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.
Hi Kate,
Can I use my food processed?
Hi Tamatha, That could work fine. Be sure to not over fill it and you may need to work in batches.
Really delicious. Love that there aren’t any crazy ingredients.
Tried this recipe yesterday and it turned out great! I love the maple syrup, (I added more) and the butter at the end, such a great tip. Adding this to my recipe box;) I roasted the squash the night before and it was so quick and easy to make the soup the next day. Thank you for sharing!!
Wow! I just made this. Tastes like it came from a 5 star restaurant.
This was a total fail for me and I consider myself a good cook. Perhaps it was because I bought a bunch of the spiraled butternut squash that you can microwave but instead I put them in the oven to roast thinking it would save me time because I wanted to have it for our first cool night. everything was going swimmingly. the squash was absolutely delicious when I took it out of the oven, very soft and slightly browned in places. so excited. Then I put it in the blender and it was gritty. Blended for probably 5 minutes. Added more broth but still gritty after even more blending (have a Ninja blender). Perhaps it needed to be a long slow roast of the vegetable? IDK but thankfully I got the butternut on BOGO. Any thoughts??
Hi Addie, I’m sorry you were disappointed. This was not meant for pre-packaged spiraled butternut squash. If you try it again the way the recipe was written, I would love to hear your thoughts!
I have made this soup twice now, both times to rave reviews from family and friends! I love how perfect it is for chilly Autumn days!
Tastes great! My first time I ever made anything with butternut squash. My husband grew them in the garden so I needed a recipe. I left some of the broth and the squash out until later to avoid overflow in the vitamix. When adding them later, the soup would have went everywhere if I didn’t have it on the lowest setting and hold the lid down tight.
BEWARE – Not sure if anyone else had thus issue, but I added 4 cloves of crushed garlic and it basically singlehandedly ruined the soup. Even after trying to dilute it with broth / cream / sweeteners, it tasted overwhelmingly like garlic.
Highly recommend starting with less garlic than 4 cloves.
Awesome recipe! Added some fresh ginger at the end to tie all the flavors together and to brighten it up a touch
I made this recipe yesterday, with three variations:
1). When I roasted the squash in the oven, I made a rub using cinnamon, cardamom, clove, coriander, nutmeg, and cayenne.
2). I sautéed two finely chopped macintosh apples with the shallots and garlic
3). I added a cup of apple cider when I blended the soup in my Ninja
In other words, you have not tried this recipe! Try it, you’ll like it.
This soup is delicious and beautiful! Next time I think I’ll cut the garlic to 1-2 cloves. Otherwise- perfection!!
Has anyone tried adding sage to this recipe? I was thinking of adding it when you saute the shallots. I know it is usually a win with butternut squash, but I am not sure about the other ingredients. Thanks!
I think some sprinkled fried sage on top could be delicious! Let me know what you think.
Hi Kate,
I didn’t even think of sprinkling the sage on top, which probably would be great too, but I added the sage to the stage of sautéing shallots and it was great. A new favorite recipe!
Kate
Easy way to cut the squash: wash it and pierce 6 to 8 times with a fork. Microwave for 5 minutes on high. That softens the skin and it’s really easy to cut through.
This was excellent — the only change I made was to add some fresh chopped sage when I sautéed the shallots.
How compassionate
Hey there! Your are m favourite site! I love butternut squash but detest nutmeg… what other slice could I use to compliment?? Cayenne, or ginger or smoked paprika??
Hi Stephanie! Since it is just a small amount, you can omit. Cayenne would give it a little kick, sweet spicy might be nice. If you try it, let me know!
I made as is and it was delicious!! 5 stars on its own – I might add some apple cider next time based on some comments below. I very much enjoyed this! I don’t have a stand mixer so I used my immersion blender and had great results (very smooth) – thank you!
This recipe is so good and easy to follow! Nailed it on the first try. I added a little bit of cayenne pepper to give it a slightly spicy kick! Thanks for this great recipe Kate
My husband became a vegetarian this past Spring. With a house full of busy kids, who are not vegetarian, it is a challenge to find dishes that we all love… I am so thankful that I came upon your site! I love your recipes, ideas, and their explanation…definitely helps me understand how to keep nutritional value in our meals.
