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This butternut squash soup recipe is easy to make!

Made with roasted squash, chicken broth, seasonings, and a chopped apple for extra flavor, this soup is as cozy as it is delicious.

It can be served hot or cold as a first course or a light supper.

butternut squash soup in bowls

Here’s Why You’ll Love This Soup

  • This recipe uses very few ingredients and is easy to make.
  • You can use leftover butternut squash in this recipe.
  • Easy to prep ahead; roast squash up to 3 days ahead of time.
  • This elegant soup is perfect for a special occasion or but simple enough for a weeknight dinner.
ingredients assembled to make butternut squash soup, including butternut squash, cream, apple, butter, onion, curry powder, broth, thyme, and salt and pepper

Ingredients for Butternut Squash Soup

Squash – This recipe uses butternut squash; you’ll need about 2 to 3 pounds. Leave the skin on and scoop out the seeds for roasting. Replace the butternut squash in this recipe with acorn squash, delicata, or even sweet potatoes!

Soup Base – Broth is the base of this soup recipe while blending the squash and adding a splash of cream makes it silky and creamy. You can replace the cream with coconut milk (which is as creamy as heavy cream). Try using the curry if coconut cream is in the mix- it’s a great flavor combo!

Variations

  • Thicken butternut squash soup with potato flakes or simmer uncovered a bit longer.
  • Swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth to keep this vegetarian.
  • Optional curry powder can be switched out for a dash of turmeric, smoked paprika, or a hint of cayenne pepper for some heat.
cooked butternut squash and onions in a pot

How to Make Butternut Squash Soup

  1. Roast the butternut squash while the onions are cooking.
  2. Add remaining ingredients and cook until the apples are tender.
  3. Blend soup, stir in cream, and season before serving.

How to Blend Soup

If you’re using a regular blender or immersion blender, this soup puree is best strained through a mesh strainer (or cheesecloth) to remove any pulp and make a smooth soup with the best texture. If using a high-power blender (such as a Blendtec or Vitamix) there is no need to strain.

Important!

When blending soup, do not seal the lid tightly if blending in a blender. Steam needs to escape, or it can build pressure, and the lid can burst.

Blend in batches, ensuring the steam can escape.

butternut squash soup in a pot

Serving Suggestions

Butternut squash soup makes a great starter or side dish (I love to pair it with pork) or a lovely cozy main dish. Here are some of our favorite sides.

Top it with croutons, crisp bacon, roasted pumpkin seeds, toasted crushed hazelnuts, or even finely diced apples.

top view of butternut squash soup

Storing Leftover Soup

Keep leftover butternut squash soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week and reheat it on the stove. If it’s too thick, add a little bit of water, broth, or cream.

Butternut squash soup freezes beautifully, you might even want to double the recipe! Place soup in freezer bags and reheat them as needed!

More Cozy Veggie Soups

Did you love this Butternut Squash Soup? Be sure to leave a comment and a rating below!

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Butternut Squash Soup

Rich and creamy roasted butternut squash soup is a great way to warm up on a cold winter day!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings 4 servings
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Ingredients  

  • 1 butternut squash
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 onion diced
  • 4 cups chicken broth or chicken stock
  • 1 small apple peeled, cored and chopped
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves or 1-2 sprigs fresh
  • ½ teaspoon curry powder optional
  • ¼ teaspoon dried sage leaves
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream or to taste, or coconut milk
  • salt and black pepper to taste
  • croutons for garnish, optional

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut squash into four large pieces. Place in an oven-safe dish and roast until the squash is soft (about 1 hour). Scoop the flesh of the squash and set aside.
  • Melt butter in a medium pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. 
  • Add the squash, broth, apple, and spices. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes or until apples are tender.
  • Remove from heat (discard thyme stem if using fresh). Blend until smooth.
  • Return to pot and bring back to a simmer, stir in heavy cream to taste, salt and pepper. Top with croutons if using.

