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 made this last night, very delicious and will definitely make again
Delicious! We will be making this again!
Amazing!!! Only change I made was adding a little nutmeg and cinnamon after putting in bowl. This soup is a hug in a bowl. It’s amazing how much fresh spices can flavor something without needing heavy cream or butter. Adding to my favorite soup recipes. Thank you!!
I’m so glad you loved it!
Thanks a lot for this recipe, i changed a few of the herbs and eye balled how much squash/veggies to use, and it turned out amazing!! So delicious and perfect consistency (I used 4 cups of stock rather than 3). Was nice to have butternut squash soup without coconut milk. Happy to have come across your wonderful website.
Hi Diana, I’m so glad you enjoyed the soup!
I have made this recipe at least five times since discovering it last fall. This is hands-down my favorite soup. I add a hint of heat with a touch of cayenne. Wonderful!
I’m so glad you’ve loved it so much!
We just finished it and LOVE it! Thank you! We made some homemade Garlic toast to go with it. Delicious!
I followed the recipe and my soup came out delicious. I topped it with parsley and some fresh grated parmesan cheese.
Love all these recipies !
I had one small squash left from last years garden so I thought I’d search for a soup recipe. This is so simple yet packed with flavor. Thank you!!!
I don’t have a high speed blender – or is it necessary to have a high powered blender like Vita-Mix? I do, however, have a food processor and am wondering if I could use that to blend/process the soup? I look forward to making this.
Thank you for such beautiful recipes… look forward to making more.
Soup might leak out of a food processor. If the flavor is good and you don’t mind a chunky texture the soup should be fine.
Can you cook spaghetti squash on the grilland if so how long?
You have the absolute BEST soup recipes! I am so grateful for your blog! Thank you for sharing your talent! Your recipes are my very favorites!
I’m so glad you’ve been loving the soups!
Surprisingly yummy. The ginger gives it a warming little kick. I cut the squash into chunks and roasted it first before adding to soup along with the broth – adds a nice depth of flavor
How big is a serving?
It tasted amazing. Only thing I switched some steps and roasted my squash before.
Soup recipes all sound great. Wish they contained nutritional values calories etc.
This soup is AMAZING!!! I make it all the time and everyone that tries it loves it. The ginger and fresh herbs make it taste great. It’s so so creamy with no butter or milk! Thanks for sharing.
Tastes delicious.
Why does mine always turn brown?
Hi, it’s possible that your broth is a darker color? Or maybe the onions got too brown while cooking?
I made this soup last night and it was amazing! We drizzled a good finishing olive oil over it and sopped it up with crusty French bread. Thanks for a great, healthy recipe.
I made this tonight and it was phenomenal. I am not a squash lover at all and this was something I will do again. My partner loved it as well. This had a lovely texture. I was worried that the ginger would be overwhelming but it melded with and enhanced the soup overall.
Thank you.