This soup is my favorite! It’s so easy and comes out spot on each time I make it! So creamy and delicious…Thank you!
Hi, has anyone tried making this recipe in the instapot? From reading other soup recipes I was thinking of just not cooking the ingredients in the oven or on the stove, placing all in the pot on high pressure and then using an immersion blender at the end? I’m making a large dinner and need to save stove/oven space where I can!
Any thoughts? Thanks!
Hi Allison, I don’t have insight for you there as I like this one on the stovetop.
I have some frozen cubes of butternut, do you think it would work if I thawed them and roasted them, and then used it in the recipe?
Hi Aliya! I believe others have tried that and haven’t minded the results.
I made this soup today for Thanksgiving (lunch) and it was so super delicious!! Thank you!! I used my immersion blender very easily. The flavours are delicious! And the maple syrup is brilliant! :) I used a concentrated vegetable broth “jam,” which has amazing flavour on its own. I added butter at the end, like the recipe said. So delicious!! Seriously. :)
My squash was a bit on the lighter side, so I roasted 2 medium carrots along with the squash and used the instructions for the immersion blender method. This was the BEST butternut squash soup I – and my family! – have tasted. Thanks so much for this recipe. It’s a keeper!
This was delicious!
Forgot how easy and delicious this soup is! So enjoyed it once again last night. Roasted squash in the morning and it quickly came together for a comforting dinner. Thank you.
OH. MY. So good. Thank you!
This soup was so delicious❣️ I followed the recipe except I had a cooking onion instead of shallots. I also used my Vitamix for the first time to make soup! So easy, and absolutely divine.
Thank you for the easy and delicious recipe!
Roasting the squash really brings out the flavor. I used homemade vegetable broth and it turned out delicious! Sprinkled a bit a thyme. I forgot to add the butter and everyone still loved it.
I made the soup a day ahead. I cooled the squash put a bit a broth then used the my Nutriblast in batches. You don’t need to add all the broth when blending. Just scoop out the squash into a pot with the rest broth and heat
Thank you for your review after making this soup, Elena! I’m happy you loved it.
Absolutely amazzzzzzzing! I made this tonight after roasting a squash and trying to remember an old recipe of mine. I decided to trust Google and it took me to this delicious recipe. I only needed 1 cup of broth and didn’t have a shallot so I sautéed a yellow onion with garlic and blended it in my Blendec. I finished it off with crumbled feta and roasted pumpkin seeds. Seriously good. Thank you for this recipe
I’m happy you came to my recipe and were able to enjoy it with what you had! I appreciate your review, Amorena.
Made this today, a definite repeat. Husband loves it and I have sent the recipe to my daughter! I only used two garlic cloves
Oh we love your recipe, it is wonderful my family enjoy it thank you for sharing with the world.
I’m glad you love it, Carolina! Thank you for your review.
I finally have to review this soup after using it for about a year every few weeks. I LOVE IT! I’ve tried a few butternut squash soups and this is the BEST and so easy. A quick few notes on things I’ve tweaked for my palette and oven:
-I usually need to cook the butternut squash longer than recommended. Even @ 50 mins, it’s usually still too hard in certain sections on the squash.
-I usually use more olive oil with the shallots so they don’t burn in my pan
-I add more salt and pepper after blending
Thank you for this recipe!! It’s AMAZING!
I’m glad you reviewed it, Megan! I’m glad you love it.
Perfectly simple and delicious! Will be put into the fall rotation!
Have made this a few times for my wife who loves butternut squash soup, she simply loves it! This is an easy recipe and really allows the flavor of the butternut squash to come out. Other recipes have too many ingredients.
Instead of adding more butter I add a little sour cream and it makes it really creamy.
Absolutely fantastic! Even my picky 5 year old and 2 year old asked for more. I crumbled crispy bacon on top to give it even more depth of flavor for them. Thank you! Love that it is dairy free as well for less carbs and healthier.
That’s great! Thank you for sharing, Jneen.
I’ve been making this soup every fall since 2017 I think, and it’s always delicious. The second I see butternut squashes are back in season, I immediately think to make this soup! I love that it’s a savory garlicky soup but with a hint of the butternut squash sweetness. I’ve had too many squash soups that are super sugary, butternut squash is sweet enough by itself!
