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.
I have been making butternut squash soup for years, but this is truly the best recipe I have ever tasted. SO flavorful, it’s amazing! I normally use an immersion blender, but used the blender instead which made it super creamy. Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe. I took your suggestion and made it ahead of time, and intend to serve it to my parents and farmer daughter tonight. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
This was wonderful and so flavorful! I had some leftover butternut squash (as well as sweet potato) from another soup recipe I was making, so I gave this a try. I didn’t quite have 3 pounds of squash or sweet potato combined, so I had to tweak the other ingredients down a bit, but it was absolutely incredible. Would definitely make this again!
apparently I don’t know the difference between a butternut squash and acorn… i used two acorn squashes and jt was delicious.
OH MY GOODNESS! You nailed it! I wanted to use your recipe exactly but did not have butternut squash so substituted a very close honey nut squash. They are a lot smaller so I used about 6. I didn’t have vegetable broth so used 2 cups of chicken broth. After it was ready my first sample I could not believe that I made this by hand! Something so delicious from scratch. Thank you for sharing this winning recipe with the world!
Thank you!
Just made this with a few changes, and it was delish!! Didn’t have vegetable broth so used just 1 cup of chicken broth. It was a velvety thickness instead of a brothy soup. Also tossed quartered onion (no shallot in house) and halved garlic in oven to roast with butternut squash. Measured with my heart on cloves (no nutmeg available), allspice, cinnamon, dried thyme, sage, rosemary, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, ginger and red pepper flakes for more substance. It was amazing!! Topped with crushed Stacy’s roasted garlic pita chips and it was delightful. Will make again.
Easy and delicious
This is a go-to recipe for me! Super-easy, bursting with flavor, everyone loves it, and it easily accommodates my gluten-free, vegan friends. Despite its rich flavor it is inexpensive to make! Love it. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Janet! I appreciate your review.
Sadly, I agree with the others who have said this soup is too garlicky. I even reduced the amount of garlic by half. Perhaps it would be helpful to have a measurement of garlic (ie 1 teaspoon) instead of just a number of cloves, as cloves can very greatly in size. Apparently the garlic can make or break this recipe and I’m afraid it definitely broke it for me. I would love to know a measurement estimate to try again another day!
I appreciate your feedback. I’m sorry to hear you didn’t love it as is.
I made this soup last weekend and it was amazing!! I am making it for Thanksgiving as part of my hors d’oevres. How early can I make this before Thanksgiving? Thank you.
Hi! This is a great soup leftover so would be a good make ahead option. I hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving!
When I roast butternut squash I put a whole head of garlic in the cavity of the squash. It perfumes the whole squash with garlic. The garlic is caramel(ly) and roasted and can be squeezed into the soup before blending and… you have some to spread on crusty toasted bread. Otherwise this is a classic must keep recipe.
Loved this recipe! Delicious, especially on a cold fall night in New England.
Great for a cold night. Thank you for your review, Marline!
This is such a tasty fall soup! The only change I made was using a small white onion in place of the shallot. Super tasty and easy to make. I love the smell of the roasted squash that has filled my home! Thanks!
Absolutely delicious. I used 1/2 cup of yellow onion in place of shallot and I did not add the nutmeg and maple syrup. I also added crumbled bacon on top and a splash of heavy cream. Served with grilled cheese. Yum!
I am tripling the recipe and preparing for Thanksgiving. How far in advance can I prepare and refrigerate? Thank you!
Hi Beth! This soup makes great leftovers. I hope you enjoyed it!
I did, since I did not have any on Thanksgiving I had some the next day and the day after that! My mother was upset that I didn’t send any home with her. :)I plan on making again tomorrow.
Just made this soup for the first time and it was amazing I made it exactly as written, although I think my butternut squash may have been a medium size instead of large :/ I still followed the recipe as written but just had to reduce the amount of vegetable broth so it kept its creamy texture. Perfect! Great flavor and perfect texture, + affordable and easy to make! Will definitely put this recipe on the rotation.
I did make the recipe but added 1/3 pack of bacon which I fried up with the onion and garlic. Instead of nutmeg I added 2 tsp poultry seasoning and 1 1/2 tbsp of maple syrup and added 6 c of broth.
