This Roasted Butternut Squash & Leek Soup is the perfect bowl of comforting vegetable soup. With just 6 ingredients, it's soup heaven - couldn't be easier and tastes amazing!
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It's soup season, and at this time of year you really can't beat a bowl of leek and butternut squash soup. I like to roast the butternut squash and leeks first, as roasting veggies really does bring out their natural sweetness.`
Hands on prep time with this soup is minimal, only 10 minutes. It's naturally gluten free too as no thickeners are needed.
Once cooked, add heavy cream for a creamy flavor if you wish, then blend this silky smooth soup and serve.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Easy Butternut Squash & Leek Soup
- Butternut Squash Leek Soup Recipe Ingredients
- How to Make Leek & Butternut Soup - Step-By-Step
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Variations & Substitutions for Butternut Squash Leek Soup Recipe
- Tips & Tricks For Making Leek and Butternut Soup
- How To Serve Easy Butternut Squash Leek Soup
- How To Reheat?
- How to Freeze?
- Pin This Easy Roasted Butternut Squash & Leek Soup Recipe For Later
- What Do You Think?!
- More Easy Soup Recipe Ideas
- Printable Recipe
- Easy Roasted Butternut Squash & Leek Soup Recipe
- Reader Comments & Ratings
Why You'll Love This Easy Butternut Squash & Leek Soup
- This is one of my favorite comforting soups, using only 6 simple ingredients and a little seasoning.
- Use a gluten free vegetable broth and this soup is naturally gluten free (thickened with potato).
- This delicious soup freezes really well, making it great for meal prep. Double the recipe, enjoy some now and store the rest for an easy meal another day.
- Heat up the leftover soup and pour in a thermos for a quick and easy lunch on the go.
- Try some of my favorite vegetable soup recipes:
Butternut Squash Leek Soup Recipe Ingredients
Find the full list and quantities in the recipe card below.
Butternut Squash - I have used butternut squash as its readily available in most stores, but you can use winter squash or pumpkin to make this soup. I've used ready chopped squash for ease, but if using a whole squash, look for a large butternut.
Leeks - I use 2 medium leeks to add a mellow sweetness to the flavor base of the soup.
Broth - I've used vegetable stock, but you can also swap vegetable broth for chicken broth/stock if not serving to meat-free diners. Use a gluten free broth if necessary.
How to Make Leek & Butternut Soup - Step-By-Step
Find the full printable recipe below.
Prepare the butternut squash and leeks then lay them on a lined baking tray. Toss with olive oil, sea salt and black pepper then roast for around 30 minutes in a pre-heated oven until just stating to turn golden brown. Take the tray out of the oven and set aside a few of the golden brown leek slices for the garnish.
Add the roasted veggies to a large soup pot or large Dutch oven along with the more olive oil and the minced garlic cloves. Place on the stove top and stir over a medium heat for a minute or so as the pan comes up to temperature.
Add the broth to the large pot and season again. Bring to a boil over a high heat then turn down to a simmer for around 10 minutes to allow the flavors to develop.
For a creamy soup, stir in the heavy cream if using (this is optional - it's still delicious without the cream but less rich).
Use either a hand held stick immersion blender or a high-speed blender to carefully puree the soup to a creamy texture.
Taste the pureed soup and season again as needed. Serve immediately with the reserved leak for garnish.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best way to wash and leeks?
Due to their many tight packed layers, leeks can hold dirt and grit. The best way to properly clean leeks is to split them fully in half length-ways, then run the leek under a cold running faucet.
Which part of leek do you use to make soup?
I like to remove and discard any tougher outer leaves and cut a section from the green parts at the very top of the leek. I then use the softer green, and all of the white part of the leek in the soup.
Why do my leeks taste bitter?
Leeks have a wonderful sweetness when sautéed or roasted. The trick with leeks is not to burn them as its burnt leeks that taste bitter. Only cook them to golden brown on a low or medium low heat.
Do I need to peel butternut squash for soup?
This recipe roasts butternut squash in chunks and for speed I like to buy them ready cut. You can peel, deseed and cut butternut squash yourself.
However, if you don't want to peel the squash another option is to cut it in two, remove the seeds and roast it cut side down on the baking sheet. Once cooked simply scoop the flesh out and add to the soup pot.
Variations & Substitutions for Butternut Squash Leek Soup Recipe
If you want to get ahead, use ready prepared veggies. You can buy peeled and pre-cubed butternut squash in most larger stores.
