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.
This soup is delicious and perfect for a cold evening! I don’t have a Vita mix, so I blended the onions (in place of shallots) and garlic in some of the broth first and then added the squash. Was wonderful! Thank you!
I agree with you, so great when it is chilly out. I like how you improvised with getting the creamy consistency without a Vita Mix. Happy it worked for you! Thank you, Suzanne for your great review.
Terrific soup. No problem using my immersion blender to produce a smooth result. Topped each bowl with a seed/nut blend and the entire potful of soup quickly disappeared with delight.
Thank you for this excellent recipe.
Welcome! Immersion blenders are a great tool to have in the kitchen. If you wouldn’t mind leaving a star review, I would appreciate it!
Please append the 5 star rating to my comment above.
Amazing!! I’ve made this recipe 3 times already. It’s so great for lunches. I serve mine over extra chunks of roasted butternut squash and top with roasted hulled pumpkin seeds. The first two times I used an immersion blender and the last time I used my Ninja. Both methods are good but what a difference the Ninja makes!
Just made this tonight!! Didn’t have shallots, so I used onion instead,…turkey stock also, boy it was amazing!!! Thank you so much!!
Was standing in the grocery store last night, when it came to me.. I want to make a soup! Of course pulled up your food blog and found this delicious recipe. It was SO easy, and SO delicious! I roasted so pumpkin seeds to put in top for a bit of crunch. Thank you Kate!
This soup was the bomb! Five stars in our vegan cookbook. The beauty is the simplicity
Thanks so much, Quentin! I am happy this turned out so great for you and I really appreciate the review. Hopefully there are some leftovers you can enjoy this weekend!
This came out pretty good, loved the maple syrup and peppery edge, but I think it was too much garlic (and I love garlic). The garlic flavor overpowered the sweetness of the squash, so if i made it again, I would only add 1 clove, if any. My son loves squash soup and he would not eat it, unfortunately. Maybe my garlic was stronger?
Hi Maura, I’m sorry to hear that! I’m surprised by it, too, considering that garlic’s flavor mellows out so much as it is cooked. You might need to cook it a bit longer next time, but yes, I would scale back next time regardless.
Too much garlic!!!! (and I love garlic). I’d only use 1 clove, if any
Thank you for your comment, Maura! I do love garlic, but I am happy you are able to adjust this to your tastes to make it work :)
Very nice soup, velvety texture, easy to make. I used this recipe to try out my Vitamix in soup mode for the first time. I added some fresh rosemary and thyme before processing in the Vitamix. Everything blended up nicely.
Great recipe to try out your Vitamix! It is a handy kitchen appliance. Thank you, Jolie for your review :)
This was fantastic! I used a can of coconut milk in place of some of the broth for an extra creamy texture. The Vitamix made it silky smooth. I will make this again for sure!
Creamy and delicious! Thank you, Amber for your review :)
I’m a big fan of butternut squash soup but I’ve never attempted to make it before. Wow, this was soooooo delicious.
It can be intimidating, but so happy you did try and that you enjoyed it! Thanks for the review, Aleta. If you would want to provide a star review since you loved it so much, that would be awesome :)
I fixed this Roasted Butternut Squash Soup and it was so very good!! I had enough from this recipe to put into 2 pint jars, freezing one. (my husband doesn’t like these ‘weird’ soups, ha). I couldn’t find shallots so I used about 2 tsp of finely chopped onion. Next time I will look harder for a shallot or only use 1 tsp…you could slightly taste the onion and much more would have overpowered the deliciousness of the soup! Thank you for this great recipe. Christine
Wow! I never was in love with butternut squash soup before, but this was delicious. I like how it’s creamless – it makes me feel better about eating an ample serving or two! Thank you for your amazing recipes.
Hooray! Glad I was able to win your butternut squash tastebuds with this recipe. Thank you, Mary for your review. :)
I just had to rate this recipe….so good. I’m eating leftovers today and it’s amazing. Also freezing some;)
So happy you did provide a review, Aleta! I really appreciate it. Let me know how the freezing goes! I am always interested as I don’t always freeze my recipes. Enjoy!
This soup was delicious! The depth of flavor achieved with only 5 ingredients…..! So Tasty! Thank you!
You are welcome, Jessica! Thanks so much for your review.
I made this soup last night and It came out great. My husband loved it. I used 4 lbs of butternut squash so I added extra stock and a little extra shallots. This will become a regular for me. I like easy recipes which is another reason why I liked this.
Thanks so much for the review, Sandra! Happy to hear it will be a favorite go-to!
Delicious!! My family loves it.
That is great! Thanks, Crystelle for the review.
