A few weeks ago, I got a SUPER good deal on butternut squashes, so I’ve been using them in recipes ever since (yes, they have survived on the countertop for weeks). This week, I whipped up this super simple creamy butternut squash soup. The flavors are simple yet warm, and the soup is a breeze to prepare, which makes it a total win in my book. This butternut squash soup is definitely going to become a new fall staple for me!
Pin this recipe for later!
All recipes are rigorously tested in our Nashville Test Kitchen to ensure they are easy, affordable, and delicious.
“Excellent! Used some roasted butternut squash that I had in my freezer. I also had some turkey broth that needed a good use. Very good.”
JERILEA
Easy Butternut Squash Recipe
I love this soup for its simplicity. It starts with butternut squash and onions that have been roasted to intensify their flavor and add a slightly caramelized sweetness. The roasted vegetables are then blended with chicken broth until it’s thick and smooth, seasoned with nutmeg and sage, and heated through. For an extra luxurious finish, I stir in a half cup of heavy cream at the end. The texture is similar to pumpkin soup but a little more creamy. It’s simple, but so *chef’s kiss* perfect!
Recipe Success Tips
- Make it spicy. Add a pinch or two of cayenne pepper.
- Add an Indian twist. Add a tablespoon or two of curry powder.
- Go vegetarian/vegan. Use vegetable broth in place of chicken broth and full fat coconut milk instead of cream.
- Sweeten it up. Roast apple slices with the butternut squash and onions for a slightly sweeter soup.
- Lighten it up. Skip the cream for a lighter yet still very flavorful soup.
Butternut Squash Soup
Cost $5.52 recipe / $1.38 serving
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. butternut squash (4 cups cubed, $3.08*)
- 1 yellow onion ($0.70)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.44)
- ¼ tsp salt ($0.02)
- ¼ tsp pepper ($0.02)
- 3 cups chicken broth ($0.39**)
- ⅛ tsp nutmeg ($0.02)
- ¼ tsp rubbed sage ($0.02)
- ½ cup heavy cream ($0.83)
Video
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Peel and dice the butternut squash. Cut the onions into wedges.
- Place the squash and onions on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss until the vegetables are well coated in oil.
- Roast the vegetables in the oven for about 30 minutes, stirring after about 20 minutes of roasting. After roasting for 30 minutes, the squash should be tender and slightly browned on the edges.
- Transfer the roasted vegetables to a blender and add the chicken broth. Purée the vegetables and broth until smooth.
- Pour the puréed soup to a pot and add the nutmeg and sage. Heat the soup over medium, stirring occasionally, until heated through.
- Stir the heavy cream into the soup, then taste and adjust the salt or other seasonings to your liking. Serve hot.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!How to Make Butternut Squash Soup Step-by-Step Photos
Prep the veggies: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Peel and dice butternut squash (about 2 lbs.) into ½-inch cubes (about 4 cups diced). Slice one yellow onion. Place the squash and onion on a parchment-lined baking sheet, drizzle with 2 Tbsp olive oil, and sprinkle with ¼ tsp pepper and ¼ tsp salt. Toss to coat well.
Roast the veggies: Roast the squash and onions in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, stirring once after 20 minutes. The squash should be tender and slightly browned after 30 minutes of roasting. If not, continue roasting.
Transfer to the blender: Add the roasted butternut squash and onions to a blender along with 3 cups of chicken broth.
Puree the mixture: Purée the vegetables and broth until smooth.
Add the seasoning: Transfer the soup to a pot and add ⅛ tsp nutmeg and ¼ tsp rubbed sage. Stir to combine. Place the pot over medium heat and cook the soup, stirring occasionally, until heated through (5-10 minutes).
Add the cream: Stir ½ cup heavy cream into the soup.
Taste test: Taste the soup and adjust the salt or other seasonings to your liking.
Serve: Serve the soup hot and garnish with an extra drizzle of cream and freshly cracked pepper, if desired. SO CREAMY! 🤤
storage and reheating
Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat over the stove or in the microwave until warmed through.
Freeze leftovers for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
What to Serve with Butternut Squash Soup
This soup is begging for some hearty bread for dipping, or sometimes I’ll top my bowl with a handful of homemade croutons. This soup would also pair as a nice side to our sheet pan chicken and vegetables or an autumn kale and apple salad.
More Butternut Squash Recipes
Our Butternut Squash Soup recipe was originally published 12/14/22. It was retested, reworked, and republished to be better than ever 12/3/25.
Easy to make AND packed with flavour. I used frozen squash and it was fine.
I made this recipe just this afternoon for me and my neighbour that I care for and it’s a great recipe easy and very delicious we loved it
I recently made this delicious soup. The flavor is so much better with the squash being roasted first! It’s our new favorite soup. I also agree that the stick blender is the way to go. Much more convenient than using a blender.
I’ve been making a very similar recipe for years – try adding in a large sweet potato to the roasting pan too.
I made a double batch of this to share recently, it was really good! The hardest part is peeling the squash, once you’re past that it’s all very straightforward. Having a stick blender is a really blessing for this kind of job. I separated out a portion just before adding the cream in case there were any vegans in the crowd; ultimately I ended up eating portions both with and without cream, and both were quite good, though I think the cream adds just a little something. I didn’t math it out but I have to assume the cost/portion ratio for this was great, even after sharing it I was eating soup for days.
So good!! I made it with veggie broth, fresh sage, and added an ambrosia apple. Safe to say, I will be making this recipe again this Fall!
Thank you very much for sharing, I learned a lot from your article. Very cool. Thanks.
Hello! I have some frozen butternut squash cubes I’m looking to use up. Could they work with this recipe with the roasting or would it be too mushy? Thanks!
I think that would be fine! Just keep an eye on it because it likely wouldn’t take as long to roast! You might actually want to start the onions roasting a little bit before adding the butternut squash in this case because frozen is already cooked.
Does this freeze well? Or no because of cream.
Should freeze well!
Trick for NOT PEELING butternut squash: I learned this trick from Sara Moulton on PBS. Poke whole squash 5 times with a skewer or pointy knife. Microwave 4.5 minutes on high. Now it’s easy to slice in half horizontally. Do not remove seeds yet. Roast cut side down at 400 for 40 mins until tender. Now it’s easy to scoop out the seeds and you can scoop out the innards.
Excellent! Used some roasted butternut squash that I had in my freezer. I also had some turkey broth that needed a good use. Very good.
Delicious, with a luxurious mouth-feel, velvety-smooth. “The cream really makes a difference; it’s not all…*squashy* all the time,” says my non-foodie husband. It’s a really satisfying bowl of soup, and it’s rich without being heavy.
Love it! My neighbor brought me cooked butternut squash that wasn’t roasted so I roasted the onion and squash in two batches in my little air fryer. I also used condensed milk in place of cream becuz I didn’t have any cream. Next time, I’ll use the cream. But this was great.
Caution: make sure to not fill your blender more than 1/2 full with the hot soup. I made a similar recipe from a Youtube vid where the presenter said that and I thought 3/4 full would be ok. That’s how I ended up with soup on my walls, on my oven, in my hair…
*GASP* My heart hurts picturing that!
Another variation idea I got years ago from a recipe I tore out of a magazine: the zest of an orange. There is something really magical about the way it works with the butternut squash.
Interesting! Do you use all of the zest or just a portion?