Velvety smooth and naturally sweet, this Hubbard Squash Soup is perfect for the fall season! Fresh and healthy, there's no cream in this squash soup. It's easy to make and has a natural hazelnut flavor. This is autumn bliss in a bowl!
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I use to be a part of a lunch co-op at my office where each of us would come up with a wide range of recipes to share with our group. We ended up getting some amazing recipes, like this Crock Pot Cabbage Roll Casserole. At our October lunch co-op, one of our members brought in this hubbard squash soup. It's fall...it made sense and as we all sat down to eat, we were astonished at how amazing it tasted.
I asked him for the recipe and he said, "I have no idea what I did! I started out following some girl's recipe for butternut squash with rice balls and then it got weird with the rice ball stuff...so I just started making my own version with a hubbard squash and BAM...we ended up with a really good squash soup!"
Isn't that how it always works? The best recipes just happen!
What is Hubbard Squash?
There's actually 3 types of hubbard squash. Blue, Golden, and Green.
Blue hubbard squash is a winter squash and tastes sweet, like a sweet potato, and has a natural nutty taste, similar to hazelnut. They can grow to be large and have a light blue shell that is extremely hard and not edible like most summer squash. When cut open, it has a deep orange colored flesh. It can be really hard to find. I've never seen one in a grocery store, but I have seen them in Sprouts and Whole Foods in October and November. When you spot one, snatch it up because it's the best for this soup recipe. It's my go-to squash for making soups.
Golden hubbard squash has a hard orange shell and is shaped more like a teardrop. It's the sweetest tasting of the hubbard squashes. Most people use this type for canning or decorating for the fall season.
Green hubbard squash is the most commonly found in the hubbard family. The shell has a deep green color. The flesh is more of an orange-yellow color and is great for roasting.
Ingredients You'll Need
If you can find a blue hubbard squash, use it in this recipe. If not, use a green hubbard squash. I baste the inside of the squash with extra-virgin olive oil for the perfect roast before pureing. While you can use salted butter, unsalted is my preference so that I can control the flavor of the salt. White rice flour is used a the thickening agent and it also provides a sweet taste. And the ground nutmeg...that's what gives off that wonderful Autumn flavor.
Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions
Start by preheating the oven to 400°F. Using a sharp knife, cut the squash horizontally. Be really careful when you do this because the shell is very hard. Once cut, use a spoon to scoop out the seeds. Expert Tip: You can discard the seeds or use them in recipes for homemade broth or this butternut squash soup.
Pour 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil in a small bowl and liberally brush the oil onto the flesh of both pieces. Sprinkle on salt and pepper for added flavor.
Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper and place both of the squash flesh side up. Roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the flesh is soft. By the way, your house is about to smell really amazing!
When it has finished roasting, take an ice cream scoop or a large spoon and scoop out the roasted squash. Place in a blender or food processor. After roasting, I had about 3 cups of squash after I was finished scooping. From there, slowly add a cup of water to your blender or food processor and puree until the consistency is soft and silky. Expert Tip: the consistency should be a little liquidy after the puree.
Once the squash has been pureed, move the mixture to a large pot. The stove-top cooking temperature should be set to medium-high. Add the rice flour, 2 more cups of water, salt, pepper, butter, and ground nutmeg. Stir until well combined.
Cook the soup until it comes to a rolling boil. Turn down the burner to medium heat once it reaches a rolling boil. Let the soup simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring as needed. Add more salt and pepper as needed to taste. You are now ready to serve.
Try topping this soup with brown sugar. I typically add a teaspoon on top so it can melt down into the soup. You can also top this soup with roasted pumpkin seeds, scallions, sour cream, and fresh cranberries.
Expert Tips
- Blue hubbard squash is by far the best to use for this soup, but if you can't find any type of hubbard squash, use a butternut squash for this recipe. Kabocha, also called Japanese Squash, is also a great to substitute.
- Hubbard squash can be hard to find, but I've been successful finding them in Sprouts and Whole Foods. I've never seen one in my local grocery store, but if you talk to your local grocer and put in a request, they can typically place an order for you.
- To make a vegan version, substitute regular butter for vegan butter.
- My Quick Peppery Cheese Bread is absolute heaven with this squash soup recipe. It's full of savory cheese and black pepper and pairs perfectly with a bowl of this delicious comforting soup.
More Delicious Soups To Try
Regardless if it's soup season, I have a collection of soup recipes you need to try! My Autumn Vegetable and Black Bean Soup is made with my favorite vegetables that include carrots, celery, tomatoes, and red bell pepper and is slowly simmered in a tomato chicken based broth.
This Kale and Leek Soup is super nutritious and easy to make. Savory and delicious, this one is perfect for lunch or a snack. Speaking of savory, this Asian Chicken Noodle Soup is hearty and authentic. This is one of those recipes that stands out and quickly becomes a crowd favorite.
I can’t wait to hear how this recipe turned out for you! If you’ve tried this or any other recipe of mine on the website, make sure you rate the recipe. You can also leave a comment below! I love hearing from you!
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Hubbard Squash Soup
Ingredients
- 1 Hubbard squash
- 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons rice flour
- 3 cups water
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 Tablespoon butter, unsalted
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Start by cutting the squash horizontally. Once it’s cut, scoop out the seeds and pulp and discard.
- Brush 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil onto the flesh of both sides of the squash until lightly covered. Sprinkle on salt and pepper lightly to season.