I taste tested it with my family, some of which don’t like squash soup and they all loved it.
how many cups of precut, cubed squash in place of a whole butternut squash?
Hi Jemini, I would suggest measuring the weight to ensure you have the proper amount.
FOUR cloves of garlic?!!! I used 3 and the garlic has overpowered everything else. Now I’m searching the internet for how to tone down the garlic flavor! Otherwise, this recipe is relatively easy, and it sure does look pretty, but if I ever make it again, I wouldn’t use more than 1 clove of garlic!
I’m sorry you didn’t love this. I appreciate your feedback.
Think I could substitute the maple syrup for honey?
Sure, although I prefer maple here. I hope you love it!
I usually looove your recipes but found that this had too much garlic, would be much better without it I think… maybe my squash wasn’t big enough and the garlic just overwhelmed it…
Wow! I never leave reviews for Recipies but this was fantastic! So easy and healthy with very little fat needed to get such full flavors. I swirled a teaspoon of whipping cream on top and stirred with a spoon for a gorgeous effect. Also added fresh marjoram. An absolute keeper that I will make throughout the year but definitely for Thanksgiving. Cookie and Kate is one of my go-to sites for ideas and inspiration. Thanks Kate!
The garlic was overpowering so I added applesauce and 2 green apples to smooth it out.
I’m sorry you didn’t love it as is. You can reduce the amount or size of garlic cloves next time.
This has wayyyy too much garlic! I couldn’t find a way to fix it on a Thanksgiving, even after adding more broth and maple syrup.
I’m sorry to hear you didn’t love it, Allie. I appreciate your feedback.
Love this soup! everyone loved it at my Thanksgiving lunch. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Bonnie!
Wow! I’m not one to like squash soup because I found it to be either sweet or too curried, but tasted your recipe at my friends house for thanksgiving and I instantly became a fan of butternut squash soup!! Thanks!
I’m always amused how folk’s completely change a recipe and then review… seems pointless!
This is a go to soup for us that I make in 4x the recipe and freeze in quart containers. Absolutely delicious just as is! Thank you
Just made this soup and everyone loved it. It was so easy, creamy, and delicious. Thank you for this fantastic recipe!
I’m glad you loved it, Lauryn! I appreciate your review.
I made this soup again last week and this time I added two small sweet potatoes. So delish! Your recipes are always to die for. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Barb! Thank you for your comment.
Hi, I have left over butternut squash, kinda whipped type (almost like mashed potatos but it’s the squash). Can I make this soup using that? Probably have to adjust something? Thanks!!
Hi Jenny, I’m not sure depending on other additions to the whipped butternut squash. You could try it? Still simmer as stated and blend with the rest of the ingredients. But you may need less cooking time.
This is absolutely the best Butternut Squash soup! I make it several times each fall!
I recommend peeling and cubing the squash, tossed with oil, salt and pepper in a bowl before pouring onto a pan to roast the cubes to a deep golden brown.
phenomenal recipe
Thank you, Hugh! I appreciate your review.
Kate,
I made this soup exactly as you suggested and it makes my heart sing!This soup was amazing! The recipe is a keeper,thank you.
Hooray! That’s great to hear, Angela.
I made this for the first time last week and have already made a second batch. I think the onions and garlic balance the sweetness of the squash very nicely. I also really like how simple it is, as I pretty much always have all the ingredients on hand. I added a slice of bacon, crumbled, to the batch I made today. This recipe is by far my favorite butternut squash soup!
Love, Love, Love this recipe. Super delicious!!!
That’s great to hear, Michael!
Do you think I could sub a white pumpkin for this and still get a good result?
I love butternut soup but I need to use this pumpkin!
Just made it as my first soup in my Vitamix ! Tastes delicious and so glad there’s no cream.All I can taste is the squash!I roasted a huge squash, had some for dinner the other night and roasted a small onion and garlic at same time! Everything was ready to put together tonight for a quick cold and rainy night dinner ! Roasting pumpkin seeds now ! Couldn’t find pepitas.
