Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
This simple homemade butternut squash soup is the best I've ever tasted! It's super creamy (yet cream-less) and full of delicious roasted butternut flavor.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on July 10, 2024
Let’s cozy up with a bowl of warm, creamy butternut squash soup. Butternut squash and cool weather go together like they were made for each other—which, really, they were. I was so happy to find butternut in stock again, and came home to make my favorite soup.
My butternut squash soup is ultra creamy and full of complex roasted butternut squash flavor. This recipe has become a smash hit with readers, receiving a 5-star rating from well over 500 reviews!
This traditional butternut squash soup will round out your fall and winter meals. Serve it with grilled cheese sandwiches and salads through the end of winter. Keep it in mind for the holidays, too. I designed this soup to complement typical Thanksgiving fare, like green beans and mashed potatoes.
This easy butternut squash soup recipe is also a great make-ahead option. In fact, it tastes even better the next day. Let’s get to it!
The Best Butternut Squash Soup
Here’s why readers love this recipe:
Simple Ingredients
I kept the ingredients list simple so the squash flavor can shine through, but the end result offers exceptionally rich flavor. You’ll only need eight basic ingredients to make this luscious soup: butternut squash, olive oil, butter, shallot, garlic, vegetable broth, maple syrup and nutmeg.
Butter is Better than Cream
A little bit of butter rounds out the flavor and makes it truly irresistible, without weighing down the soup like heavy cream tends to do. (You can substitute olive oil for vegan/dairy-free soup. It’s already vegetarian.) That’s a little trick that I used in my tomato soup in my cookbook, too. It’s by far the best butternut squash soup I’ve ever tasted, and infinitely better than any canned or boxed option.
Roasted Butternut Yields Major Flavor
Most of this soup’s flavor comes from the cooking method, which starts with roasting the butternut squash to bring out its caramelized best. Bonus! That means you don’t have to peel and chop the squash. Once the squash is out of the oven, you can start sautéing some shallot and garlic.
Serve It Now or Later
If you’re planning to make this soup for company, you can serve the soup straight from your blender. Or, make it the day before and reheat it in your blender or in a pot on the stove. Thanksgiving table real estate is always limited, so you might want to serve this soup in matching mugs or tea cups to leave room for the salad plates.
Garnishes Are Optional
This soup really doesn’t need a garnish, but feel free to add a sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper or some toasted pepitas (green pumpkin seeds) for extra visual appeal.
How to Blend Butternut Soup
This is when the soup deviates from other butternut squash soups. You usually have two options, and I don’t recommend either of them:
- You can add the remaining ingredients to the pot and then try to blend it with an immersion blender, which inevitably leaves the soup disappointingly gritty.
- You can very carefully transfer hot soup to a blender in batches, which is always a little harrowing but yields creamier results.
I found a better way with this soup. We’re going to use a stand blender, since it yields creamier soup (see recipe notes if you’re determined to use an immersion blender).
Here’s the gist: Instead of warming all of the ingredients in the pot, simply transfer scoops of roasted butternut squash and sautéed shallot and garlic to the blender. Then, pour in the vegetable broth and remaining ingredients. Blend it until it’s ultra creamy.
If you have a regular stand blender:
Any stand blender will do! Once you’ve blended the ingredients into creamy oblivion, pour the soup back into your soup pot. Warm it up on the stove over medium heat, stirring occasionally. That’s it.
If you have a fancy blender with a soup preset:
Use the soup preset, and you can serve your hot soup straight from the blender. I used my Vitamix (affiliate link/provided by Vitamix) and it worked great. The container is 64 ounces, which allowed me to fit all of the ingredients for this soup without surpassing the maximum fill line.
If you have a fancy blender without a soup preset:
(By fancy, I mean a high-end performance Vitamic, Blendtec, KitchenAid or similar.) Oftentimes, blending your soup for 4 to 6 minutes will heat it up sufficiently to serve directly from the blender. Consult your manufacturer’s directions for details.
Or, simply pour the mixture back into your soup pot and reheat on the stove. That will certainly work.
