Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
375 Comments
Sep 25, 2024
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Butternut squash soup is the quintessential fall and winter soup recipe. And this roasted version is top-notch! It’s delightfully creamy, layered with warming sweet and savory flavors, and a favorite for any dinner occasion.
My Favorite Butternut Squash Soup – Here’s Why
Every year I look forward to picking out the best butternut squash at the market to make this soup. It’s like I’m on a mission! Because this is my favorite way to enjoy all that this fall vegetable offers — which is sweet, nutty, and buttery goodness. Of course, you can also roast, stuff, and mash butternut squash (see my other recipes below), but this soup is a classic. That’s why it’s one of the top fall and winter soup recipes, along with chicken soup, tomato soup, vegetable soup, cabbage soup, and lentil soup. So here’s why you should make it:
- The extra roasting step is a game-changer. Similar to roasted spaghetti squash, roasting the butternut squash imparts an earthy, smoky, caramelized sweet flavor. This really elevates the recipe compared to a traditional stovetop butternut squash soup.
- It has just the right amount of flavor. Other recipes I’ve tried are either too heavy on spices and aromatics or a little too bland. This version has the perfect balance of onion, garlic, and warming spices.
- It’s highly requested by friends and family. That’s why you’ll always spot it on my menu for weeknight dinners and holiday dinners like Thanksgiving (hint, hint). It’s also naturally gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian, which makes it perfect to serve a large crowd during the holidays.
Butternut Squash Soup Ingredients
- Butternut Squash: You’ll need about 3 ½ pounds of butternut squash for this recipe, so grab ones that are a bit on the larger side. I’d also recommend weighing them on a scale at the market to ensure you have the right amount.
- Onion and Garlic: I roast the onion along with the butternut squash. It’s super easy on one sheet pan! And see my notes in the recipe card below about the garlic.
- Vegetable Broth: If you’d like to keep the recipe vegetarian, opt for vegetable broth. But you can always swap in chicken broth as well.
- Ginger, Nutmeg, and Maple Syrup: These two spices infuse the essence of fall’s best flavors into the soup. And for a touch of sweetness, add a splash of maple syrup. It really rounds out the other flavors in the soup (though you can always tweak the sweetness to your liking).
Find the printable recipe with measurements below
How To Make Butternut Squash Soup
Prep the butternut squash. Instead of cutting the butternut squash into cubes, we’re roasting halves to make the process much easier. Just slice the ends of the butternut squash, stand the butternut squash up on the bulb end, and slice through it lengthwise. Then, use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and membrane.
Season and roast. Transfer the butternut squash to a baking tray cut side up, coat with oil, and sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Then, flip the butternut squash over so the cut side is down and roast for 60 minutes at 425°F (220°C).
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 roasting 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, then taste test to see if you need more salt or black pepper.
Cooking Tips
- Make it ultra-creamy by adding a splash of heavy cream or one to two tablespoons of butter as you’re blending. For dairy-free options, you can add coconut milk or ¼ cup soaked raw cashews.
- If you don’t have a countertop blender, you could also use an immersion blender.
- When it comes to the garlic, I’ve revised this recipe over the years due to the influx of high-powered blenders and your feedback. See the notes in the recipe card below for more details.
- Don’t forget to add toppings! Fresh herbs such as parsley, thyme, sage, and chives are a must! And for something crunchy, add pepitas, toasted almonds, crispy bacon bits, roasted chickpeas, or crispy shallots.
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.
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
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
©Downshiftology. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
Recipe originally posted November 2018, but updated to include new photos and information for your benefit!
The simplicity of ingredients and instructions for this recipe convinced me that it might be a bit “blah” and I was prepared to embellish it with spices and heavy cream. No need! Very flavorful and smooth. 10 out of 10.
Happy to hear you ended up loving this butternut squash soup, Belinda!
