Butternut Squash Soup is a hearty, thick, and filling dish, packed with flavor and adapted from a famous restaurant recipe!
The Best Butternut Squash Soup
Back in college, I worked at a restaurant famous for its honey whole wheat bread, Crème Brûlée, and this incredible Butternut Squash Soup. Every fall and winter, people couldn’t wait for it to return to the menu.
The chef was kind enough to share his recipe, and I’ve made a few tweaks (mainly scaling it down to a more manageable size!).
This soup is thick, hearty, and full of flavor—hands down the best Butternut Squash Soup I’ve ever had! With just a handful of ingredients, we’re really letting the roasted veggies shine.
Butternut Squash Soup Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this Butternut Squash Soup recipe:
- Butternut squash: Fresh is best. Look for smooth, tan skin with no cuts or soft spots. It should feel heavy and have a firm stem. Avoid green patches or wrinkled skin.
- Yellow onion: Choose a large, heavy onion for plenty of flavor.
- Garlic: Roasting softens the flavor and adds depth to the soup.
- Olive oil: Ensures even roasting and adds richness to the soup.
- Butter: Adds richness; a must for this recipe.
- Spices: Nutmeg, cloves, and curry powder add warmth and depth.
- Chicken broth or stock: Or use vegetable broth for a meatless option.
- Maple syrup: Brings a hint of sweetness.
- Heavy cream: For a creamy texture, coconut milk works for a non-dairy swap.
- Pepitas: Add crunch and a nice finishing touch. Pumpkin seeds can be used instead.
How To Make Butternut Squash Soup
- Roast: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Toss squash, onion, and garlic with oil, salt, and pepper. Roast.
- Sauté Spices: Melt butter in a pot and add nutmeg, cloves, and curry powder.
- Blend: Add roasted veggies and chicken stock to the pot. Simmer for 5 minutes, then blend until smooth.
- Finish: Stir in maple syrup and cream. Add salt and pepper.
- Top and Serve: Sprinkle on pepitas and enjoy!
Quick Tip
For a super creamy Butternut Squash Soup, use a high-powered blender to puree. You can use an immersion blender, but it won’t get it as smooth.
What To Serve With Butternut Squash Soup
- Hearty bread: Pair with a toasted baguette or soft dinner rolls.
- Soup-and-salad combo: Serve with Italian Salad or Spinach Salad.
- Grilled cheese: A classic pairing that adds extra heartiness.
- Roasted vegetables: Serve alongside roasted carrots or Brussels sprouts.
- Crackers: Simple, crunchy crackers add a nice texture.
Storage Tips
- Freezing: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
- Fridge: Keeps for 4-5 days with chicken stock, up to 1 week with veggie broth.
- Reheat: Warm in a pan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.
More Soup Recipes:
- Zuppa Toscana Soup made in the slow cooker
- Pasta Soup with Italian sausage
- Chicken Tortilla Soup made in just 20 minutes
- Sausage Potato Soup with a creamy base
- Creamy Chicken Chili made in the slow cooker
Butternut Squash Soup
This thick and hearty Butternut Squash Soup is bursting with flavor, adapted from a popular restaurant recipe!
Equipment
- Sheet pan
- Large pot
- Blender
Ingredients
- 5 cups cubed butternut squash see note 1
- 1 large yellow onion see note 2
- 1 head garlic
- 1/4 cup olive oil divided
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon yellow curry powder
- 3 cups chicken stock or broth
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1/2 cup heavy cream see note 3
- Pepitas for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Peel and cube squash into 1-inch pieces. Cut onion into four chunks. Place the squash and onion on a large sheet pan. Slice 1/4 inch from the top of the garlic bulb. Drizzle 1 teaspoon olive oil over the bulb, wrap it tightly in foil, and place it on the sheet pan with the squash and onion.
- Drizzle the remaining oil over the squash and onions. Season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Roast for 15 minutes, toss, then roast for another 15 minutes, until tender. Set the garlic aside.
- In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the nutmeg, cloves, and curry powder for 1 minute, until fragrant. Add the roasted squash and onions, along with any oil left on the pan, and stir to coat.
- Pour in the chicken stock and simmer over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Carefully transfer everything to a large high-powered blender. You can process in batches, if needed. Add 3-5 roasted garlic cloves (to taste). Secure the lid on the blender and carefully blend. If you have Blendtec, blend on soup setting. Avoid too much power or pulsing as it could explode out of the blender. Once very smooth, transfer back to the stock pot and set to medium heat.
- Stir in the maple syrup and heavy cream. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve with toasted pepitas.
Video
Recipe Notes
Note 1: If you buy the pre-cut squash that comes in 16-ounce bags, you’ll need 1-1/2 bags.
Note 2: Use a heavy and large yellow onion, around 14 ounces in size.
Note 3: Check the list below for non-dairy, vegetarian, and vegan variations.
- Non-Dairy: Use coconut milk instead of heavy cream for a dairy-free option.
- Vegan: Substitute coconut milk for the cream and vegetable stock for the chicken stock.
- Vegetarian: Swap the chicken stock with vegetable stock.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 331kcal | Carbohydrates: 35.1g | Protein: 6.5g | Fat: 20.1g | Cholesterol: 31.1mg | Sodium: 188mg | Fiber: 3.3g | Sugar: 12.4g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can I use frozen butternut squash puree?
Hey Pamela, I’m unsure how that would work with the measurements and other ingredients. A big part of the amazing flavor comes from roasting the butternut squash before blending it smooth. Sorry I can’t be more helpful with that!
This is my go-to recipe for butternut squash soup! I’m not a big fan of the coconut milk, so I love the broth option. I also add a couple carrots, a peeled apple, and fresh ginger. I also sprinkle pumpkin seeds and Greek yogurt as a topping.
I am so happy to hear this! Thanks so much for your comment! 🙂
This is on my list of snow storm recipes 🙂 I don’t have any maple syrup (and I’m trying to avoid a trip to the store). Will this recipe really suffer without it? Thanks!
Depends on how sweet the squash is! We always add in the maple syrup and prefer it with it in
Hi! This looks delicious – I’m planning to make it next week after my husband gets his wisdom teeth out. I couldn’t find yellow curry powder at my grocery store – do you have a substitute you recommend? Thanks!
You could try making your own! 🙂 https://eatingvibrantly.com/recipes/homemade-mild-curry-powder/ (Or just using coriander/cumin in place)
Hi, I am getting ready to make this and I was wondering about freezing the soup. I normally make full recipes so I can freeze for having later in the year.
Thanks!
Since it has a cream base I don’t normally recommend freezing this, but I haven’t attempted it. Let me know if you do freeze it and how it turns out? Thanks! 🙂
This is hands down the BEST Butternut Squash Soup I have ever made or tried. Ever. Ever!
Oh my gosh, yay! So happy to hear that, thank you so much Corrina! 🙂
it’s definitely soup season, at least for me, and don’t have any butternut squash soup go to recipes, so thank you, and the seeds are a nice texture tweak too