This Roasted Winter Squash and Feta Soup is a cozy, crowd-pleasing appetizer soup that will start your holiday feasts on a festive note. Inspired by the viral baked feta trend, this recipe takes the winter squash of your choice, roasts it with onions, garlic, and a block of feta cheese for a deep, caramelized flavor, then blends it all into a luscious, velvety soup. Far from boring, this gourmet soup includes a touch of fun with croissant slices topped with fried prosciutto and cheese, with a crunch that perfectly complements the silky soup.
Why I love this soup, and hope you will, too
With the holidays coming up, I always feel compelled to serve soup, even though it’s often not thought of as a traditional fancy-pants menu item. This soup takes care of that!
Roasted Winter Squash and Feta Soup makes a lovely starter dish, as it’s creamy and decadent and quite unique. Because it’s an appetizer soup, don’t serve it in a huge bowl as though it’s a meal. You don’t want your guests to fill up before the main course!
Plus, the soup is very rich, and just a small bowl is the right amount to get the full enjoyment of the complex flavors. It’s make-ahead easy, so whip it up a day or two before your big event and stash it in the fridge.
Reasons this soup is a hit at Casa SoupAddict:
- Perfect holiday appetizer: Elegant and full of festive flavors.
- Inspired by the viral baked feta trend, with a soup-forward twist.
- Luscious, creamy texture from roasted winter squash and feta.
- It’s easy to make, with simple ingredients, and is practically hands-off.
- Buttery croissant croutons with prosciutto add unique flavor and crunch.
- It’s an elegant, gourmet soup that will impress your guests.
For more Thanksgiving recipes, be sure to check out my collection of Thanksgiving favorites.
Main Ingredients and Substitutions
Winter squash — This soup is wonderfully flexible in that it can use just about any of the winter squashes, from butternut to pumpkin to kabocha to honeynut to hubbard, and more. I used pumpkin, plus a delicious honeynut from my garden. Butternut squash is readily available in U.S. grocery stores, both fresh and frozen. Frozen is absolutely fine, just be sure to thaw it before making the soup.
If you’re buying a whole butternut squash, keep in mind that the majority of the edible flesh is actually in the neck, not in the plump bulbous end. So, be sure to choose a squash with a lot of neck. You’re aiming for at least 24 ounces, so when weighing it, go for one that’s larger than 24 ounces (or two that total more than 24 ounces) to account for all of the seeds and pulp that you’ll remove from the bulb end.
Feta cheese — Choose the best feta – or best-tasting feta, if you have a preference – that you’re willing to spring for. Don’t use crumbled feta. It will not turn out the way you expect. Some brands package their fetas in 8 ounces; others in 7 ounces (I see you, shrinkflation). Either is okay.
Aromatics — Roasted onions and garlic add another layer of flavor to the soup. Especially roasted garlic, which is just lovely. It tames right down into something mild and sweet and irresistible.
Herbs — This autumn soup is seasoned beautifully with thyme, rosemary, and sage. I have a poultry herb blend (not to be confused with a poultry spice rub) that I turn to a lot this time of year. Sitting here typing, I can’t remember the brand, but it should be available at many big-box grocery stores (I think it’s Spice Hunter). If you don’t want to buy another jar-of-something, use a combo of dried thyme and/or rosemary and/or sage and/or parsley.
Cook’s Notes
- You have a couple of blending options for this soup: a regular or high-speed blender, or an immersion (hand-held) blender. I went the immersion route because I wanted this to be a one-pot soup for easier clean-up. Both work well.
- Fresh herbs are lovely but I don’t like to roast them in the oven, where they’ll burn out their flavors. So, I call for dried herbs here. You can use fresh, but stir them into the finished soup at the end.
- If you don’t want to fix the croissant croutons, a little fried, fresh sage is a lovely autumn topping: Chop up some fresh sage leaves and fry them briefly in a very shallow layer of oil in a small skillet.