Thank you SO much Lisa! I will share with my daughter too… she is like you! sooo easy for you both to come up with recipes for Soups… and Im at a lose…. this looks soooo good. Im in Northern Cali and we’ve been getting your heat up here! only wish I had these yummy Squash out in my garden boxes right now (next year!) but they are in the markets now – we live in the middle of Several organic markets and its SOOO wonderful. Do you also have a garden? I was raised in Anaheim til we moved North for family… we had Orange Trees in the neighborhood and people would share as they were not on all the properties! I miss those and lemons. We need a tall green house to overwinter the lemons and I am about ready to site that and get one. Do you have a good minestrone with out alot of tomatoes??? we have a tomato allergy in our family. I have a Spaghetti sauce that people love … Would like me to share that w/ you? I’ll check my Email in a moment. Can I Email you back? Love! Maria
I’m so glad you love this butternut squash soup! As for a minestrone soup, I don’t have a recipe for that yet. And if you’d like to share the spaghetti sauce recipe, feel free to email me!
This soup is so delicious. It is definitely a comfort food. It warms you body and soul.
Make it, share it with an elderly neighbor or friend. It is healthy, nourishing and refreshing. The quality and quantity of the ingredients complement the texture, the vibrant color and the delicious taste. Lisa, thank you for sharing this recipe with me.I can’t wait to prepare it for guest.
Marie
You’re more than welcome, Marie! I’m so happy you love it.
Easy and delicious recipe, i might roast the garlic in future to mellow the flavor a bit. So very good!
I’m happy you loved it!
This is a freezer staple. We make a double batch every time. I double the garlic and double the ginger – because I love those flavours. Nutmeg gets tweaked as well.
I’ll often add a drizzle of balsamic to increase the acid.
It’s always a good idea to keep a second batch of roasted butternut squash soup in the freezer!
Can you use almond milk instead of coconut milk for soup?
You could, but note that coconut milk is a lot creamier, which helps to create a thicker, smoother consistency.
Does this cook for a total of 60 minutes or 1 1/2 hours? I believe the video says 30 minutes and then add the onion and cook for an additional 30 minutes. The written recipe sounds more like 90 minutes,
Hey Lisa,
I love this soup. I make it at least once a month . It’s so simple, yet complex in flavors. Lately , I’ve been experimenting with an adjustment for us, I substituted 1 can of coconut milk for half of the broth. Both versions are very good. Thank you for your recipes.
I bet this tastes great with coconut milk instead! Either way, happy to hear you love this butternut squash soup, Patricia.
Butternut squash soup is my favorite! Why not roast the garlic along with the squash to ameliorate the flavor? Also, a little curry powder is fun or add a sweet potato (also roasted) instead of the maple syrup.
You could roast the garlic if you’d like! And yes, curry powder would be a great addition to this.
Ive tried many recipes for butternut squash soup. This looks amazing. Will try it soon!
Hi Lisa! Made your Butternut Squash soup today. So satisfying to my pregnant craving!
It was creamy and so full of flavor. I did add a little extra maple syrup and a bit of cinnamon. I’m sure some brands might be sweeter than others. I used the one garlic and it was perfect. It made a hearty batch and my family will enjoy it.
Thanks!
Thrilled to hear this soup satisfied your cravings, Allison!
Fabulous recipes, always a winner.
Happy to hear you love this butternut squash soup, Frances!
I made this last night and it was so delicious!! A perfect soup for the fall. I did roast a peeled apple, a couple carrots and extra garlic in addition to the squash and onion. This is definitely a keeper. Thank you for sharing Lisa!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this butternut squash soup recipe, Michele.
Made this today and it was easy and excellent. I’ve made other butternut squash recipes and struggled with seasoning. This was perfect at first try (I did add some cinnamon sugar).
Happy to hear you’re loving this butternut squash soup!
I made this today, used chicken broth didn’t have vegetable broth. 1 clove roasted garlic , didn’t.have maple syrup so I used sorghum. It is amazing, will be making this again thank you
Amazing! I’m glad your butternut squash soup turned out perfectly, Darcey.
This ìs the second season making your recipe..it’s a BIG hit!
I’m so glad you’re loving this butternut squash soup, Ruth!
