Did you start the new year with a wish to eat more vegetables? If not, you still have time to make one. Either way, here’s my suggestion on how to put such aspiration into practice: a vegetable-rich soup.
Winter weather in its various versions of rainy and cold is an invitation to have a pot of soup bubbling on the stove, sending aromatic kisses into the air when you lift the lid.
Vegetable-rich for me also means creamy and, of course, deeply flavored. This time of year, I often reach for winter squash; once roasted, they make a great ingredient for soup.
The one on this page is the result of a “what if?” moment. I did not have enough winter squash for the recipe I had in mind but had a couple of roasted red beets. I wondered what the result would be if I used them to make up for the missing squash. The beets contributed their earthy sweetness and vivid color to the soup. The result was delicious and pretty, too, a deep red that reminded me of tomato soup.
Importantly, the soup brings together two vegetables that contribute nicely to our overall health. In fact, both winter squash and red beets are nutrient-dense, rich in antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and fibers.
Winter squash and red beets are winners also in terms of convenience: You can roast them in advance, so they are ready when you start working on the soup. You can also freeze them after roasting, for later use. And you can freeze the prepared soup. As with other make-ahead meal options, it will help you prepare dinner when time is in short supply.
In the recipe I list honeynut or butternut squash. I have made the soup with other varieties as well, using 14-16 ounces of roasted squash of choice. Honeynut squash looks like a butternut squash: elongated shape, solid neck, bulbous end. It is smaller, darker in color and sweeter in flavor. However, there are also small butternut squashes available. And in case you have a squash bigger than necessary, you can use the extra in another dish (for example, cooked together with green cabbage, see “Cooking While Traveling,” Oct. 21, 2021).
I hope this soup will contribute to making your wish to eat more vegetables come true.
Winter Squash and Red Beet Soup
Use vegetable broth to make this soup vegan. If you purchase red beets with attached greens, cut off the greens about 1 inch from the beet and enjoy them as you would other types of dark leafy greens. Serves 4-5.
Ingredients:
8 ounces red beets
1 honeynut squash or butternut squash
(1 ¼ pounds)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 ounces red onion, diced small
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground hot paprika
1 cup vegetable broth or chicken broth, preferably homemade
2 cups water
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, to taste (also depending on how salty the broth is)
Heat the oven to 375 F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat. Scrub the beets well. Wrap each beet in foil and place on the baking sheet.
Cut the squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds (a grapefruit spoon works well). Place the squash halves on the prepared baking sheet, cut side down. Place the baking sheet in the oven on the center rack.
Roast the squash until it’s tender enough to pierce easily with a blade, 30-40 minutes. Roasting the beets to equal tenderness will take 1 hour or so. While the beets finish roasting, transfer the cooked squash to a plate.
Let the squash cool, then with the grapefruit spoon, scrape the flesh off the thin skin and set it aside.
Once tender, let the red beets cool until easy to handle, then slip off their skins. Cube the beets and set them aside.
Warm the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat, then add the onion, stirring well to coat. Cook for 2 minutes, then add the ginger and stir. Cover the pot and cook on low heat for another 8-10 minutes, or until the onion is soft, stirring often.
Add the garlic, coriander, cumin and hot paprika, stir and cook for 1 minute. Add the squash and the red beets to the pot, stir well, then add the broth and water.
Cover the pot and bring the soup to a boil over medium heat, then turn down the heat so the soup bubbles gently. Cook for 15 minutes, then remove from heat.
Season with the salt and stir. Let the soup rest, covered, for ½ hour, then purée it with an immersion blender. Add more water, if needed, to reach the desired consistency.
Making the soup at least a few hours before serving will allow the flavors to meld and the seasonings to distribute.
When ready to eat, heat the soup, ladle it in bowls and serve immediately.
Simona Carini (she/her) also writes about her adventures in the kitchen on her blog pulcetta.com and shares photographs on Instagram @simonacarini. She particularly likes to create still lifes with produce from the farmers market.
This article appears in Health and Wellness 2026.