More Butternut Squash Recipes to Enjoy
Extra butternut squash? Here are some fun recipes to use it up:
- Balsamic Butternut, Kale and Cranberry Panzanella
- Butternut Squash Chipotle Chili with Avocado
- Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto
- Roasted Butternut Squash Tacos
- Roasted Butternut Squash, Pomegranate and Wild Rice Stuffing
Please let me know how this butternut soup turns out for you in the comments! Your feedback is so important to me, and I hope you love this soup as much as I do. It’s my absolute favorite.
Watch How to Make Butternut Squash Soup
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
This homemade butternut squash soup is the best I’ve ever tasted! This recipe is super creamy (yet cream-less) and full of delicious butternut flavor. Leftover soup tastes even better the next day. Recipe yields about 4 bowls or 6 cups of soup.
Ingredients
- 1 large butternut squash (about 3 pounds), halved vertically* and seeds removed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- ½ cup chopped shallot (about 1 large shallot bulb)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 3 to 4 cups (24 to 32 ounces) vegetable broth, as needed
- 1 to 2 tablespoons butter, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the butternut squash on the pan and drizzle each half with just enough olive oil to lightly coat the squash on the inside (about ½ teaspoon each). Rub the oil over the inside of the squash and sprinkle it with salt and pepper.
- Turn the squash face down and roast until it is tender and completely cooked through, about 40 to 50 minutes (don’t worry if the skin or flesh browns—that’s good for flavor). Set the squash aside until it’s cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a large soup pot, warm 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat until shimmering (if your blender has a soup preset, use a medium skillet to minimize dishes.) Add the chopped shallot and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring often, until the shallot has softened and is starting to turn golden on the edges, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute, stirring frequently. Transfer the contents to your stand blender (see notes on how to use an immersion blender instead).
- Use a large spoon to scoop the butternut squash flesh into your blender. Discard the tough skin. Add the maple syrup, nutmeg and a few twists of freshly ground black pepper to the blender. Pour in 3 cups vegetable broth, being careful not to fill the container past the maximum fill line (you can work in batches if necessary, and stir in any remaining broth later).
- Securely fasten the lid. Blend on high (or select the soup preset, if available), being careful to avoid hot steam escaping from the lid. Stop once your soup is ultra creamy and warmed through.
- If you would like to thin out your soup a bit more, stir in the remaining cup of broth. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil, to taste, and blend well. Taste and stir in more salt and pepper, if necessary.
- If your soup is piping hot from the blending process, you can pour it into serving bowls. If not, pour it back into your soup pot and warm the soup over medium heat, stirring often, until it’s nice and steamy. I like to top individual bowls with some extra black pepper.
Notes
*How to safely slice your butternut squash: You’ll need a sharp chef’s knife and a slip-free cutting board (place a lightly damp tea towel beneath your cutting board to keep it from moving around). Use the knife to cut off the tip-top and very bottom ends of the squash. Stand the squash upright with the thickest flat side as the base. Carefully slice through it from top to bottom to divide it in half (your fingers should never be in the blade’s way). Lastly, use a large spoon to scoop out the seeds and discard them.
Make it dairy free/vegan: Substitute high-quality olive oil for the butter. It will make your soup taste luxurious and lightly herbal.
Storage suggestions: Let leftover soup cool to room temperature before transferring it to a proper storage container and refrigerating it for up to 4 days (leftovers taste even better the next day!). Or, freeze this soup for up to 3 months.
If you are working with an immersion blender: Cook the shallot mixture in a large soup pot. Then add the scoops of cooked butternut squash, all 4 cups of broth, maple syrup, nutmeg and a few twists of freshly ground black pepper. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes so the flavors have a chance to meld. Carefully use your immersion blender to blend the soup completely, then add 1 to 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil, to taste, and blend again. Taste and blend in more salt and pepper, if necessary.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Made this incredible soup again today. Doubled it. The best soup ever!!!!
Best ever! I love it. Thanks for your review, Nan.
Outstanding. I used my regular blender and it worked great! I’m going to make A half recipe again tonight for my husband and I and serve with a mixed salad.
Delicious recipe! Made it last week and going to make it this week again. I plan to make it with cubed frozen butternut squash this time. Do you know how much I should use? Thank you!