This soup was so amazing! I love soup for dinner on a cold night and this hit the spot. It was delicious and so very easy to make! Just pop everything in the oven! They usually have organic butternut squash at my grocery store and I always know what I’m going to do with it. I even roast the squash seeds for the topping, the best! Thanks Lisa!
Hi Wendy – Great to hear you enjoyed this roasted butternut squash soup!
This is one of our favorite winter comfort soups. It never fails to delight our Friday Deep Soup crowd. Today I used full fat coconut milk to keep it vegan without diminishing its depth of flavor.
Winters in Alaska are long and dark, so this sunshine of a soup is welcome!
Hi Paula – Happy to hear you’re loving this butternut squash soup! Definitely one to make on gloomy days.
Loved the simplicity and flavor of this soup. Thank you.
Hi Mimi – I’m glad you love this butternut squash soup!
Delicious!! I used Kettle&Fire’s Tumeric Ginger Bone Broth (omitted dried ginger) and garnished with red pepper flakes. It was perfection!
Hi Bridget – Oh wonderful! I’m glad your butternut squash soup turned out perfectly.
This came out really good but it would sure be nice if we knew ow many cups of cooked squash are needed instead of having to figure it out.
Made this soup. It’s so good. I’m the only one in my house who likes it so I get to eat it all week.
Hi Jean – More for you to enjoy!
I made this tonight and now know I don’t like raw garlic! I only added one small one but it was a very strong taste. Will take your advice next time and roast with the onion. Thanks
Hi Libby – You can always adjust based on personal preference!
I Enjoyed this very much but was a bit too sweet for my wife. Roasting the squash brings out its sweetness. Next time I won’t add the maple syrup. Also used roasted garlic and added a shallot.
Hi Edward – I’m glad you and your wife enjoyed this butternut squash soup!
I didn’t know what to do with butternut squash, so I googled it and came up with this recipe. YUM! I didn’t have powdered ginger, so I used two of the frozen lumps that you can buy in the freezer section. Everyone in the family loved it!
Hi Jeanne – Glad you found a recipe to make use of your leftover butternut squash!
Great squash soup. I peeled the skin off the squash as it came out of the oven. Much easier than scooping from the shell !
Hi Faye – I’m so glad you love this butternut squash soup!
So good!!!
I love how easy, delicious & healthy this soup is! I have to do a smaller squash since my vitamix container is on the smaller side, and use about 2-2.5 cups of broth. The texture is perfectly silky and the pepper ands such a nice kick!
Happy to hear this roasted butternut squash soup satisfies every time!
Eating it right now! I think I liked it best the first bowl I had. After that, it didn’t taste as good. I prefer something sweeter, which comes down to my personal taste. I find that adding heavy cream works best compared to regular milk, butter, or coconut milk. I used a quarter of a red onion because we didn’t have yellow onions on hand, so the onion taste was a little strong. That is entirely my fault and nothing on this recipe! I might try it again with a carrot added next time. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Alan – Thanks for your feedback! You can always tweak the recipe to your liking and add a bit more sugar and less onion the next time around.
This was delicious and a total hit with my family! Thank you!
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Eve!
Why so much salt in the completed recipe as written? “SODIUM: 1589MG” Do you have options to reduce this huge amount for one meal?
Hi Lorraine – unfortunately, the nutrition info is calculated automatically and it pulls in regular broth. Low-sodium broth should have far less sodium.
Hi, this looks delicious. I already have my butter squash cubed, should I cover it with foil in the oven as it wont have the shell to protect it from burning?
You don’t need to cover it with foil, but it will definitely cook much faster.
I made this to serve on Thanksgiving. Somehow I got onto another recipe that called for the squash to be peeled. After I peeled a couple pieces, I realized I was on the wrong recipe. I didn’t peel the remaining pieces. I will definitely peel it before roasting the next time. I lost a lot trying to scrape it off. After it was all put together, I tasted it before I froze it. The onion is a little stronger than I like. I think I’d use a smaller onion, or maybe even a portion of a sweet onion the next time. It’s going to be an awesome alternative to the standard squash dish.
