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 really enjoyed the soup overall, and especially the sage flavor. I will fry some sage leaves and add as garnish on top when I serve leftovers tomorrow.
I’m so glad you loved it!
Loved this butternut squash soup. The sage was the flavor that made it for me. So quick and easy to make once you roast the squash. This made enough to freeze for another mean. Delicious. If you want a less sweet soup, pick a different squash.
What can I do to make this more creamy? Seemed bland to me
Addles vegetable broth or you could add some sour cream it!
Great taste. I added some carrot and a spicy green chili to make the flavor pop!
This is beautiful soup but it is even far better by adding a little curry powder and Coconut Milk. The coconut milk makes it creamy and compliments the ginger and curry flavors.
I make this for myself once a year and freeze it in individual portions. It is so good and has a really deep flavor that reminds me of fall. Thanks for the recipe!
Is there a difference in flavor if one uses frozen butternut squash? Thanks
There are many butternut squash recipes out there and I’ve tried many of them. The seasonings make this a standout flavorful soup. I ramped up the fresh ginger and garlic and wow it’s a keeper.
Love this recipe
Love this soup! It’s vegan but still creamy and smooth. I liked it the first night I made it and then it was still great as warmed up left overs for multiple meals.
This recipe was easy to make. I did add some extra ingredients…one small tomato, one red pepper, 1 1/2 carrots, a seeded jalapeño and a sprinkle of Thyme, it was all so delicious!
Can you freeze this soup?
This soup is excellent and I love the flavors and that it’s vegan. I actually probably quadrupled the fresh rosemary and I did not find that it overpowered the flavors like previous reviewer. This is very cost effective and very healthy. I also added my celery pulp from this morning’s juice to add more fiber.
Unfortunately Rosemary overpowers the taste amasking all the other flavours.
Yum! I’ve tried several recipes for butternut squash soup.
This was the best AND the easiest to make!
Would roasting the squash alter the flavor profile? Would you recommend other adjustments if using roasted squash?
Making it again this weekend!
Hi Shelley, roasting the squash would be great! I’d just follow the recipe as directed after the squash is roasted.
This soup is good. It’s sweet and savory.
This is the best Butternut Squash Soup I’ve ever made. Super simple and tastes amazing! Will definitely be added to my soup season recipies 🙂.
I don’t know why most Butternut soup recipes want you to go through the work of peeling & cutting it up in small pieces. I’ve ALWAYS halved the whole squash & roasted it till done…. scooped out all its goodness for the soup making! It works. Nancy
that’s what I do to! felt like a genius when I figured it out several years ago
Yes, Roast or boil until tender and its so much easier.
I continue to make this every fall, and it continues to be the best thing I’ve ever put in my mouth. Make this, and be sure to get those fresh herbs.
Excellent recipe. I added a little agave syrup and cayenne pepper for the sweet spicy kick.
This is a great staple to keep around for winter. Which might come in December to AZ haha.
Thank you