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This is the best butternut squash soup recipe! It’s a creamy, cozy blend of easy ingredients, packed with veggies, fresh herbs, and warm spice. Make it on a chilly fall day in under an hour!
For more comforting soup recipes, don’t miss my broccoli cheese soup, this easy pumpkin soup, and this spicy chicken and sausage gumbo! You might also like this creamy curried butternut squash soup.
There’s something so perfect about cozying up with a bowl of creamy butternut squash soup in the colder months. This is one of my favorite soup recipes and it’s like a big ol’ hug in a bowl. The sweetness of the butternut squash in this soup gets balanced out by savory veggies and herbs, blended together with a splash of milk and a hint of fall spice. It’s rich, velvety, and packed full of fall flavor!
Why I Love This Butternut Squash Soup Recipe
- It’s quick and easy. This butternut squash soup recipe needs just a handful of easy ingredients, and it’s ready on the stovetop in under an hour. You can’t beat it!
- Wholesome. Every spoonful is packed with a creamy blend of veggies and herbs, with delicious squash flavor.
- Creamy, without the cream. You won’t find a creamier bowl of butternut squash soup, and the best part is that there isn’t any cream in the recipe! This soup gets its rich, silky texture from the pureed veggies and a touch of milk, that’s it.
- Fall in a bowl. On any given chilly Sunday, this cozy soup fills my house with the delicious smells of fall. The subtle spice in the air always reminds me of freshly baked pumpkin muffins!
What You’ll Need
When it comes to homemade soups, keeping it simple is the name of the game. This way, no single ingredient outshines the star: butternut squash! Check out some notes here, and scroll to the recipe card for a printable list with the full recipe details.
- Butternut Squash – One of my favorite fall ingredients to enjoy baked, roasted, and pureed into soup! You’ll need to peel and deseed the squash for this recipe and cut it into 2-inch cubes.
- Butter and Olive Oil – For sautéing the veggies. Use salted or unsalted butter. You can also substitute olive oil with another cooking oil, like canola or avocado oil.
- Carrots, Celery, and Onion – This trio of diced vegetables creates an aromatic flavor base in loads of soup recipes.
- Garlic – Freshly minced.
- Herbs – I use a combination of parsley, rosemary, and thyme. The herbs can be fresh or dried.
- Vegetable Broth – You can also use chicken broth.
- Milk – Or half-and-half, for added creaminess without overpowering the veggies. If you prefer a more indulgent soup, go ahead and use heavy cream instead.
- Nutmeg – To add a touch of warmth and spice. Good substitutes are cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice.
How To Make Butternut Squash Soup
I’ve made a version of this butternut squash soup in my Instant Pot (also quick and easy!) but I’ll never get tired of this original recipe. It takes just a few steps to make it on the stovetop, and it’s ready in an hour or less. Let’s get started:
- Sauté the veggies. Begin by heating butter and olive oil, and then mix in the squash, carrots, celery, onion, and herbs. Cook until tender.
- Add the broth. Next, pour in the vegetable broth and let it simmer.
- Blend. After 10 minutes, blend the mixture until smooth and creamy. An immersion blender works well for this.
- Finish the soup. Pour the blended soup back into the pot, stir in milk and nutmeg, and season as needed.
- Garnish and serve. Top with chives and parsley for an added layer of freshness.
Tips and Variations
- Cut even-sized pieces of squash. Cutting the butternut squash into same-sized chunks encourages even cooking.
- Use fresh herbs. Whenever possible, I always opt for fresh herbs. They kick up the flavor significantly.
- Blend carefully. When blending hot soup, be careful! If you’re using an immersion blender, watch out for spatters. If you’re using a traditional blender or food processor, make sure it has an opening at the top for the steam to escape (to avoid a soup explosion). Blend in batches, and don’t fill the blender too full.
- Season at the end. Simmering intensifies the flavors of the herbs and seasonings, so always season your butternut squash soup to taste, especially before serving.
Serving Suggestions
I love my topping my homemade butternut squash with chopped herbs and crumbled air fryer bacon or roasted pumpkin seeds for garnish. And I’ll never skip a side of fluffy cornbread or focaccia for dunking! Serve bowlfuls next to a shaved Brussels sprouts salad or this hearty orzo salad with pears, gorgonzola, and crunchy walnuts. Afterward, tuck into homemade tiramisu for dessert.
Storing and Reheating Leftover Soup
- Refrigerate. Store the butternut squash soup in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Reheat. Reheat this soup on the stovetop over medium heat until warmed through.
- Freeze. You can also freeze butternut squash soup for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge before reheating.
