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.
Can I use frozen butternut squash for this recipe? If so, should it be thawed first?
Hi Laura, others have and it still turned out great! Yes, be sure to thaw and then roast. Let me know what you think!
I will have to say that I would not have used 4 cloves of garlic for this recipe because the garlic over powered and was too much. Maybe next time I’ll try with less garlic.
I’m sorry you didn’t love this one, Ella. I appreciate your review.
Whenever I decide I want to try a particular new food, I check your site first – NEVER fails! And it’s always terrific!
This was so easy and yummy, Thank you!!
I’m excited you love my recipes and this one! Thank you for your review, KTheo.
I loved it but it was too garlicky for my family.
I followed the recipe exactly with the exception of the butter at the end. This turned out so creamy and delicious it didn’t need anything extra. My blender didn’t have a soup setting so I used the smoothie setting. My husband couldn’t believe this didn’t have any cream. Best butternut squash soup I have ever had.
This soup was so delicious. I made it for Thanksgiving lunch. I made it the day before. Everyone loved it! I wish I had made more!
Sounds delicious, Lynda! Thank you for taking the time to review.
This was a fabulous recipe and I just finished eating another bowl! I’ve never used a whole butternut squash before. I have always bought them precut. It was not easy to cut but not too bad and the soup turned out perfectly. This will definitely be in my rotation for soups this winter. Thanks so much for sharing! PS. I did not add butter or oil at the end. It was creamy and delish without it. Just FYI.
Made this last year & again this year. Simply delicious.
Great to hear, John! Thank you for taking the time to review.
Another fantastic recipe from a brilliant cook! I’m now convinced you’re actually a superhero with the power to craft delicious and nutritious meals. This was a HUGE hit in our house, even my husband that “hates all squash” ate two large bowls and asked me to make it again the following week. Thank you, Kate, for another “Marvel”-ous recipe. <3
That’s great to hear, Pac! Thank you for taking the time to review.
This soup was terrific! I love that it doesn’t call for cream and is super simple to make. Thank you!.
Even with an immersion blender, the soup was super smooth. However, the shallot (a scant half cup) and garlic were overpowering. I forgot to add the salt when I sautéed them; could this be the reason? To compensate, I added a half can of high fat coconut milk, about a half cup more broth, more olive oil, and more nutmeg. I also cooked it longer in hopes of better balancing the flavors, but it still doesn’t quite work. I always love Kate’s recipes, so I wouldn’t doubt I did something wrong.
I’m sorry to hear that. Thank you for your review, Janet. You can add less garlic next time, if you like.
Thank you for this recipe.
I improvised by using 1 cup of light cream and 3 cups of chicken stock. In lieu of maple syrup, I also used 1 tsp. of Mike’s Hot Honey.
Delicious!!!
Delicious! Everyone I serve this to loves it….and so healthy!
I’ve made this at least 5 times in the last couple months. So easy (especially with the immersion blender) and so good – husband loves it, friends love it, etc. Great as a main or a side.
Hooray! I’m glad you loved it, Joanna.
The best butternut squash recipe I’ve ever had! I added a little chipotle hot sauce to mine and I loved it. This will go into my winter rotation this year.
Fantastic! Thank you for your review, Elissa!
Superb! I did use 2 large garlic cloves instead of 4 as I was concerned when reading other reviews about too much garlic. I like garlic and figured I could always add a little garlic powder if needed. Two very large cloves were perfect.
Divinely delish!
I loved this soup. I personally like the bite of the garlic and onion to balance out the sweetness of the squash. If you like butternut bisque, definitely give this recipe a try. I have had a lot of luck with your recipes and will be adding this one to the Cookie & Kate collection. Thank you!!
Thank you for sharing, Michelle! I’m excited you loved it.