- I think this soup is fantastic, but do understand that I mean this to be an appetizer soup, not the kind where you load up a 30-ounce bowl and have at it. It’s rich and decadent. It reminds me — and I hope this is a good example, and not just me and my non-sweet tooth — of Crumbl cookies, where a 1/4th of a cookie is perfect, but trying to eat the whole thing makes me feel way too … full. And not in a good way. (I mean, Crumbl even sells a 1/4 cookie cutter. They know the deal.)
- This soup holds very well in the fridge for several days, so it’s definitely make-ahead-friendly if you’re thinking about serving an appetizer course for Thanksgiving or another holiday meal.
How to Make Roasted Winter Squash and Feta Soup
Ready to make the recipe? Skip to the recipe card now to get the full ingredient list, quantities, prep/cooking times, and detailed instructions. Or, keep scrolling for a visual walk-through of making the soup.
Pre-cook prep
- Cut the squash into even 1″ cubes. They don’t have to be perfect, but similar sizes will ensure even baking.
- Slice the onion into six wedges: Cut off the stem end and trim any woody roots off the root end. Leave the solid part of the root end intact to help hold the onion layers together. Cut the bulb into equal wedges.
- I always measure out my liquids ahead of time. In this case. I measure out the 3 or 4 cups of broth into a large bowl because I usually buy broth in cans. If your broth is already in a 32-ounce container, you’re good to go. I measure out spices as I use them, so I don’t prep those ahead.
- You can keep the feta block whole, taking it right out of the package and putting it in the pan.
- Plan to prepare the croissant croutons while the veggies roast in the oven. My grocery store’s bakery sells individual large croissants, as do most independent bakeries (so hopefully you won’t have to buy a box of four or something).
- Prosciutto is usually packaged in large, rectangular slices. A half of a slice is plenty for each crouton.
- Cheese that you shred at home off the block is always fresher and more flavorful than the preservative-laden bags you can get at the store.
Step 1: Roast the veggies and feta
Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Pour about a tablespoon of oil into an oven-proof braiser (with an oven-proof lid). The advantage of using a braiser or similar vessel is that you can make the entire soup in it, rather than transfer food from baking sheet to pot.
Arrange the squash cubes and onion wedges in the pan and drizzle with oil and a sprinkle of herbs and salt. Toss to coat. Clear a space in the center and place the block of feta cheese.
Slice off the top of the garlic bulb to expose the cloves inside. Place bulb on a square of foil, drizzle oil over the clove ends, and add a shower of salt and pepper. Draw the edges of the foil up and around the bulb and seal. Place the foil packet on the pan, amongst the veggies.
Cover with the lid (or foil) and bake for about an hour. The squash should be tender and readily smashable.
Step 2: Add the remaining ingredients
When the squash is tender, it’s time to make the soup! Open the garlic foil packet and carefully squeeze out the soft cloves into the pan. They should pop right out. Add three cups of broth to pan and place the pan on medium heat to start warming up the broth.
(Note: If you’re using a regular jar blender instead of an immersion blender, transfer the veggies and feta to the jar, along with one or two cups of broth and blend until smooth. Pour into a 3-4 quart soup pot on the stove.)
Step 3: Blend the soup
Using a hand-held stick blender, pulse the veggies in the soup, working your way around the pan to ensure everything gets broken down. If the soup is too thick for your liking, add some of the remaining broth and whirl again until smooth.
Taste the soup, and add salt as necessary.
Step 4: Make the croissant croutons
Heat a glug of oil in a large skillet over medium. Bunch up each of the eight prosciutto slices into a loose ball and place them in the hot pan. When the undersides are golden and toasty, flip for another minute. Transfer each prosciutto bunch to a plate.
Place the croissant slices in the pan and toast each side until golden. Top each croissant slice with one prosciutto bunch and a large pinch of shredded cheddar cheese. Cover the skillet with a lid or a piece of foil (or even a large baking sheet laid across the top) to let built-up heat melt the cheese.
