What to Serve with Butternut Squash Soup

Easy butternut squash soup side dish recipes and ideas, from homemade bread croutons to sweet potato salad, and roasted Brussels sprouts to kale chips. Discover what to serve with butternut squash soup today.

Butternut squash cream soup

Butternut squash soup is a winter and fall favorite made from only a handful of ingredients, yet delivers a rich butterscotch-like taste that’s perfect for the colder months. This heartwarming soup classic deserves a round of sides that complement its distinctly sweet, nutty, and warming taste flavor profile.

These easy serving ideas will complete your meal, including caramelized onions, grilled cheese sandwiches, and glazed carrots. Find your new favorite soup side dish today.

Apple Bacon Grilled Cheese

Apple Bacon Grilled Cheese

Soup and sandwiches are the perfect lunchtime combination for a meal that is filling but not so rich that you have to take a nap to get through the afternoon. The smoky flavors of apple bacon grilled cheese go well with the warm richness of butternut squash soup for a perfect fall meal.

To make apple bacon grilled cheese, you need thick slices of bread, bacon, crispy apple slices, mustard, and a melty, sharp cheese such as cheddar. Assemble the sandwiches, then heat them in a buttered skillet.

Glazed Carrots

Glazed Carrots

If you’re looking for an accompaniment to butternut squash soup that is just as healthy, a vegetable side dish such as glazed carrots is a great idea. Root vegetables pair well together, and glazing the carrots gives them a hint of sweetness to perk up the soup.

Besides carrots, you will need brown sugar, olive oil, and black pepper. Toss the carrots in the sugar, fat, and seasonings, then roast in a hot oven until tender and caramelized.

Kale Chips

Kale Chips

All soups need a bit of crunch on the side to take them to the next level. Instead of crumbling in crackers, go for a healthier option such as kale chips. Kale chips add texture to smooth butternut squash soup, and their rich, slightly bitter taste cuts through the slight sweetness of the soup.

You can buy kale chips in the store, but you can also easily make your own at home with just kale, olive oil, and sea salt. Tear kale leaves into small pieces, wash, dry, then toss in olive oil and seasoning. Spread out into a single layer on the baking sheet and bake.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

Butternut squash soup pairs well with other fall vegetables such as brussels sprouts that have a similar rich, earthy flavor. Brussels sprouts have an unfair reputation as being everyone’s least favorite vegetable from childhood. Oven-roasted with plenty of seasonings and a dash of crispy, greasy bacon, these veggies are wonderfully delicious!

Besides brussels sprouts and bacon, you will need balsamic glaze, olive oil, and seasonings such as garlic powder, black pepper, and salt. Toss the sprouts, chopped-up bacon, olive oil, and seasonings in a bowl, then roast on a baking sheet until the vegetables brown. Finish with the balsamic glaze and serve.

Maple Syrup

Maple Syrup

It may seem strange to pair maple syrup with a savory soup, but this natural sweetener enhances butternut squash’s natural sweetness. A drizzle of maple syrup over the top of the soup makes this a perfect fall treat. You can also add maple syrup while the soup is cooking.

Homemade Croutons

Homemade Croutons

As mentioned above, all soups taste even better with a crunchy element such as croutons. Croutons, or crispy bread cubes, are the perfect comfort food to make a bowl of soup taste like home. Their saltiness also helps moderate some of the sweetness in butternut squash soup.

You can buy croutons in the store, but when you make them at home, you can control their flavor, crispiness, and texture. All you will need is day-old bread, olive oil, and your choice of seasonings (salt and pepper are the classics, but you can add garlic powder, thyme, or even Parmesan). Cut your bread into small, uniform cubes, toss with the seasonings, and bake until crispy.

Caramelized Onions

Caramelized Onions

Caramelized onions pair well with any soup because their sweet and savory flavor enhances the taste of the soup base. Serve them as a topping with the butternut squash for added richness and some texture. You can even use caramelized onions as the base for the soup instead of regular onions, although that requires some planning ahead.

All the ingredients you need to caramelize onions are onions, fat, and some patience. Finely slice the onion and add to a skillet coated with melted butter or olive oil. Stir the onions until they are brown and caramelized, taking over 30 minutes! Sprinkle with salt 10 minutes in and deglaze with water or balsamic vinegar if you notice them sticking to the pan.

Roasted Potatoes

Roasted Potatoes

Roasted potatoes are a great accompaniment for any soup. You can eat them on the side or carve the potatoes into small chunks and toss them in the soup for a bit of texture. Roasted potatoes pair well with butternut squash soup because both have a rich, earthy flavor and are in season in the fall.

This simple recipe is easily personalized. All you need are potatoes, a fat, melted butter or olive oil, and your choice of seasonings. Cut the potatoes into cubes and soak them in cold water. Then toss in the oil and herbs and roast until fork-tender, about 20 minutes. 

Sweet Potato Salad

Sweet Potato Salad

Sweet potatoes go well with butternut squash soup because both vegetables have a natural sweetness that make them the backbone of many a fall recipe. Prepare sweet potatoes in a way you’ve never had them before by making a salad. Sweet potato salad is a traditional delicacy in the Middle East and a favorite alternative to heavy, creamy potato salad at barbecues in the United States.

Start with a base of roasted sweet potatoes and add your choice of vegetables. Handfuls of baby spinach, rocket, or arugula work well. Then, make a dressing of olive oil, water, and seasonings such as pepper and coriander. You can even add a splash of tahini, dry fruit, or nuts. The beauty of this salad is that it’s very easy and customizable: all you have to do is chop up the ingredients, roast the potatoes, and toss it all together.

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