Made this organic and vegan for my daughter’s birthday party (adult). It was salty! People said, delicious, but salty. Whether you are using veg broth or chicken, there is salt in broth. Would suggest no added salt in recipe, let eaters choose.
I am sorry you found it salty! Make sure to grab low sodium broth if you are concerned with over powering salty taste or add a little less of the salt it calls for based on your taste. Hope this helps!
can this be froze?
Great question, Pam! I don’t freeze all of my recipes so I can’t speak specifically to how it has turned out for me. But, I know some other readers who have froze this soup and it worked just fine. Let me know what works for you!
yes, it can, made it 4 days prior to the event and froze it for 3 days, defrosted it, warmed on stove top…. perfection.. I added a couple of teaspoons of curry powder to it… was a hit for the wedding brunch .. served with salad and quiche..
just finished making butternut soup never had it before,it was delicious now i know what my friends are talking about.thanks kate *****
Thank you, John for your comment! Happy to hear you like it. I would welcome a star review if you wouldn’t mind since you liked it so much :)
Is the best butternut squash soup I have ever had. It is creamy and delicious! I like mine a little sweeter so I added 2 teaspoons of maple syrup. So yummy!
Thank you for your review and comment, Loretta! I am happy you enjoyed it.
I’m just looking over this recipe and wondering if I’m really supposed to use 1/2 CUP of shallots. I’m not the most experienced cook, but that seems like an awful lot to me.
Hi June – Yes, you are correct! It calls for a 1/2 cup of chopped shallots or should be equal to one large shallot. I hope this helps!
Holy garlic batman! Would definitely try again with half the garlic.
I love garlic! But I know for some it can be more prominent. Let me know how it goes with less garlic.
Epic soup! Made it today for lunch as I was home sick. I’ve always found squash too watery for soups, but cooked this way and with some butter to add creaminess, it turns out perfect!
Thanks for sharing, will become a staple for a soup lover like me :)
x
Sorry to hear you are sick! But I am happy this soup was just what you needed. Thanks so much for the review, Veronica :)
My mom never made squash for us growing up so I’ve always been a little afraid of it. I bought a butternut squash and didn’t know what to do with it – used it in this recipe and it was perfect! (I didn’t have shallots around so I used a regular onion and it was still great). Other recipes I’ve seen use cream cheese in this soup – I got creamy results without it! This will get copied down! Thanks!
Thank you, Katie for your review and comment!
Hi Kate,
Excited to be making this today…for the sake that I’m feeling lazy, I bought my squash already chopped but I’m having portion anxiety because I need approximately 15 servings. So I bought 4 pounds of cut up squash. How many pounds do you think are in a large butternut squash? Once I figure out that, I will know how much broth etc… thank you!
Great question, Debra! I would say a large butternut squash is roughly 3 pounds, which is what this recipe calls for. Hope this helps!
Wow – I made this recipe almost exactly as stated (I used pre-cubed butternut squash and roasted until I could see the cubes were browning) and after the shallots and garlic were done, I deglazed the pan with a little splash of white wine. Also, I used freshly grated nutmeg with a fine grater. Then I heated it all up in my vitamix. I added enough broth to make it smooth (judged by eye). I added nearly 2 tbsp of butter at the end but still expected that I would need to add cream (I love creamed soup) but nope, it was beautiful and delicious just on its own! (I might add a swirl of cream to make it look fancy for company but it really didn’t need it). **Tip, to reduce the air bubbles from high speed mixing, just take it right down to the lowest speed at the very end and that will dispel most of the air bubbles that sometimes make a soup “foamy”.**
Thank you for your comment and review, Ros! Happy to hear how much you like it. It is so creamy without the cream, right?!
Tried the soup tonight for supper with some fresh baked bread and butter. so good! WILL DEFINITELY MAKE AGAIN!
Hooray! Thank you, Truus.
Delicious—it’s the roasting. I don’t have a cooker/blender, but I scooped the hot squash directly into my food processor, added the onion (didn’t have shallot)and garlic powder (out of fresh garlic) still hot in oil from the sauté pan, nutmeg, grated black pepper, teaspoon of molasses(out of maple syrup) and processed one minute. Perfect warmth for immediate serving and delicious.
Thank you, Cheryl for your comment and review!
This soup is delicious. I substituted honey for the maple syrup and pumpkin pie spice for the nutmeg because I didnt have either in my pantry and it is so delicious. For future recipe users, I cooked mine on stovetop and then blended it with a ninja- just a heads up, it looks thinner while it’s simmering on the stove than after it’s all mixed where it thickens back up so reserve the stock for the end. So good!!
