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.
I always “liked” butternut squash soup but I seriously LOVE this recipe!! So simple and absolutely delicious. Holiday season go to.
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.
This was perfect for the start of fall weather. I added two sweet potatoes and a leftover gala apple.
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!
Made this last night exactly as written – delicious! Perfect fall soup!
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!
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.
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. ?
This recipe is delicious and filling on a cold autumn day.
Delicious! Fresh (not ground) herbs really make a difference!
This recipe is simple to make and perfect for fall! We’ll definitely be making this again and again.
Yummy! I topped mine with toasted bread crumbs and a little sour cream
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!
Made this for the October cooking club. It was quick and easy and was a big hit with the family. Will definitely make again!
Made October 11, 2020 for Canadian Thanksgiving. A favourite at the table! Easy to prepare and delicious!! Tastes creamy without the cream!
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!
I substituted rosemary with thyme and the soup came out just as aromatic! Love this recipe.
Delicious and great vegan recipe! Especially with some bread on the side. Added a bay leaf as well.
Great Autumn soup recipe!
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!