This fabulous butternut squash soup recipe is simple, easy, and full of flavor. Serve it as a side dish or make it a meal with a side salad and some wonderfully crusty bread. A great soup recipe to add to your fall recipe collection!

Three bowls of butternut squash soup with a drizzle of cream and pinch of nutmeg.

My path to loving butternut squash was a long and winding journey, as I was your stereotypical kid who had to be begged and bartered with to take just a bite of the vegetables on my plate.

Broccoli? Smother it in cheese, please.

Salad? It better be drowning in ranch or thousand island dressing.

Mushrooms? I’ll take a bowl of cream of mushroom soup! You see where this is going…

As I got older, I was more open to at least giving things a chance, and at some point, I was at a relative’s house for dinner and found out butternut squash was on the menu. I was nervous. I hadn’t tried it, but I wasn’t a big fan of other squash. It was roasted in olive oil, brown sugar, maple syrup, and thyme. It was AMAZING.

Later that year, I would make a roasted butternut squash salad with warm cider vinaigrette (a Thanksgiving favorite!) and this butternut squash soup. I was officially hooked.

A butternut squash halved lengthwise.
A bowl of the butternut squash seeds and scrapings.

How to Make Butternut Squash Soup

This soup comes together fairly easily, but it does require some unique steps, so let’s talk through them!

  • Sauté the Butternut Squash Scrapings – This is definitely different than any other recipe I’ve found for butternut squash soup – you cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and stringy squash stuff (technical term). You saute it with butter and a shallot, which is essentially building the base of a homemade butternut squash stock, which really intensifies the flavor.
  • Steam the Butternut Squash – Add water to the sautéed mixture in the pot and use a steamer basket insert to steam the butternut squash until it’s tender.
  • Puree the Butternut Squash – Once the butternut squash has cooled enough to handle, scoop the flesh out and puree in a blender or food processor with the strained steaming liquid to get a nice thick and smooth consistency.
  • Warm and Season the Soup – Transfer the pureed mixture back to the pot, add heavy cream, brown sugar, and nutmeg and warm through before serving.

As you’ll see, there aren’t many ingredients to this soup; the small amount of dark brown sugar and nutmeg are just enough to accent the squash and really make the flavor pop. The cream adds a bit of texture, and on the whole, this is a very filling soup.

Pureed butternut squash soup in a blender.

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Recipe Tips and Notes

  • If you do not have a pot with a steamer basket, you can make a modification by placing a colander inside the pot and covering it with foil. Alternatively, you can roast the butternut squash in the oven (peel and cut the squash into 1-inch cubes, place on a rimmed baking sheet and roast at 400 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes, until the squash is tender).
  • To make a vegan version of this soup, substitute coconut milk or almond milk for the heavy cream and coconut oil for the unsalted butter.
  • Serving suggestion: add cinnamon-sugar croutons!
  • Love curry? Check out this curried butternut squash soup.
  • You can freeze this soup. To do so, allow it to cool to room temperature, then transfer to a freezer-safe container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
A pot of butternut squash soup with a ladle scooping some out.

This makes a wonderful starter dish for a fall dinner party or Thanksgiving dinner, but can easily be made into the main dish by adding a side salad and some crusty bread.

Every spoonful will give you a burst of quintessential fall flavors and feels like a huge warm blanket giving you a hug. The best, right?!

If You Like This Butternut Squash Soup, Try These Recipes:

Three bowls of butternut squash soup with a side of cream.

Watch the Recipe Video:

One year ago: Chocolate Chip Meringue Cookies
Six years ago: Mushroom Lasagna

Three bowls of butternut squash soup with a drizzle of cream and pinch of nutmeg.

Butternut Squash Soup Recipe

Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
This fabulous butternut squash soup recipe is simple, easy, and full of flavor. A great soup recipe to add to your fall recipe collection!
4.85 (13 ratings)
Print Pin Rate

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 1 butternut squash, about 3 pounds, cut in half lengthwise, and each half cut in half widthwise; seeds and strings scraped out and reserved (about ¼ cup)
  • 6 cups (1500 ml) water
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup (119 ml) heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon dark brown sugar
  • Pinch of grated nutmeg

Instructions 

  • Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven (or heavy pot) over medium-low heat until foaming. Add the shallot and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the squash scrapings and seeds, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter turns saffron color, about 4 minutes.
  • Add the water and salt to the pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, place the squash cut-side down in a steamer basket, and lower the basket into the pot. Cover and steam until the squash is completely tender, about 30 minutes. Take the pot off the heat, and use tongs to transfer the squash to a rimmed baking sheet. When cool enough to handle, use a large spoon to scrape the flesh from the skin. Reserve the squash flesh in a bowl and discard the skins.
  • Strain the steaming liquid through a mesh strainer into a second bowl; discard the solids in the strainer. (You should have 2½ to 3 cups of liquid.) Rise and dry the pot.
  • Puree the squash in batches in a blender or food processor, pulsing and adding enough reserved steaming liquid to obtain a smooth consistency. Transfer the puree to the pot and stir in the remaining steaming liquid, cream, and brown sugar. Warm the soup over medium-low heat until hot, about 3 minutes. Stir in the nutmeg and adjust the seasonings, adding salt to taste. Serve immediately with an extra drizzle of heavy cream, if desired. Soup can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days, or frozen for up to 3 months. Warm over low heat until hot; do not boil.

Notes

  • If you do not have a pot with a steamer basket, you can make a modification by placing a colander inside the pot and covering it with foil. Alternatively, you can roast the butternut squash in the oven (peel and cut the squash into 1-inch cubes, place on a rimmed baking sheet and roast at 400 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes, until the squash is tender).
  • To make a vegan version of this soup, substitute coconut milk or almond milk for the heavy cream and coconut oil for the unsalted butter.
  • You can freeze this soup. To do so, allow it to cool to room temperature, then transfer to a freezer-safe container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutritional values are based on one serving
Calories: 197kcal, Carbohydrates: 16g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 15g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Cholesterol: 47mg, Sodium: 414mg, Potassium: 468mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 13810IU, Vitamin C: 26.6mg, Calcium: 83mg, Iron: 0.9mg

Did you make this recipe?

Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!

Author: Michelle Lettrich
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American

This recipe was originally published in October 2010.

[photos by The Almond Eater]