Great recipe! Regarding safety for slicing squash, I microwave for a few minutes to just begin the softening process but don’t cook it. Just microwave enough that the tip of the knife will pierce the flesh with less effort. It also makes them easier to peel and scoop the seeds! I keep a few tea towels used specifically for this because they get cut up after a time. Place a tea towel over your cutting board to keep the squash from sliding while you slice it. A lot of people don’t like to use squash because of the level of difficulty cutting them! This helps tremendously.
Spooning into my second cup this moment, it is SOOO GOOOOD. It’s a nice change of pace from the typical soup with ginger and coconut milk too! It was very delicious. I just added a little cinnamon because I love cinnamon with everything and it added a note of warmth and sweetness (also an extra baked potato that we had cooked together with the butternut). Loved the Buttah! So delish! Thank you!
Wonderful to hear, Rachel! I’m glad you loved it.
I thought the soup was nice in texture but thought the taste was flat. Definitely needs spicing up. I added poultry seasoning, cinnamon, and apple juice and a splash of beer. Made it great for us. I served with a big dollop of sausage stuffing on top. It’s really good if you don’t want it spiced.
I’m sorry you didn’t love it, Linda. But, I appreciate your feedback.
This is a staple in our household. It’s simple, easy, and delicious.
This recipe is awesome! It’s my go-to recipe for roasted butternut squash soup. I top it with roasted pumpkin seeds and drizzle EVOO. It’s super easy when you have the Vitamix with soup preset, too!
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup-⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⚡️
Hi Kate,
I have owned my Vitamix since 2007 and this is my first time making soup. In October I joined “Noom” to lose 20 pounds (9 to go now) and start eating clean food. Somewhere in the past week I got the idea to buy a butternut squash! I pondered what it’s future would be, started my search for a recipe, one that fit in with what I’m eating these days and yours came up! I love the simplicity and few ingredients! It WAS going to become spiralized spaghetti but that didn’t turn out. Today I put all my curlies + the bottom minus seeds in the oven, baked, like a Pro tossed into Vitamix with ingredients ( added yesterday’s baked garlics) and whirled it to perfectly creamy AND tasty soup which my husband will be having for dinner tonight. I added fresh sage, thyme, and rosemary which gave it good punch! Thank you for this recipe, it is perfect all the way around and with the Noom way of being creative!!
This soup was creamy and delicious. I will be making this often. And the best thing about this recipe is its a breeze to make.
Amazing, full of flavour! Added a tbs of honey instead of maple syrup and ginger instead of nutmeg, it turned out sooooo well. EVERYONE should try this recipe!
Great to hear, Coco! Thank you for your review.
Hey guys, I have a vegan cafe on a boat in the UK. I’m always looking for different Soups so saw this because I do love your recipes The soup was great tasting I just have an issue with quantity, I made the 3x and followed your recipe. I know some like thin watery Soups but your liquid quantities were way off, luckily I didn’t ruin mine but adding an extra litre would have made it like water!! So doing larger portions isn’t that simple but still loved it xx
Tasty and easy to make. Thanks!
I just made this and it’s amazing! I must admit, after reading a few comments I only added half the suggested amount of garlic since my cloves were fairly large. I also added cooked carrots that I had and didn’t want to waste. Will definitely make again.
So comforting & yummy & easy to make!! I veganized it :)
I love the simplicity of this recipe. I agree with others that sometimes butternut squash soups are too sweet. This one is hands down my favorite. So easy and the flavor is amazing. I added onion to the shallot while browning and fresh jalapeño for some spice.
This soup is delicious! It has become a family favorite. I love, too that it is so simple to make.
I’m glad you loved it! Thank you for sharing.
I just made this soup today (and have made it before), and it’s delicious. Everyone in my family loves it! But I have a question about shallots. I had onion and not shallots in the pantry, so I used the onion. But I’m wondering what’s the difference in flavor between shallots and onions (and yellow vs. red onion)? Can they be used interchangeably?
Hi Mary! I really prefer shallot here, but I know others haven’t minded the results with red onion.
