Roasted Crown Prince Squash Soup

A version of this squash soup has existed in our house for years, some years it’s been a pumpkin soup and other years it’s been a butternut squash soup. This year though the honour goes to a crown prince squash, by way of my in-law’s allotment. And dare I say it, this is my favourite version of this spiced roasted squash soup yet thanks to its sweetly nutty flavour. It has a denser texture than butternut squash and it blends into a really creamy texture.

Since we are a large family we were given the largest of the crown princes they grew this year and although at first I was intimidated, I have managed to stretch this squash into several cosy hearty meals.

For more inspiration on how to use your crown prince squash see my Spiced Roasted Squash and Quinoa Salad and my Roasted Squash with Miso, Maple and Hazelnuts.

The first recipe off the pass though was our family favourite soup, as requested by my 8 year old. He is a very picky eater and he often struggles enjoying proper dinners. So if he ever suggests a meal, I am throwing on my apron and getting that oven pre-heated before he’s even finished the request.

This soup is everything to celebrate about Autumn. Rich and cosy with an underpinning of warming spice. To imbue the soup with as much intensely squashy flavour as possible we roast it up first before adding into the soup. If you add the squash straight into hot water or stock, much like other squashes or even sweet potato, the vegetable basically turns to mushy water. The pre-roasting captures the flavour and texture whilst also lending a slightly caramelised note to the proceedings.

Then after that we cook down a collection of carrots, onion, celery and leek then pump the soup full of cumin, coriander, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. A pinch of chilli can be added in for depth more than piquancy (I often skip it these days due to the children). If you like your soups super spicy then do add in fresh chillies as well, although that was not what we were looking for here.

Ingredients Needed

Crown prince squash. You need about 2kg of squash for this recipe – this is the weight unpeeled with the seeds. If your squash is larger then cut it to make 2kg, saving the rest for another use. When you remove the skin and seeds the weight will reduce. You need about 1.2kg of the prepared squash.

You can use any squash for this recipe. It works equally well with butternut squash / pumpkin or any other squash you have.

Aromatics. We add a fair bit of extra veg to create a depth of flavour. We use a carrot, onion, celery, a leek and garlic.

Seasonings and spices. Obviously salt and pepper but we also use some warming spices which are not overpowering but add gentle flavour. We use cumin, ground coriander, ground cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg and cloves.

Chilli flakes. These are optional. I don’t use them when I’m making this soup for my children (which is most of the time these days) and the soup is no worse for it. But if you like a bit of heat then this is just a gentle nod. Add more if you like.

Fresh stock. We use a lot of stock in this recipe and I urge you to use homemade chicken stock if you have some to hand. If I happen to have run out then I will turn to beef bone broth concentrate which I always keep in the fridge for cooking emergencies (and it’s a great hot drink). Both of these options give the soup so much flavour. Only use a stock cube in a total emergency. If you need the recipe to be vegan / vegetarian then you can use vegetable stock.

Garnish. A dollop of crème fraiche and some chopped parsley will pretty up the soup. But it’s optional.

How To Prepare Crown Prince Squash

Preparing the squash is a cumbersome affair. Make sure to use a large chef’s knife and cut from the tip of the knife in a slicing action down towards the handle which gives you good leverage in getting through the tough skin and flesh.

Cut the squash into quarters, scoop and scrape out the seeds with a spoon, then slice off the skin of the squash with the chef’s knife.

It depends on how big your crown prince squash is but you may only need part of it for this recipe. If so, then you can keep the rest of the squash in the fridge wrapped up well in cling film (plastic wrap) for a couple of days until you want to use the rest of it.

How To Make Homemade Crown Prince Squash Soup

For full recipe instructions go to the recipe card at the end of this post.

Peel and de-seed the squash and dice into 1 inch pieces. Toss with olive oil and seasoning and roast for 30-35 minutes.

Heat a large stock pot with olive oil then add carrot, onion, celery and leek with salt. Cook for about 10 minutes then add the garlic, all the spices, and chilli if using, and stir to coat, cooking for a further 2-3 minutes.

Tip the roasted squash in, followed by the stock and bring up to the gentle boil. Then turn the heat down to simmer for 30 minutes.

Remove the soup from the heat and blend it together until smooth. I used a stand blender for an ultra smooth result and completed the task in two batches.

Once the soup is smooth then pour back into the cleaned cooking pot. Check the consistency, if you feel it is too thick then whisk in some just-boiled water (up to about 200g maybe). Bring the soup back up to a gentle simmer if you want to serve it piping hot.

Serving Suggestions

If we’re turning this soup into a main meal or you’re serving it to guests then by all means dress it up with a topping of crème fraiche and parsley.

It doesn’t need the adornments if you’re serving it family style, although don’t forget to serve it alongside a stack of cheese toasties for dipping.

Very good buttered crusty bread is a rustic and welcome pairing.

If you’re looking for some gluten-free accompaniments these Homemade Gluten-Free Cheese Scones work amazingly well, or these Easy No Yeast Bread Rolls.

I have served this soup for guests with a handful of cheese straws perched on top of the bowls. I did this once for a festive appetizer and it was a treat.

Otherwise try topping the soup with pumpkin seeds, croutons, fried chorizo or bacon or even crumbled feta or goat’s cheese.