I also add a drizzle of pumpkin seed oil as a garnish, it’s a speciality here in Austria and it adds a nice nutty flavor. Would highly recommend :)
That’s amazing! I’m excited this is a soup you look forward to every season. I appreciate your review, Sofie.
This soup is delicious! I was a little leery about the amount of garlic it called for but I went for it and was not disappointed. I followed the recipe exactly except added a bit of cinnamon and a tad more maple syrup. I used an immersion blender and it blended perfectly! Thank you for a wonderful recipe!!
My son gave me your cookbook as a gift for my birthday and I have used many of your recipes and have enjoyed the all
I’m delighted to hear you weren’t disappointed with this soup and that you love my cookbook. Thank you for sharing!
Tasty soup. I added crispy bacon as a garnish. I don’t add a lot of salt when I’m making soup, so this was a delicious flavor boost.
I’ve made this soup many times and I love the flavor & texture. Yesterday I made a double batch and found that the garlic flavor was a bit overwhelming which is strange considering I kept everything in proportion. Have you seen that you need to scale back the garlic a bit when you’re making bigger batches? Also, is the weight of the squash including the skins or is it after you’ve scooped out the cooked flesh?
Thanks again for this excellent recipe!
Hi Steve, if this is too much garlic you can adjust to your tastes. I tend to prefer this amount. The weight is a whole squash, prior to cutting.
Super Yummy! So thick and creamy, yet no cream or milk. The best butternut squash soup I have tried!. I also made the lentil soup, but added a roasted pumpkin to make more of a Dal-like concoction. Also super yummy!
Thank you for sharing, Wendy!
Love this soup so easy to make and tastes delicious. I leave out the maple syrup and I find it sweet enough for my taste. Thank you for sharing and for the tips.
I am planning to try this recipe at Thanksgiving. Do you think vegan butter (earth balance) would be a better vegan substitute than the olive oil? Recipe looks amazing!
Hi! It wouldn’t provide the same flavor, but you may try it. I’m not sure it will hold up to the heat as well when you cook the shallots.
Just made it for part of my boyfriend’s birthday dinner and it’s delicious! Substituted cinnamon for nutmeg and onion for shallot because that’s what I had on hand. Great comfort food for a cold, rainy fall day. Thank you, Kate (and Cookie), for adding to my repertoire as a new vegetarian.
You’re welcome! I’m happy you found it comforting. It’s a great soup for right now.
I made this the other night to have for dinner with Kate’s Greek Kale Salad and it was an absolutely delicious combination & overall meal. The soup is so easy and so so good. I opted for a thicker soup so I stuck with 3 cups of broth instead of 4. I haven’t made a ton of butternut squash soup, but this one was plenty creamy for me! Keeps well too–we’re on our 3rd day of delicious soup!
Absolute perfection. The only change I made was using 2.5 cups of broth because we like thicker soups. Other than that, I followed the recipe exactly and it is everything I wanted and more <3
This recipe tasted great and was easy to make, even with my immersion blender. Delicious, I did throw some toasted pumpkin seeds on top and the crunch gave it some textural interest.
I used honey as maple syrup is not available in my country except as a very expensive import, it seemed to work fine although I know the maple flavor would be a nice addition.
I do want to say, once again, that you should recommend silicone baking mats as parchment paper does not recycle.
Also, it would be useful if you also had metric/celcius conversions included in your recipes. It takes a while to convert all the US measurements and means I have to mark up the recipe instead of using what prints.
This recipe is great! I made it. This soup is delicious and visually appealing to all.
opinion.
Can I use chicken broth instead of vegetable broth?
Hi Elizabeth, I believe others have and didn’t mind the results.
Thank you for such a great recipe!
I’ve been making butternut squash soup for years but I’ve never seen this technique. Keeping the roasted squash separate from the broth and shallots until the end created an amazing squash flavour.
My only change was to add roasted apples and curry powder.
That sounds interesting, Carolyn! Thank you for sharing your variation.
Wonderful recipe, and great for a first timer. I used an immersion blender and it was smooth and delish. I will be making this again! Thank you!
This soup is just delicious. It’s become a staple in our house. I wouldn’t change a thing. Super simple, savory and healthy. We eat ours with sour cream to make it feel extra hearty. Thank you Kate! Your recipes never disappoint! <3