The perfect soup recipe to introduce Middle Eastern flavours to your family. This Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup is an easy dinner idea that takes 5 minutes to prepare. Once the veggies are cut, the oven will do the rest! Enjoy a delicious fall soup with minimal effort.
If you've been around for a while, you'll already know that we love Middle Eastern flavours. Our kids are also quite used to Middle Eastern spices and blends such as Ras el Hanout, Za'atar, Sumac, Cumin, etc. Together with this recipe, they love this Arabic Lentil Soup and Lebanese Rice, an all-time family favourite.
I wanted to make our classic Butternut Squash soup more fragrant and flavourful, so I added a few more veggies together with some of our favourite spices such as cumin, Ras el Hanout, and loads of Za'atar for serving. The result was a hearty soup bursting with amazing flavour, and my kids ate the whole plate, which, if you ask me, is always a winner that needs keeping!
What I love the most about this recipe is that the oven does most of the job here, so you can use your time doing something else while the dinner is cooking, and as a mum of three, I can give you plenty of ideas, such as running the bath, picking up toys, or simply spending some time with your little ones. Both Luca and Lena love helping in the kitchen, and this is one of those recipes that they can help cut the veggies and prepare all the spices. Also, as I'm using our own veggies from the garden, they even got to do the harvesting for this meal.
Ingredients
Butternut Squash. We normally have squashes from our own veggie garden, so we like making the most of them. You can also use pumpkin for this recipe.
Sweet Potato. It adds thickness to the soup and a lovely, sweet note.
Carrots. Our Mediterranean garden is starting to give us the first carrots, so I was very happy to include some in this recipe.
Garlic. For this recipe, we're going to use a whole garlic head.
Spice blend. Cumin, turmeric, and Ras el Hanout. Ras el Hanout is a spice mix, and just like every Indian family has its own Garam Masala spice mix, every shop and family has a different Ras el Hanout blend. This blend usually features cumin, clove, cardamom, nutmeg, allspice, chilli peppers, coriander, peppercorn, and turmeric, together with some other spices. We get our spice blend from our local Arab shop, and it’s quite mild, which we love as the kids can also have it.
Za’atar. Another Middle Eastern spice blend that we always have around. This is more of a herb blend, normally containing oregano, marjoram, thyme, sesame seeds, sumac, cumin, and coriander. We use Za’atar to marinate our veggies and season our soups and breads. It adds a great nutty and herby flavour to your dishes.
Olive oil.
Vegetable stock.
Cooking Method
This butternut squash and sweet potato soup is very easy, so let's start! First, preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
You’ll need to peel and cut your vegetables. I like cutting them into bite-sized cubes so they will bake nicely in the oven. Place all the veggies and garlic head on a baking tray and add the spices and olive oil. Keep the Za’atar for later, as it will be added at the end.
Combine well, making sure all the vegetable cubes are nicely coated.
Place the baking tray in the oven and leave the veggies baking for about 40 minutes or until they are fork-tender.
Once the vegetables are baked, transfer them to a blender jug and add the roasted garlic, removing the skin. Pour the vegetable stock, and blend until you have a smooth consistency.
Transfer to a serving bowl and add some za’atar before serving. If you like adding some cream to your soup, you can add soy or oat cream at the end.
We like serving the soup alongside toasted bread drizzled with olive oil and za’atar. If you haven’t tried this, you’ll need to! Crusty bread pairs beautifully with this fall soup.
Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
- 1 butternut squash medium size
- 2 carrots
- ½ sweet potato
- 1 garlic head
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon Ras El Hanout
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- 2 tablespoon Olive oil
- 3 cups vegetable stock
- 2 tablespoon Za’atar
- oat cream optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Peel and cut the butternut squash, carrot, and sweet potato into bite-sized cubes.1 butternut squash, 2 carrots, ½ sweet potato
- Place all the veggies and garlic head on a baking tray and add the spices and olive oil. Keep the Za’atar for later, as it will be added at the end.1 garlic head, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon Ras El Hanout, ¼ teaspoon turmeric, 2 tablespoon Olive oil
- Combine well, making sure all the vegetable cubes are nicely coated.
- Place the baking tray in the oven and leave the veggies baking for about 40 minutes or until fork-tender, stirring occasionally to avoid sticking or burning.
- Once the vegetables are baked, transfer them to a blender jug and add the roasted garlic, removing the skin. Pour the vegetable stock, and blend until you have a smooth consistency.3 cups vegetable stock
- Transfer to a serving bowl and add some za’atar before serving.2 tablespoon Za’atar
Notes
- To add some cream on top, you can use soy or oat cream at the end.
- I like serving the soup alongside toasted bread drizzled with olive oil and za’atar.
Newsletter
Nutrition
Serving Suggestions
Every time we make this soup, my kids ask for Za'atar bread, which is basically a French baguette, toasted until nice and crispy, topped with a good drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and plenty of za'atar. Another way to add a crunchy bite to your butternut squash and sweet potato soup is by making these Air Fryer Croutons.
You can also serve this Middle Eastern soup with pita bread or vegan garlic bread.
For a creamy touch, I use some plant-based cream such as oat or soy cream. You can add some before blending all the ingredients, or right before serving it, on each plate. I prefer to add it when the soup is already served, as I can make different patterns for my kids, and they love that.
If you're making some toasted bread to serve with the soup, you may want to prepare some garlic confit to serve on the side.
Other toppings for this Butternut Squash Soup:
- Toasted seeds
- Drizzled olive oil
- Garlic confit
- Toasted nuts such as cashews or almonds
FAQ
Yes, absolutely. Pumpkin works perfectly as a substitute and will give a very similar taste and texture.
No, the soup is mild and family-friendly. Ras el Hanout can vary in heat, but most blends are aromatic rather than hot. If cooking for kids, use a mild blend and avoid adding chilli.
You can make your own blend for this recipe. To get inspired, check out this Ras el Hanout Spice recipe from Feasting at Home.
Yes! It’s naturally sweet from the vegetables, mild in spices, and a great way to introduce Middle Eastern flavours to children.
You can top the soup with crispy chickpeas, toasted lentils, or even swirl in some hummus before serving.
If you want to make this recipe gluten-free, make sure you use a Za'atar blend that doesn't contain wheat, as some brands add wheat to their blend. Also, you can serve the soup with gluten-free bread.
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