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Butternut Squash Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed (about 1.5 to 2-inch cubes)
- 3 carrots, sliced
- 2 celery ribs, sliced
- 1 yellow onion, sliced
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- ¼ cup milk, or half-and-half (you can also use heavy cream)
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- chopped fresh chives, for garnish, optional
- chopped fresh parsley, for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Sauté the veggies. Melt the butter and heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven set over medium-high heat. Add the cubed butternut squash, carrots, celery, onion, and parsley to the heated oil.
- Add herbs and seasonings. Stir in the rosemary and thyme; season with salt and pepper and continue to cook, stirring frequently, for about 12 to 14 minutes or until the squash is tender.
- Add broth. Add garlic and cook for 20 seconds. Stir in the vegetable broth and bring to a boil; lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
- Make it creamy. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the milk or half-and-half. Using a blender, purée the soup in batches until smooth. Alternatively, use an immersion blender.
- Finish the soup. Pour the soup back into the pot and stir in the nutmeg. Taste for salt and pepper and adjust if needed.
- Serve. Ladle into bowls and garnish with chives and parsley.
Notes
- Cutting Squash: Try to keep those squash pieces about the same size. It helps them cook all nice and even. You can also get ready-cut butternut squash from the grocery store.
- Herbs: If you have all fresh herbs, use them. Trust me, they’ll make your soup pop!
- Blending: Hot soup can be sneaky. Don’t overstuff the blender, and blend the soup in batches. An immersion blender works great, by the way.
- Flavor: Before you dish it out, give it a taste. The soup might need a little extra salt or pepper.
- Toppings: Crunchy bacon bits, pepitas, or dried chives are great for adding flavor and texture to the soup.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
lovely presentation
Hi,
the soup looks fantastic!! But am not a big fan of bacon 🙂
Thank you! 🙂 Leave the bacon out, but I would keep the sauteed green onions… yum!
LOL. Wonderfully written story. Meatless Wednesday and Fridays? Oh, man. Not to mention 40 days of Lent and 40 days during Nativity. Add to that a couple of stray weeks at the beginning and end of the summer! I tell my friends that we Orthodox are vegetarian for half the year! 🙂 This recipe looks great. I’ll have to give it a shot. Next Wednesday, of course. 😉
That’s right! I was just saying that we can safely state that we are vegan half the year. 🙂
This looks so inviting ad delicious. I’ve been on a soup kick lately and will have to try this soon!
thx, ceecee
Thank you Ceecee!
This weather just screams for soup.
What a tough thing to have to figure out on your own as a kid. I couldn’t have done it. I also have to admit that I’d be like your husband and add the bacon. While bacon makes everything taste good, it goes incredibly well with butternut squash.
Your soup looks fantastic!
It really sucked because you don’t want to mess up but then you’re embarrassed to keep asking the same questions all the time.
My husband ate some of the soup last night, but then when I added the bacon and yogurt to it this morning, he said he gobbled it up in seconds during his lunch break. 🙂
What a delicious looking soup! It’s very cold here in Chicago and this is definitely a soup that is perfect for this weather!
~Sarah
Wow! I didn’t know that about the Orthodox faith. I am Catholic, but my mother is Orthodox, following the “major” traditions, so I hadn’t heard anything about it… or is it a type of Church thing? (Such as Greek or Russian Orthodox, etc?)
Anyway, your recipe comes in really handy. I am trying to do more vegetarian dishes as on some nights I just want something which can be both “lighter” (for me) and yet filling (for my hubby). This one is a good candidate for the job 🙂
Yeah, I’m Macedonian Orthodox… and we, including all Orthodox, are always fasting… half the year we can safely say that we’re vegan 🙂
haha! I like the part about being vegan 😀
My mother is a Bulgarian Orthodox, so I guess it’s just something she never did and that’s why I never knew about it… She doesn’t eat meat for a certain time before Christmas though… oh well, I guess I should start reading on the subject 🙂 It’s great to learn interesting (and important!) things like this along with good recipes!
YUM! No bacon for me, but this sounds amazing without it! And GREAT picture! Happy Thursday!!! 😀
Ha! Love the story! I guess we’ve all be busted by our parents for something!
The soup looks great! I’ll hold the bacon and yogurt 😉 I usually saute the veggies for squash soup — love the idea of roasting them!
I still can’t believe he showed up at school! 🙂
I love the taste of roasted veggies and the roasted squash caramelizes giving the soup that extra depth of flavor. It’s delicious with or without the bacon and yogurt.
O, indeed! Wednesday and Fridays, 6 weeks before Christmas, 7 weeks before Easter, 2 weeks before St. Mary’s Day and 2 weeks before St. Peter & Paul. But now we are trained in healthy, veggie food !!! Great post and super-super soup!
hehe you know exactly what I’m talking about! 🙂
me too :)))
and let’s not forget Good Friday when we were supposed to eat something light before the sunrise and the next meal would be after the sun goes down. No water all day long either. I did cheat on those day few times shhhhhhh
Delicious soup Kate, thanks for sharing