Honeynut Squash Soup
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Honeynut Squash Soup is a healthy, creamy fall and winter dish that’s made with just a handful of easy ingredients. Enjoy the natural sweetness of winter squash with this warm, cozy bowl of soup.
To be honest, winter squash has never been one of my favorite ingredients. But, over the years, as my family has leaned increasingly towards eating healthily, seasonally, and locally, it’s been a goal of mine to really embrace them.
The past two winters have really begun to show me how versatile and delicious they can be. This honeynut squash soup is one of my success stories!
Of all the varieties, honeynut squashes are my favorite, they’re small, sweet, nutty, and pleasant to work with.
They lend themselves beautifully to this creamy soup that’s made with just a handful of ingredients, and will warm up bellies and your kitchen with little effort. Plus it freezes well!
What is a Honeynut Squash?
If you’re new to honeynut squashes…it’s not surprising, they’re pretty new themselves! They’re actually a hybrid of butternut and buttercup squashes, and the results are fabulous for us.
They’re deeper in color and about half the size of a butternut, but are shaped almost exactly the same.
The best part is, the flavor is way more intense. Sweeter, nuttier, and with an added richness I particularly recommend. Plus they’re insanely healthy!
Soup Ingredients
I’ve discovered that for my family, and my own tastes, we enjoy our soups that are made with simple ingredients and simmered longer, rather than adding a bunch of stuff to make soup fast.
Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make creamy honeynut squash soup
- Honeynut squash – choose 2 that are heavy for their size and very firm. If you can’t find them (ahhh! no!) then you can swap in 1 moderate sized butternut squash.
- Yellow onion – Use what you have, but yellow or sweet onions are my go to’s.
- Roasted garlic – I roast large batches of garlic in the oven and keep it in the freezer. I highly recommend it to you if you like to cook. You can also substitute 4 cloves of minced garlic instead.
- Fresh thyme – I used a handful of sprigs bundled together for easy removal. You could use fresh rosemary instead.
- Granny smith apple – Any tart apple will do, but I do insist on TART. A sweet apple will render the final soup very, very sweet.
- Chicken or veggie broth – I make chicken broth and use that often, but to keep this recipe vegan, use a good quality veggie broth.
- Coconut milk – This is the ultra-creamy ingredient you don’t want to skip. Use the canned stuff, not the dairy product in the carton.
- Salt – Don’t skip it, please. You’ll add it to taste. For this recipe I used coarse kosher salt.
- Oil – just a smidge to get the onions cooking before we add the liquid. Olive, canola, grapeseed, or even coconut oil all work.
How to Make Honeynut Squash Soup
Every chef I’ve ever heard talk about soup agrees, let it simmer longer to develop better flavor! You can get the step-by-step directions in the recipe card, but here are my key tips to making this soup as flavorful as it can be.
- Let the onions sweat over low heat while you prep the rest. Stir occasionally to prevent burning.
- Add in the squash, then the apple, then the garlic as you have them ready and give them a stir. They’ll saute and cook with the onions a little and start to build a solid base flavor you really want. (No need to peel the apple)
- Add salt with the broth, coconut milk, and thyme. Just a half teaspoon will do.
- Simmer for 90 minutes if possible! I’m serious! I like to put this on the stove 2 hours before we want to eat. By the time I have the stock simmering, it has a long, loving hour and a half to get extra flavorful.
- I’ll be grumpily technical, if you’re in a rush, you can puree the soup and eat it as soon as the squash is as tender as hot butter.
- Remove the thyme before pureeing. A few stray leaves are no big deal but the stems are not pleasant blended up.
- For extra, extra silky soup, you can pass it through a sieve. I never bother, it’s creamy already!
I use my Ninja foodie blender which is good at handling hot foods and pureeing things smoothly. Always use caution when blending hot food, and don’t fill the carafe more than ⅔ full to reduce the likelihood of the top busting off. I keep a thick towel under my hand on top for added precaution. Then, give it a taste. Add a pinch or two more salt until it’s just right, and serve it up!
FAQ’S
I’ve tried to think of everything I might ask when reading a recipe for honeynut squash soup. But if I missed yours, please ask!
