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 grew shallots and garlic and it was thrilling to use them in this recipe :)
I used half the number of cloves and shallots since ours are premium, meaning huge!
24 lbs of squash made dinner for 3, leftovers for my son and his wife and for myself, and 4 freezer soup meals :)
Thanks for sharing this delicious recipe!
Hello, Is the Roasted Butternut Squash Soup recipe in your cookbook?
This one is specific to the blog. I hope you love it!
I’ve made so many different butternut squash soup recipes, but now I can stop trying new ones. This was so yummy. I used packaged pre-cut squash cut in 1″ cubes which cut the roasting time to 20 minutes (and used a 400 setting). This time-saver worked great for a weeknight dinner. I also used less salt on the shallots and the flavor balance was perfect.
I made this for my husbands birthday lunch and we loved it. We had a plethora of butternut squash from our garden so I also made a second batch for later. I made it just like the recipe but it didn’t take all of the broth to make it the thickness that he wanted it. It was fabulous. Thank you so much for sharing your cooking talent with the world.
You’re welcome, Dana!
I have to say this is the best ! My husband and I love it and I always make it in the fall. As far as bland.. we always add a teaspoon of sour cream and some crumbled fresh bacon to each bowl we fill and it makes the soup even delicious. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Couldn’t stop tasting this from the blender. It’s wonderful. My squash was 2lbs so I scaled back the recipe a bit. I don’t often have shallots, so I used yellow onion. I was all out of homemade broth, so I used boxed chicken broth and this is still excellent! I look forward to trying it with shallot some time and homemade broth. I might cook my garlic a little longer next time but that’s just fine tuning for my taste.
This is a simple soup that shows off the ingredients. I don’t find it bland. Nutmeg is a strong spice and a touch is just right. Roasting the squash well to get a bit of browning and using good ingredients (grass fed butter!) makes this just lovely.
Thank you for this wonderful, easy recipe!
I’m glad you loved it, Simone!
I’ve made this recipe 4 times exactly as written, and it is absolutely delicious. My only complaint is that it’s gone too soon!
Today I forgot to add the sautéed shallots and garlic to the blender, so the soup has tasty little bits to crunch on. Not bad as blunders go!
Although I enjoy hot, sweet, and savory spices, I wouldn’t add a thing to this recipe. The subtle-sweet flavor of the butternut squash does not need competition.
Thanks for a great recipe!
Yummy! And easy!
Loved the recipe. The idea of using the upright blender instead of my immersion blender was the best advice. The last time I made butternut squash soup, I used my immersion blender and it was grainy and I was very disappointed. Just like you mentioned! I loved the suggestion of butter and syrup. It was perfect just the way you make it. I did, however, add applesauce and cinnamon because thats how my Grandma would make it. Thank you for your recipe. I will take a look at other recipes from you!
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Cynthia! I appreciate your review.
Too garlicky imo. I will definitely be cutting back on that but everything else was delish
Hi Kate! Love your site! Question: Approximately how many cups of mashed butternut squash does a 3-lb squash yield for this recipe? I have a bunch leftover from making a half recipe of your butternut squash mac n cheese (YUM) and am wondering if I can use it for this recipe (or a scaled down version). If you have an estimate, that would be helpful! :)
I don’t have the cups measurement, sorry!
I roasted the shallots, squash and garlic on one pan to have one less thing to do. Really brings out the natural flavors and the touch of maple syrup + nutmeg really enhance it. The only addition I did was 5 cups total stock + 1/4 cup dried red lentils. I wanted to make it more filling but not alter texture or taste too much. The red lentils melted right in making it nice and creamy. Would great with stuffing croutons or brown butter fried sage leaves spooned on top.
Absolutely delicious! Used Tbspn of maple syrup instead of tape, by accident, but the kids and I adored it!
Great to hear, Janice!
Love, love, love your soups!
This is about the third time I’ve made this particular soup and it always turns out delicious.
I cooked my squash hole in the instant pot. And then scooped it out, avoiding cutting a hard squash. It worked out perfectly.
That’s great to hear, LuAnn!
Omg! This soup is so delicious…don’t know why people say it’s bland. It has all the flavour you need. I did do one thing different I added two carrots to roast with squash…I only did that because I try and get carrots in my diet every other day for my eyes. This is so simple, but it looks like it took a lot of time to make. Love that you don’t need cream milk…it’s so creamy non it’s own.
Great to hear, Barb!
For some reason, the garlic was so overpowering! I’m wondering what I did wrong. I doubled the batch so that was 8 cloves of garlic – it’s all I could taste or smell. Darn!
I’m sorry to hear that! Were the cloves on the larger side?
