Butternut squash soup is one of those recipes I crave as soon as the weather cools down. And this roasted version is extra special! It’s silky smooth, naturally creamy, and full of that cozy, sweet, and savory flavor we all love.
Why You’ll Love This Butternut Squash Soup
Every fall and winter, I look forward to picking out the best butternut squash at the market to make this soup. It’s warm and inviting, with that smooth, blended texture you’ll recognize from my tomato soup, carrot ginger soup, and potato leek soup. But the butternut squash gives it an extra velvety richness that feels like a hug in a bowl! All you have to do is roast the squash, toss it in a high-powered blender with a few simple ingredients, and let the magic happen. It’s super easy! But here are a few more reasons why I love it:
- The roasting step is a game-changer. Similar to my roasted spaghetti squash recipe, roasting the butternut squash brings out its natural sweetness and adds a caramelized, earthy flavor that you won’t get from a stovetop version.
- It has the perfect balance of flavor. Other recipes I’ve tried go too heavy on the spices or end up a little bland. My version strikes the perfect balance with onion, garlic, and warming spices.
- It’s always a hit with friends and family. I get requests for this soup every year! It’s also naturally gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian, which makes it perfect for holiday menus like Thanksgiving (hint, hint).
Butternut Squash Soup Ingredients
- Butternut squash: You’ll need about 3 ½ pounds to make roasted butternut squash. So look for a larger squash at the market, or weigh a few smaller ones to get the right total amount.
- Onion and garlic: Roasting the onion on the same sheet pan with the squash is easy to do and adds a rich, caramelized flavor. (Check the recipe card notes for garlic tips.)
- Vegetable broth: Use vegetable broth to keep it vegetarian, or swap in chicken broth if that’s what you have on hand.
- Ginger, nutmeg, and maple syrup: These ingredients give the soup its signature warm and slightly sweet flavor. You can also adjust the amount of maple syrup to your preferred sweetness level.
Find the printable recipe with measurements below
How To Make Butternut Squash Soup
Step one: Let’s start by roasting butternut squash halves (this is much easier than cutting the butternut squash into cubes). Trim the ends, then stand the squash upright on the bulb end and slice it lengthwise. Then, use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and membrane.
Step two: Place the squash cut-side up on a baking sheet, drizzle with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Flip it cut-side down, then roast for 60 minutes at 425°F (220°C).
Step three: After 30 minutes, rub a little oil on the cut side of the onion and add it to the baking sheet, cut-side down. Continue roasting everything for another 30 minutes, then remove the baking sheet from the oven.
Step four: Once the squash is cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh and transfer it to a high-powered blender. Remove the outer layer of the onion and add it to the blender, along with garlic, maple syrup, salt, nutmeg, ginger, and 3 cups of vegetable broth. Blend on high for 1 to 2 minutes until smooth and creamy. Add more broth to thin it to your liking, and adjust the seasoning as needed.
Cooking Tips
- Make it ultra-creamy. Just add a splash of heavy cream or a tablespoon or two of butter when blending. For a dairy-free option, use coconut milk or ¼ cup soaked raw cashews.
- Garlic tip. I’ve revised this recipe over the years due to the increased use of high-powered blenders and your feedback. See the notes in the recipe card below for more details.
- Toppings make it extra special. Try fresh herbs like parsley, thyme, sage, or chives, and add some crunch with pepitas, toasted almonds, crispy bacon bits, roasted chickpeas, or crispy shallots.
Storage Tips
Let the soup cool to room temperature, then transfer it to an airtight container. It will keep in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. For longer storage, pour the soup into freezer-safe containers or silicone molds (for single servings) and freeze for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy it again, thaw it in the fridge overnight and reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave, adding a splash of broth or water if needed to loosen the texture.
More Butternut Squash Recipes
- Mashed Butternut Squash: One of my favorite mashed sides.
- Apple Sausage Stuffed Butternut Squash: A reader favorite around here.
- Roasted Butternut Squash Salad: A delicious fall salad.
- Kale and Butternut Squash Frittata: A great way to incorporate more veggies for breakfast
- Butternut Squash and Eggplant Stir Fry: A quick and easy vegetarian stir-fry.
- Or browse this list of butternut squash recipes or soup recipes for more ideas!
If you make this roasted butternut squash soup recipe, I’d love to know how it turned out in the comment box below! Your review will help other readers in the community. And if you’re hungry for more healthy food inspiration (and exclusive content), join my free newsletter.
Description
Video
Equipment
- Vitamix Blender My favorite blender for ultra-creamy soups!
- Immersion Blender A great option for blending in the pot if you don't have a blender.
- Heavy Duty Baking Sheet I've had these for ages – they're so durable!
