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.
Delicious but reduced garlic cloves down to 2 and the soup still has a garlicky kick Never being able to resist changing a recipe I also added a tin of butter beans before blending with an added pinch of cayenne pepper for a hint of background zing
Fab soup will use again for sure A*
Thanks, John!
C&K
Web searching for a squash soup your roasted squash soup popped up. Made a few changes. I chose to peel, dice and bake the squash with diced garlic on top. 15:00 at 425 then toss. Bake for another 15 minutes. No shallots in the fridge. Used some purple onions. Omitted the nutmeg and maple syrup, even though it was Maple Sunday in Maine. The squash is soooo sweet alone! Used “Better Than Bouillon” to make the stock. The butternut was smallish so three cups of stock was enough. I employed an old standby for the final mix.
“I wish I was an Osterizer Blender.
That is what I really want to be.”
Recognize the tune?
Soup turned out great.
Thank you so much for the delightful note, Bob. I’m so glad you loved the soup.
This soup is so delicous and I have started doubling the recipe because we like it so much. Many times I freeze it.
Going to a potluck. Could I keep this warm in a crockpot?
I don’t see why not, Aline!
Step 1: Impulse buy a strange vegetable.
Step 2: Identify vegetable.
Step 3: Browse internet for an easy recipe to cook vegetable.
Step 4: Awesome soup!
Great recipe, simple even for people like me who don’t have any patience for cooking. Added some sun-dried tomatoes (yesterday’s impulse buy) for a nicely rounded veggie soup that even my boyfriend liked. And that man is picky.
Thanks for sharing!
Haha! Thanks, Kat. This made me laugh. I’m so glad you found a way to cook your weird veggie!
This is the best butternut squash soup recipe I’ve come across! So creamy and delicious – the roasting is an invaluable touch. I added some carrot to mine for a bit of extra heartiness, and subbed garam masala for nutmeg. I also sprinkled roasted & salted pepitas on top – perfect meal!
Sounds totally delicious, Nora! Thanks.
this soup is absolutely fantastic even on the first day of May! thanks Kate
You’re welcome, Nina!
I added curry to the recipe and it was delicious!!
Yum! Sounds warm and inviting, Melissa.
This soup has become a delicious problem for me… seriously, I can’t stomach any kind of store-bought butternut squash soup anymore! It’s the middle of May and just put the squash in the oven, because I really, really, REALLY wanted this soup today. So I’m making a double batch in my trustworthy old food processor and freezing half of it, just in case I get a craving for it when it’s 100° out side.
I’m very excited to see your cookbook is available, I might have to get myself an early birthday present… and ask my family for a Vitamix.
Thank you for sharing your amazing recipes with us!
Haha! I love the phrase “a delicious problem.” I’m so glad you adore this soup, Laura!
We have a winner! Im just finishing the last few mouthfuls and o my is it delicious! This will be a new regular for me, for sure. It is so easy to make (though it takes a while, but you can do other things while the squash is roasting), has such a rich flavor and feels so luxurious, even though it requires very few ingredients. I made it with a stick blender and im sure it is much creamier with the Vitamix, but this version is sufficient to save the day too. Thank you so much Kate!
You’re welcome, Rose! You’re right–the roasting takes a while, but I hope the finished product was worth it!
What can be used in place of vegetable broth/ maple syrup
I think water and honey would be fine swap-outs.
So delicious and simple! Best squash soup recipe for sure :)
Thank you, Helen! Simple and delicious. :)
Best butternut squash soup I’ve ever made. Delicious! Thank you.
You’re welcome, Nancy!
This is such a yummy and filling soup. Would give a try.
I enjoyed every bite of this soup. I followed the recipe exactly and think it turned out great!
Perfect! Thanks, Kayla!
This is one of my favorite soups!! making it for the 3rd time today, even though its 90 degrees outside. always followed your recipe, but maybe i will add some ginger today !
Go for it! Let me know how the ginger goes, if you decide to use it.
I want to use this recipe as Butternut Squash Soup Shooters for a baby shower – it has to be vegan and nut-free – what do you recommend to thin the soup a bit for the shooters?
Just made this soup. Easy and delicious! When I took the squash out of the oven, the skin peeled off with a fork. Since I don’t have a high-performance blender, I used my good old 4-speed Osterizer which worked great. Thank you for this recipe!
Hi,
Can I use chicken broth? I don’t have shallots. Can I leave them out or substitute onion?