WOW. This was a super simple recipe and stunningly delicious. I roasted the butternut squash the day before along with the onions and a garlic bulb with the top trimmed off and dipped in olive oil. I added butter to the onions and carmelized them in the oven along with the squash. Used the Vitamix blender to puree them the next day with the other ingredients and just heated it up in the pan. I added a little additional maple syrup and a dash of cinnamon and topped with pepitas for a little texture. I’m already on my second bowl. Would never believe this is accidentally vegan. Will definitely make this for my sister who is hard to cook for. Thanks so much.
I usually have great luck with Cookie and Kate recipes. This one was just okay – it took a lot of extra seasoning to get some better flavor
This recipe was delicious, thank you ! I personally roasted the onion in the oven as well because i was feeling too lazy too chop it :) i took the onion out after 20 mins because it was cooked faster than the squash and put it straight in the blender to cool off. I truly don’t understand why people would take the time to make a negative review on your recipe. Everyones tastes and palate are different and every recipe needs to be adjusted for personal preferences. Thank you again it was delicious !
You’re welcome, Sabrina!
Best butternut squash soup I’ve ever had. I love that there is no cream or milk yet it was so creamy.
Roasting the squash made a hugh difference.
I’ve made so many puréed butternut soups in my lifetime and this one may top the list (and easy to boot)! I agree they the roasting technique must make it work (do much more flavor than peeling and boiling)! Thanks for sharing your recipes and talent with us. Cheers!
Made this soup today, it turned out pretty good. I didn’t have some of the ingredients Nutmeg, I Substituted Cinnamon for that. Veggie Stock I used Chicken Stock. I did add a little Ground Cayenne Pepper, just cause I like a little heat. I also added some chopped Ham as I’m going to be taking this to work for lunch so I wanted a little protein as well. Good recipe to start with. Thank you for sharing it with us.
Time for this year’s first batch. I already know I love it from last year. It is spectacular! I often use onion instead of shallot because I have one handy. I love nutmeg, so I think I increased that a bit. This year I am roasting a small squash in the air fryer because it is still 80 degrees in October; but I can’t wait any longer!!!
This Butternut Squash Soup recipe is the best I have tasted. I found myself licking every utensil and bowl I used not wanting to rinse away a single drop. (I will roast squash uncovered from now on as the flavour is just wonderful). It made lots so I’m freezing some as a future treat on a cold night. ❤️So good!!
Great to hear, Gerry! I appreciate your review.
Time for this year’s first batch. I already know I love it from last year. It is spectacular! I often use onion instead of shallot because I have one handy. I love nutmeg, so I think I increased that a bit. This year I am roasting a small squash in the air fryer because it is still 80 degrees in October; but I can’t wait any longer!!!
And I made it before I posted. Delicious.
I searched quite some time for a butternut squash recipe before making it for the first time and landed on this version because of its simplicity and the suggestion of roasting the squash compared to boiling it. Some other recipes included cream, potatoes or even water but all of these I thought would take away from the flavor of the squash. I deviated slightly in adding half a farm fresh apple, more tart than sweet. Also, I used an immersion blender and found the consistency to be perfect. The spices selection is just right, although I also added a bit of cinnamon with the nutmeg. The outcome was phenomenal. I am looking forward to making it again, as the portion has already dwindled to the last bowl. Personally, I see spice measurements (mostly) as a safe guideline to be favorable to most, but always end up being more liberal with them myself. If you find something to be bland, just add more spice! Nothing wrong with that – taste is subjective. 5/5 super pleased with this recipe, set a really solid guideline to make a soup I have never made before.
Made this soup today from fresh butternut squash I got from a local farm yesterday. It’s my first time making anything like this. It’s amazing!! I followed the recipe as is and there is so much flavor! It’s anything but bland! Thank you!
You’re welcome, Mary!
This recipe seemed bland to me. I added lemon juice, cinnamon, onion powder, garlic powder, and brown sugar and it came out perfect!
I loved this soup so much! I used 2 butternut squash from my garden and didn’t really measure the ingredients so may have used a little too much maple syrup, but it added such a wonderful depth of flavor! I’ve had butternut squash soup before that was a little bland but I thought roasting the squash as in your recipe really added flavor. This will definitely be a regular in my home from here on out. Thanks for the recipe!
Recipe is the best! Easy to follow and turned out delicious!
Made this tonight and it was super easy and very good!
I’m happy to hear you enjoyed it!
It was delicious. Easy to make and prep. I went with a little more garlic, syrup and nut meg. Definitely going to be my go to BSS.
This recipe is too garlicky! I would have used 2 instead of 4 and only 1/4 c of shallots. It needs something…maybe a roasted apple with the squash? Will not make this again.
I’m sorry to hear you didn’t love this. I appreciate your review, Kate.
