Butternut Squash Soup

Served piping hot with a hunk of crusty bread, this creamy, nourishing butternut squash soup recipe is fall comfort food at its best.

Butternut squash soup

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

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!

Butternut squash

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.

Butternut squash soup recipe Vegan butternut squash soup

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!

Butternut squash soup

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:

Alternatively, serve it as an appetizer with a hearty vegetarian main dish like Roasted Cauliflower SteaksVegan Meatball Sandwiches, Homemade Mac and CheeseSun Dried Tomato Pasta, or a grilled cheese sandwich!

Butternut squash soup

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!

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Butternut Squash Soup

rate this recipe:
4.98 from 1791 votes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Serves 6
This vegan butternut squash soup is the ultimate fall comfort food! Store it in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze it for up to a few months.

Equipment

Ingredients

For serving

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.

 

1240 comments

4.98 from 1791 votes (1,245 ratings without comment)

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  1. Mo
    10.09.2023

    I want to try your recipe but I am not familiar with the measurements….1.33, 0.67

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      10.13.2023

      Hi Mo, Can you clarify which measurements you’re referring to? If you look at the recipe card at the bottom of the post, you’ll see regular cup/pound/tablespoon measurements.

  2. Barbara
    10.09.2023

    About how many cups of cubed squash.
    We actually don’t have a scale in the house.
    We DO have several large butternut squash just harvested from our garden and I am looking forward to this soup.
    Thanks!

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      10.13.2023

      Hi Barbara, Great question! Unfortunately we don’t have a cup measurement for the squash here. I recommend using 1 medium-large squash, or slightly less than 1 squash if yours are very large. If the soup ends up very thick, you can add more broth to thin it in the blending step. Hope this helps!

  3. Chrissy Butzen
    10.09.2023

    5 stars
    So so yummy -I roasted my squash first just because I love the flavor (and smell) of roasting squash but otherwise followed exactly. My favorite squash soup recipe now! May have to add this to my holiday table! Thank you for the recipe!

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      10.13.2023

      Hi Chrissy, I’m so glad you loved the soup!

      • Logan M.
        10.25.2023

        4 stars
        The soup was very good. I had some butternut squash leftover and decided to make soup for my boyfriend an I. It was a very simple recipe to follow and my boyfriend ate his and then ate the rest of mine. I did use all dry spices which I looked up the correct conversions for, that being said there were a few chunks left in the soup after blending from the dried rosemary. Overall I would make again with fresh rosemary and maybe a baguette to dip in the soup:)

        • Jeanine Donofrio
          10.27.2023

          Hi Logan, I’m glad you both enjoyed it.

  4. Taylor
    10.08.2023

    5 stars
    Yay! I just made this recipe and it’s the best butternut squash soup I’ve ever had! Thanks for the great post.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      10.09.2023

      Hi Taylor, I’m so glad you loved it!

  5. Jordyn
    10.07.2023

    5 stars
    Wow, this soup is incredible. So silky, smooth, and creamy! The flavors are delicious, I particularly loved the ginger. My one comment is that there was kind of a bitter after taste, but perhaps I used too much sage? I would absolutely make this soup again! Can’t wait to enjoy the left overs tomorrow!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      10.09.2023

      Hi Jordyn, hmm, I’m not sure… you could use less sage or try a different brand of broth.

  6. Laura
    10.06.2023

    5 stars
    This soup is the best soup I’ve ever eaten! The flavors pop! The fresh ginger is a must, don’t skip it. Delectable!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      10.09.2023

      Hi Laura, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!

    • Natalia
      10.09.2023

      5 stars
      Turned out amazing!

  7. Sabrina
    10.05.2023

    5 stars
    Delicious! The sage, rosemary, ginger, garlic and onion give the dish a lovely warmth which is perfect for autumn. I made the recipe mostly as written, though decided to add a splash of apple cider vinegar toward the end of the blending stage. I’d imagine sweet potato or apple could be added to the mix if you have a squash which is shy of three pounds. Will be saving this one!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      10.09.2023

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it!