I was apprehensive at first, because MY butternut soup recipe was THE best. Nope. This one is. Hands down best technique. I used this recipe with pumpkin. Turned out amazing. Adding an apple (roasted with the squash) and roasting it with the squash with a little coconut oil rubbed on the produce, enhances the flavor a lot. I pour the juice from the roasting pan into the soup, layering the flavors. Here’s the thing: great produce doesn’t need much to taste incredible. Thanks, Kate.
A delicious recipe! I used some packaged cubed butternut squash but then added a peeled and halved butternut squash. I dislike peeling butternut squash so this worked out. I followed the rest of the recipe — love it! It is silky and perfect for fall!
I made this recipe almost exactly as written (we’re not strictly vegetarian, so I used chicken stock instead of veggie). I used the soup function of my Vitamix to get it creamy smooth and hot. It was absolutely delicious! Tastes rich, but it’s so healthy. I served it with a very “fall” salad of mixed lettuce greens with apple, cheddar cheese, and maple-balsamic vinaigrette. I’ll definitely make this again.
Delicious recipe! Since the oven was on anyway, I roasted the shallot in its skin and the garlic in a little foil packet with a few drops of olive oil for even more roasty flavor.
I make this recipe about 5 times every winter. It really is the best recipe for butternut squash soup!
Ive been making Butternut Squash soup for years but your recipe is the best Ive tried! The only thing I did differently was to add a bit of red pepper flakes before blending and then top it with apple confit. So good!
Thank you for sharing, Michelle!
I made this tonight (and it’s my first time trying butternut squash) and I love it! Very simple to make. Thank you so much for the great recipe!
You’re welcome, Cynthia!
I just made this (doubled) and it’s too garlicky tasting. Right now I’m cooking up an apple to purée to see if that helps. Also I got it a bit too thin so will simmer it uncovered for a little but. Serving it tomorrow so will keep my fingers crossed. It’s such a beautiful color!
I love the simplicity of this roasted butternut squash soup. I made this today and it is delicious! I have a Vitamix and couldn’t believe how much more efficient this recipe was to prepare. I added a touch of chili powder to add a little more warmth to the flavor and only used half of the called maple syrup (only because I wanted to keep the sugars lower). Fantastic, failproof soup. Yum!
Love the caramelization from the roasting and the easy peeling. Two stars for those points. Unfortunately no one in our family cared for the garlic to the point that we did not eat the soup. I expect it will be delicious (to us) when remade without garlic!
Sorry you didn’t love this one, Katy!
Way too strong with shallot, garlic and pepper recommendation. Had to dilute with more vegetable broth. Adding more butter, maple and nutmeg to calm it down. Way down.
I guess I like a sweeter butternut squash soup and I do love the simplicity of this recipe, using my soup setting on my Blendtec.
Hi Kate! How many cups of squash would you say to use? I have some pre-cubed squash from the store that I’m going to try to use up, but not sure how much?
Hi Janice, I’m not quite sure. Try measuring close to 3lbs if you can. It can be a little less, when you consider seeds removed.
Made this last night. Loved the flavor and ease of prep work for the roasted squash. The soup was very creamy and a beautiful color however it lacked flavor. Will try again and add an apple with cinnamon or cayenne.
Thanks for your feedback, Sharon!
Way, Way, too much garlic. Completely ruined the wonderful taste of the butternut squash. I needed to dilute the recipe with water, and add more nutmeg and maple syrup to even get this to taste like butternut soup.
I’m sorry you didn’t love it! Your cloves might have been on the larger side, they can vary. Next time just adjust to your taste.
Made this today it was delicious thank you for the recipe
You’re welcome!
Great recipe! I’ve made it several times now. I add a peeled and diced apple to the shallot and garlic mix and cook it down before putting it all in the blender. The butter at the end is key! I also use a low sodium veg broth or water down my broth to cut back in the saltiness. I top with pumpkin seeds and black pepper. Delicious.
This is the second time I have made this soup & it is absolutely my favorite! The taste & texture is amazing. *****excellent recipe! Thanks, Jennifer
You’re welcome! I’m excited you love it, Jennifer!
This is my favorite soup recipe!
This is a great favorite to have, Sarah!