Outstanding. There is no need to use any other recipe. Bravo!!
Thank you, Marge!
I had to sub chicken broth for veggie broth and a regular yellow onion for a shallot and it was SOOOO good. I can’t wait to try it again when I have the actual ingredients but I no doubt it’ll be yum. My kids even liked (boys aged 2 & 4)!
I am glad you were still able to make it work! Those are good substitutions. It is so good. Thank so much for your review. :)
I love this recipe!! I dont have a blender so I used a hand mixer. Still turned amazing & people loved it.
Hand mixer can work just as well! Thank you for your comment, Katerina. Since you liked it so much, I would love if you would leave a star review!. :)
This is an amazing recipe. I will never peel & chop butternut squash again for soup. I tend to like chicken broth better, so I used that and it came out so wonderful! This will definitely be a repeat. Thank you for your great recipe.
It makes it so much easier that is true! I am glad it turned out so well. Thank you, Beth for your review.
I love this recipe – I’ve made it so many times this fall :)
Do you post the nutrition information of your recipes?
Happy to hear that Rebecca! As for nutritional information, I provide estimates below the recipes and notes section. You need to click on Nutritional Information to expand. Hope this helps!
This soup is delicious! I don’t have a Vitamix, but blended it up in my Ninja blender and put it on the stove to heat up. It turned out really well! Thanks for the recipe.
Ninja works well too! Thank you, for your comment and review Katie.
This is a good, very simple squash soup recipe and the Vitamix definitely makes a much creamier soup than my immersion blender. The soup was much sweeter than I like, even without the maple syrup but that probably had more to do with my squash than with the actual recipe.
Thank you, Constance for your review and comment! You could always add less maple syrup if you find it too sweet.
This was super easy and soooo yummy!
Great to hear, Regina!
Absolutely the tastiest butternut squash soup I’ve made to date! And so so easy! The roasted squash is the standout star of this yummy version. Thank you for this recipe!
Thank you, Nicole!
This was very easy and delicious. I had some homemade chicken stock and wow… I forgot to add the maple syrup. I will remember next time. I added a little nutmeg, ginger, salt and pepper. enjoy!
I’m happy you found it simple and delicious! Thanks so much for your review.
Hi Kate! Can a regular blender be used instead of a vitamix?
Yes, you can. Vitamix works really great due to its power and set-up. It’s my blender of choice. :) You should be able to use other blenders as well.
My husband and I used this recipe in our NutriBullet. We had amazing hot puréed soup in 7 minutes! So simple, too.
Fantastic! Thanks, Lindsay for your feedback.
I love butternut squash soup and this is by far the tastiest I’ve ever had!
My boyfriend liked it so much that he has requested that I bring it to Christmas dinner at his parents’ house!
Winning! That’s great to hear, Marna. I appreciate the review.
Love this recipe. I add a pepper sauce to give it some heat. I make this very often. Thank you!
Sounds wonderful! Thank you, for your review Laura.
I made this soup today, my entire family loves it!! I double the recipe, so we have plenty. REALLY warms you up on a 13 degree day!!
Yes, it sure does! I’m happy to hear that Cindy. Thanks so much for your review.
This soup is delicious. I saw many other recipes with heavy cream and/or sour cream in them and while I’m sure they also taste very good they aren’t going to be as healthy as this soup. It really doesn’t need any of that. It is great as written. Thanks for the recipe, I will be making this one again.
It is so creamy! You are welcome, Mike. Thanks for your review!
Made it. Simply delicious!
Wonderful!
I made this soup tonight and it was deeeelish. I read through the comment section first and disagree with the “too much garlic” comments. If you use the required amount of butternut squash and stock the garlic portion is perfect. I omitted the maple syrup and used 1 cup of chicken broth simply because we like our soup on the savory side. I’ll definitely make this again for years to come. Thank you, Kate, for sharing your cooking talent and yummy recipes.
Thank you, Elle for your comment and review! I’m happy it was such a success and delight for you :)
A hit at family gathering. Such a delicious, creamy soup –without the cream! Easy gourmet food! I used an immersion blender and it worked out great. I used a combo of my own veg stock plus not-chick’n bullion. The mace and flavorings in the not chick’n blend with nutmeg etc for this recipe. I also used frozen cubed squash, thawed and tossed with olive oil s&p then roastd instead of whole squash.
Wonderful! Thank you, Wende for your detailed comment and review. I really appreciate it.
Amazing soup with tons of flavour! I topped it with avocado, crispy onion rings broken up and pumpkin seeds!
Thank you, Nicole! Sounds like great additions. I appreciate the review.