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 –Â These veggies add delicious depth of flavor.
- Fresh sage and rosemary –Â 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 –Â 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 –Â 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.
I am oh so in love with this yummy recipe! 1/2 butternut + 1/2 honeynut = light, sweet, creamy perfection ?
Thank you, Love and Lemons, for bringing friends closer together who cook & enjoy the abundance of earth’s many gifts!
Hi Caitlin, I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it!
Wow, what a fabulous recipe. Added a little extra chopped ginger because I love ginger, added a left over yam I had, and an apple to the mix.
The sage adds a wonder flavour to the soup. Will definitely make this over and over.
Thank you for a great recipe.
This soup is absolutely delicious. I added a cup of light coconut milk to make it creamier.
I’m so glad you loved it!
I was wondering how many cups does this make? You have it as 6 servings, but how big is a serving?
Hi Becky, I’m sorry—we don’t have a cup yield for this recipe. I’d estimate 8-10.
Hi. Could you add some heavy cream to this recipe?
I was just scanning the comments to see if anyone had added cream to the recipe. We can both just add some cream to a small bowlful of the finished soup and see if that helps or hurts it.
Hi Karen, yes, I’d add 1/2 to 1 cup and reduce the broth by the same amount. Add it to the pot near the end of the cooking time and simmer for 5 minutes.
Amazing recipe thank you I baked the squash first then blended and it was delicious I can’t stop eating
Hi Theresa, so glad you loved it!
Excellent and easier than baking the squash!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the soup!
Excellent! I made with mystery winter squash from our garden (could not identify for sure). I used leftover baked squash (so there was a tiny bit of brown sugar and butter in it) and used an immersion blender in the pot to puree. Highly recommend.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the soup!
This was my first time making butternut squash soup and I was shocked by how good it came out. My whole family loved it. So flavorful and yummy. Thank you for this recipe!
Hi Crystal, I’m so glad it was a hit!
I’ve never left a comment like this before. I substituted a low-sodium chicken broth tonight because it was all I had- and this is now my favorite soup. And I love soups! The combination of flavors was amazing! SUCH a great fall soup!!
Hi Ann, thank you for taking a moment to share your feedback – I’m so glad the soup was a hit!
This soup was awesome — I actually ended up adding more ginger than called for but it definitely was not a bad mistake! Any recommendation for adding any protein to this soup? Too many vegan recipes lack protein and make having a balanced diet a challenge. Thanks!
Hi Dianne, You could add some crispy roasted chickpeas on top… or I’d serve the soup with a salad that has a protein incorporated.
Or here are some other fall soups that incorporate protein:
https://www.loveandlemons.com/kale-soup/
https://www.loveandlemons.com/instant-pot-lentil-soup/
https://www.loveandlemons.com/potato-soup-recipe/
Love this recipe! My farmers market only had honeynut squash this week, but it totally worked with this recipe. I also added some cooked farro to the soup upon reheating it on the second day to give it some bulk for lunch. Would recommend!
Love honeynut! I’m so glad you enjoyed the soup.
Large onion was too much onion for me, definitely using a small onion next time. The butternut flavor was lost to the onion
Could I use chicken Broth instead if vegetable broth? Do you think it will clash or overpower the other flavors in the soup? Thank you.
yep, you can use either!
Best butternut squash soup ever and so good for you. The sage, rosemary and ginger elevated it to a whole new level.
I’m so glad you loved it!
Can you use dry seasonings for this recipe?
Hi Mia, yes! You can substitute dried herbs here. I recommend starting with 1/2 the amount of dried seasonings and adding more to taste.
Do you have the nutrition numbers for the soup?
Thank you!
Hi Vine, unfortunately we don’t calculate nutrition info for our recipes. I recommend using an online nutrition calculator to get an estimate!
Can you freeze the leftovers?
Hi Leanne, yes! This soup freezes perfectly.
If you add some peanut butter it makes it West African style and increases the protein.
Have never made butternut squash soap before, but had a taste for it and came across this recipe. Just made it this evening and it’s delicious!! I did add a dash of celery salt and sautéed a hot pepper along with the onions.
Will definitely make this again.
Hi, I’m so glad you loved the soup! Those additions sound delicious.