I was given a 6 lb, yes, 6 lb butternut squash from a client, so I will be doubling the recipe. Roasting the squash tonight to get ahead of the game since our big meal will be Friday night after Thanksgiving. I can’t wait to see how it turns out. Read some reviews on garlic and shallots being too much, but those people haven’t lived life fully yet! ;-) . To those, perhaps roasting the garlic and shallots may help.
On a side note, I will also be making my version of the classic green bean casserole with asparagus since I loath the taste of cream of mushroom soup and wanted something different. Going with cream of celery soup and some added Wisconsin sharp cheddar cheese. Happy Thanksgiving!
I could eat this soup every meal of everyday for the remainder of my life! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe. :)
Hooray! Thanks for sharing.
Hi…last minute but I bought a large bag of frozen organic cut up butternut squash. A total of 5 lbs. I have to triple your recipe. Do I have enough squash?
Making for tomorrow.
Thanks so much..can’t wait to try it!
Lorri
Hi! I would think that is plenty. You only need a 3lb squash for this recipe.
so easy, didn’t change a thing, cooked a day in advance, I’ll try to reduce the amount next time though
Thanks for your review, Frank!
Thank you for this recipe which I’ve tried today. It was the first time I’ve roasted butternut squash (so easy!). The soup was a little bland for my taste so I added some chillie at my husband’s request. This gave it a bit of a kick! I cooled mine down with a dollop of creme fraise and it was lovely!
Thank you!
This soup is excellent. The only real change I made was to sub white onion for the shallot in equal quantity. I used no salt added vegetable broth- I think with a saltier broth I would have had to cut back on the other salt added, but with the no salt broth 1 tsp salt was perfect. I only added 3 cloves of garlic initially due to some comments that it was too garlicky, but I ended up adding that 4th clove at the end because it needed an extra something, and it was perfect for my taste. I should have just trusted you! Thank you for the awesome recipe. I will make it again, and double it!
I served this dish as the second course for Thanksgiving dinner this year. My girlfriends daughter asked me to be sure to make it for her again. Needless to say, it was a hit and I will definitely be reproducing this one regularly. Simply delicious!
I have made this recipe SO many times and can’t believe I’ve never commented to say thank you! I think this soup is absolute perfection. I always make it just as you’ve written (with an immersion blender, GROSS) and am never, ever disappointed. This has become a top three fave for me!
Delicious!! I whipped it all up in my Blendtec and it was so easy! Loved the deep roasted flavor and the garlic and shallot. This is my new go-to butternut squash soup.
Great! Thank you for sharing this recipe. I’m going to try it! If you want to know about some amazing butternut squash I do found a great application on google play sorting all kind of plants with their benefits it’s called Herbs Encyclopedia.
You can read about butternut squash here https://herbs.page.link/LueT
This is hands-down THE BEST Butternut Squash soup I’ve ever made or tasted elsewhere. This awesome and simple recipe will forever be in my recipe file!
Thank you for your comment and review, Vee!
Did I make this soup? Well, yes and no. I used the recipe as a guide but added an acorn squash as well as the butternut squash, coconut milk and a sprinkle of curry. I did pretty much everything else and it is just delicious! I’m giving it a five.
Thanks for sharing your variation! I love the creativity.
I followed the recipe, only adding a finely chopped carrot and celery stalk to the shallots. I didn’t think this had much taste. I made it for a friend who loves butternut squash soup. Personally, I never order it. Maybe he will agree with the others here who rave about this recipe. Hope so. Is it supposed to be so thick? I used an immersion blender and 32 oz. of broth.
Hi Jannie! I’m sorry you didn’t love this soup. Adding the additional vegetables will change the texture and consistency. Sometimes immersion blenders don’t get the soup to the same creamy consistency as a blender. I hope this helps some!
Very simple , adjusted for 3 whole butternuts, used whole carton of chicken broth , extra garlic, and added some apple cider to thin it out ! Perfect, thank you
Such a great soup. My husband says he doesn’t like squash but yet he loved the soup.We both loved how creamy it was.He doesn’t like the texture of squash so this did the trick
Fantastic! I’m glad he loved it, Kelly.
