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.
Great soup! I didn’t have shallots so just used 1/2 cup of a diced red onion. Still was delicious! I also went the lazy route and just used frozen butternut squash. Heated on the stove in 7 minutes while sauté wing onion/garlic.
I always love the recipes shared on this website. So delicious and vegan friendly for my plant-based husband! Bravo!
Thank you for sharing! I appreciate the kind words, Tiffany. And sometimes, a few shortcuts are needed.
Thank you so much for this recipe! It wa so creamy—how nice to know I can get that creaminess without cream! I added a dash of cinnamon with the nutmeg. It was so yummy at lunch the day after I made it.
That’s one of my favorite things about this recipe. Thank you, Victoria for your review!
First, I love your blog, it’s one of my go-to’s. Second, I’d like to make a more savory version of this. I also have a lot of carrots in the house from my CSA box. Do you have any thoughts about making this savory and adding carrots? Thanks in advance!!
Hi Stacey! Carrots are sweet like butternut, so I’m not sure they would tip the flavor more to the savory side. I would call this soup well-balanced thanks to the shallot and garlic, though—it’s not exactly sweet. I wish I knew how to offer a better answer to your question!
I would cut the amount of shallots in half (1/4 cup) When I made this recipe, the shallots dominated and all the subtle flavors of the squash, maple syrup and nutmeg were lost.
I’m sorry to hear that! Thanks for sharing your experience and how you plan to make it your own in the future.
I made this soup using two bags of frozen butternut squash (purchased at Publix.) I put the squash into a pot of water and boiled. The soup turned out beautifully! It is filling and feels like a comfort food to me. Thanks, Kate!
Wonderful! Thank you for stopping to provide a comment and review. Enjoy the leftovers (if you have any!).
I may be dense, but I thought you HAD to peel the squash in order to get the knife through it. Any tips for whacking it in half without peeling or cutting off a finger? Are my knives just not sharp enough?
It depends on the cooking method! Make sure you have a sharp and large knife. That should do the trick!
This soup was delicious! Thanks
Great! You’re welcome.
Absolutely loved it!!
Wonderful! Thank you, Desiree for your review.
It was really good. I did add star anise. I thought it would add a nice flavour. Trust me, don’t add it.
Thanks for the tip, Marion!
This is absolutely delicious soup and so easy to make! So glad I discovered you!
Welcome! I’m happy you discovered the blog as well. Thanks for the review, Joyce.
I used a small butternut squash to make this soup for lunch today. SO CREAMY and DELICIOUS- I finished it all! I am going to buy the ingredients to make a bigger batch share with my daughter’s family tomorrow. Perfect fare for these cold winter days!
Yes, it’s great for cold days! Thank you, Phyllis for your review and comment.
Loved this recipe! So simple but so yummy. Much better and easier than the vegan recipe my daughter had me make. I added a little cayenne pepper for a little kick!
Nice addition. Thank you, Doreen for sharing.
Absolutely love this soup recipe! So easy to make and so so good.
It’s so good! I’m happy you like it, Anna. I appreciate the review.
So good and so easy!! I added cayenne as well for a little kick and extra broth because I prefer mine more on the runny side. Will definitely try this again
Great! Thank you, Abby.
Thanks for this great recipe! I particularly like this savory take on butternut squash soup (most of them I find to be too sweet for my liking). This is a very nice savory alternative. It’s amazing how thick and creamy this came out without using cream. A delicious and healthy soup! Yum!
You’re welcome, Katie! Thank you, for your review.
Don’t be deceived by the simple recipe! This soup is perfect. Used onions instead of shallot, and blended it with my immersion blender. The leftovers are fantastic.
Glad to hear that, Jess! Thank you for your review.
This is my favorite squash soup recipe! I come back to it over and over again. I usually make it as written, but sometimes add some carrots/apples/sweet potatoes/whatever I need to use up. I also like to roast the shallot or onion with the squash.
I do like to save the seeds (why waste them?), roasting them with the squash in the last 10-15 minutes. I toss with a little oil and sprinkle with a spice blend or seasoning, such as garlic sriracha. They make an excellent garnish, and make it look fancy, too.
Thanks for sharing how you vary this sometimes, Karen! Thank you for the review.
Love love LOVE how simple and delicious this is! I don’t have a vitamix… so blended in my Ninja, then warmed up in the same pot I sautéed the shallots and garlic in. I added some Kasuri Methi leaves and a pinch of tikka masala powder for the extra kick. Soooo good! Especially on this dreary winter day. Can’t wait to try out your other soup recipes!
I have made this several times and just love to eat this soup! My daughter-in-law requested this recipe after visiting. It is always fun to find great recipes for my vegetarian that my meat eaters will love.
That’s great to hear, Ada! Thanks for your review.
Just made the soup. I read it wrong, it said up to 4 cups of broth and I should of gradually added the broth instead of putting it all in at once. I would start with 3 cups next time so my soup is thicker. I’m simmering it now in hopes to reduce the liquid. I also will only use 2 cloves of garlic next time. It is a little heavy on the garlic side for my family but over all a very delicious soup!
Thanks for the review! Those sound like great ways to make it suit your taste, Lynda.
This soup was delicious I will definitely make it again. It was easy and not too many ingredients. Thank you for the recipe.
Wonderful, Anna! Thank you for trying it!
