This Butternut Squash Soup recipe is creamy and delicious, without being loaded up with heavy cream. It’s easy to prepare, and the incredible flavor of the butternut squash really shines. 

I’d like to think this is the most elegant version of butternut squash soup out there.

It’s easy to make soups taste good by adding lots of fat or added sugar, but I wanted to make a healthy butternut squash soup that can be made without dairy entirely, without any added sweetness, and taste intensely of butternut squash.

Butternut Squash Soup - In White bowl with Cream and Pumpkin Seed Garnish

Here’s the secret:

For the best butternut squash soup, you’ll want to use Roasted Butternut Squash.

Why?

Because roasting caramelizes and intensifies the natural sweetness and flavor in butternut squash, and roasting cubes in particular maximizes the amount of surface area for that to happen.

You just can’t get the same effect if you simmer the squash in the broth. 

What I do when I make roasted butternut squash is make a double batch, one for eating as a vegetable side or in a salad, and one batch for soup.

How to Make Butternut Squash Soup:

In a large soup pan, combined butter or olive oil, yellow onion, salt, and pepper:

Onions, Butter, and Seasoning In Soup Pot

Cook for about 10 minutes, until the onion is soft:

Sauteed Onions, Butter, and Seasoning In Soup Pot

Next you’ll want to add the Roasted Butternut Squash, and it can either be hot out of the oven, or previously roasted and stored in the fridge or freezer.

Roasted Butternut Squash Cubes on Parchment

Add the roasted butternut squash cubes and ground cinnamon to the pot:

Cubes of Roasted Butternut Squash and Cinnamon Added to Pot

Stir for a couple minutes until the cinnamon is fragrant, then add vegetable or chicken stock:

Simmering the soup in chicken stock

Bring to a boil, and simmer for 2 minutes. Then puree the soup.

You can either do this in the pot with an immersion blender (affiliate), or let the soup cool slightly and blend in a blender:

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup - Freshly Blended in Blender Jar

The blender is a little more annoying than the immersion blender, but I find it makes for a MUCH smoother soup, so I prefer it.

The soup is fantastic on its own, but you can add a touch of heavy cream or coconut cream for extra richness, and toasted pumpkin seeds for a little bit of crunch, if desired:

Butternut Squash Soup Recipe - Served in White Bowl with Cream and Pumpkin Seeds

Roasted Acorn Squash is another one of my favorite squash recipes in the colder months. Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Soup FAQ and Tips:

Can this be frozen? Yes, this freezes great. Store for up to 2 months in an airtight container. Thaw in the fridge the night before you want to serve again.

How long can you store: The soup will keep in the refrigerator for up to 7 days, but I find that the flavor starts going downhill after 3 or 4 days.

More butternut squash recipes: Butternut Squash Pizza, Butternut Squash Crostini, and Stuffed Shells with Butternut Squash Sauce

Butternut Squash Soup In White bowl with Cream and Pumpkin Seed Garnish

Butternut Squash Soup

Servings: 6
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 45 mins
Total Time: 55 mins
This Butternut Squash Soup Recipe is thick and delicious, and it isn’t loaded up with heavy cream. It’s easy to prepare, and the sweet and savory qualities of the butternut squash shine.
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Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp butter or olive oil
  • 1.5 cups chopped yellow onion
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp black pepper
  • 3 lb roasted butternut squash*
  • 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 6 cups vegetable or chicken stock**
  • drizzle of heavy cream optional, for garnish
  • toasted pumpkin seeds optional, for garnish

Instructions 

  • Melt the butter in a soup pot over medium heat, then add the onion, salt, and pepper, and cook for 10 minutes, until the onions are soft.
  • Add the roasted butternut squash cubes and cinnamon, and stir for 2 minutes, until the cinnamon smells fragrant.
  • Add the stock, bring the liquid to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 2 minutes at a simmer.
  • Puree the soup, either using an immersion blender, or by cooling the soup slightly and blending in a blender (you will likely need to do this in batches).
  • Taste the soup, and see if it needs more seasoning.
  • Serve as is, or with a drizzle of heavy cream and a few pumpkin seeds, if desired. Enjoy!

Notes

*I strongly recommend using Roasted Butternut Squash in this recipe, as the caramelization that happens when roasting the squash in cubes makes a huge flavor difference in the soup. I often make a double batch, one for eating, and one batch for this soup. However, you may also cube the butternut squash raw and simmer it for about 20 minutes in the stock until soft, and then puree.
**I like my soup on the thinner side, as I don’t want to feel like I’m eating butternut squash puree in a bowl. If you like a thicker soup, you can start with 4 cups, puree it, then taste and add more broth as desired.
This recipe yields a little bit over 7 cups of soup.

Nutrition

Calories: 158kcal, Carbohydrates: 31g, Protein: 2.6g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 10mg, Sodium: 249mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 8g

Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.

Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Keyword: butternut squash soup

Post updated in October 2018. Originally published November 2015.