Roast other veggies to this savory soup, try parsnip, carrot or sweet potato.
Take this soup to the next level by adding some spice to the soup, try a teaspoon of ground cumin, curry powder, red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, or even some Thai red curry paste.
For a dairy free and vegan soup, swap heavy cream for coconut milk or a plant based alternative to heavy cream.
Herbs add a lovely burst of freshness to any soup, so garnish with some chopped parsley, basil or fresh thyme leaves. You could also add some bay leaf or thyme sprigs when cooking the soup.
Tips & Tricks For Making Leek and Butternut Soup
- Always use a sharp knife when preparing any veg, but particularly hard vegetables like butternut squash.
- Cut the butternut squash into 1-inch cubes, roughly the same size for even roasting.
- Ensure the butternut squash is fully cooked before blending or you will end up with lumpy soup.
- If the soup looks too thick, thin it down with a little extra vegetable broth or water to reach the desired consistency.
- When blending the soup you can use either a blender or stick blender. To get really smooth soups, blend in batches and let the blender run for a while - at least 1-2 minutes.
- Taste the soup and season well with sea salt and black pepper. Proper seasoning really does make a difference to the overall flavor of your soup.
How To Serve Easy Butternut Squash Leek Soup
Soup makes a great lunch or light dinner main dish. There is so much flavor in this soup that I like to keep things simple and serve it with some crusty bread or biscuits alongside.
What can you top this soup with?
I like to top the the soup with some of the roast leeks which I set aside. You could also add a drizzle of cream or sour cream. For vegan diners swap cream for a drizzle of coconut milk.
To add some protein to the soup top with my Crunchy Chickpea Croutons. You could also add some toasted sunflower or pumpkin seeds (pepita seeds), they add a lovely crunch. If you really want to intensify the nutty flavor, toast the seeds in a dry non-stick skillet first.
How To Reheat?
Soup is a great make ahead dish, ideal for meal prep, and it will taste even better when set aside to sit as the flavors intensify.
Once cooked, cool the soup and place in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Re-heat the soup in a pot on the stove over a low heat and warm up gently until piping hot.
How to Freeze?
Cream splits during the freezing process. So, as this soup contains cream it is best to freeze the soup before the cream is added. Cook the soup up to the end of stage 8 in the recipe card below, then blend the soup to smooth.
Once cooked and cooled, freeze the soup in portions for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, defrost the soup and place into a pot to warm gently to piping hot before stirring through the heavy cream and serving.
Pin This Easy Roasted Butternut Squash & Leek Soup Recipe For Later
What Do You Think?!
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More Easy Soup Recipe Ideas
Printable Recipe
Easy Roasted Butternut Squash & Leek Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 oz Butternut Squash - peeled & cubed
- 2 Leeks - washed, trimmed and sliced thinly
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 2 cloves Garlic - minced
- 5 cups Vegetable Broth - or chicken broth if not vegetarian
- ¼ cup Heavy Cream (Double Cream) - if desired
- Sea Salt and Black Pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C
- Spread the cubed butternut squash and sliced leeks out on a parchment lined baking tray.
- Drizzle over half the olive oil, a pinch of sea salt and good twist of black pepper. Toss until everything is well combined then spread out on the tray into a single layer.
- Roast the vegetables for around 30 minutes until squash and leeks are starting to turn golden brown.
- Take the tray out of the oven and set aside a few of the golden brown leek slices for the garnish.
- Add the roasted veggies to a large pot or Dutch oven along with the remaining olive oil and the minced garlic cloves. Stir over a medium heat for a minute or so as the pan comes up to temperature.
- Add the broth to the pot and season again with sea salt and black pepper.
- Bring to a boil over a high heat then turn down to a simmer for around 10 minutes to allow the flavors to develop.
- Stir in the heavy cream if using (this is optional - it's still delicious without the cream but less rich).
- Use either a hand held stick immersion blender or a stand blender to carefully puree the soup until smooth.
- Taste and season again as needed.
- Serve immediately with reserved leak for garnish.
Rick Taylor says
This soup is absolutely delicious! I changed nothing in this recipe, did add a bit of cumin as suggested and it was perfect. Easy to make too!
Jo Keohane says
Thanks so much for your comment Rick, I love a little cumin in this soup too! So glad you loved it - it's roasting the veggies which makes it taste amazing. Happy cooking!