For soups made without animal dairy, you can freeze it in mason jars or freezer-safe plastic containers for up to 3 months without losing quality. The lack of dairy means it won’t separate when thawed.
Remember to leave an inch or two of headspace in the container so it doesn’t overflow as it expands in the freezer.
I find it to be very healthy! Honeynut squash is full of vitamins and nutrients. Coconut milk in this recipe does contain saturated fat, but it’s also full of good things like manganese and copper. You’re not drinking the whole can, so I’d say this recipe is a total win in the health department.
You bet, please do! It’ll work just as well and give you plenty to freeze and enjoy.
I sincerely hope you enjoy one of my favorite ways to enjoy winter squash. It makes an appearance in my house all fall and winter and is particularly good with fresh garlic rolls, asiago bread, or a roasted veggie side like garlic broccoli or oven roasted potatoes.
While you’re here, don’t forget to check out these other tasty cold weather recipes to warm up your kitchen with flavor!
Honeynut Squash Soup
Ingredients
- 2 honeynut squashes
- 1 large yellow onion
- 7 cloves roasted garlic*
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 medium granny smith apple
- 2 cups vegetable broth*
- 1 can coconut milk
- 3/4 teaspoon salt divided
- 1 tablespoon oil
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large pot over low heat. Dice the onions and add them into the oil to sweat, stirring occasionally.
- Peel and seed the squash, then dice and add to the onions.
- Dice the apple and add it with the garlic to the pot. Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add in 1/2 teaspoon of salt, chicken broth, coconut milk, and thyme. Bundle the thyme together so you can easily remove it later.
- Stir and bring to a simmer, then cover and cook for 60-90 minutes.*
- Puree the soup in a blender or food processor, working in batches if necessary. Taste and add salt to taste.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information and cooking times are provided as a best estimate. Values may vary based upon ingredients and equipment.
I adore Honeynut Squash and am always looking for more recipes, but sadly I am allergic to coconut and therefore coconut milk. Have you found any decent alternatives?
Hi there Laura, that’s unfortunate! But you definitely have options! Heavy cream or half and half would be my first alternatives, but the process would be different. I would use extra broth and simmer without the creams. Once you’ve pureed it, then you can whisk in heavy cream and taste/season.
Or, you could blend 1 tablespoon of butter into 1 tablespoon of flour until it’s a smooth paste. Replace the coconut milk with broth and then after pureeing the soup, return it to low heat and whisk in the butter flour paste. That will thicken and emulsify so it’s silky.
To keep it vegan…I’d probably try an extra creamy oat milk! But I have less experience with that. I hope one of these helps and I’d love to hear how it goes!
I absolutely love honeynut squash and just about any and every soup there is. I usually roast it, so this was a nice change – perfect for the fall season!
So glad this soup was delicious and a prep was a nice change for you! Since you love all soups you may like my Tomato Carrot Soup.
I absolutely love honeynut squash! This soup was so easy and so perfect for fall! We loved it!
Thanks so much Lori, I’m glad it was easy to put together. It is a soup full of flavor that we enjoy too!
This soup is so delicious, creamy, and flavorful! The perfect soup recipe to enjoy this season.
I’m happy you enjoyed this delicious recipe, it is one of my favorites for cooler fall evenings
I had to hunt for the honeynut squash but I’m so glad I did. I love squash soup but this one was exceptional. Perfect for the cool weather days ahead.
I to am glad you were able to find Honeynut squash. Your exceptional rating and knowing you enjoyed the soup has made me very happy!
I love squash soups but not I’m convinced that honeynut squash is the only squash to use for creamy soups. I loved this!
Thanks for the 5 star rating, glad you liked it, but I’m a bit confused by your comment. Honeynut squash is definitely not the only option for making creamy soups. In fact I’d venture to say MOST winter squashes would make a great creamy soup, this recipe just happens to use honeynut. It was developed to highlight the particular flavors of that squash, which is most similar to butternut.
The flavor combination in this soup is delicious! Loving the hint of apple and sweetness from the coconut milk. Really tasty…I’ll be making this again!
Amanda, thank you, I too really enjoy the hint of apple flavor and the creamy sweetness of the coconut milk. I’m happy you will make and enjoy this soup again!