Butternut Squash Soup

Served piping hot with a hunk of crusty bread, this creamy, nourishing butternut squash soup recipe is fall comfort food at its best.

Butternut squash soup

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

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!

Butternut squash

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.

Butternut squash soup recipe Vegan butternut squash soup

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!

Butternut squash soup

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:

Alternatively, serve it as an appetizer with a hearty vegetarian main dish like Roasted Cauliflower SteaksVegan Meatball Sandwiches, Homemade Mac and CheeseSun Dried Tomato Pasta, or a grilled cheese sandwich!

Butternut squash soup

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!

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Butternut Squash Soup

rate this recipe:
4.99 from 1567 votes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Serves 6
This vegan butternut squash soup is the ultimate fall comfort food! Store it in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze it for up to a few months.

Equipment

Ingredients

For serving

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.

 

933 comments

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Rate this recipe (after making it)




  1. Nancy Boles-Rees
    01.31.2024

    5 stars
    Great soup.! I did add some unsweetened coconut milk at the end.

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      02.02.2024

      Hi Nancy, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!

  2. Libby
    01.25.2024

    5 stars
    Hi do you have the nutritional facts for this? I’m mainly curious of the carbs in this recipe! Thanks

  3. Jill D.
    01.13.2024

    5 stars
    I love this recipe. Is so warm, healthy and satisfying on a cold winter’s day. I’ve also added pork sausage sautéed in sage and garlic to add a protein component. Such a crow please and easy to freeze for later!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      01.15.2024

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      01.15.2024

      I’m so glad it’s become a favorite!

  4. suzie
    01.10.2024

    love this! never made a better soup!
    thank you!

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      01.12.2024

      Hi Suzie, I’m so glad you love the recipe!

  5. Kathi
    01.09.2024

    5 stars
    WOW! This soup is really incredible! I used all the same ingredients however I always roast my vegetables in the oven. Cube squash and onions. Put them in a large ziplock bag. Pour in some olive oil and coat vegetables. Pour out onto a cookie sheet and roast 425 for 30-45 min. The garlic can be added in foil or the last 10 min of roasting. The carmelization of the butternut squash really adds flavor I believe. I’ve shared this with everyone!

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      01.12.2024

      Great tip, Kathi! So glad you loved the soup.

  6. Amy from google
    01.08.2024

    5 stars
    I made this soup as a starter to our dinner and it came out delish! I used a combo of chicken and veggie broth and after it was blended I finished it with a pat of butter and a tablespoon of heavy cream. Will definitely make this a staple recipe.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      01.09.2024

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it!

  7. P.S.
    01.07.2024

    5 stars
    This was the first time making this recipe. It was a hit with my family! The directions were spot on and easy to follow. Cannot wait to try other recipes.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      01.09.2024

      I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it!

  8. Brent E
    01.06.2024

    I use this recipe often. It makes a great base recipe. What i mean by that is i make a non vegan version which uses chicken broth instead of veggie. This time around i used a Georgia sugar roaster squash insteae of Butternut, some turkey broth feom my Thanksgiving turkey and bacon fat in place of olive oil. It tasted amazing as always but a bit different this time. My point is, this recipe is a great jump off recipe, so much so that you can tweak it any number of ways.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      01.09.2024

      I’m so glad the recipe has been so versatile!

  9. Kristin P
    01.05.2024

    5 stars
    This soup is so delicious and fragrant! I froze the entire batch for a couple weeks and it turned out amazing! I will continue to make this recipe, thank you so much!!

  10. Dolce
    01.04.2024

    5 stars
    It’s a little bit thick maybe i bought bigger butternut squash. Can I put coconut milk? But it taste so good!!! Thank you!!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      01.09.2024

      Hi Dolce, sorry for my slow reply! I’d just add some water to think it (squashes can very in size and water content), coconut milk would be delicious too.

  11. Cecilia
    01.03.2024

    5 stars
    Came out great, thank you for your wonderful recipes. Because my husband has a cold, I added just a touch more ginger. We could taste it at first, then it mellowed out. I love putting the roasted butternut squash seeds on top for crunch, or any kind of seed (sun).

  12. Constance
    01.02.2024

    Can I freeze this soup

    • Kristin P
      01.05.2024

      5 stars
      I made this a few weeks ago and froze it and am just now trying it and it is DELICOUS! It freezes very well!

  13. Patty
    01.02.2024

    This soup is creamy, filling, and bursting with flavor! This was my first time making butternut squash soup and I was delighted with the outcome. I used an immersion blender instead of blender and it worked fine!

  14. Ninoska
    01.01.2024

    5 stars
    So delightfully delicious! Calorie content plz and thank you 😊. Perhaps per cup.

  15. Karen
    12.30.2023

    4 stars
    Added a squeeze of lemon at the end for a kick!

  16. Lynn F
    12.30.2023

    5 stars
    I added a pinch of nutmeg and topped with sautéed mushrooms, wonderful!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      01.01.2024

      yum! I’m so glad you loved it.

    • Audrey
      01.08.2024

      5 stars
      I really loved this! A little ginger heavy for me, but I added some honey to cut the ginger and it worked well. Delicious with bread and toasted pumpkin seeds!

      • Jeanine Donofrio
        01.09.2024

        I’m so glad you enjoyed it!

  17. Amanda
    12.25.2023

    Is there a substitute for the broth that could be used?

  18. Akriti
    12.21.2023

    5 stars
    Just made and absolutely enjoyed it!! Thank you so much for such a simple recipe:)

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      12.22.2023

      I’m so glad you loved it!

  19. Suzanne C
    12.20.2023

    5 stars
    This is so simple and the flavors are wonderful. The ginger is a must!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      12.21.2023

      I’m so glad you loved it!

  20. LIz L
    12.17.2023

    5 stars
    I topped with pecans and blue cheese…AMAZING!

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Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.