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 was so tempted to use chicken stock but decided to try vegetable stock. I’m so happy I did! I added some ground ginger along with the nutmeg and used 2 cloves of garlic instead of 4. Otherwise I did everything else as per the recipe. It was perfect.
Great to hear, Azure!
Great recipe. I loved the result. I used the immersion blender method. After tasting and before heating it through, I added 1/8 tsp ginger 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, and a bit more butter. Then it was fabulous.
Next time I might peal and dice the squash before roasting it. This will be quicker and will add more browned roasted flavor.
Very tasty, easy to make and to double the recipe. I’m not a fan of sweet or pumpkin spices so the second time I made the recipe I did what another comment said and used garam masala instead of nutmeg and it turned out delicious.
Butternut squash soup is amazing. I added Sirachi and red pepper flakes. It is so creamy. I will definitely be making again as we had a great harvest of butternut squash this year.
Thank you Lenora
Made this soup, but tripled the amount of garlic and roasted it with the squash, added sweet potatoes to the roasting pan as well. Once blended and simmering, I added cumin and cayenne. OMG!
That’s great to hear, Star!
It was the best roasted butternut squash soup I’ve ever made. Also extremely easy. Thank you.
I love this recipe! So much easier than one I had. My only change was to add apple and increase nutmeg to 1/4 tsp. Thank You!
You’re welcome, Pat!
Greetings from Norway! Thank you for this recipe. It’s a staple in the fall for us, especially after we had our daughter who is allergic to tomatoes. It’s basically become a tomato soup substitute!
I’m trying to update my reportoar since so much of what I’ve been making is “off the table” now, so I’ve been considering using this as an inspiration for pasta sauce as well. Obviously I’d add less water, but would you suggest any extra herbs, spices or other add-ons for flavor?
You’re welcome, Sofie! I would suggest my Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
Good recipe with some caveats. My squash burned at 50 minutes. I guess I should have checked it at 40 but I doubled the recipe so I thought they might take longer. I would only use half of the garlic next time. Husband even said it was too much. I tried it without the maple and nutmeg but later decided to add them. I couldn’t taste a difference with the syrup but the nutmeg was a little too much, so maybe a pinch next time because I do think it added a nice touch. Overall very good and I’d make it again with the changes.
It was delicious. I did add about a 1/4 cream, a teaspoon of white wine to give it a little acidity, and 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme. My husband couldn’t stop raving about it. Thank you for a great recipe.
Oven roasting and blending the squash is not only delicious, it’s pure genius! I started with a container of Costco’s fresh cut butternut squash (easy!) and this soup came together in no time. I didn’t have shallots so I used finely chopped onions. Even though they were sautéd and soft, I didn’t quite get them blended to a totally smooth consistency so that’s the only change I’ll make next time. Thanks for yet another reliable winner.
Delicious recipe! I have made this with a microwaved squash, but roasting it adds a lot of flavour. Have you had luck freezing this?
This should freeze well!
Turned out great with a homegrown butternut squash and our family’s homemade maple syrup! A great recipe for celebrating Thanksgiving this weekend in Canada!
This soup turned out great!! I can’t wait to try others that you shared.
Delicious. I used chicken stock and an onion (did not have vegetable stock or shallots on hand) and then added a little half and half at the end. Tastes like fall.
That’s great to hear, Andrea!
This is almost too delicious! I followed the recipe to a T, other than using yellow onion instead of shallots. I have multiple maple syrups so I chose the one that had a richer taste (if that even makes a difference). I typically make butternut squash soup in the slow cooker, but it always seems to miss *something*. I think roasting the squash instead is the pizazz I was looking for. This will definitely be put in my recipe book!
That’s great to hear, Chloe! I appreciate your review.
So I made this soup today but I printed the recipe yesterday. The ingredients are totally different today, the amounts my recipe printed from the same site states 3 large butternut squash, 1 1/2 cups shallots, 12 garlic cloves and 9-12 cups of vegetable broth. So I made it not sure my family will like it not much of a taste, disappointed and why today the recipe is different.
