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 had chopped up celery and realized it didn’t call for it but put it in anyway and only used 1 can of broth and added milk. Was so good though! I also used my immersion blender and it worked fine.
I added red bell peppers, purple pearl onions, celery and a few green seasonings before blending. It tastes amazing thank you.
We love this recipe. Its very good. How did you get yours so yellow? Tumeric? Photoshop? Different varietal of butternut squash?
Wondering the same thing!
Hi Kate!
I am planning to make this soup for friends but one of them is allergic to onion, so I can’t use the shallot. She can eat onion powder. Do you think that would make up for the shallot or do you have any suggestions to replace it? Do you think the soup would be good without it? I make your Vegetarian sweet potato chili regularly and just made the quinoa vegetable soup tonight. My husband loves them both! Thanks!
great soup. made to serve later for dinner. Imade a few changes: I used half a sweet Vidalia onion instead of the shallot. Also used vegetable oil as I was out of olive oil. I omitted the maple syrup and the butter. This soup is similar to a pumpkin soup we make every Thanksgiving and I believe that this is less caloric, always a plus! Thank you.
I have now made this soup twice and love it!
This recipe is super easy to follow. It also turned out great. I made it twice since I enjoyed it so much.
Delicious! Turned out perfectly and amazingly good! Thank you!
Loved this recipe! Used my Ninja blender with great results. More importantly, it tastes great!
I don’t usually leave comments on recipes, but I really loved the simplicity of this recipe. It’s delicious, creamy without having any dairy, and totally worth the job of cutting the butternut squash! I also liked that it could be made without boiling my stock (which leaves the gelatin more in tact!) Thanks!
I love your soup, Kate. I’d love to say that I am a die-hard vegetarian, but my family are die-hard carnivores. So-flexitarian it is, and vegetarian whenever possible. Your butternut squash soup, however, is loved by the entire bunch of us, veggies, meaties or whatever. Thanks so much!
Sooo delicious!! The only thing I added was a few scoops of plain Greek yogurt and about 2 tablespoons of coconut oil for extra creaminess. But what a fantastic and healthy recipe! Thank you!
Made it, loved it! Thank you!
I followed the recipe and came out with a soup where all I can taste is garlic! I ended up having to add numerous other ingredients to cut the harshness and warm up the flavor (2 cups of applesauce, 1 baked sweet potato, cinnamon, pumpkin spice, and brown sugar). It was decent after adding the additional ingredients, but when I make this again I will use 1/2 the amount of both garlic and shallot to let the butternut shine.
This was a simple and wonderful recipe. Definitely will be making it again! I loved the simple touch of Nutmeg!
Kate, I really like how plain and straight to the point way you have in explaining and giving directions.
Thank U so much for your soup recipes, I am 751/2 and learning how to make soups i am starting to check off my buckler list.
I have just treated myself with a Magic Bullet RX that is suppose to make hot soup. We will see because your recipe for buttonut squash soup will be its first user. I will be back to let U know how it turns out.
Thank U for now.
I tried this recipe twice and couldn’t get it to work. Not a success!
Same here. Wish I read your comment first!
So glad I found your website – that made my day. I was looking for a butternut squash recipe and found just what I had in mind. And now you will be my “go to place” first for all my cooking and recipe adventures! Thanks.
I didn’t have very good luck with this recipe unfortunately.
What a treat! Healthy, filling, easy to prepare…. 10 thumbs up!
Made the soup today, first time I have roasted the butternut squash, usually I simmer in the vegetable stock, can’t believe the difference in taste, absolutely yummy. Will share this tip with my friends and family in Cyprus. Thank you x
Omg! I am the worst cook but I just made the best soup! I also have an old Vita-mix that makes it so easy.
I CAN’T WAIT to make this soup!! What I happen to have on hand right now is a 2 lb. container of cut squash. Can you tell me how much I should use and would I roast it the same way? Thank you so much!!
Made this recipe tonight…5 inches of snow on the ground. It was delicious and comforting! Will be making again! Also used my vitamix..awesome machine
This one is a winter warmer, for sure! And the Vitamix – AMAZING. Glad you enjoyed it!
Omg! Just made this for lunch. Few changes roasted squash with onion and garlic in the hollow. Omitted nutmeg and syrup. Delicious. Definitely my go to favorites.
I’m glad this made regular rotation, Lori! Thanks for commenting :)
This is really delicious soup. Everyone loved it. The only thing I’ll do differently next time is double the recipe, as there wasn’t quite enough for a full bowl of soup for everyone.
Yum! I made this tonight. This was the best squash soup recipe I’ve ever tried. I like that it’s more sweet than savoury. I also added a little cream, but I certainly didn’t have to.
Hey, Amy – I’m glad this one made the top spot! Thanks so much for following.
I just made the soup, thank you – it was great. I have a sweet tooth and so my addition was a little brown sugar and cloves. I expected making butternut squash soup to be a huge production, which it was not – thank you.
Awesome! It’s always nice to have things work out far simpler than expected. Thanks, Charley.
Just finished making this…..I only have one problem….I want to eat the whole thing. I’m pretty sure it’s probably more than one serving! LOL
Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe. I made it after my mom told me she made it and how amazing it was. She was right. Delish! <3
Haha! I’ve had that problem, too, on more than one occasion. Happy you & your mom enjoy it!
This was simple but absolutely outstanding! THANK YOU!
You’re welcome, Patricia!
Made this soup tonight and it was delicious! I didn’t have enough shallots so I substituted onion and I used honey instead of the maple syrup! My daughter asked if she could take some to work for lunch! Great recipe!
Happy it worked with your on-hand ingredients, Theresa!