LOVE this soup, followed recipe as written , creamy delicious and satisfying, made a double batch and sent half to freezer.
Wonderful! So happy you loved it, Eric!
This was so easy I had to try it. I used the fresh organic chopped butternut squash from Costco and roasted it in olive oil with the onion and I tucked the karmic cloves in with the squash. I roasted for 25 min till all was soft then put it all in my Vitamix blender. I used all the spices as Lisa recommended and thinned it all with chicken broth. It was wonderful!! How easy! Just pour it in bowls and serve! So creamy and delicious! No changes at all!
That’s a great time saving hack to buy pre-chopped butternut squash. So happy you loved the soup, Brenda!
This was AMAZING!!! So easy to make and so decadent. I roasted 2 cloves of garlic wrapped in foil and threw it in when I put in the onion. This is a keeper.
I’m so glad you enjoyed this butternut squash soup, Kannika!
I have made this before and I love it, can I freeze it.
Yes, you can definitely freeze it. It’s great for meal prep!
Love this version of the recipe! I left out the maple syrup, simply Bc we are trying to reduce unnecessary sugar intake, but the flavor is still incredible. Savory and delicious! and so simple and easy to make which makes it a weekly staple. Thank you!!
Thanks so much, Erin! I’m happy you enjoyed it. :)
I made this for thanksgiving. It was so easy. I loved how the onion was roasted with the squash. Everyone loved it. My family wants me to make more right away. Thank you, Lisa.
Do you think a stick blender would work for this recipe?
Yes, you could do that as well!
I only have a hand blender and it worked great!
This soup is so tasty. I made this for my gf friend and she loved it. We added salsa and a bit of cayenne pepper as I didn’t add much salt due to her restrictive diet. Sooo good!
Wonderful! I’m glad both of you enjoyed this butternut squash soup.
I followed the recipe but thought it was bland, yet overpowered by the garlic flavor which I don’t think belongs here. I even cut the clove in half after reading reviews. I added a little more maple syrup also and still could only taste the garlic. But I ate the soup and it grew on me. If I make this again I won’t be using any garlic.
Absolutely delicious! And so easy! This will definitely be in rotation.
Happy to hear you’re loving this butternut squash soup!
We host a gathering for our community every Friday evening. We call it Deep Soup and hope to spark conversations that build connections and ideas. This is a soup I will make again. There were no leftovers and I made our Instapot full! With gf skillet cornbread from your recipes, it was a hit.
Thank you for all you do in Downshiftology. It has been an inspiration in my gf journey.
I’m so glad this butternut squash soup was a hit for your community gathering!
A really nice “comfort food” soup for those chilly Canadian fall days. Delicious
This butternut squash soup is truly the best kind of comfort food!
Such a great and simple recipe! I have been wanting to make squash soup and had been looking at recipes for awhile. I am glad I found yours. I ended up roasting a whole glove of garlic when I added the onions and it gave the soup so much flavor. I didn’t have vegetable stock on hand, so I used chicken stock which was also very good! Thanks Lisa!
I’m happy to hear you found the butternut squash soup of your dreams, Patti!
When a recipe calls for 1 clove of garlic, I tend to give a major side eye and add a couple more and rhe recipe tastes great
DO. NOT. DO. IT. WITH. THIS. RECIPE.
You do not need just a bit more garlic.
That’s why I put the warning in the recipe notes. ;) When you blend garlic it amplifies the pungency.
Awesome soup WEIGHT WATCHERS friendly, if you eliminate the butter it’s only 3 points for the entire pot
Happy you loved it, John!
This turned out well! I loved that you can roast the onion (and garlic) along with the squash. I felt the nutmeg and ginger were a bit too strong for my taste, but it is a nice cozy soup. I also added a tablespoon of butter at the end–super yummm
I’m glad you enjoyed the soup, Liz!
I ended up adding more sweetness in the form of 6-8 tablespoons of brown sugar. One could add more maple syrup, but it might make the taste too maplely. I’m sure that’s a word, at least in Canadian english:)
There’s always room for more sweetness in this butternut squash soup!