Autumn Harvest Soup with Roasted Squash Seeds // JustineCelina.com
Dairy Free, Fall, Food, Gluten Free, Lunch, Soups, Vegan, Vegetarian

AUTUMN HARVEST SOUP WITH ROASTED SQUASH SEEDS


I love to make soup in the fall, and squash based soups are my favourite. So, I decided to take all the delicious things I had in my kitchen that were in fresh and in season, and roast them with warming, autumnal spices. I picked up tons of squash and apples at a fresh food market in Creston, BC recently (where they grow their produce on a farm right behind the market), and I combined them with carrots, onions, and some rhubarb from my friend Heather’s garden (you can’t eat more local than that!). I also roasted the squash seeds and use them for a garnish! My Autumn Harvest Soup with Roasted Squash Seeds is the ultimate autumn comfort food — hearty, nourishing and velvety smooth. It’s an ultra clean recipe, if you’re looking for simple dinner ideas this week to help detox from Thanksgiving festivities!


AUTUMN HARVEST SOUP WITH ROASTED SQUASH SEEDS


Autumn Harvest Soup with Roasted Squash Seeds // JustineCelina.com

This soup is full of good for you ingredients! Butternut squash is high in vitamin A, a powerful antioxidant responsible for maintaining good skin and vision. It’s also high in minerals like iron, zinc, copper, calcium, potassium, and phosphorus, while being low in calories. Honeycrisp apples are a great source of fiber and vitamin C, while carrots are loaded with beta carotene, and help combat against free radicals. Rhubarb is high in vitamins A, B, C and K, and provides twist on the traditional flavours of butternut squash soup. Garlic and ginger aid in detoxification, while spicing the soup naturally. Combined with onions, cumin, chili and cayenne powder, my Autumn Harvest Soup is a warming, rich in texture, and brimming with a delicious autumn flavour profile.

Autumn Harvest Soup with Roasted Squash Seeds // JustineCelina.com

Have you every tried roasting squash seeds? They’re a little bit bigger than pumpkin seeds, but they’re just as tasty. They’re also packed full of fibre, protein, and vitamins A and C, folate, potassium, calcium and iron. If you’re eating this soup as a main dish, they help to make it a more complete meal. Just add a leafy salad for a beautiful, light fall dinner.

Autumn Harvest Soup with Roasted Squash Seeds // JustineCelina.com


Ingredients


Yield: One huge pot! (About 16 cups, or 4 quarts)

Autumn Harvest Soup with Roasted Squash Seeds // JustineCelina.com

• 10 cups butternut squash (from 2 medium sized squash)
• 2 large honeycrisp apples
• 3 rhubarb stalks
• 4 large carrots
• 1 purple onion
• 4 garlic cloves
• 4 bay leaves
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 900ml containers of organic vegetable broth
• Salt & pepper
• 4 bay leaves
• Cumin
• Ginger
• Chili powder
• Cayenne powder

Autumn Harvest Soup with Roasted Squash Seeds // JustineCelina.com

Optional Garnish

• Organic coconut cream
• Pomegranate arils

Autumn Harvest Soup with Roasted Squash Seeds // JustineCelina.com


Instructions


1. Preheat your oven to 375 °F. In the meantime, chop all fruit and veggies into 1″ cubes, adding them into a big bowl as you go. If your squash has seeds, reserve them for later. Peel the garlic and add it to the mixture whole. Once you’re finished chopping, divide the fruit and veggies into 2 9″ x 12″ Pyrex glass baking dishes. Add 2 bay leaves to each dish.

Autumn Harvest Soup with Roasted Squash Seeds // JustineCelina.com

2. Season liberally with olive oil, salt and pepper, and a sprinkling each of cumin and ginger. Stir the fruit and veggies around in the pan to ensure each piece is well coated with oil and seasonings. Bake at 375 °F for 30 minutes.

Autumn Harvest Soup with Roasted Squash Seeds // JustineCelina.com

3. In the meantime, work on your seeds — we’re going to use them as a garnish later. First, rinse them with cold water in a colander, making sure they’re clean. Then, pour them into a loaf pan, and season them with olive oil, salt and pepper, cumin, garlic powder, cayenne and chili powder. Use these spices to taste, and feel free to omit any in the list or customize your blend.

Autumn Harvest Soup with Roasted Squash Seeds // JustineCelina.com

4. After the half an hour is up, stir and rotate the veggies in the Pyrex dishes. Then, put them back in to cook for another 30 minutes. Add the seeds to the bottom rack to roast at the same time.

Autumn Harvest Soup with Roasted Squash Seeds // JustineCelina.com

5. After the last half an hour, the fruit and veggies and seeds should be done. Remove the Pyrex dishes and seeds from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes.