- On a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil or parchment paper, place the squash flesh side up. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour until the flesh is soft.
- When done, take a large spoon or ice cream scoop and scoop out the squash. Place in a blender or food processor. NOTE: I had about 3 cups of squash after I was finished scooping.
- Slowly add a cup of water to the blender/food processor and puree. The consistency should be liquidy after the puree.
- Move the mixture to a large pot. Set the stovetop temperature to medium-high. Add in the rice flour, 2 more cups of water, salt, pepper, butter, and ground nutmeg. Cook the soup until it comes to a rolling boil. Turn down the burner to medium heat once it reaches a rolling boil.
- Let the soup simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add more salt and pepper as needed for flavor.
- Top with sour cream, scallions, pumpkin seeds, or fresh cranberries. Serve and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Blue hubbard squash is by far the best to use for this soup, but if you can't find a one use a butternut squash for this recipe. Kabocha, also called Japanese Squash, is also a great substitute.
- Hubbard squash can be hard to find, but I've been successful finding them in Sprouts and Whole Foods. I've never seen one in my local grocery store, but if you talk to your local grocer and put in a request, they can typically place an order for you.
- To make a vegan version, substitute regular butter for vegan butter.
- You can discard the seeds or use them in recipes for homemade broth or this butternut squash soup.
- My Quick Peppery Cheese Bread is absolute heaven with this recipe. It's full of savory cheese and black pepper and pairs perfectly with a bowl of this delicious comforting soup.
Melinda Bockover
Can you freeze this soup?
Amanda Mason
Yes! Absolutely you can freeze this soup for up to 3 months in the freezer!
Angela
Hello! Can I use cornstarch instead of rice flour?
Amanda Mason
Hi Angela! I've not used cornstarch for this recipe. I'm not sure if would work the same. You can try it and see, but I don't think it will render the results you are looking for.
Tenia Harris
Can the rice flour be substituted?
Amanda Mason
No - the rice flour is key to this recipe. It contributes a lot of sweetness to the recipe with the right amount of thickness.
Kristi Nebel
Ours are blue hubbard and big as dinosaurs. I got around 5 cups of meat which didn't have a very nutty, sweet taste; in fact it was a bit bland. I doctored the recipe adding a cup more of water, 1/2 teaspoon more of salt, a tablespoon of honey and a tablespoon of sugar. Also I added another 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon of cloves, and 1/4 teaspoon of almond extract plus a teaspoon of lemon juice and one more tablespoon of butter. I blended the meat with the water in four parts of each to save time. The results were very good; my husband loved it. I'm freezing the leftovers for another meal.
Amanda Mason
Hi Kristi! I'm a bit jealous of your blue hubbard squash!! They are hard to find here!! Your adds sound delicious! I'm so glad you loved this recipe and that you were able to freeze a lot of leftovers! Thanks for writing in to let me know how it turned out!!!
Tom Gibson
The Hubbard I used was a big one like yours which had been successfully stored in our cellar since November believe it or not. Like you, I similarly had to adjust. I did most of the things you mentioned except for adding almond extract and I used brown sugar instead of honey and regular sugar, and regular flour instead of rice flour since none of us are on a gluten free diet. After several modifications/ additions in response to taste sampling, it actually turned out pretty good. I'll have to try the almond extract next time.
Amanda Mason
Hi Tom - i'm glad you liked it but you did modify the recipe quite a bit lol! Rice flour is very sweet, and if you used regular flour it probably changed the taste substantially. But I'm glad you liked your version. Food recipes really involve chemistry; everytime you modify an ingredient or amount it really does change the original recipe 🙂
Thomas Gibson
Thanks Amanda. I'll try to use rice flour next time, but it won't be until Fall since I've now used up all of our stored squash. The only times I've used rice flour has been in gluten free recipes but it looks like I should be using it more often for its taste rather than just due to the fact that it is gluten free.
Amanda Mason
Hi Thomas! I can't wait to hear how the rice flour turns out for you in the fall so let me know!!
Garth
Great Recipe
Amanda Mason
Yeah! So glad you liked it!!
Nina
Hi! I've noticed that the Hubbard squash comes in different sizes. Could you please suggest how much to use in cups or by weight?
Amanda Mason
Hi Nina! In step 5 it says this: "With my Hubbard squash, I had about 3 to 3 1/2 cups of squash after I was finished scooping." I hope that helps you!
Donna Paulsen
A neighbor gave e a golden Hubbard squash...can I use this for soup??? It wasn't recommended...
Amanda Mason
Hi Donna! You can try it but golden hubbard squash is the sweetest tasting of the hubbard squashes. Most people use this type for canning or decorating for the fall season. I've never made this soup with Golden squash so I have no idea how it will turn out. Let me know if you do and how it goes!
Allyssa
This is really tasty and super easy to make! Thank you so much for sharing this amazing hubbard squash soup recipe! Will surely have this again! Highly recommended!
Amanda Mason
Hi Alyssa! I'm so glad you liked the soup!! It's so easy to make and so nutritious!! Enjoy!!!
Claire
This was delicious. I made a double batch over the weekend and we have just demolished it!
All the kids loved it! Especially the addition of the sour cream! They loved adding their own toppings.
Amanda Mason
Thanks Claire!! I'm so glad you all loved it!! And I agree - the toppings are ENDLESS!
Liz
Sounds like the perfect fall soup! Can't wait to try!
Amanda Mason
Enjoy!