Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
on Nov 12, 2021, Updated Sep 27, 2024
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This butternut squash soup has a stunning color, smooth texture, and a deeply sweet flavor. A definite fall must-make!
Butternut soup is a must-make for fall, and this is the simplest version. Here, roasted squash gets pureed with sautéed shallots and some broth, allowing the natural sweetness of the butternut squash to shine. It’s finished with a bit of cream and a gorgeous swirl of creamy, tangy sour cream or crème fraiche (available in your dairy aisle or the cheese section of the supermarket), plus some (optional) bits of crispy bacon, snipped chives, or roasted pumpkin seeds. So easy and really quite fabulous.
This soup is sweet, savory, absolutely heartwarming. Play off the soup’s natural sweetness by serving it up with Easy Cornbread, and provide some textural variety with Sautéed Kale. It would also be delicious alongside Jewish Crispy Potato Pancakes (Latkes) or Perfect Roasted Potatoes.
Table of Contents
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup: This soup has a stunning color, smooth texture, and a deeply sweet flavor. A definite fall must-make!
Ingredients
For the Soup
- Butternut squash – This beautiful orange squash provides the main flavor and color to this soup.
- Unsalted butter – For roasting the squash and adding a bit of flavor.
- Olive oil
- Shallots or onions – Alliums sautéed in oil add depth of flavor.
- Low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth – I like to use stock here, rather than water, to add more flavor to the soup.
- Heavy cream – This makes the soup nice and creamy, as the name implies!
Toppings (optional; pick and choose)
You can choose any or none of these toppings…these are just my favorite options!
- Crisp-cooked bacon pieces – Bacon will add a savory, salty crunch on top of your soup.
- Sour cream or crème fraiche – Either of these options will add a nice creamy tanginess to the soup.
- Roasted pumpkin seeds – What’s more autumnal than butternut squash and pumpkin seeds? Sprinkle these on top for a nutty crunch.
- Fresh chives – These will add a fresh, oniony flavor (and make the soup look extra gorgeous for your phone-eats-first pics)!
How to Make Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
- Roast the squash: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Toss the squash with the melted butter on a rimmed baking sheet and spread it out in a single layer on the baking sheet. Roast the squash for about 35 to 40 minutes, until tender and lightly browned on the bottom.
- Prepare the broth: Sauté the shallots or onions until light golden brown. Add the broth and bring to a simmer. Add the cooked butternut squash to the simmering broth.
- Puree the soup: Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender or food processor (alternately, you can run the mixture through a food mill, which offers a great kind of nubby texture, or puree right in the pot with an immersion blender). Return the pureed soup to the pot. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
- Add the cream: Pour the cream into the pot, stir well, and heat just until warmed through.
- Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls and top as desired.
Variations and Substitutions
- For extra seasoning and depth of flavor, you could definitely add a pinch of nutmeg, or perhaps a bit of cumin and chili powder, or some fresh or dried sage.
- If you don’t have shallots, use chopped onions. All good.
- If you have vegetarians joining you at the table, use vegetable broth and pass the bacon on the side, or just give the bowls a sprinkle of fresh parsley or chives instead.
- Want to make this soup vegan or dairy-free? Add in some full-fat, unsweetened coconut milk instead of heavy cream. Make sure to use vegetable broth, and use the same amount of olive oil instead of butter for roasting the squash.
- You could also use another kind of winter squash instead of the butternut. Some of the other winter squashes can be peeled and cut up similarly to butternut, but others don’t peel and cube so easily (psst, get essential tips for peeling and cutting up butternut squash). Take acorn squash, for example, with all of those little ridges and a skin that is super hard and thick. What you can do with those types of squash is to cut them in half, scrape out the seeds and stringy gunk inside, and then roast them as is. Here is a nice little tutorial on how to do just that. Be really careful when cutting acorn squash; use a sharp knife and a sure hand.
FAQ
I highly recommend peeling your squash for this soup. While the squash skin is 100% edible, it is much tougher than the rest of the squash. It will soften while roasting in the oven, but in order to avoid any chunky, tough bits of skin when blending up the soup, peeling is the way to go. (Learn how to peel and cut butternut squash.) It’s not scary, I promise!
There are a few possibilities here. Be sure to cook down your onions until they are nice and translucent. Otherwise, they may still maintain some of their raw acidity, which can create a bitter flavor. Or, it may just be the squash itself. Just like bad apples, every once in a while, you get a bad squash! If there is some bitterness in your soup, try adding a bit of brown sugar or honey, tasting as you add.