Love this soup! I roasted a few (extra) whole garlic cloves with the squash and then blended them along with the squash, shallot/garlic mixture and vegetable broth. I also saved and roasted the squash seeds for 20-25 minutes with olive oil, cumin, chili pepper, salt & pepper. Delicious addition on top of the soup. Thanks for your vegetarian recipes, I am going to try other recipes!
This is a terrific recipe. Food processor worked beautifully but no mention ? Since I tripled the recipe I made a few small changes. Less salt. I salt to taste as I make it. Less garlic. I used 3 cloves total in whole recipe. And I added 2 tablespoons of real bacon bits to the processor. Excellent!
Thank you for sharing, Joe!
Easy and delicious
Good Morning, I would love to try your recipe, looks awesome. However, I have extra Pacific Butternut Squash soup (comes in box type package) which I assumed was a soup, but it is more like a broth type that you use to add to recipes. Can I substitute this butternut squash soup/broth for the chicken broth or veggie broth. Thank you for your help with this. I love all of your recipes and using just about every week.
This is an amazing recipe! Following previous advice, I used cubed butternut squash, less than half the amount of salt required, and 2 cloves of garlic instead of 4. Was delicious! Not sure I agree that butter is necessary. I tasted the soup without it and it was yummy. If you’ve seasoned the butternut squash as instructed and added some salt while sauteeing the garlic/shallot mixture, you should be fine without salted butter. Everyone in my family loved it and we ate all of it. And it’s so easy to make. Can’t wait to try it again!
Num num nummy!!! I used one Bosc pear instead of syrup. ENCORE!! BRAVO!! A true repeater keeper! Thank You
This is hands down the best butternut squash soup recipe! I’ve tried it without & without butter & I gotta say the butter definitely helps round out the flavor.
I have made this butternut soup countless times. It is a favorite of our and of guests. It has the silkiest texture and is simply yummy.
Marvelous recipe! I didn’t have syrup. So I added half an apple for sweetness. And I roasted my 4 cloves of garlic with the squash. (Took them out about halfway so they didn’t burn.) Wonderful flavor and not at all overpowering. Definitely needed all the stock with the large squash. I’m sure you’re right about the stand blender, but I don’t have one. My immersion gave good results. I thought I would have to add cream for company. Nope! So, so tasty. Thanks!!
You’re welcome, Johanna!
I thought this was delicious and very easy to make. I’d reduce the salt next time though, and I usually love really salty stuff. Thank you so much!
This is a very good recipe! We added a spoonful of heavy cream and some red pepper flakes for our topping and enjoyed it very much! Thank you for sharing!
You’re welcome, Barb!
I just made your recipe, and I must say, it turned out delicious! This was my first time making butternut squash soup, and I liked it better than the ones I’ve eaten in the past. I doubled the recipe so that I could feed a large group tomorrow (eagerly looking forward to the “better the next day” taste that everyone mentioned), I of course had to sample it first and ate it for lunch today, and I went back for more way too many times ;). The only salt and pepper that I used was what I sprinkled onto the squash itself, trying to be salt conscious for our friends, and it was plenty. Next time I might roast my onion and garlic with the squash to avoid the extra step of cooking it. thank you for the recipe!
This soup was amazing and so easy to make. Thank you. I loved the idea of roasting the squash.
You’re welcome, Anne!
This soup is so good! I was trying to find a recipe to use a butternut squash someone had given me and picked this one after reading the reviews. Just here to say the reviews are all right, it is amazing! Even my bf liked it and he is a major meat eater! Thanks as always Kate.
Roasting the butternut is the clencher in this recipe! Towards the end of roasting the butternut squash, I added the garlic and shallots to the roasting pan for the last 5 minutes to roast them slightly too. Then I slightly salted and peppered the butternut squash (wrong move!) I would definitely skip the salt next time- and perhaps only one clove of garlic. I ended up adding more broth and cinnamon sugar (so maybe I will try the shredded apple for added sweetness – or my homemade applesauce to tone down the savory depth of this recipe) but my family came back for second helpings, so I rate this recipe a 4! Thanks for the wonderful step by step tips, they are always helpful, Kate. You’re recipes are consistently a crowd pleaser in my house.
Thank you for sharing, Paula!
This soup was easy to make and was so savory. Everyone enjoyed it. Thank you!