Ingredients
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
- 3 ½ pounds butternut squash
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 small yellow onion, halved
- 1 small garlic clove, peeled
- ½ tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon salt
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- 3 to 4 cups vegetable broth
- Optional garnish: pepitas, parsley, and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Slice it in half and remove the seeds. Preheat your oven to 425°F (220C). Slice the ends off the butternut squash. Stand the butternut squash on end and carefully slice it in half lengthwise. Then, Use a spoon to remove the seeds and membrane. Pro tip: the butternut squash is easier to slice through if you microwave it for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Season and roast. Transfer the butternut squash to a baking tray cut side up, coat with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Then flip the butternut squash over so the cut side is down and roast for 60 minutes.
- Add the onion. After 30 minutes, spread a little oil on the cut side of the onion and add it to the baking tray, cut side down. Continue cooking for another 30 minutes, then remove the baking tray from the oven.
- Blend the soup. Once the butternut squash is cool enough to handle, use a large spoon to scoop out the flesh and transfer it to a high-powered blender. Remove the outer layer of the onion and add it to the blender along with the garlic, maple syrup, salt, nutmeg, ginger, and vegetable broth. Start with 3 cups of vegetable broth and add more to achieve your desired consistency. Blend on high for 1 to 2 minutes, until creamy. Taste the soup and add more salt and pepper if needed. Optional: while this is a dairy-free recipe, if you do tolerate dairy, adding just a tablespoon or two of fresh butter when you're blending definitely boosts the creaminess factor.
- Serve. Pour the soup into serving bowls. If you'd like, garnish the top with pepitas, parsley and black pepper.
Lisa’s Tips
- To store for the week: Any leftover soup can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. Perfect for a quick and delicious reheatable meal throughout the week!
- To freeze for later: It’s always a good idea to freeze leftovers or a second batch to enjoy throughout the winter months. Just store it in a freezer-safe container (like these Weck jars), and it will keep for up to 3 months.
- Notes about the garlic. When I originally made this soup recipe decades ago I used an older, regular blender or immersion blender. Raw garlic wasn’t as much of an issue in those blenders as it is now in high-powered blenders. In fact, high-powered blenders are so powerful (due to the velocity of the blades) that they actually increase and amplify the pungency of the raw garlic, making it seem like you’ve added way more garlic to the soup than you have (I’ve spoken to Vitamix about this directly). So my original recipe morphed from 3 raw garlic cloves (as shown in the video), to 1 small raw garlic clove, which many of you love! But if you’re sensitive to garlic, I do recommend roasting the garlic on the sheet pan with the onion. Just wrap it in some aluminum foil. Roasting the garlic helps to mute that pungency, while still letting you enjoy its wonderful flavor!
- Butternut squash soup is naturally ultra-creamy (without any cream). But if you do tolerate dairy, adding just a tablespoon or two of heavy cream or butter when you’re blending definitely boosts the creaminess factor. For dairy-free options, you can add coconut milk or ¼ cup soaked raw cashews.
- When it comes to roasting veggies, I always recommend a heavy duty baking tray so it doesn’t bend and warp while cooking.
- I’m a massive fan of my Vitamix blender, but if you’re looking to buy one make sure to check out my Vitamix Comparison post.
Nutrition
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Recipe originally posted November 2018, but updated to include new photos and information for your benefit!
This is my all time favourite soup! I have had many recieps over the years but now love this one. thank you
I’m glad this has become one of your favorite soups now, Kathy!
I’ve been following your recipes since day one.. Thank you for always Simplifying your recipes and keeping them real Healthy..
Thanks for the feedback, Rose!
delicious! I make this by subbing Chicken broth as I want the protein.
Great idea for added protein, Jean. Enjoy!
Best recipe ever! We make this at least 3 times per year. It freezes great and makes for a great grab and go for lunch. We pull it out the night before and it’s ready for lunch the next day.
Love, love, love this recipe 💕
Thrilled to hear this has become a fall favorite, Elida!
These soups look delicious. Are these recipes gluten free?
Hi Bertha – Yes! All my recipes are gluten-free as I’m celiac. You can read more about my backstory in the about section on my website.
I love discovering new dishes from different cultures – thank you for this!
Of course, Thomas! Glad you enjoyed this butternut squash soup.
DELICIOUS!! My family was very happy with this recipe! ❤️
Glad the whole family loved this recipe, Katia!
Loved this simple soup, I actually roasted a whole head of garlic put in the hollow of one half of the squash along with 6 small yellow onions and 2 smallish butter nut squash, the whole head garlic wasnt over powering at all once mellowed by roasting. Unfortunately I didnt have dried ground ginger so used a teaspoon of fresh minced and its barely detectable so dried ground is probably necessary to get the ginger flavour incorporated…a very delicious recipe thank you
Hi Rachel – There’s nothing wrong with adding more garlic! But, hopefully you can try this recipe with ground ginger next time. It will make a difference!
This is for sure THE best recipe ever.
I made it for my family and they absolutely loved it.
Used Better Than Bouillon Chicken Flavor for the base, roasted the garlic for 5 minutes and added a tablespoon of butter, everything else was as the recipe required. I kept the soup warm in an Instant Pot after blending while I made grilled cheese sandwiches with grated Gouda and Mozzarella on crusty sourdough bread. YUMMY. Thank you, thank you, thank you for this recipe.