Thanks!
Hi Angel, you can use chicken broth. I use vegetable broth since I’m a vegetarian, but they work the same. Onion will work well as a substitute for the shallot, especially red onion.
Thanks so much! Looking forward to trying this!
I made this today for a potluck and it was delicious. So simple to make yet, so flavorful! Thank you, I’ll be making this a lot this fall!
This was INCREDIBLE!! Loved the recipe, so simple and easy to make, and tasted soo good! I usually never leave reviews, but I can’t stop raving about this. My husband doesn’t even usually eat butternut squash soup and he had 3 bowls of this. Thank you!
Totally forgot to rate! 5 stars!
This is hands down the best butternut squash recipe I have tasted. Added a southern twist by using smoked molasses instead of maple syrup and added a “touch” of cayenne pepper. Oh Cher… Delicious.
For a lighter squash soup, used a sweet apple instead of maple syrup. (I chopped it fine and cooked it in between adding the onion and the garlic)
After tasting, my husband said it needed acidity. A few drops of lemon (I mean very few) and it tastes great!
Made this for Yhanksgiving and it is definitely a keeper. Doubled
The recipe and did it in 2 batches using 3 cups ov broth for each.
Perfect cosistency. Made it the day before but next year will make it 2 days in advance.
Great recipe for a nice fall day! It was super quick, easy and tasted delish! Loved it!
We loved your recipe. The only downer is I don’t have a Vitamix, but I’m asking Santa for one. The texture was very smooth and creamy, and the flavor incredible. Topped it with the own squashes seeds roasted.
Delicious and easy.
So easy and so delicious!! I’ve made it twice this week
Twice in one week! I say that is a success. Thanks for your review, Jennifer!
Love this soup! Thank you so much! Agreed- it is the best butternut squash soup recipe I have had. Just a couple notes: I added zero sweetener/syrup and the flavor was perfect; I used an immersion blender (which I love) and the soup was thick, creamy and perfectly blended. So easy to clean up too. I felt a little discouraged reading the recipe, but I am glad I went for it; finally, chopping the shallot and garlic, preparing the squash and scooping it out, as well as blending took well over 10 minutes, more like 20… Thanks again for the recipe!
I am glad you gave it a try, Cynthia! Enjoy!
This was a great soup, thank you! I had frozen butternut squash and really wanted to make something with it and I love soup any time. Really simple especially with my Blentec. My husband who thinks he doesn’t like fall/winter type squashes, loved it. Every recipe I have made from your cookbook have been fantastic too!
Winner! That is great. Thank you, Nancy for sharing and for your review!
If I just have a regular blender should I just put the squash in by itself
No, I would advise following the instructions here. All blenders require some liquid to blend properly.
We loved this recipe when I made it a few weeks ago. Searched through my history so that I could make it again. Thank you!
Yay! Repeat. That is great, Dan. Thank you, for your review and feedback!
I’m in the process of making this now. The squash has been roasting for about 35 minutes and I just looked in the oven and there is a significant amount of liquid in the pan. Is that supposed to happen??
Hi Manuel, sounds like you got a particularly juicy butternut! I hope your soup turned out well. If that happens again and causes problems, I might (very carefully!) pour some of that liquid off the pan into the sink, then return it to the oven.
Just made this and it is the best butternut squash soup ever! Flavorful and satisfying yet so easy to make. Many thanks for the recipe!
Hooray! You are welcome, Saida!
Just blended the batch. The best butternut squash soup I’ve ever tried and from my kitchen. Just beautiful. I’m so happy to have found your website. Keep up the great work. You inspire me.
Thank you, Diane for your kind words! I am happy you like it so much!
Delicious!
Thank you, Kadri!
Flawless recipe. I should just stop using other websites and just use yours. This was the first time I made soup in my vitamix, and it was perfect. I added 1/2 tsp marjoram and a pinch of cayenne. Ran out of maple syrup so just put in a little honey. Roasted 2.5 lbs butternut squash cubes for 45 mins at 400. Such an amazing recipe!!
Thank you, JJG for your review and feedback! I am glad it was such a hit!
So good…simply easy and delicious.
I couldn’t agree more, Virginia!
For My soup, the garlic was too strong and I like garlic. I put the right amount to in and added them to the skillet once the shallots were almost done for almost a minute. The butternut squash was a smaller one, would that the problem? What could I do to fix it?