  8. Alicia Nicholson
    10.05.2023

    5 stars
    So yummy! I did make bacon first so we could crumble it over the top and cooked the veggies in it. I used frozen squash because i couldn’t find any at the store and it worked perfectly! I added celery too and used my immersion blender. I think it would have been creamier if I’d used the traditional blender. My children wouldn’t touch it but my husband and i born enjoyed first and second bowls! Thanks for such a great and easy recipe!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      10.09.2023

      I’m glad you enjoyed it 🙂

  9. siddiqa
    10.05.2023

    5 stars
    this was so good … I added some roasted cumin and it just added a little extra to it but it was absolutely delicious

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      10.09.2023

      I’m so glad you loved it!

  10. Maggie
    10.04.2023

    5 stars
    This is my new favorite BSS Recipe. I used dried ground sage, dried ginger (cut to 1/3 for dried as it’s more intense) and fresh rosemary. I also used the pre-cut squash from Trader Joes and the flavor was still right on. Served it at a soup party and everyone loved it. THANK YOU for another great recipe!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      10.09.2023

      Hi Maggie, I’m so glad everyone loved it!

  11. Mary
    10.03.2023

    Can I use dried herbs?

    • Max
      10.07.2023

      if you’re using dried herbs cut it down by 1/3!

    • Mary
      10.08.2023

      5 stars
      I used 1/3 the amount of dried herbs and that was perfect. I loved the savory taste and creaminess of this soup. Grilled cheese went well with it. Will be making it again for sure!

      • Jeanine Donofrio
        10.09.2023

        I’m so glad you enjoyed it!

  12. Viv
    10.01.2023

    5 stars
    This was phenomenal. Omg! Thank you for sharing 🙂 I loved how creamy and satisfying this soup was without having to use any cream or butter whatsoever! Thankyouthankyouthankyou!

  13. Kylie
    09.20.2023

    5 stars
    Loved this! Tastes like autumn. Do you have a nutritional analysis?

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      09.21.2023

      Hi Kylie, we don’t calculate nutrition facts for our recipes. I recommend using an online nutrition calculator like MyFitnessPal to get an estimate.

  14. Rose Motteram
    09.19.2023

    Can you use frozen squash?

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      09.20.2023

      yep, you can!

  15. Frances Herrera
    09.18.2023

    5 stars
    Hi there! I made the butternut squash soup today and only regret not having made a double batch! I did not have rosemary nor ginger and made it using the rest of the ingredients as specified. I also added some red chili pepper flakes and it was superb! Sooo comforting! It’s so special! I will make it again!! Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      09.20.2023

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it!

  16. Naldo
    09.18.2023

    5 stars
    Beautiful write-up! Thank you so much!

  17. Lori
    09.16.2023

    I am trying to use up squash I already roasted. Ok simply to mix together after carmelizing the onion and leave it for a half day while the flavors meld? Maybe it needs another day of sitting to let everything blend together if the squash is already cooked when you start?

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      09.17.2023

      Hi Lori, I don’t think it’ll need the extra day after you add it to the onions – I’d just proceed with the recipe and allow the flavors to meld as they simmer together.

  18. Anne
    09.15.2023

    5 stars
    Can I freeze this soup?

    • Amber N
      09.18.2023

      It freezes well since there is no cream or pasta.

  19. David Christian
    08.29.2023

    Has anybody tried canning this? I have an abundance of squash and zucchini and would love to can this for future meals and to give to friends.

    • Christy
      09.17.2023

      I put extra soup in single serving sized ball jars in the freezer.

      • Viv
        09.26.2023

        glass jars in the freezer – would there not be a risk of the jars exploding?

        • Jeanine Donofrio
          09.27.2023

          Hi Viv, it hasn’t happened to me – just be sure to leave a little room for the food to expand.

          • Viv
            09.27.2023

            thank you for taking the time to comment ♥

        • Lorrie
          09.30.2023

          You need to use wide mouth jars so there isn’t a “neck” and leave a good 2″ for expansion.

  20. KJ
    08.27.2023

    5 stars
    This is my 3rd time making this soup and it is simply delicious! I add a sweet potato and punpkin for extra nutrients. Thank you for sharing this fabulous recipe! Cheers! ?

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Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.