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 1885 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.

 

1272 comments

4.98 from 1885 votes (1,325 ratings without comment)

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Rate this recipe (after making it)




  1. Samantha Willis
    10.18.2020

    5 stars
    I always “liked” butternut squash soup but I seriously LOVE this recipe!! So simple and absolutely delicious. Holiday season go to.

  2. jeanette imler
    10.18.2020

    5 stars
    I tried the vegan version of this recipe last night and it was absolutely delightful!
    I served it alongside garlic, sage, mushroom and vegan cheese quesadillas.
    Thank you so much for the inspiration! I’ll definitely be making this again.

  3. Megan
    10.18.2020

    This was perfect for the start of fall weather. I added two sweet potatoes and a leftover gala apple.

  4. Patricia
    10.17.2020

    5 stars
    Thanks to your new cooking club, we tried this recipe for the first time and are so glad we did! Sometimes warm weather in Austin makes it feel more like summer than fall, but it makes no difference with this wonderful soup on the stove and its amazing aroma filling the house. We especially loved the flavors of the fresh ginger and sage combined with the butternut squash. Even our 15-year-old son asked for a second bowl!

  5. Shaelyn
    10.16.2020

    Made this last night exactly as written – delicious! Perfect fall soup!

  6. Rhonda
    10.16.2020

    5 stars
    Made this for dinner last night and it was a hit. Even my picky eater loved it! I also made your pear salad to serve with the soup and it was a perfect fall dinner. Thanks!

  7. Rachel
    10.15.2020

    5 stars
    I love this cooking club idea, especially since I’m not on social media anymore. My family of three, including a two year old, enjoyed this for dinner tonight with smoked gouda grilled cheese sandwiches. I didn’t have fresh rosemary, so subbed in dried. I also adapted it for my instant pot. An easy dinner for a chilly fall evening.

  8. Jenn
    10.15.2020

    5 stars
    Already made this twice. So good. I feel super healthy eating this soup with seasonings I might never reach for willingly. Thanks!

    Mine didnt’t look as vibrant after it was cooked but its still a gorgeous coloured soup.

    Rainy day today, so its a bonus to enjoy leftover soup for lunch too. ?

  9. Manon
    10.14.2020

    5 stars
    This recipe is delicious and filling on a cold autumn day.

  10. Charlotte
    10.14.2020

    4 stars
    Delicious! Fresh (not ground) herbs really make a difference!

  11. Shira
    10.13.2020

    5 stars
    This recipe is simple to make and perfect for fall! We’ll definitely be making this again and again.

  12. 5 stars
    Yummy! I topped mine with toasted bread crumbs and a little sour cream

  13. Shannon
    10.13.2020

    5 stars
    I made the soup and paired it with the Roasted Cauliflower Salad with the Tahini and both were so tasty! I love Butternut Squash Soup – I tried to make it 10 years ago (not this recipe) and I literally broke my blender in the process. So I have been wary of it ever since – but this was so easy and delicious and love that it’s vegan!

  14. Barb
    10.12.2020

    5 stars
    Made this for the October cooking club. It was quick and easy and was a big hit with the family. Will definitely make again!

  15. Lori Greenberg
    10.11.2020

    5 stars
    Made October 11, 2020 for Canadian Thanksgiving. A favourite at the table! Easy to prepare and delicious!! Tastes creamy without the cream!

  16. Joshua Collingwood
    10.10.2020

    5 stars
    Great way to kick off fall soup season. We added a little curry, for a somewhat hybrid between this recipe and the other one. Came out delicious!

  17. Fionna
    10.10.2020

    5 stars
    I substituted rosemary with thyme and the soup came out just as aromatic! Love this recipe.

  18. Melaney
    10.10.2020

    5 stars
    Delicious and great vegan recipe! Especially with some bread on the side. Added a bay leaf as well.

  19. Joyce Jose
    10.10.2020

    5 stars
    Great Autumn soup recipe!

  20. Shelly Michael
    10.09.2020

    5 stars
    This soup was DELICIOUS! I am not a fan of butternut squash and recently received one in my CSA share. When I saw the cooking club post on your Instagram I thought “Well, I know what I’m doing with this squash.” with no intention to actually enjoy it. This recipe will definitely be made again ? Thank you for helping me find a way to enjoy butternut squash!

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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.