Sorry but all I could taste here was garlic – it was so overpowering. I did not even taste butternut squash. Would completely omit the garlic next time. Wish I read the reviews beforehand! I also don’t really think it’s fair to give a recipe 5 stars if you completely changed how you made it and omitted things, because it’s not actually related to this recipe anymore if you’ve changed it
I’m sorry you didn’t like this recipe, Polly. I appreciate your feedback.
Just perfect! I agree that you can definitely taste the garlic, but we absolutely love the dimension it brings to this soup. Easy, nutritious, and delicious. Thanks!
You’re welcome, Marina! I’m delighted you enjoyed it.
This was the easiest butternut squash soup I ever made. It was delicious. I did add a cut up apple to the blender with a little soup to purée the apple. Added it to the soup and it was perfect.
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Nina! I appreciate your review.
Do you think a sautéed minced jalapeño would be a good addition?
It may be interesting. Let me know if you try it and what you think!
Delicious. I modified by cubing the butternut squash and roasting it with 2 quartered shallots, 2 garlic cloves and the olive oil (400 degrees for about 45 minutes). Also used chicken broth (that’s what I had) and used my immersion blender to cream it all into a soup. Topped with sage leaves fried in butter and it was perfect for a winter evening.
While eating out this week butternut squash soup was on the seasonal menu. As a long time vegetarian I asked if it had any animal products and, sure enough, chicken stock was used. My disappointment lead me to find a new butternut squash recipe and, as usual, yours was fabulous! I was out of nutmeg so I substituted cinnamon and the flavor profile was lovely. Thank you for all of the hard work, recipe development is as much science as it is art and you’ve earned high marks-I’ve been a frequent visitor of the site for a long time. I have your cookbook and haven’t made anything we didn’t just love. I’m hoping for another….
I’m delighted you loved it, Elle! I appreciate your review.
This is the second time I made your soup. I used two butternut squashes, as I have an abundance. Which of course means I need to add more liquid. As I was adding more broth to thin, I also used about a half-cup of coconut milk which turned out to be a delicious addition. I did also use the butter as suggested.
Thanks for creating such a wonderful recipe!
The soup is delicious. The process of getting the squash scooped out from the skin after roasting is extremely difficult. This will work much better if you peel the skin or just cube the squash and put it right in the pot from the get-go with the broth. Tasty when done though!
I have made this recipe many times. We prefer it with 1 can of coconut cream added. Otherwise we follow recipe exactly. I’ve used all kinds of orange fleshed squash in this. All are good.
This was my first time making this type of soup, but definitely not the last! It was really quick and easy to make. I used an immersion blender which was slightly messy but it worked fine. I followed instructions as written except I used chicken broth and a yellow onion bc that what I had on hand. I touched it off with a little sprinkle each of black pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon and a tiny bit of cayenne on top, and of course butter. Very tasty and very good for you, and I believe it’s keto friendly.
this is a little confusing. The instructions don’t update when you increase when you do 3x. It says you need 9-12 cups of broth but then in one place it tells you to use 3 (if you are using a stand blender) and in another place it says to use 4 (if you are using a immersion blender). Then it says to thin it you can use the remaining cup (as in 1 cup of broth) but you still have way more than 1 cup left.
Hi Jess, the ingredient quantities will change. The instructions won’t. So be sure to increase everything by the same you are increasing the recipe by. I hope that helps!
Sliced lengthwise 2 large butternut, 2 large Acorn, 2 large Sweet potatoes,baked at 350 for1and a half hours till fork tender. removed meat from all, put in medium sized pot. fried 1/2 pound large summer sausage diced into 1/4 inch pieces. added 4 cups beef stock, boat motored all!added 2 tbls spoons minced onion, 2 ttbls minced garlic,
1/2 tabls nutmeg, Stirred, added lemon pepper to taste. REALLY GREAT TASTE! Wife loved it
Hi, Thanks for the recipe. I made it without any substitutions and it was delicious. Garlic was a little too much as it overpowered the butternut squash but it didn’t slow us down eating it. Ha! I’m making it again next week to take to a SOUPer Senior Adult Luncheon. I believe they will love it!
I’m excited you enjoyed it, James! I appreciate your review.