Roasted butternut squash soup: Made today for the first time. No shallot on hand so substituted white onion. Delicious. The onion wound up a little crispier than called for but set aside some for a very delicious garnish. Also, what I considered a small squash weighed in at 3.15 lbs. Next time I’ll double it so some will go in the freezer. No idea why it would be called, ‘bland!’ (tip: the pan the onions and garlic sautees in can be small as the soup is assembled in the blender.)
Thank you for sharing, Mary!
Can this recipe be canned for longer storage? Thanks
This recipe isn’t designed for canning. It does freeze well.
Phenomenal soup! Full of flavor! Creamy and Smooth! Yummy!
For people looking for flavor enhancement:
I used Trader Joe’s ginger miso broth – wonderful! – and a leftover half-container of their mirepoix (onion-celery-carrot mixture) to sauté with the shallot. (I added coconut milk for creaminess, too – personal preference for smoothing the texture).
A dash or two of ground clove, extra nutmeg at the end. Improvising and using up stuff is half the fun of making your own soup.
I thought the soup was wonderful using the ingredients listed. I did add more nutmeg, as I like nutmeg and I used more maple syrup as I have a sweet tooth! And all this would depend on the size of the squash. Overall, I loved it and printed it to add to my collection.
OMG—-THIS WAS DELICIOUS…..I USED BLUE HUBBARD SQUASH AND CHICKEN BROTH….THE BEST I HAVE EVER MADE!!!!!
Great to hear, Gail! Thank you for your review.
My go-to butternut squash soup recipe. I make it every fall for my family. Easy to make and delicious – thanks!!
You’re welcome, Racy!
Amazing! I was craving Panera bread autumn soup. I don’t cook much, at all, but your recipe was simple to follow and my soup it the mark! I originally uploaded a different recipe for butternut squash soup but I forgot the apple. So gal I used this recipe! Will make again soon! I’m even eating it for breakfast the following morning. I added toasted sugared almonds for a little crunch. YUMMY
I’m happy you enjoyed it, Molly! Thank you for your review.
Roasting the butternut squash brought some amazing complex flavour but the part about it becoming easy to scoop is just a lie. It became so soft, the skin kept falling apart and it was basically impossible to separate the skin and the flesh.
The soup tasted good. A bit bland though, I had to add more garlic powder.
Best simple butternut squash soup recipe ever. Full rich flavor, super easy, and not too time consuming with this delicious result? Amazing! My girlfriend, who loves butternut squash soup and has tried many versions, was crazy for this soup. Cookie and Kate ALWAYS deliver!!
Thank you, Chris!
This was delicious! I forgot the nutmeg and it still turned out with incredible flavour and so smooth. Probably the smoothest version of this soup I’ve made. Will keep and use again!
What a beautiful autumn soup. So tasty and creamy! Didn’t change and wouldn’t change a thing about this soup. Thanks for this fab recipe.
I have sent the recipe to a few friends who I know will love it.
Thank you Kate for this great recipe! I followed it to the “T” though added some spices that gave the soup a warm heat. 1/4 tsp cayenne and 1 tsp cumin. As a finish I sprinkled some freshly ground nutmeg and cinnamon.
Thank you for your feedback, KJ!
I agree that cumin would be a great addition. More interesting! I find the maple syrup flavor to be cloying. In future, I will not add it. This soup came together quickly- huge bonus to me!
Wonderful to hear, Christ! I appreciate your review.
This was delicious. It was incredibly rich without any dairy. I didn’t have any shallots or vegetable broth so substituted sweet onion and chicken broth. I used my immersion blender and started with 3 cups of the broth then gradually added about 1/2 cup more while blending to get a thick smooth consistency. I used olive oil instead of butter. I’ve printed this recipe (adding my own notes) for my files and will use it again. BTW, I did not throw out the seeds – my chickens loved them!
OMG—-This was so good!!! I used blue hubbard squash and chicken stock–added cinnamon. Delicious!!!
Fabulous recipe!! Admittedly I modified it quite a bit to taste (used roasted carrots and roasted apple instead of maple syrup, roasted a head of garlic, plus added some Penzey’s cumin and Cajun for a savory flavor), but the base recipe and tips to make it creamy are EXACTLY what I was looking for! Our friend is on a no-chew diet after breaking her jaw and she’s so tired of sweet things. I know she’ll enjoy sipping this silky-smooth, savory soup ❤️
Great to hear you loved it, Taylor! I appreciate your review.
Awesome soup! Your ingredients and cooking methods were fantastic! I upped the amount of nutmeg to 1/4 tsp and added a bit more maple syrup based on my taste. Then as suggested, added more salt and ground pepper at the end to taste. Definitely printing this one out for my recipe binder!