I made once before delicious is all I can say
I making it again today the squash is in the oven right now.
No worries about leftovers it’s gone as soon has it’s finished cooking.
Thanks again for the recipe
I thought the soup was a little bland and after reading the other comments about apples, I remembered that I had a couple of cooked chicken apple sausage links in the fridge… ground them quite finely and put them in with a bit more maple syrup and dollop of lite sour cream with each serving. Lost the vegetarian aspect, but it made a hearty thicker soup.
I’m sorry to hear that. How large was your squash?
Just fantastic. Probably the easiest, best tasting thing I’ve ever made. And I’ve been cooking a long time. Tweaked the recipe to use chicken broth and cut back slightly on the garlic. Used an immersion blender in a stock pot. Thank you Kate!
I made this last night and it’s fabulous. Normally I’ve made this Fall soup with addition of apples or pears, fall spices or half & half to make it richer. As s chef, my clients have loved it. When I read your description, I thought I’d try it. If it was too plain, there are many ways to embellish a pureed soup. I didn’t change a thing and I just fell in love with the taste. Great job!!
Thank you for sharing your variations, Lainie! I appreciate you taking the time to review.
My squash is huge. How many cups of roasted squash should I use for this recipe? I have no idea what the squash weighed. Knowing how many cups to use with big help. Thanks, Jean
Hi Jean, you will want to go with weight. It should be roughly 3 lbs. A large squash will work. I didn’t measure cups here, sorry!
i have never felt compelled to comment on a recipe before this one. simple to make, delicious and complex in taste and awesome for days. thank you! (i added some ginger and turmeric but it didn’t need it).
I’m glad you did! Thank you for your review.
So excited to kick off Christmas dinner with this recipe!
I hope it was a hit!
I’ve made this soup twice – for Thanksgiving and Christmas -, at my daughter’s suggestion. It is wonderful! I made no changes and will continue using this recipe all the time. Thank you!
SO GOOD. I didn’t have vegetable broth, so I just replaced it with water (I almost always do when making soup). I left out the butter. I also used an immersion blender, which turned out really nice and creamy – NOT gritty like you stated. Although I love garlic, I might decrease down to 3 cloves next time since it was a tad overpowering. Otherwise, the recipe is amazing, nutrition, and delicious all around! Thank you!
Excellent soup – loved it. It’s healthier with no heavy cream and still rich on flavor. Yummy!
The garlic was so overpowering, the soup was inedible. It was a bit better after adding more squash and broth to dilute the garlic flavor, but still not good. I followed everything to the letter so it was disappointing!
I’m sorry to hear you didn’t love this one, Tanya.
I made this soup but added roasted apple and onion into the process you recommended. It was delicious
I have now made this twice. Once with butternut squash and once with acorn squash. Both times with chicken broth and red onion instead of vegetable broth & shallots. Both times delicious. This last time with acorn squash I had one piece of bacon and I sautéed the onion in the bacon. Both times, I blended the whole thing in the pot with my hand blender- no problem. Both times, just so delicious. Tastes so much richer than you would think. I have made so many soups that have overpromised and underdelivered. This is the happy opposite.
This soup is sooooooo good. I left out the butter to keep it vegan and seriously can’t believe that it does not have dairy in it. Thank you for helping my family eat healthy!
You’re welcome, Susan! Thank you for your review.
This is my go to recipe for butternut squash soup. Healthy and the flavors come all together. Yes, there are more steps but it’s worth it for a tasty soup during the winter. Thanks,
this is the BEST butternut squash soup recipe hands down – velvety deliciousness. I top mine with bacon bits and spring onions. Tastes just as good as fresh after 2 months stored in pyrex in the freezer.
Fantastic! I roasted the shallot and the garlic for about 30 minutes along with the squash and added smoked paprika! Delicious thanks
Very easy to make. I used chicken stock and reduced the garlic.