Pumpkin Butternut Seed Oil Squash Soup Recipe

Prepare squash and pumpkin

Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Halve the butternut squash and pumpkin, scoop out seeds (reserve seeds for roasting), peel if desired, and cut flesh into 2–3 cm cubes. Toss the cubes lightly with 1 tablespoon butter and a pinch of salt, spread on a baking sheet, and roast 25–30 minutes until tender and lightly caramelized.

Sauté aromatics

While squash roasts, heat remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook 6–8 minutes until soft and translucent. Add minced garlic, grated ginger and chopped carrot; cook 2–3 minutes until fragrant, stirring to avoid browning.

Combine and simmer

Add the roasted squash and pumpkin cubes to the pot. Pour in the stock to just cover the vegetables (about 1.2 L). Stir in ground cumin, nutmeg, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat and simmer 12–15 minutes to meld flavors and ensure everything is very tender.

Purée the soup

Using an immersion blender, purée the soup until completely smooth and velvety. Alternatively, working in batches, transfer soup to a blender and blend until smooth, then return to pot. If too thick, add up to 120 ml additional stock or water to reach desired consistency.

Finish with cream and season

Stir in the heavy cream (or coconut cream) and lemon juice. Warm the soup on low for 2–3 minutes without boiling. Taste and adjust seasoning with remaining salt and pepper as needed.

Roast and salt seeds

If you reserved seeds earlier, rinse, pat dry and toss with a little oil and a pinch of salt. Roast on a baking sheet at 180°C (350°F) for 8–10 minutes, stirring once, until golden and crisp. If using pre-roasted seeds, just warm briefly in a dry skillet.

Plate and finish

Ladle soup into warmed bowls. Drizzle about 1 teaspoon of butternut seed oil per bowl in a thin spiral or line for a nutty finish. Sprinkle each bowl with a tablespoon of roasted seeds and a teaspoon of chopped chives or parsley. Add a light grind of black pepper and a tiny pinch of red pepper flakes or a drizzle of chili oil if using. Serve immediately.