I made this recipe and added a carrot, celery & an apple. It tasted great ! I think my squash was a little on the small side. The extra ingredients made it flavorful but not too thick as most butternut squash soups.
Ooh, apple? That’s such an interesting addition. I’m sure it was like fall in a bowl! Happy you liked it.
Delicious and nutritious. I love a soup that doesn’t have cream yet is still thick and comforting. Thanks!
Yes – creamy doesn’t have to include cream! We have ways around that :)
Made this soup twice. Once with the vitamix and tonight with the immersion blender. Added some roasted apple tonight to the mix. DELICIOUS! I think I like it better with the immersion blender. Vitamix easier but a bit too creamy for my taste.
Interesting difference, Cat. I’m happy you figured out which technique works out best for your taste. I’m sure others will find this tip useful :)
This was absolutely fabulous!! I added a little Ethiopian bere bere seasoning and mint leaves as garnish…delicious! THANK YOU Kate!
Ooh, that sounds *amazing*. Will have to try that, Neha!
Thank you for this recipe! It is so easy yet so, so delicious and comforting. It’s a new favorite for sure.
Great for cold winter nights. Thanks, Martha!
Made the soup today loved it!! A simple and easy recipe. I made mine with just normal water as my husband can’t eat sodium but even with water the taste was great! Thank you for a wonderful recipe.
Great! Thanks for the low-sodium tip, too!
I love your soup recipes so much and decided to try this one! I love butternut squash soup and this recipe is so easy! I made a few alterations based on what I had available…half an onion instead of the shallot, 5 spice mix (cinnamon, anise, nutmeg, and chives) instead of just nutmeg, a dash of cayenne pepper for spice, and I made my broth from bullion cubes. My only recommendation is cutting a bullion cube or two out as I used four for four cups of water (per box instructions), and my soup is a little salty…not bad by any stretch though! Thanks again!!!
Forgot to give you a rating! 5 stars of course!
This recipe did not work for me. Over an hour of work and a bunch of ingredients thrown down the drain. Thought I followed the directions, unsure what went wrong.
Hi Brandi, I’m very sorry to hear that. If you would like to share more details about where it went wrong or what didn’t work, I could try to provide some feedback should you want to attempt it again.
My wife loves butternut squash and hearty soups, so I was looking up something to surprise her with when I found this site. I also found the Thai Curried version, and Thai food is her favorite ethnic cuisine. I combined the ingredients from that recipe, and the preparation methods used here, and it worked fantastically. It’s now my go-to thing to do on occasion when I think she could use some cheering up. Thanks!
I love that you cheer your wife up with soup! Glad to hear this method works well for the Thai version. Have a great day!
I just made this soup. I couldn’t move along without coming back to compliment you on an outstanding, easy, nutritious recipe. This soup has restaurant worthy flavor, and will be a regular in my kitchen from now on. Thank you!
So sweet of you, Kelly. I love to hear all of this!
I’m eating a bowl of this comforting soup as I type this.
“Creamy yet cream-less” was the best way to describe it and was what enticed me to try it. I’ve been going a bit heavy on the cashews or coconut milk in my soup recipes these days and wanted to go back to 100% vegetables.
It’s delicious and dreamy. The only thing I would change next time is the seasoning. I couldn’t feel the nutmeg at all and I’d need to use a more powerful spice or double the quantities. Because you better believe there will be a next time ! The creaminess of an indulgent soup without the guilt? Keeper! :)
Thank you so much, Sandy! What a nice comment. So happy you enjoyed it.
Hello!! Thanks for a GREAT recipe!! It was AMAZING!! The kitchen smelled really good while the squash was roasting in the oven!! It almost didn’t get to be a soup (I was “tasting” the roasted squash while peeling it…ha). Roasting the squash really makes a difference in the flavor of the soup. Thanks again!!
You’re welcome, Nidia! Roasting it gives the dish a deeper, nuttier flavor that I love.
This is SO GOOD. Thanks for the recipe!
You’re welcome, Bryan!
I love how simple it was, it turned out amazing!! Thank you
You’re welcome, Amy! Delicious doesn’t have to be complicated :)
Kate – All I can say it YUMMMMMMMMMMY!
Thanks, Jackie!
Such a great recipe! I made it and it turned out beautifully smooth and creamy. I topped it with melted brie and roasted butternut seeds and it was fantastic!
Oh man, that melted brie sounds absolutely indulgent. I’m so glad it turned out so well, Jordan!
OH Wow!!! I have been eating “clean” the past few months and trying new vegetables and wanted to find some butternut squash recipes and found yours. The great thing is that I got a Vitamix 750 for Christmas and never dreamed I’d be able to have a great recipe that combined both of my needs that turned out awesome!!! I put some cooked chicken breast in first and shredded it and added the rest and I was soooooo pleased and it tasted wonderful!!!! Will be following more of your recipes. Thanks for sharing them.
What an awesome Christmas gift, Sheryl! I’m so glad you found this recipe, and that it turned out great.
When you say “shallots” do you mean French eschallots? That look like small brown onions? That’s what that word refers to here in Australia and I’ve tried it with these and it tastes wonderful but I’m wondering if you are actually referring to a different vegetable… thank you!
I think we’re talking about the same thing, Tina!
Made this soup today and used the immersion blender version. This was incredibly delicious and so easy! I have made butternut squash soup many times – always with cream. I was really skeptical about making this since I couldn’t imagine it could be as rich and smooth. I was completely wrong! This soup is rich, flavorful and so much healthier. Makes a really filling meal with salad and a crusty bread. I will never use cream again – this is a great recipe. Roasting the squash takes all the pain and effort out of chopping raw squash.
I’m so glad you loved it, Debra! And no need for cream, just let the squash shine. :) Thanks for commenting!