Autumn Harvest Soup with Roasted Squash Seeds // JustineCelina.com

6. Then, remove the bay leaves from the Pyrex dishes. Add the contents of the Pyrex dish to your Vitamix (or similar) and add the veggie broth. Blend on high for a few minutes until completely smooth. Add the blended mixture to a large soup pot and turn on low heat. Repeat the process with the last Pyrex dish, and in addition, add a 1/2″ piece of fresh ginger to this batch. Blend until smooth.

Autumn Harvest Soup with Roasted Squash Seeds // JustineCelina.com

7. In a large pot, heat the soup through on low heat to allow all the flavours to marry together, stirring constantly. Add 1/2 tsp of cayenne powder and stir until well integrated. Taste and season as needed with salt and pepper. Mine was perfect without any additional seasoning.

Autumn Harvest Soup with Roasted Squash Seeds // JustineCelina.com

8. Once the soup is warmed through, serve immediately. Ladle into serving bowls or cups — garnish with coconut cream, pomegranate arils, and some Roasted Squash Seeds!

Autumn Harvest Soup with Roasted Squash Seeds // JustineCelina.com

Note: This soup also freezes very well if the recipe makes too much for you to eat all at once! I like to make big batches of things and freeze them so I always have something healthy on-hand for dinner. It comes in handy on those super busy days!

Autumn Harvest Soup with Roasted Squash Seeds // JustineCelina.com


AUTUMN HARVEST SOUP WITH ROASTED SQUASH SEEDS
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 10 mins
Total Time
1 hr 30 mins
 
My Autumn Harvest Soup with Roasted Squash Seeds is the ultimate autumn comfort food -- hearty, nourishing and velvety smooth. It's an ultra clean recipe free of dairy and gluten if you're looking for simple dinner ideas this season!
Course: Soup
Servings: 16
Ingredients
  • 10 cups butternut squash (from 2 medium sized squash)
  • 2 large honeycrisp apples
  • 3 rhubarb stalks
  • 4 large carrots
  • 1 purple onion
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 4 bay leaves
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 900 ml containers of organic vegetable broth
  • Salt & pepper
  • 4 bay leaves
  • Cumin
  • Ginger
  • Chili powder
  • Cayenne powder
Optional Garnish
  • Organic coconut cream
  • Pomegranate arils
Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to 375 °F. In the meantime, chop all fruit and veggies into 1" cubes, adding them into a big bowl as you go. If your squash has seeds, reserve them for later. Peel the garlic and add it to the mixture whole. Once you're finished chopping, divide the fruit and veggies into 2 9" x 12" Pyrex glass baking dishes. Add 2 bay leaves to each dish.
  2. Season liberally with olive oil, salt and pepper, and a sprinkling each of cumin and ginger. Stir the fruit and veggies around in the pan to ensure each piece is well coated with oil and seasonings. Roast at 375 °F for 30 minutes.

  3. In the meantime, work on your seeds -- we're going to use them as a garnish later. First, rinse them with cold water in a colander, making sure they're clean. Then, pour them into a loaf pan, and season them with olive oil, salt and pepper, cumin, garlic powder, cayenne and chili powder. Use these spices to taste, and feel free to omit any in the list or customize your blend.
  4. After the half an hour is up, stir and rotate the veggies in the Pyrex dishes. Then, put them back in to cook for another 30 minutes. Add the seeds to the bottom rack to roast at the same time.
  5. After the last half an hour, the fruit and veggies and seeds should be done. Remove the Pyrex dishes and seeds from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes.
  6. Then, remove the bay leaves from the Pyrex dishes. Add the contents of the Pyrex dish to your Vitamix (or similar) and add the veggie broth. Blend on high for a few minutes until completely smooth. Add the blended mixture to a large soup pot and turn on low heat. Repeat the process with the last Pyrex dish, and in addition, add a 1/2" piece of fresh ginger to this batch. Blend until smooth.
  7. In a large pot, heat the soup through on low heat to allow all the flavours to marry together, stirring constantly. Add 1/2 tsp of cayenne powder and stir until well integrated. Taste and season as needed with salt and pepper. Mine was perfect without any additional seasoning.
  8. Once the soup is warmed through, serve immediately. Ladle into serving bowls or cups -- garnish with coconut cream, pomegranate arils, and some Roasted Squash Seeds!
Recipe Notes

This soup also freezes very well if the recipe makes too much for you to eat all at once! I like to make big batches of things and freeze them so I always have something healthy on-hand for dinner. It comes in handy on those super busy days!


Autumn Harvest Soup with Roasted Squash Seeds // JustineCelina.comWhat are your favourite fall soups to make? This week I’m also working on a turkey soup — we made a turkey broth over the weekend with the leftover bones from Thanksgiving dinner. If you try my Autumn Harvest Soup with Roasted Squash Seeds, let me know how you like it! Tag me on social or use the hashtag #justinecelinarecipes in your recreations, so I can find your post. I’d love to hear from you!


Thank you to The Calgary Herald for featuring this recipe.


Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored, and contains my genuine thoughts and recommendations. JustineCelina uses affiliate and referral links, which allow me to receive a small commission when you make a purchase through one of my links. Your purchases help to support JustineCelina.com!

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31 Comments

  • Reply Gloria @ Homemade & Yummy October 14, 2015 at 1:09 pm

    Your pictures are AWESOME….really really beautiful. The colours are stunning….it just draws you in. WOW sums it up!!

    • Reply Justine October 14, 2015 at 1:50 pm

      Thank you for the kind words, Gloria! I love all of these fall colours. Have a great day, and thanks for stopping by!

  • Reply Tamara October 14, 2015 at 9:54 pm

    Loved the idea.. will try soon !
    Also I loved the spoons, where can I find them?

    • Reply Justine October 14, 2015 at 10:26 pm

      Hi Tamara, thanks for the comment! I actually made the spoons… I couldn’t find exactly what I wanted so I decided to make them myself. I spray painted the BEHAGFULL set from IKEA gold (they’re just props… you can’t actually use them!). But, you can find a similar set at West Elm. Hope that’s helpful!

  • Reply Tamara October 15, 2015 at 5:46 am

    I knew something was familiar, I have exactly the same set at home from Ikea (use them everyday)!!! You are bold to spray them, but they turned out really nice!
    Gonna take a look at west elm ! Tks !!

    • Reply Justine October 15, 2015 at 10:09 am

      No problem! I linked to the West Elm set above for you. Just click on the coloured type. 🙂

  • Reply suki October 16, 2015 at 10:12 am

    I need this right now 🙂

    • Reply Justine October 16, 2015 at 10:20 am

      If you try the recipe, comment back and let me know how you like the soup, Suki!

  • Reply Julia (@Imagelicious) October 16, 2015 at 10:14 am

    Omg – the photos are incredible! The colours, the textures, the shadows, the lighting – A-Ma-Zing! And I love the actual soup too, it’s so creamy and delicious! The addition of pomegranate seeds is a really cool idea

    • Reply Justine October 16, 2015 at 10:21 am

      Thanks for the comment, and the kind words, Julia! I love topping savoury dishes with pomegranate in the fall. They go especially well with curry, too! Have a great weekend. 🙂

  • Reply Megan @ Straight From The Jar October 16, 2015 at 10:43 am

    First and foremost, I love your pictures! I love the warm autumn feel and all the colours. There’s so much deliciousness going on in this soup, sounds SO good!!! Def putting it on my to-do!

    • Reply Justine October 16, 2015 at 10:54 am

      Thanks Megan! Let me know how you like it. 🙂

  • Reply Sondi October 16, 2015 at 10:45 am

    These photos are stunning! They make me wanna put on a cozy sweater and socks and slurp up squash soup. I love the addition of apples and pomegranate seeds for a sweet, fruity touch. I usually save my seeds from squashes and roast them up, too – SO good.

    • Reply Justine October 16, 2015 at 11:03 am

      Thank you, Sondi — that’s exactly what we did! There were lots of big cozy sweaters and soup making the week that I was testing this recipe. Don’t you just love fall?

  • Reply Wanda October 16, 2015 at 10:48 am

    Looks amazing, I love anything squash!

    • Reply Justine October 16, 2015 at 10:55 am

      Thanks for stopping by and commenting, Wanda!

  • Reply Ilona @ Ilona's Passion October 16, 2015 at 10:53 am

    The soup looks delicious! And the pictures are stunning!

    • Reply Justine October 16, 2015 at 10:56 am

      Thanks Ilona — have a fantastic weekend!

  • Reply Lyndsay October 16, 2015 at 11:06 am

    Your photos are amazing and the recipe sounds delicious as well. I can’t wait to try it. Thanks for sharing

    • Reply Justine October 16, 2015 at 11:08 am

      Thanks so much, Lindsay! Please report back if you do! I’m going to head over to your blog to check it out. 🙂

  • Reply Laura October 16, 2015 at 12:37 pm

    Looks great! Nice to cook a huge pot of soup and then freeze some for future meals.

    • Reply Justine October 16, 2015 at 12:39 pm

      Thanks Laura! That’s how I roll in the fall. 🙂 Have a great weekend!

  • Reply Michaell | Foodscape October 16, 2015 at 1:06 pm

    Rhubarb and pomegranate seeds!?! I NEVER would have thought of that. Great touch. I usually don’t like pureed soups but you make this flavor combo so decadent sounding I think I have to try it. Awesome! So glad I found your site 🙂

    • Reply Justine October 16, 2015 at 1:19 pm

      Hi Michaell, I’m so glad you found me! Thanks for the feedback — I’m always trying new things over here, and I never would have thought of adding the rhubarb either, but my friend Heather picked it for me right from her garden, so I thought I would try it in this soup. Please let me know how you like it if you try it, and have a fantastic weekend! 🙂 I’m going to check your blog out now.

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