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.
Hi Kate ! Love your site and have made many recipes ,however there are so many adds and pop ups it’s getting really frustrating trying to negotiate through a recipie
Thank Dale
Hi, I find that for all recipe sites. Now I take screenshots, and use the pictures instead of the website. Hope this helps….Elaine
Agreed… Nothing will load until all the ads have loaded & your box with the email sign up offer. I was annoyed & going to close it but my dogs were barking so I walked away. Once the page got over it’s fit it ran well though. . Screenshot idea is pro! I hit print once the site allows for it. That brings up a static page-no ads.
☆I like the creamy sweetness of this soup! Roasting the squash is key! We roast garlic,shallot,etc in foil with a bit of oil. We like that it takes the sharpness down, it is creamy. Next time I may garnish by drizzling plain Kefir or putting a dollop of tart yogurt.
Sometimes I use good recipes like this as a solid base I can play if I’m feeling inspired! This is a great soup as is minus the nutmeg for my dh- he says it makes it too pumpkin pie-ish, which he dislikes! He likes food ‘clean’ tasting so he wants it just as it’s written! I can grate a bit of it on top for my bowl! Thanks!
Hello Dale. I installed an ad block on my phone and this works well. “Adblock plus” This may, help you so much. Happy cooking.
Charmaine xo
Literally my favorite soup ever exactly how the recipe is. Don’t change a thing. I look forward to fall because I start to make this every week and eat it at work for lunch 3x/week. Roasted pepitas on top give it a little extra touch are are so yummy.
Thank you for the recipe!!! Best roasted butternut squash soup EVER!!
I’m happy to hear you loved it!
This soup is amazing! Only things I changed were to use an onion instead of shallot, and increase the amounts of nutmeg and maple syrup (to 1/4 tsp and about 2 Tbsp, respectively). I’m making it again very soon! Thanks.
Just made your butternut squash soup and it is outstanding. Used Mike’s hot honey instead of maple syrup and just a bit more nutmeg. Used my immersion blender. Very easy
This is THE BEST butternut squash soup recipe I’ve tried! Exactly what I was looking for. I did add a sprinkle of cinnamon to the squash before baking. I like my soup a bit spicy…might try a bit of curry powder next time for an ethnic flare. Thank you.
I’m not a soup lover but I made this for my husband. He stopped eating it so I knew there was a problem. He said it was way too garlicky. I’m not even sure how I can correct this batch except maybe add a bunch more squash to dilute it. Not knowing what it’s supposed to taste like, I think I’ll look for another recipe.
I’m sorry you didn’t love this. I appreciate your feedback.
I have loved and used many of your recipes however, I am sorry to say, we did not enjoy this squash recipe at all as there’s too much garlic which overpowered the taste of the squash.
I’m sorry to hear you didn’t love this one, Kathy. I appreciate your review.
Mary,
I saw your comment before I made this, but I love garlic and left it as is. I wish I reduced them a little. I found it too strong, too. I added some extra maple syrup, some curry powder and ginger. It helped it a bit. Probably too late, but I thought I’d respond. I’ve tried lots of Kate’s recipes and they’ve been great. This one wasn’t my fav.
I made this soup today, and read some comments, including this one, first. Based on this comment (and already thinking I might reduce the garlic due to my own tastes), I decided to made the recipe exactly as shown, but omitting the garlic completely. I did use a real shallot (not an onion) per recipe, knowing that to my taste shallot has a bit more pungency and complexity than onion and would help counter my omitting garlic. (I also decided I was willing to separately sauté and add garlic to the mixer after tasting. It’s a weekend!) I am totally happy with my soup! The shallot is a great flavor with the squash. So this recipe can be good even for those for don’t want garlic flavor in it. Thank you!
Hi Mary,
I found the soup too garlicky at first too, which are words I never thought I’d say ever. I have two solutions (I’ve tried both).
1. If you’ve already made the soup, consider putting it back in the saucepan and simmer for 20 minutes or until the garlic flavor mellows out.
2. If you haven’t yet made the soup, consider roasting a bulb of garlic with the butternut squash, which will mellow out its pungency and make it sweeter. Once roasted, squeeze out the number of cloves specified in the recipe and use the rest on toasted baguette or find other recipes using roasted garlic.
For me, once the garlic was mellowed out this was a 5-star recipe which will stay in my go-to recipe list.
I made this tonight and it was absolutely delicious. I used Garam masala instead of the nutmeg, and saved the seeds to roast and put on top of the soup.
I’m a cook on My Reservation, Rama First Nation, ON. I’m Ojibway and our people love squash made dishes. I used your recipe and served it in my community. People loved it and said it was the best they ever tasted!
Miigwetch (Thank you) for this recipe!
Very tasty soup. I cut back to 2 cloves of garlic and one shallot. I will probably use sweet onion instead of shallot next time, I find shallot leaves an after taste. Maybe up the maple syrup…
Thanks for posting this creamy healthy soup. I love the creamy flavorful soup, tastes like there’s cream in it and it’s so great that there isn’t.Keeps it so healthy, I’ve made this soup twice and just love it.