Hi Marlene, if your butternut squash was small, that would explain why the other flavors are more pronounced. I hope the garlic mellowed out overnight and that you enjoyed the soup more the next day! In the future, you can tame down strong flavors with some extra butter or cream.
This was delicious, easy and amazingly creamy! I was so glad the instructions included cutting the squash in half and roasting. I see so many recipes that say to cut your raw butternut squash into several pieces, and I abandon those recipes immediately. Maybe I’m wimpy, but the idea of cutting a raw, hard butternut squash into more than just half sends nightmares of an ER visit through my brain. Also, I have an immersion blender, but following the instructions on your note about immersion blenders made this turn out perfectly! Even my meat-loving hubby enjoyed this soup. Thank you!
Happy you and your meat loving husband liked it, Laurie! Roasting the halved squash before cutting provides a great flavor and makes it easier for sure. Thank you for the great review!
Super delicious, and easy to make. Love the flavor from the roasting the squash, and no heavy cream needed. Yumm!! Thanks :)
Can’t beat roasted butternut squash in the fall! Glad it was a winner for you, Shennon!
Wow this turned out amazing for me! I roasted my butternut squash, sautéed onion and garlic, blended it with just chicken broth, salt, pepper and the little bit of nutmeg. That adds such a nice little touch!
Me too! Exact same method tonight! Smells amazing.
Happy you are so pleased, Bells! Can’t beat a good fall soup right about now. I appreciate your feedback and review!
Roasting the butternut squash in the oven is so much easier than chopping raw. My family and I really enjoyed this soup. What a great recipe! Perfect for weeknights.
Butternut squash can be tricky! I agree with you. Thank you for sharing and for your great review, Shauna :)
Making this for office potluck tomorrow. High hopes. I love butternut squash and soups. Typical guy… I didn’t have shallots or vegetable broth so I used a small portion of onion and a thinned chicken broth. I carmelized the onions and garlic very well in the butter and olive oil to mellow out their onion-yness. Smells amazing. Tastes a bit darker than I expected, and very rich. Going to reheat then add the nutmeg, cinnamon, maple syrup and almonds as a drizzle on top tomorrow. Hope it works… Anxious to find out!
Good luck! Hard to go wrong with this soup during the fall. Thank you, Chad for sharing and your review!
I am not really a soup-lover, so I am not a good soup-maker. However, my son asked for soup, and I decided to give this recipe a try. I am so glad I did! My son said it tasted like soup from a gourmet restaurant. The only problem was that it wasn’t enough. He ate most of it and my daughter only got a little. She also said it was great and she wanted more. I only got a taste. Next time I will double the recipe. Thank you for this recipe.I was redeemed as a soup-maker, at least this time.
Hooray! It never hurts to double the batch. Leftovers are the best! Thank you for sharing!
Had the son in law peel my local grown butternut squash, I had a different recipe in mind. Am so glad I found your (Kate) recipe. An easy with a few simple ingredients recipe. I followed your recipe to the T with the exception of using local organic honey, no maple
syrup in the pantry! Thanks, I will be trying your other recipes…. My tummy is full and satisfied! YUM!
You are welcome, Robbi! Love hearing it worked well and you are satisfied :) Thanks so much for your feedback and review!
Can I use my regular Kitchen Aid blender if I don’t have the Vitaminix blender?
Yes, that will work!
5 star rating. Delicious, made it with Vitamix, then put in 3qt. Crock Pot to keep warm for a late supper, also made Cuban Sandwich to serve with soup. Will make this again.
Thank you,
I skipped the mayple syrup and it still tastes wonderful. Thank you for a simple recipe that I can enjoy.
I found this recipe and knew this was exactly what I was looking for. Roasting the squash make all the difference. I have doubled the recipe twice and drizzled the top with a friends pure maple syrup. Oh my gosh I got raves. It is velvet in my mouth and the sweet was the perfect accompaniment. Thank you so much!
Roasting the squash is delightful for sure! Velvet is such a wonderful descriptor. I like it! Thanks so much for the review!
I used this recipe as a loose guide to doctor up some store bought (bland) butternut squash soup and OMG it was the best decision. Next time I’ll definitely start from scratch but the addition of the maple syrup and fresh nutmeg *swoon* so good.
I am happy it helped you make your store bought version so much better. I recommend making it from scratch :) It is always better. Thanks so much for your review, Liz!