Spiced Butternut Squash And Sweet Potato Soup

Spiced butternut squash and sweet potato soup is velvety, creamy, and not too sweet! It’s a fragrant, cardamom-forward dish for chilly days.

This post first appeared March 31, 2011 and was last updated October 21, 2020.

Nothing beats a bowl of steamy homemade soup when sweater weather arrives!

This spiced butternut squash and sweet potato soup is silky smooth and creamy, but not thick. A balance of sweet and savory notes, the soup spiced with cardamom and a hint of classic nutmeg. Paired with a grilled cheese it’s a pretty perfect way to stay cozy when it’s cold outside!

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Step-By-Step Instructions
• Notes & Tips
• Substitutions
• Recipe

Use the JUMP TO RECIPE button at the top of the post, or scroll to the bottom of the post, to see the full recipe card with ingredient measurements and instructions.

Ingredients

• thick cut bacon
• carrot 
• celery
• onion
• chicken stock
• butternut squash
• sweet potato
• 1 can coconut milk
• maple syrup
• ground cardamom
• salt
• nutmeg
• ground black pepper
• sour cream, chopped chives, and chilli flakes for garnish (optional)

Step-By-Step Instructions

Have a large heavy bottomed pot with a lid ready.

Place the diced bacon in the pot and cook until crisp. Drain the bacon on a paper towel and set aside. Leave some of the bacon fat in the pot and discard the rest.

Reduce the heat. Add the carrot, celery, and onion to the bacon fat and stir to coat.

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Cook the vegetables until soft and tender. If they begin to brown reduce the heat.

Add the sweet potato, butternut squash, and chicken stock to the pot. Increase the heat and bring the soup to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat. Simmer the squash and sweet potatoes with the lid on but slightly ajar until tender.

Using a hand held immersion blender or stand blender, purée the soup until smooth, and no large chunks of squash and sweet potato remain.

Add the coconut milk, maple syrup, cardamom, salt, nutmeg, and pepper to the pot.

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Stir well to combine.

Adjust the seasoning to suit your taste. Crumble the reserved bacon. Serve the spiced butternut squash and sweet potato soup hot, garnished with bacon, sour cream for tang, chopped chives, chilli flakes, or any other garnish you like.

Notes & Tips

You can roast the squash and sweet potato first for more depth of flavour if you like. Keep in mind, roasting caramelizes the sugars in the vegetables, which can make for a sweeter soup.

Use double smoked bacon if you can find it.

Add one clove of chopped garlic with the carrot, onion, and celery if you like.

The sour cream garnish adds acidity to the spiced butternut squash and sweet potato soup, which is lacking without it. If you don’t have or want to use sour cream add apple cider vinegar by the half teaspoon until you are happy with the acidity level.

Croutons make a nice crunchy garnish.

Substitutions

Any earthy spices or spice mixes you like will work in spiced butternut squash and sweet potato soup. Garam masala would be great, and so would Ras El Hanout.

Use Harissa paste, curry paste, Sriracha, Gochujang, or any other heat source you prefer in place of the dried chilli flakes. 

Water or vegetable stock can be used in place of chicken stock. Adjust seasoning to taste.

For meat-free spiced butternut squash and sweet potato soup, sauté the carrot, onion, and celery in olive oil and omit the bacon garnish. Smoked paprika, or even a few drops of liquid smoke are good substitutes for the smoky bacon flavour.

Honey or brown sugar are good substitutes for maple syrup.

Crumbled pecans or pistachios make a great, extra protein garnish.

More Great Recipes For Staying Cozy

Dutch Oven Apple Crisp If you like a little more fruit than oat topping this Dutch oven apple crisp is for you!

Chai-Spiced Rice Krispie Treats A tasty, no-bake sweet loved by kids and adults alike! The spicy, peppery flavour has cool weather written all over it.

Buttermilk Quiche With Ham, Cheddar, And Chives A classic French egg custard tart kicked up a notch with the tang and zip of creamy buttermilk!

Peach Turnovers With Cardamom Frozen puff pastry, store bought jam, and a warming note of ground cardamom are a winning combo.

Did you make this recipe? If yes, I would love to know how you made out in the comments below! You can also tag me on Instagram @kellyneildotcom or use the hashtag #kellyneil.