Thanks,
Cindy
You’re welcome, Cindy!
This soup was spectacular! I could not believe how creamy it tasted, just using broth and no cream! I served it for dinner party, and everybody absolutely loved it. I followed the recipe exactly and used my vita mix blender. I roasted the butternut squash seeds with a little brown sugar and sprinkled a few on top of the soup with a drizzle of sour cream, and it was a very nice presentation.
so good and creamy and super easy to make. i have made it as written and loved it. today i substituted garam masala for the nutmeg and it was delicious. you can’t go wrong with this recipe.
Not sure if this is a mobile-only issue, but when scrolling through the directions your site keeps reloading and popping me back up to the top. Incredibly frustrating when trying to look at the steps involved.
Hi Brandie, I’m sorry to hear you are frustrated. We have been working to resolve this and it should be fixed now. I appreciate your feedback.
So good, so easy, so healthy, and so warming. Thank you for the recipe.
You’re welcome, Dan!
Made this!! Added a little curry to recipe. Excellent
Love this recipe! I followed with only one change, sweet onion instead of shallot. Absolutely yummy!
This was sooo good! I can’t wait to have more of it for lunch today! I had to use a red onion instead of a shallot, but everything else stayed the same! Thanks for another great recipe!!
Loved this recipe. In the last 15 minutes I added the garlic cloves and minced shallots to the pan to roast. When I took the squash, garlic and shallots out. I put the seeds in to roast while I blended the soup.
I didn’t have maple syrup so I used honey. And I browned the butter with some fresh sage and used it to swirl over the top of each serving then sprinkled it with the roasted seeds. AWESOME!
I have never had or made butternut squash soup. I felt creative this week so I decided to try and came upon this recipe. Delicious! For me my end result was more of a purée than soup, which is perfectly fine for me! I will say I thought it had a little too much garlic; I increased the nutmeg and maple syrup to offset the garlic. I also pre roasted the squash with a touch of cinnamon which added another layer of richness. I would definitely make again, but use less garlic. I didn’t feel that I was bland. I thought it was smooth. It would make a great pasta sauce if added to hot cook pasta (or spiralized Zucchini). Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top perhaps. Use it for a baked macaroni and cheese for an additional fall option.
I just made this tonight. I added some spice to mine (ground ginger, hot curry powder, cinnamon, turmeric) and a little cream fraiche on top. I also used a combo of honeynut squash and butternut squash and a bit more mole syrup. It was delicious! Thanks
I just made this tonight. I added some spice to mine (ground ginger, hot curry powder, cinnamon, turmeric) and a little cream fraiche on top. I also used a combo of honeynut squash and butternut squash and a bit more maple syrup. It was delicious! Thanks
Amazing soup – will definitely make again
Easy to make and tastes amazing definitely making this again I added bacon bits to mine also
This was absolutely delicious and exactly what I was looking for when trying to make a butternut squash soup! It was warm, flavorful and comforting. My only change was to add fresh sage throughout the cooking process, and I believe that really added a delicious herby flavor- highly recommend!
Great to hear! Thank you for sharing your experience, Sujatha.
Made this the other day when a cold front came through and it was great! I did use rather large cloves of garlic and it was almost spicy from how garlicy it was. I also added about extra 2 TBSPs of maple syrup to get the flavor I was looking for. Next time I’ll use less garlic, but I’ll definitely be making it again! So creamy (without any cream in the recipe, impressive!) and delicious!
What can I substitute for the nutmeg?
You can omit it if you prefer.
Good morning, I made this soup as an offering at a Diabetes Health Fair my organization hosted. I’m a dietitian and diabetes educator. Everyone loved it!!! I doubled the recipe and there were no leftovers . The recipe was simple and easy to prepare, the only adjustments I made were to use unsalted vegetable stock and I did double the nutmeg. It was a huge hit with the salad my manager brought! We loved that it was simple and dairy free plus modifiable and olive oil was perfect! Thank you! Everyone took a copy of the recipe ☺️
I’m glad it was a hit with everyone, Laura! I appreciate your review.
Until last weekend, I had never tasted butternut squash. With two sitting on the counter, I decided to make butternut soup and loved the taste. Today the second squash found its way into another delicious batch of this soup. I did tweak the recipe a bit by adding an eighth of a cup of locally sourced NE Ohio maple syrup and some half n half. Delicious!!!
I’m happy to hear you enjoyed it, Sue! I appreciate your review.
I made this last night. It is good except for the garlic. My husband refuses to use the mincer and chopped it instead so maybe that made the difference? We only used 1/2 the garlic the recipe calls for and it’s so strong. I would make this again but leave the garlic out altogether. It seems like you could play with the spices a bit. As it, it is a tad on the sweet side. You could probably add curry or other spices to give it a little different flavor. Otherwise, a super easy, yummy recipe!
