Served piping hot with a hunk of crusty bread, this creamy, nourishing butternut squash soup recipe is fall comfort food at its best.
My favorite fall tradition is making butternut squash soup on Sunday afternoons. On a brisk day, there’s nothing more soothing than chopping and simmering vegetables over a warm stove. As you cook, the kitchen fills with the cozy scent of sage, rosemary, and butternut squash, and when you’re finished, steaming bowls of butternut squash soup (that will last all week!) reward you for your work.
In the past, my go-to butternut squash soup recipe has included coconut milk and curry spices, but this fall, I found myself craving one that was a bit more traditional. When I say traditional, I don’t mean that I use chicken stock, heavy cream, or butter in this recipe. It’s a delicious, all-veggie healthy butternut squash soup with ginger, sage, and rosemary. This is basically fall in a bowl.
We’ve been loving this soup lately – it’s creamy and nourishing, perfect for satisfying cozy fall cravings. With only 10 ingredients, it’s easy to make, so cook a big batch today, and enjoy the soup all week long! Happy fall. 🙂
Butternut Squash Soup Recipe Ingredients
To make this easy butternut squash soup recipe, you need 10 simple ingredients:
- Butternut squash – This soup packs in 3 pounds of squash, so look for a medium-large one at the store or farmers market. If you don’t have a scale at home, I recommend weighing the squash when you buy it!
- Yellow onion and garlic – These veggies add delicious depth of flavor.
- Fresh sage and rosemary – I don’t reach for rosemary as often as some other fresh herbs, but I absolutely love it here. Along with the sage, it makes this soup cozy and complex.
- Ginger – Its warm flavor highlights the autumnal taste of the herbs and squash.
- Extra-virgin olive oil – 2 tablespoons add the perfect amount of richness.
- Vegetable broth – Because the blended squash becomes creamy on its own, there’s no need for dairy, coconut milk, or nuts here! With veggie broth as its base, this is a vegan butternut squash soup recipe.
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper – Add them with the onion at the start of the cooking process, but make sure to taste and adjust at the end as well. That way, you’ll make a soup you really love!
Let’s cook!
First, chop the veggies! Sauté the onion until it becomes translucent, add the squash, and cook until it begins to soften. Then, stir in the herbs, garlic, and ginger. Pour in the broth and simmer until the squash becomes tender, about 20 minutes.
When the squash is soft, transfer the soup to a blender. Blend until the soup is vibrant orange and creamy. Finally, pour it into bowls, garnish with chopped parsley and pepitas, and enjoy!
What to Serve with Butternut Squash Soup
Enjoy this soup as a starter, side, or main dish. When I’m making it the center of a meal, I serve it with good crusty bread, homemade focaccia, avocado toast, or corn muffins and a simple veggie side or fall salad. Here are a few of my favorites:
- Simple Lemon Green Beans
- Roasted Cauliflower with Lemon Zest
- Simple Roasted Beets
- Rainbow Kale Salad with Carrot-Ginger Dressing
- Shredded Brussels Sprout Salad
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Roasted Beet Salad
Alternatively, serve it as an appetizer with a hearty vegetarian main dish like Roasted Cauliflower Steaks, Vegan Meatball Sandwiches, Homemade Mac and Cheese, Sun Dried Tomato Pasta, or a grilled cheese sandwich!
If you love this butternut squash soup…
Try my ginger miso soup, curried lentil soup, or many-veggie soup next, or check out this post for more of my favorite soup recipes!
Butternut Squash Soup
Equipment
- 5.5-Quart Dutch Oven (I personally use the Staub Cocotte)
- Blender (I've used my trusty Vitamix for years)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 (3-pound) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
- ½ tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 3 to 4 cups vegetable broth
- Freshly ground black pepper
For serving
- Chopped parsley
- Toasted pepitas
- Crusty bread
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, salt, and several grinds of fresh pepper and sauté until soft, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the squash and cook until it begins to soften, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Add the garlic, sage, rosemary, and ginger. Stir and cook 30 seconds to 1 minute, until fragrant, then add 3 cups of the broth. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until the squash is tender, 20 to 30 minutes.