(Note that for the photo above, I prepared just three croissant croutons to top the three bowls of soup you see in the photos in this post. This recipe makes 8 servings, including the croutons.)
Storage
This soup is very make-ahead and leftover-friendly and will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat gently, slowly bringing the soup up to a very low bubble. I wouldn’t freeze it, though, because the thawing process will most likely cause the feta to go grainy and weird. It won’t go bad; it’ll just have texture issues.
You can also make the croutons ahead: let them cool, and let the cheese solidify. Place them in an airtight container (they’re stackable once cooled) and store in the fridge. Revive before serving with a quick warm-up in a skillet.
I love how soup fits into so many scenarios, and makes life’s celebrations so much more joyful. I hope this soup finds a place at your holiday table, or a special occasion where you want your guests to feel loved.
Roasted Winter Squash and Feta Soup
Ingredients
For the soup:
- extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil
- 6 cups winter squash* , cut into 1″ cubes (24-32 ounces)
- 1 small onion , peeled and sliced into wedges
- 2 teaspoons dried herbs**
- salt and black pepper
- 8 ounces feta cheese (block, not crumbled)
- 1 garlic bulb
- 3-4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
For the croissant croutons:
- extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil
- 2 large bakery croissants
- 4 slices prosciutto , cut in half
- shredded sharp cheddar cheese (white or orange, your choice)
Instructions
For the soup:
- Preheat oven to 400ºF. Pour a glug of oil in a 2 to 3 quart baking dish. (Note: for a one-pot preparation, use 3-4 quart braiser with high walls or a Dutch oven.)
- Add the squash and onions to the pan and drizzle with oil. Season with the herbs, salt, and pepper, and toss to coat everything with the oil.
- Clear a space in the center of the pan and insert the block of feta cheese.
- Cut off the top third of the garlic bulb to expose the insides of the cloves and place on a square of foil (discard the top with the stem). Drizzle oil over the cut ends of the garlic and season with salt and pepper. Draw the ends of the foil up around the bulb and seal. Clear a spot in the veggies and place the bulb in it.
- Cover the pan with a lid or foil and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour. The squash should be smashable-tender.
- – If using a regular blender, transfer everything from the pan into the blender jar. Carefully open the garlic packet and squeeze the softened cloves into the vegetable mixture. Add one cup of broth, and blend until completely smooth. Pour the soup into a soup pot on the stove and set the heat to medium-low. Add the remaining broth 1 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition, until the soup reaches your desired thickness.
- – If using an immersion blender, transfer everything to a 3 to 4 quart soup pot (if not already using, per the first step above), setting the heat on medium-low. Carefully open the garlic packet and squeeze the softened cloves into the vegetable mixture. Add three cups of broth to the pot, and use the hand blender to smooth out the soup. Add more broth if the soup is too thick.
- Taste the soup and add more salt and pepper if necessary (remember, feta is salty, so be sure to taste before salting). Keep the soup warm while you make the garnish.
For the croissant croutons:
- From the center of each croissant – the widest parts – cut four slices about 1/4″ thick each, for a total of eight.
- Heat a glug of oil in a large skillet over medium until the surface of the oil shimmers. Gently swirl the oil in the pan to coat the bottom.
- Bunch up each of the eight prosciutto slices into a loose ball and place them in the pan. When the undersides are golden and toasty, flip for another minute. Transfer each prosciutto bunch to a plate.
- Place the croissant slices in the pan and toast the underside for 2 to 3 minutes. Carefully flip each slice and toast for another minute.
- Top each croissant slice with one prosciutto bunch and a large pinch of shredded cheddar cheese. Cover the skillet with a lid or a piece of foil (or even a large baking sheet laid across the top) to let built-up heat melt the cheese.
Serve:
- Ladle the soup into small bowls or ramekins (say, 12 to 16 ounces), and carefully lay one croissant crouton on top of the soup. Sprinkle a pinch of dried herbs – or even just black pepper – over the soup for visual interest. Serve immediately.