Gluten-Free Butternut Squash Soup: The Cozy Bowl Fall Was Made For

Soup season shouldn't mean giving up crunch. So we kept the croutons — really good ones.

There's a specific kind of cooking that only makes sense once the air turns crisp: something warm, something orange, something you eat with a spoon in one hand and bread in the other. This gluten-free butternut squash soup is exactly that — silky, warmly spiced, and finished with croutons made from a toasted Gifted Breads Demi-Baguette instead of the cardboard kind that come in a bag.

It takes about 45 minutes, most of which is the oven doing the work. Here's how to make it.

Ingredients

Serves 4 · 45 minutes · Gluten-free

• 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• ¼ cup cream or coconut milk (optional)
• 1 Gifted Breads Demi-Baguette (or Large Baguette), cubed

How to make gluten-free butternut squash soup

1. Heat the oven to 400°F. Toss the squash with 2 tbsp olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roast on a sheet pan for 25–30 minutes, until fork-tender.
2. While the squash roasts, sauté the onion and garlic in a large pot with the remaining olive oil until soft, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the roasted squash and broth to the pot. Simmer for 10 minutes to let the flavors come together.
4. Blend until smooth, using an immersion blender or working in batches in a countertop blender. Stir in the nutmeg and cream, if using, and season to taste.
5. For the croutons: toss the Demi-Baguette cubes with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Bake at 375°F for 8–10 minutes, until golden and crisp.
6. Ladle the soup into bowls, top generously with croutons, and serve while it's still steaming.

Baker's tip

Don't skip toasting the croutons separately — dropping raw bread cubes straight into hot soup gets you mush, not crunch. Toast them while the soup simmers so they're ready at the same time.

Where to find Gifted Breads

Look for our gluten-free breads at Whole Foods Market in Chicago and Central Market in Texas, or in the freezer section at The Fresh Market (Chicago). Prefer delivery? Find Central Market's Instacart storefront here. No store nearby? You can order our Demi-Baguette or Dinner Rolls online and we'll bring the bakery to your door.

Baked gluten-free in Chicago. A Certified B Corporation.