So I started to make a different butternut squash soup recipe. Its 6 cups squash to 1 cup onion. Halfway through I realized that the only seasoning in it was salt and pepper. I decided to shift tracks and use your recipe to finish it. Now it taste a little odd as it is a fairly heavy onion presence with the maple syrup sweetness. Also used chicken broth but I don’t think thats why it taste…different. Any suggestions? Some other recipes I’ve researched have these maple syrup and suggest apple and one also has sage. Thoughts? It’s for a tea party I am having Saturday so not sure you will even see this by the. Thank you.
The ROASTED BUTTERNUT SOUP IS INCREDIBLY DELICIOUS! I AM SERVING IT THIS THANKSGIVING FOR SURE . . . .
I made this last night and it came out great. So glad no peeling is involved. I added pinches of ground ginger to the batches I made and a dollop of mascarpone to the soup before serving. Delicious. Thanks for the recipe!
You’re welcome, Rod!
I make this recipe often. It’s become a family fav! I roast garlic and apple rings along with the squash. So delicious! Thank you.
That’s a cool idea about roasting apple rings with it.
Roasting the squash method instead of Cutting up raw butternut squash was so much easier for someone with weak wrists And the flavour was so much better after it was roasted. It is so rich and creamy and meanwhile you don’t add heavy cream! Love it love it love it thank you
I love this recipe. I add in greek yogurt at the end to add some protein.
My favorite soup recipe for a a few years. Thanks for the vegan recipes Kate! (I do make it with less and sometimes with no garlic per recent posts.) Today for Thanksgiving, on impulse, I threw in the extra 1/2c of vegan pumpkin pie filling I had left over and it was fantastic! I will be experimenting with adding pumpkin puree and cinnamon (Ceylon)and a little brown sugar.
I made this yesterday for Thanksgiving and, like so many of your recipes, it was awesome — a total hit. Your recommendation of the blender yielded such a smooth soup! My husband sprinkled homemade croutons on his and I added a dollop of Greek yogurt to mine. This recipe is a keeper.
I absolutely loved this recipe. It was rich and creamy, but not caloric, and it was very healthy. I served it with roasted pumpkin seeds and chopped bacon. It was shut!
An amazing soup that builds from simple components to something that is truly delicious and complex. My only alteration was that my squash was on the smaller side, so I added a tart apple to help make up the difference. Absolutely wonderful; will definitely make again!
I have made this soup twice before. My family loved the soup both times. Now I’m going to make this soup for a third time!
This is so good and easy to make! Roasting the squash makes this so much better than my other butternut squash recipes.
Just made your soup recipe. I cooked the butternut squash for 25min. in the instant pot which made the whole process easier. I will try adding some curry for additional flavour. Oh yes, I also added a peeled cooked potato (previously cooked) to help give the soup a bit more thickness. Thanks for the recipe. It was perfect as I don’t currently have any plant milk or coconut milk (allergic).
Delicious! My husband only likes potato soup. He loves this soup!!!
That’s great to hear!
This really is a very fine recipe. I grew my own butternut squash this past summer and used them. The flavor of the squash is unreal after roasting them. I couldn’t weight them but knew they were more than three pounds. I added slightly more ingredients accordingly. I used Vidalia onions since I didn’t have shallots. The smoothly silky soup is a winner!
Just made this delicious soup. Followed recipe except: used onion, added a bit of cumin, tandoori masala and cayene pepper. Served with roasted pumpkin seeds & pomegranates.
Thank you for another wonderful recipe!
Thank you for sharing, Sharon! I appreciate your review.
What a great recipe and it truly doesn’t need cream. But I added cinnamon and nutmeg to the recipe and chopped up carrots for sweetness.
I love love love this soup! I’ve been getting fresh farmer’s market squash just to make this soup. Roasted adds a lot of flavor. I do it simply on the stove, using my immersion blender. It’s nice and creamy, no issue with grittiness. And IS really good the next day!
Great to hear, Diane! Thank you for your review.
Just made this recipe for my family.. and let’s just say everyone absolutely LOVED it! Roasting the butternut squash truly does bring this delicious comfort classic to a whole new level. So delicious. Honestly the best butternut squash soup I’ve ever tasted. Thank you for this recipe!
Hi I made your soup, but instead of maple syrup I used an apple. Otherwise I did it the same as you. It turned out excellent and the whole family enjoyed it. Thanks for recipe!
I’ve made this recipe about 6 times now, and my family and I love it. Although I’m not a vegetarian I love it as much as my hearty meat soups. It’s so satisfying and delicious! Thank you, Kate, it’s a winner.
That’s great to hear, Wendy!
This was great and very easy. Roasted squash is one of my favorite flavor profiles. I kept the seasoning minimal so that individual bowls could be spiced according to preference. I have enjoyed it with Ajika seasoning and with a sage-heavy seasoned salt. I used a small onion because I didn’t have shallots on hand, and used chicken broth, but other than that, stayed on book.
Love this soup! I usually use an immersion blender. However, due to your comments about a stand blender yielding a creamier soup I had to try it. You were right – velvety smooth!
Best ever!!!
Thanks for another great recipe! I followed it to the “T”. Had a hard time not eating it all before anyone else had a chance to have any!