Wow, that sounds like an amazing meal, Tamiko! Glad the whole family enjoyed this recipe!
I cut the vegetables smaller( cubed) so it would roast quicker.
Great idea on speeding up the process, Linda!
First butternut squash soup I’ve made in several years! This will now be my go-to recipe and I’ll make it again. A lot. Thank you for the tip about microwaving the squash a couple of minutes to make it easier to cut in half – super helpful! Next time I make it I’ll use 1/2 tsp salt, though; for my taste, a full teaspoon was more than I needed.
Hi Arwen – so happy you loved this butternut squash soup and that it’ll be your go-to recipe!
Before I put my butternut in the oven I put butter on the squash side and then sprinkle Hungarian paprika on the skin side. Ever sense COVID lock down, I can’t find it. Maybe Amazon..I will try.
I love your website. The soup was delicious. Loved all the extra tips.
Hi Bean – Happy to hear you loved this butternut squash soup!
I want to love this soup and I’m convinced It is a me problem. I’ve made this before and every time I forget to not double the garlic and the garlic overpowers. I think just when left raw.but now I’m also wondering if I’m reading the instructions about the onion wrong. Are we discarding the top layer of onion and blending the rest of the onion or blending just the top layer…. Help!!
I absolutely love this website! your recipes are healthy and delicious! made this yesterday and my husband also loved it! thanks.
Happy to hear you two are loving this butternut squash soup, along with many other recipes, Araceli!
I would like to know if I could substitute chicken broth for the vegetable broth in most of the soup recipes.
Hi Cheryl – yes, you can do that.
I followed this recipe to a T. Personally, I would withhold the ginger and nutmeg, and taste the soup with the roasted onion, squash and garlic, then make a decision moving forward on the ginger and nutmeg. For whatever reason the ginger and nutmeg were overpowering in my soup.
It was very good and fun to use my vitamix vs my emersion blender. I had to downsize eveything because I had less squash than the recipe called for. Which was great except I was a little heavy on the onion. So I added some cayene pepper and it offset the onion taste nicely.
I’m glad you enjoyed this butternut squash soup, Paul!
Super easy! Super delicious!
Made this for a pre-Christmas meal for family & it was a hit! I will make again & again. Lisa’s recipes have never let down. Next up? Lisa’s lentil soup!
Hi Cindy – So happy you loved this butternut squash soup. And the lentil soup is one of my personal favorites as well. Hope you enjoy it!
I have made this twice this season and probably will a few more time. We love it! Not too sweet like some other recipes, it is more savory. Definitely something I will make every year several times.
Wonderful! I’m happy to hear you love my version of butternut squash soup, Heather. Enjoy!
I love butternut squash soup but never made it from scratch before. Can’t believe how easy it was. I couldn’t stop eating it. It is so delicious! I haven’t made a recipe of yours yet that wasn’t amazing. I’m so glad I found you.😍
Hi Tracy – Congrats on your first ever butternut squash soup! Glad you enjoyed this recipe.
super successful Butternut Squash soup!!!!
Hi Kate – I’m glad you loved it!
If you double the recipe do NOT double the garlic. I used an immersion blender. And the two raw gloves still overpowered the whole soup. I will probably have to make another batch with no garlic and mix the leftovers into that, which I have gone ahead and frozen because one night breathing garlic is enough. Good flavor but just so much garlic
Butternut squash are good, but I prefer Buttercup squash better! You should try it with them also.
Great recipie!Didn’t change a thing! Perfect as is! YUM
So happy you loved it, Michelle!
I was excited to try this but with littles at home they weren’t the biggest fans. And as I do have to feed a family of six this wasn’t a keeper just yet.
The easiest and best soup. It is a keeper in my house! I am not a big fan of garlic and your recommendation was perfect.
Wonderful! I’m glad you found that tip on the garlic helpful. Enjoy!
Just made this recipe for my meal prep for the week. Easy and perfect for this time of the year.
So happy you loved it, Luciana! It really is a great meal prep soup to enjoy for the week.
Can I use chicken broth in place of vegetable.
Hi Barb – yes, no problem!
Healthy, delicious, and perfect for fall! I like to roast the 3 cloves of garlic alongside the onion and squash.
Hi Rema – yes, it’s definitely a grea soup for fall! And that’s perfect that you roast the garlic alongside the onion and squash. Enjoy!
I felt that it was just ok, thought the onion really overpowered the delish of the butternut
I am wondering what the serving size would be for the nutritional information.
Thanks in advance!
Hi Sandy – the serving size is about 2 cups.
Can i use already chopped up raw butternut squash? Would it be 3lbs of the butternut squash? Also, if i’m baking cubed butternut squash, would the temperature and the cook time be different from your recipe?
You would use less butternut squash, as that weight is for the entire squash (not just the flesh). You can also follow my recipe for roasted butternut squash, to see how I cook raw cubes of butternut squash. After you’ve done that, you can then follow the remainder of this recipe.