Hi Wenddy, did you by chance select the scale option of the recipe?
Curious if only 1/8 tsp of maple syrup makes a taste difference. Such a tiny amount
You can adjust to your taste, Laura!
In my last post i meant 1 tsp maple syrup not 1/8.
The butternut squash soup came out great. I added a little milk, cinnamon, and more garlic. It’s yum. I had no idea it would be so easy to make. I will never buy this soup in the store again.
Thank you for the base and idea. I can not wait to try more of your recipes.
Next time would only use two cloves of garlic and added nutmeg
I made this absolutely scrumptious Roasted Butternut Squash Soup for my dinner last night . I was totally surprised how delicious and tasty it was and also how easy it was to make. I am sharing this recipe with my friends and family. Definitely can’t wait to try more of your recipes!!
SO VERY YUMMY. Not having shallots I use a red onion which I fried in a saucepan with lotsa butter. I grated the garlic using sea salt to mix to a paste. When cooked, I dumped everything (roasted squash, black pepper, maple syrup, nutmeg, veg stock) into the saucepan and blended it with a stick mixer – reheated and served with crusty bread. What a fabulous way to use squashes as a tasty filler at this nippy time of year – delicious and warming. Will be making again (and again) – thank you.
You’re welcome, Linda!
I grew butternut squash in my garden and have been dying to make soup. I finally did this norming and it turned out fabulous! This recipe is so simple and delicious. I try to follow directions exactly but couldn’t find any shallots at the store. Used a sweet onion instead. I also followed the fall nutmeg vibe with a pinch of ginger, clove and cinnamon.
Can’t wait to share this family. Thanks for such a wonderful recipe!
Can you make the soup ahead and reheat? I would like to serve it for Thanksgiving dinner but make it a day or two ahead of time.
DELICIOUS & YUMMY soup. So much easier to make with the roasted squash!!!! I followed the recipe mostly – I did use chicken stock because I didn’t have vegetable. We like more zip so I used additional ground pepper and a little more nutmeg. I was using a long neck butternut squash [Genesis], so I had more flesh than usual, so had to add additional stock to get consistency. I did use an immersion blender so thanks for your notes on how to do that. Mine is NOT gritty – very smooth and creamy. This will now be my go-to recipe for this type of soup!!! Thanks
You’re welcome, Edie! I appreciate you taking the time to review.
I made this soup tonight and I have to thank you SO MUCH! This is the best butternut squash soup I have made. Absolutely delicious!!!!
Sorry, I’m not a fan. The shallot out taste the butternut squash.
I’m sorry you didn’t love it, Sarah.
This was fantastic! My first time making butternut squash soup. I had leftover uncooked cubed butternut squash from a previous recipe that I had to use up so it was only one pound. I had to divide the recipe in fourths on most of the ingredients. I roasted the cubed squash with EVOO, salt, pepper and cut a small yellow onion in half (without skin-didn’t have a shallot) and one large clove garlic (with skin on) and roasted that on the pan as well for 30 min at 400 degrees. Then I put it all in a ninja blender with the butter and broth (I didn’t have vegetable broth so I used chicken). I poured all into a small pot and added the maple syrup and chopped fresh rosemary, simmered 15 minutes. I omitted the nutmeg because of the rosemary. Sprinkled pepitas on top…Oh my was it tasty!! Unfortunately there was only enough for 2 bowls for lunch for us. Would have loved more. Plan to use a whole squash next time as it was a challenge cutting the recipe into 1/4th.
That’s great to hear, Linda! Thank you for your feedback on how you made it.
I made this recipe, exactly as it was posted and it was delicious. I didn’t make any changes, it was fabulous the way it was. Thank you for the recipe.
You’re welcome, Melonie!
This was absolutely delicious! I followed the exact recipe and oh my gosh it was the best thing ever!