Notes

If using a regular blender or immersion blender, this soup is best strained. If using a high power blender (such as a Blendtec or Vitamix) there is no need to strain.
You can use all or just some of the heavy cream based on personal preference. Coconut milk can be used in place of cream if desired.
If your soup is too thin, return it to the pot and allow it to simmer uncovered to reduce and thicken.
In this recipe a whole butternut squash it cut into 4 and baked to make it easy. This means no peeling and no cutting a hard raw squash. If you have cubes of butternut squash (many stores sell them), they can be tossed with oil and roasted instead of a whole squash. Roast cubes of squash at 425°F for 25-30 minutes or until tender and golden.
You can substitute other types of flavorful sweet squash like acorn or even delicata
5 from 86 votes

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1.33cup | Calories: 383 | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 97mg | Sodium: 942mg | Potassium: 973mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 21001IU | Vitamin C: 60mg | Calcium: 149mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Appetizer, Dinner, Entree, Lunch, Main Course, Side Dish, Soup
Cuisine American
butternut squash soup in a bowl with croutons with text
butternut squash soup in a bowl with text
butternut squash soup with text
butternut squash soup and ingredients with text

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About the author

Holly Nilsson is the creator of Spend With Pennies, where she creates easy, comforting recipes made for real life. With a passion for nostalgic flavors and simplified techniques, Holly helps busy home cooks create delicious meals that always work. She is also the author of “Everyday Comfort,” which promises to inspire even more hearty, home-cooked meals.
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Comments

    1. Hi Jim, we have never tried using a can of puree but that sounds like it would work well! We would love to hear how it turns out for you.

    1. It freezes well, and should last a few months if frozen in an airtight container or bag. Just wait to add the cream until it is defrosted.

  1. I don’t usually comment on blogs, but I had no choice, this recipe is astounding. It’s so TASTY, so EASY, and so CHEAP! It’s the perfect blend of sweet and savory! I added fresh bacon bits and thyme leaves as garnish and it was restraunt worthy. I only used a 1/4tsp salt and pepper as I found the other spices and broth nearly perfect already. Thank you for an easy veggie packed recipe! It’s a hit with my 8mo old too! I just cool it and put it in his reusuable squeezie pouch. I’ll be referencing your blog for recipes from now on! :)5 stars

  2. Thank you for posting such a delicious and easy recipe! I added in one carrot for sweet, and a little extra heavy cream and let it simmer for awhile. As per some suggestions I also added a little nutmeg and cinnamon. My husband who doesn’t like butternut squash loves this soup and that says a lot! This site has become one of my regular go to sites!5 stars

  3. This is my go to butternut squash soup recipe. I love the flavor the addition of an apple gives the soup. There’s no need for any additional sweetener! My preference is to add half the amount of cream. Thanks for the delicious and easy to make recipe!5 stars

  4. So good. I did not have an apple but I did have a squeeze applesauce with cinnamon that I used 1/2 to 3/4 of. Blended in my ninja, then added heavy cream. Thanks for the recipe!5 stars

  5. I have not made this yet but I’m certainly going to just want to mention i made a similar soup like this with zucchini and instead of heavy cream I used cottage cheese And it was perfect

  6. very yummy. I like the simplicity of the ingredients and the recipe.Loved the apples as well. .I used boxed mushroom stock & added a tab of butter and half & half after blending. Delicious!!5 stars

  7. I made this, along with the drop biscuits on this site for dinner last night. Let me tell you, it was absolutely delicious. I have never thought to add an apple to butternut soup and what a game changer! I chose curry, nutmeg, cinnamon, turmeric and thyme (and of course salt and pepper) to my soup. It was perfection. my 4 year old ate it so fast and asked for more and more. perfect soup for the cold days. one of my now go to recipes and a new family favorite! thank you 5 stars

  8. I made this for Thanksgiving 2020 and it was absolutely delicious! I’m making it again this year but for a LARGE group. How many times should I multiply the recipe if I’m making it for a group of about 40 people?
    Thanks!!5 stars

    1. Hi Christina, I am so glad you loved this recipe! This recipe serves 4 so I would multiply about 10 times. Good luck and enjoy!

  9. This soup was just simple and delicious. I did not add any curry and because I had only half of a butternut squash I used some sweet potatoes but again it was just an easy and delicious5 stars

  10. I made this exactly as written, and oh, my precious Lord, is it good! I started to omit the curry (don’t normally like it) but glad I didn’t leave it out.

    Holly’s recipes knock it out of the park 99.9% of the time, and this one was over the moon good.5 stars

  11. Made your butternut Squash Soup. Used 1 tablespoon olive instead of butter and 1 cup of skim+ milk instead of cream. Wanted to cut calories, probably not as rich but still totally DELISH !!5 stars

  12. I am making this for thanksgiving how many cups/oz does this make? It says 4 servings but wondering what the serving size was? Thanks so much!

    1. This can vary based on the actual size of your butternut squash but approximately 1 1/3 to 1 1/2 cups per serving.

  13. Hi-
    So excited to try this recipe! If I’m using already cubed squash how much would you recommend using?
    Thank you!