I Made Ina Garten’s Butternut Squash Soup, and It’s My New Fall Favorite

Ina Garten has proved time and again that she is the queen of easy yet elevated comfort food. While we see that with dishes like her perfect roast chicken and her cozy sausage and herb stuffing, her seasonal soups are no different. That’s why, when we came across the Ina Garten butternut squash soup, we knew we had to put it to the test.

Warmly spiced with curry powder, infused with freshly picked apples and high-quality apple cider (or homemade apple cider) and chock-full of vitamin-rich butternut squash, this simple fall soup recipe comes together in a little over an hour and yields enough to serve a crowd. You can enjoy it on its own as a light meal, or pair it with a bright arugula salad or everything bread.

How to Make Ina Garten’s Butternut Squash Soup

Lauren Habermehl for Taste of Home

Ina’s recipe makes 3-1/2 quarts; approximately 10 to 12 servings

Ingredients

Lauren Habermehl for Taste of Home

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons good olive oil
• 4 cups chopped yellow onions (3 large)
• 2 tablespoons mild curry powder
• 5 pounds butternut squash (2 large)
• 1-1/2 pounds sweet apples, such as McIntosh (4 apples)
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups good apple juice or cider

Directions

Step 1: Saute

In a large stockpot over low heat, melt the butter with the olive oil. Add the onions and curry powder and cook, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes. Stir occasionally, until the onions are tender and have started to caramelize lightly.

Editor’s Tip: Curry powders are all a little bit different; some can be rather spicy. For best results, choose a curry powder you are familiar with, or start with less and add more to suit your taste preferences. This will ensure the curry does not overpower the other fall flavors in the soup.

Step 2: Peel and chop

Meanwhile, peel and chop the butternut squash and apples into large chunks (remove the seeds from the squash and core the apple). For uniform cooking, try your best to cut the squash and apples into pieces that are roughly the same size.

Step 3: Simmer

Lauren Habermehl for Taste of Home

When the onions are tender, add the squash, apples, salt, pepper and 2 cups of water to the pot. Increase the heat and bring the soup to a boil. Then cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes until the squash and apples are very soft.

Editor’s Tip: If your apples and squash are not quite tender after 40 minutes, give the mixture a stir, cover, and continue to cook for another 10 to 15 minutes. The squash and apples are ready when easily mashed with a fork.

Step 4: Puree

Remove the pot from the heat and then, in batches, puree the soup in a food processor fitted with a steel blade or process the soup through a food mill. You could also use an immersion blender to process the soup directly in the pot.

Step 5: Finish and Serve

Lauren Habermehl for Taste of Home

Return the soup to the pot and then stir in the apple cider. If you prefer a thinner soup, add extra water until the desired consistency is reached. Season with additional salt and pepper, and serve hot with your favorite crusty bread on the side (preferably smeared with Ina’s favorite butter).

Here’s What I Thought

Lauren Habermehl for Taste of Home

Yum! If this soup doesn’t deserve the top spot on Ina’s list of favorite foods to make and eat, I don’t know what does. If you’re looking for a cozy, velvety smooth soup to enjoy this fall and winter, look no further. The apples and butternut squash pair beautifully together, and the warm curry spices add just the right amount of heat to counter the sweetness from the produce.

While this soup is excellent served without any garnish, we found topping the soup with a bit of diced roasted butternut squash and a light splash of cream was the perfect finish.