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Epicurious

Butternut Squash Soup

4.4

(221)

Two bowls of pureed butternut squash topped with parsley and pumpkin seeds.
Photo by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food styling by Judy Haubert

This easy butternut squash soup recipe yields impressive, deeply flavorful results with very little fuss. Start by roasting butternut squash to enhance its natural sweetness and heighten the soup’s depth of flavor. You will have to cut the squash in half first—if this is your first time dealing with unwieldy large butternuts, follow our guide to butchering butternut squash (or just buy precut squash cubes at the grocery store, we won’t tell). Once they’re roasted, you’ll purée the squash with sautéed diced onions and a few spices for a creamy, warming bowl of comfort.

But, armed with such a simple recipe, there are many ways to make butternut squash soup your own. Play around with the seasonings: Instead of a cinnamon stick, stir in ¼ tsp. each of cumin and cayenne plus a 1 Tbsp. curry powder for curried butternut squash soup. Or top the soup with crispy chopped bacon and apple slivers for a sweet-and-salty take. You could substitute a different winter squash or combine squash with assorted root veggies. Garnish individual bowls with a swirl of coconut milk or a dollop of sour cream, a drizzle of chili crisp, or a sprinkling of crunchy toasted pumpkin seeds.

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What you’ll need

Recipe information

  • Total Time

    1 hour

  • Yield

    6 servings

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil, plus more for greasing
2 butternut squash (about 4¾ lb. total), halved lengthwise, seeds removed
2 cups thinly sliced white or yellow onion
1 Tbsp. light brown sugar
2 tsp. minced fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
½ cinnamon stick
5 cups (or more) low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper
Chopped fresh parsley for serving

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Place rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 375°. Grease a baking sheet with vegetable oil. Place 2 butternut squash (about 4¾ lb. total), halved lengthwise, seeds removed, cut side down, on prepared sheet. Bake until squash is very soft, about 50 minutes. Using a paring knife, remove peel from squash; discard peel. Cut squash into 2" pieces.

    Step 2

    Heat 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil on the stovetop in a heavy large pot over medium-low heat. Mix in 2 cups thinly sliced onion, 1 Tbsp. light brown sugar, 2 tsp. minced fresh ginger, 2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped, and ½ cinnamon stick. Cover pot and cook until onion is tender, about 15 minutes. Add squash and 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable stock and increase to medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Discard cinnamon stick.

    Step 3

    Working in batches, purée soup in a blender. Return soup to pot; season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bring to a simmer, thinning soup with more broth if necessary.

    Step 4

    Ladle soup into bowls. Top with chopped fresh parsley.

    Do ahead: Soup, without parsley, can be made 1 day ahead. Transfer to an airtight container and chill. 

    Editor’s note: Head this way for more of our favorite butternut squash recipes →

TagsDinnerFallSoupSoup/StewButternut SquashSquashVegetableGingerHerbs & SpicesMainStarterLunchGluten FreeNut FreeEasyMake AheadBlenderEpicuriousKid-FriendlyVegetarianVegan

Recipe notes

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