I’m on the Whole30 diet so I left out the syrup and butter (subbed ghee) and it was AMAZING! My husband, who mind you HATES yellow/orange veggies, was over the moon about this soup. I sauteed the shallots/garlic in a big pot and mixed it all with a wand blender. I’ll be adding this as a dinner staple for sure!
Over the moon even with the colored veggies :) That’s wonderful. Thank you, Lillian for the review.
Did I miss the amount of calories? Thanks.
Hi Pamela – I’m actively working to resolve an issue with the nutritional plug-in. I’m sorry for any inconvenience!
Thank you for this wonderful recipe! I use my Kitchen Aid blender and it works just fine. I’ve made it several times and it’s always a big hit. It’s a great soup for vegan and gluten free as well. Everyone can enjoy it!
You’re welcome! Yes, great soup for all. Thank you, Leslie!
Loved it! The roasted flavour makes a lot of difference especially with the maple syrup.
Thanks!
I know! It really sets it apart. Thanks for commenting, Naida.
Just finished making this. Absolutely delicious!!
Thank you, Beverly!
Loved this recipe and the ease of making it!
Wonderful, Peg!
This soup is delicious!! And very easy to make. I used 2 cloves of garlic the second time I made it, 4 was a bit overpowering.
If 2 cloves work for you, that’s great! A good way to adjust to your flavor profile. Thanks for sharing, Cathy!
I have cooked this soup several times and it is really delicious. There is no other recipe for this soup that is so tasty. Thanks.
Love to hear that, Ester! Thanks for sharing.
I made this in a whim tonight for dinner after being on a soup kick for a week. Been craving butternut squash soup but the thick creamy kind. This recipe is beyond perfection. I will be making this a regular staple of mine. I’m so happy w how it turned out thank you for this recipe!
You’re welcome, Kat!
This soup was the best butternut squash soup ever! It was very creamy and the flavor was wonderful!
Thank you, Patty!
Just made this recipe and it’s fantastic!! The flavour is so good and it was really easy to make. Thanks for sharing this! Best butternut squash soup I’ve had :)
Thank yoU, Sasha!
Honestly, it’s July 4th and I made this for the first time. SO easy, SO delicious!!!!
Thanks for sharing, Carol! I appreciate the review.
I´ve made the soup for our dinner today :) yummy
Great! Thank you, Steph for your review.
Delicious soup!! Thank you for posting this recipe: easy to make, easy to follow instructions and marvelous taste!!
You’re so welcome!
Can you use acorn squash
I wouldn’t recommend it for this soup based on differing taste.
Can I make this with citizen butternutswuafh cubes ? How much , Also whst can I replace the broth with pkease
3 lbs of diced squash? or a 3 lb whole squash?
I made this soup several months ago, but it was disappointingly bland. I want to make it again, but am unsure of how to up the flavor. Any tips?
So good! Just made it and it’s one of the best butternut squash soups I’ve ever had! Will definitely make it again!
Great to hear, Julia! Thanks for your review and comment. I’m glad this is on your list to make again!
So easy and delicious; perfect for fall! Even my non-soup-lover partner enjoyed it (with a grilled cheese on the side).
Will certainly make over and over again; thank you!
Oh grilled cheese, delicious! I’m happy you both were able to enjoy the soup. Thank you, Samantha for your review!
This was fabulous! I made vegetable broth in my instant pot and used that in my soup. I can’t wait to share some soup with my 90 year old mom!
Great to hear!
The color came out beautiful and the consistency seems right BUT something got messed up along the way. My soup came out with a tang that just wasn’t right :( I hope to retry in the future and see if I can get it right…
I’m sorry to hear that! Hmmm.. that’s interesting! You can always add a little more olive oil to taste to get it more of luxurious taste. Hope this helps some!
Absolutely delicious!!!! The best butternut squash soup I have ever had!!!
Thank you, Susan!
Delicious!!!!
I used ginger in addition to the other ingredients and topped it up with full-fat coconut milk – Yummy
Oh that sounds like something I might need to try!
Just made this soup and wow! Thank you for continuing to create/share such amazing recipes. This soup was a hit with everyone, even those who claim to note like butternut squash dishes
You’re welcome, Charlotte!
Hi Kate, I have made this recipe several times since I found it online a year ago. It is out of this world. My husband and I both love it. The only thing I add at the end is when serving, we add 1 teaspoon of sour cream and crumbled Turkey bacon to each bowl. And wow the flavor explodes.
Out of this world? Well, thank you! I appreciate you taking the time to review and comment, Kim.
I’m about three years late, but I made this recipe and loved it! ;) I’ve never made butternut squash soup before and am not the best cook, but I can generally tell by an ingredient list if I’ll like a recipe or not. This is perfect – easy, flavorful, and healthy. I used an immersion blender and followed the recipe exactly. Delicious, definitely will be making it again! Thanks for sharing!
You aren’t late! I’m so glad you commented, Nicole. You’re welcome! Thanks for our review and comment.
I have made this with and without butter depending on if my Vegan daughter is home. Honestly it is so creamy and good it really doesn’t need the butter. I make this with smoked gouda and apple sliced cheese sandwiches and it is to die for. Thanks for the awesome recipe.
That does sound like a great combination! I will need to try that. Thanks for sharing, Mark!
Oh my goodness. This has such a great flavor and texture! I used 2 cans of vegetable broth in total for my recipe. Ultimate comfort food here and perfect for fall. Thank you for sharing.
Great soup for fall, I agree! Thank you, Jennifer.