- Let cool slightly and pour the soup into a blender, working in batches if necessary, and blend until smooth. If your soup is too thick, add up to 1 cup more broth and blend. Season to taste and serve with parsley, pepitas, and crusty bread.
Great soup!
I left out the rosemary; added 2 tsp of maple syrup and a little extra salt.
Delish
I’m so glad you loved it!
Great soup!
left out the rosemary; added 2 tsp of maple syrup and a little extra salt.
Delish
Ohhhhhhhh!!!!! Perfect! The squash I had was bout 3.3lbs, so I used all four cups of stock. And subbed a tsp or so of a Norwegian herb and spice blend called Kalkun for the rosemary and sage. The Kalkun added a lovely kick. Enjoying a Vitamn A rush! 😉
I’m so glad you loved it!
Just made this exactly as per your recipe, except for the addition of a scant teaspoon of cumin and served with cornbread muffins. Totally delicious and so easy.
I have spent years roasting my squash before turning it into soup, but given the cost of the fuel crisis in the UK at the moment I tried doing it without using the oven first. No difference at all!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Can you use frozen butternut squash?
I don’t see why not. I’m using it. I have no doubt it’ll be fine.
Hi Bonnie – yes (since it gets blended anyway) I’m just not sure of the exact amount.
Delicious!
I calculated calories in MyFitnessPal = 410 calories per serving (6 servings in this recipe).
I tried some twists (not in calorie count above):
Added a little white wine to onions after they were softened and lightly browned and let it “meld” into the onions, before adding veggie broth. Also added a tiny bit of fresh lime juice (to taste) at the end.
roasted Pepitas with a little olive oil, cayenne and Aleppo pepper,, onion & garlic powder. And I fried a couple of fresh Sage leaves in the oil as well. And put them on the soup with the Pepitas. Didn’t use parsley.
Forgot to add: The 410 calories include 1/8 cup roasted/salted Pepitas (but not the bread 😉 )
I’ve been in search of a butternut soup recipe for years after having a transcendent bowl of butternut soup goodness at a catered party in DC.. I followed this recipe exactly and am so delighted with the results!
Hi Diane, I’m so glad you loved it!
Is Chicken broth good with recipe??!!
I made mine with chicken broth and it was delicious!!
yep! Any good broth will work fine here.
Absolutely incredible! I love this soup and can’t wait to make it again.
I’m so glad you loved it!
How many calories in a serving of this soup?
Hi would love to make this 5* recipe…just wondering if I could use beef broth instead of vegetable broth
Hi Ruth, yep, you can!
Absolutely delicious a true winner, thank you for sharing. I would like to read the nutrition value, do you have it I didn’t see it.
I love this recipe ! I do baked the butternut squash’s with all the spice and then scoop blend . Such a simple recipe and so delicious thank you…
I can never help but freestyle on recipes like this. I found to help the soup be creamier is to use cashew nuts and an additional acorn squash to aid in keeping it bulky and creamy. I added some chanterelle mushrooms to aid in its heartiness. C:
Your version sounds so good! Do you blend the mushrooms or just add to the soup after it’s blended?
My oven was already on for another recipe so I baked my winter squash before adding it to the broth mixture. Delicious outcome!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Butternut squash soup recipe was amazing. No cream and it was thick and full of flavour Definitely saving this one
I’m so glad you loved it!
Wow! This was delicious and so simple to make! Thank you!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Made this without the rosemary but twice the garlic and sage. It’s amazing and silky.
I also used my immersion blender in place of the large blender. Worked like a charm.
Thank you for such a delicious recipe!
I’m so glad you loved it!
This soup was amazing! Made some personal touches by adding some miso paste. Also finished it off with some crunchy sourdough bread for some acidity. The only thing I’d do differently is roast the butternut for some added sweetness. Saving this recipe for future use! Thank you!
Can you add almond milk creamer to make it richer?
I suppose so but make sure it’s not at all sweetened. I personally don’t think it’s necessary!