soup is for sure on the agenda.
If you make this soup please be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to also tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Cheddar Apple Butternut Squash Soup with Cinnamon Pecan Crumble
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 1672 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 honeycrisp apples
- kosher salt and pepper
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 4 cups cubed butternut squash
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, more or less to taste
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1-2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, depending on your taste
- 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 tablespoon honey
Cinnamon Pecan Crumble
- 1 1/2 cups raw pecans, roughly chopped
- 1 cup old fashioned oats
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons real maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
Instructions
- 1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the onion and 1 chopped apple. Cook until fragrant, about 10 minutes. Whisk in the flour and cook until golden, about 2 minutes, then gradually whisk in the broth until smooth. Add the butternut squash, cayenne, and a large pinch each of salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and cook, covered, until the squash is tender, about 20 minutes. 2. Remove the soup from the stove. Let cool slightly and then puree in a blender or use an immersion blender. 3. Return the soup to the stove and set over low heat. Stir in the milk and cheese until melted and creamy. Add the thyme and cook another 2-3 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.4. To make the honey butter apples. Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 thinly sliced apple and cook until it just begins to caramelize, about 5 minutes. Add the honey and 2 teaspoons thyme. Cook another minute, then remove from the heat. 5. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and spoon the apples over top. Finish with a sprinkle of pecan crumble. Enjoy!
Cinnamon Pecan Crumble
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.2. On a rimmed baking sheet, combine the oats, pecans, flour, maple, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. Add the butter and use your fingers to crumble it into the mix until everything is moist. 3. Transfer to the oven and bake for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking, until crisp and golden brown and smells amazing. I like to serve this warm, so I make it while the soup simmers.
This soup was so delicious!!! I would 100% make again. So hearty and cozy and the perfect mixture of savory, salty and sweet. Highly recommend!
Thank you so much Megan! I am so glad you loved this!
This was delicious! It is labor intensive (and I’m used to cooking Indian food with multiple steps) BUT that shows through in the flavor and depth once you’ve added the last topping and sat down to eat. I forgot to buy veggie stock, so I added water with bay leaves, 3 whole garlic cloves, pepper — then I picked these out at the end before I blended. I didn’t add honey onto the caramelized apples, and I don’t think we missed it. My husband thought we were having dessert soup for dinner and then ate two bowls and told everyone he could how delicious it was! If I have time to remake for a Friendsgiving / Thanksgiving meal, I will include this!
I am so glad this turned out so well for you and everyone enjoyed it! Thank you so much!
Just finished this and it is amazing! I made a few changes. First, I pierced the squash skin with a fork, then roasted the squash in the over for an hour on 400. Meanwhile, I started the onions and apples as directed, after 10 minutes I added garlic, thyme and some fresh grated ginger. Sautéed for a couple minutes then went ahead and added recommended seasonings and some red pepper flakes. I diced up and added a sweet potato when I added it to the broth. Once squash was done diced it up, threw it in, added a pinch of nutmeg. Once done I blended everything together, added heavy cream and cheese. Served with sour cream and bacon on top. Wow. This will definitely be made on thanksgiving and is a keeper!
Hi Olga! I am so happy to hear that you loved this recipe! I hope it turns out amazing for you on Thanksgiving as well! Thank you!
Fantastic recipe! I’m definitely not a soup person but I adore this recipe and will be making this again- everything was great, from the granola to the honey apples. I used a Granny smith for the honey apple and think that the tartness is an excellent balance to the sweet. Thank you for sharing
Thank you so much Alyssa! I am so glad you loved this!
A simple (yet delicious) recipe I was able to make with ingredients on hand! I halved the recipe and substituted a few spices with a ‘southwest seasonings blend’ since I was out of cayenne pepper. All in all, it worked out beautifully and I’m thinking about adding it to our thanksgiving dinner menu.
I am so glad you loved this and hope you do add it to your Thanksgiving menu! Thank you Alyssa!
I assume the chopped apple is peeled and the one you put on top is not (judging by the photo of the sliced apple). Is that correct?
Hi Cristin, I do not peel my apples as I love the flavor and texture the skin provides. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much! xTieghan
I made this soup tonight as a practice run, hoping I would be able to serve it among our thanksgiving dishes. Holy cow, saying “it’s amazing” is an understatement. It’s gotta be the yummiest fall soup on the planet. All of the elements come together perfectly; the pecan crumble makes the dish! My mom came over to eat with us and said it tasted like something from an elegant restaurant. Thanks so much, Tieghan! I’m headed back to lick my bowl now.
This is so sweet! I am so glad this turned out amazing for you Holly and hope everyone loves it on Thanksgiving! Thank you so much!
This soup is SO delicious with the bonus of being quick and easy! My husband requests it at least once a week in our cold German weather!
Wow I am so glad you are both loving this recipe! Also, I hope you’re staying warm! Thank you Amanda!
Looks delish!
Whole Foods sells frozen butternut squash already cubed… can that be used? If so, would you recommend throwing it in frozen or thawing it before?
Thanks! Love your site! 🙂
Hey Alex! You can use the frozen squash. No need to thaw before using! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much! xTieghan
PS. thanks for letting me know about that squash. What a time saver!
Making this tonight for an informal dinner party with some crusty french bread, french cheeses and a leafy green salad.
Thanks for the Inspiration :).
Cheers from Berlin, Germany
YUM! I hope this turned out amazing for you Clara! Thank you!
So.making.this!
I hope you love this! Thank you Debbie!
Any suggestions for a replacement for the pecans? I have a nut allergy and would still like to add some kind of crunch/crumble to the soup.
Hey Emily! I recommend replacing the nuts with and equal amount of pumpkin seeds or oatmeal. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much! xTieghan
This soup looks so delicious, love the crumble topping!
Thank you so much! I hope you try this Laura!
I usually do not comment on these, but oh my goodness, this was an absolutely amazing soup. It sounded very unique, and wasn’t sure how well the flavours would meld together, but man, it worked. I am not crazy about the pecan crumble with the soup, but definitely will be saving it for some yogurt in the mornings. The honey apples worked surprisingly well too in the soup. Thank you for this amazing recipe!
Hi Nick! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! Thank you so much!
Hi Tieghan!
I just went to the store and grabbed the items needed! It’s been foggy here in Tacoma, Wa. so this is perfect! I am going to do my cinnamon butter croutons instead of the pecan topping though…sorry. 😉
Thanks again for your inspiring ideas!
I hope you love this recipe, Jeanette and it makes your day a little brighter! Thank you and enjoy!