End up with a lumpy or grainy soup? It may be because you didn’t roast your squash long enough. Before adding the squash to your broth and blending it, make sure it is fork-tender, meaning that the prongs of a fork will easily slide into it. If you’re having trouble with the fork test, go ahead and roast the squash for another 5 to 8 minutes.
Roasting butternut squash before you puree it into a soup gives it that lovely caramelization. This deepens the natural sweetness of the squash and gives the soup a richness and savoriness that you wouldn’t get with steaming or boiling the squash.
If your soup is too thin, try mixing in a cornstarch slurry while the soup is still on the stove. The slurry is easy: just a 1-to-2 ratio of cornstarch and water mixed together in a little (for example, that would be 1 teaspoon of cornstarch and 2 teaspoons of water). You could also thicken your soup by adding in a can of white beans, such as navy beans or great northern beans. Blend them up along with the rest of the soup for a rich, thick soup with extra protein!
What to Serve With Butternut Squash Soup
More Fall Soup Recipes
- Indian Butternut Squash-Carrot Soup
- Parsnip and Golden Beet Soup
- Maple Butternut Squash Soup
- Very Mushroomy Mushroom Barley Soup
- Loaded Baked Potato Soup
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Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 large butternut squash (peeled, seeded, and cubed)
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (melted)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup chopped shallots or onions
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- ½ cup heavy cream
To Serve (pick and chose)
- ½ cup crisp cooked bacon pieces
- ½ cup sour cream or crème fraiche
- roasted pumpkin seeds
- snipped fresh chives
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 F. Place the squash on a rimmed baking sheet, drizzle over the melted butter, season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine. Spread out in a single layer on the baking sheet, allowing space in between the cubes when possible. Roast for about 35 to 40 minutes until tender and lightly browned on the bottom.
- Heat the oil in a stockpot over medium heat. Add the shallots or onions and sauté for 10 minutes, until the shallots have softened and turned a light golden brown. Add the broth and bring to a simmer.
- Add the cooked butternut squash to the simmering broth and, working in batches, puree the soup in a blender or food processor (alternately, you can run the mixture through a food mill, which offers a great kind of nubby texture, or puree right in the pot with an immersion blender). Return the pureed soup to the pot. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
- Add the cream and heat just until warmed through. Ladle the soup into bowls, and dollop or swirl in a bit of the sour cream or crème fraiche, and sprinkle with some pumpkin seeds, crisped bacon, or chives, if desired.
Notes
- For extra seasoning and depth of flavor, you could definitely add a pinch of nutmeg, or perhaps a bit of cumin and chili powder, or some fresh or dried sage.
- If you don’t have shallots, use chopped onions. All good.
- If you have vegetarians joining you at the table, use vegetable broth and pass the bacon on the side, or just give the bowls a sprinkle of fresh parsley or chives instead.
- Want to make this soup vegan or dairy-free? Add in some full-fat, unsweetened coconut milk instead of heavy cream. Make sure to use vegetable broth, and use the same amount of olive oil instead of butter for roasting the squash.
- You could also use another kind of winter squash instead of the butternut. Some of the other winter squashes can be peeled and cut up similarly to butternut, but others don’t peel and cube so easily (psst, learn about peeling and cutting up butternut squash). Take acorn squash, for example, with all of those little ridges and a skin that is super hard and thick. But what you can do with those types of squash is to cut them in half, scrape out the seeds and stringy gunk inside, and then roast them as is. Here is a nice little tutorial on how to do just that. Be really careful when cutting acorn squash; use a sharp knife and a sure hand.
This was a “souper” recipe. I wanted to share how simple it was when I used frozen roasted root veggies I got from Costco. I added the broth and veggies to the instant pot and pressure cooked for 6 min. When done, I put in a vegan homemade cream cheese I had made from cashews and usually keep on hand. I used the immersion blender to blend it all right in the instant pot. Voilà …Served with tofu homemade bacon flavored bits and a dollop of homemade vegan sour cream! Yummy! Super easy! (Of course, store bought vegan stuff works too and would be even easier! Thanks so much for the recipe!
Sounds great. What can I use besides heavy cream.
Love your recipes. Happy Holidays to you and your readers.
Thanks, Cyrina! You can use half and half or even whole milk if you prefer, of you can leave it out and use a bit more broth! Happy holidays to you!