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Butternut Squash Soup is a rich, sweet and savory comfort soup that is perfect for Fall and Winter. Top with croutons and chopped roasted pecans!
Featured in this recipe
I first tried Butternut Squash Soup at a popular Salt Lake City based restaurant called the Blue Lemon, and it blew me away! Creamy, slightly sweet, warm and spicy, this soup has all the flavor of fall. It is the most comforting of all comfort foods in my opinion. I could not wait to re-create this delicious soup at home. This easy Butternut Squash Soup recipe tastes more like a dessert than a soup! I’ve always loved traditional butternut squash soup, but this recipe takes it to a whole new level. Even if you think you’re not a squash person, try it. You will love this warm, fragrant bowl of goodness.
Ingredients
- Butter – I like to use salted butter for this recipe. You can brown the butter to start for extra flavor!
- Spices – Brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger make up the aromatic and flavorful base of this recipe.
- Chicken Stock – Chicken stock adds flavor and liquid to this creamy soup. If you want to make this soup vegetarian, then use vegetable broth instead.
- Apple Cider – Apple cider adds a fruity and spicy taste to the broth.
- Butternut Squash – The main character of this soup! Butternut squash was given its name because it is “smooth as butter and sweet as a nut.” It does have a smooth texture and a nutty taste to it. See our tips below for preparing the squash.
- Carrots – Sneak some more vegetables into this soup by adding carrots.
- Heavy Cream – Heavy cream helps achieve the creamy, silky texture that makes this soup so dang good! If you want to use a plant based or vegan alternative, try coconut milk.
- Toppings – This soup tastes great on its own but we love to top it with candied pecans and croutons. I also sometimes add hot honey, fresh herbs like sage, and pumpkin seeds.
Tips for Preparing Butternut Squash
- To easily prepare the squash for cooking, trim about ¼ inch off of each end of the squash with a knife.
- Using a potato peeler, peel the outer layer of skin off of the squash.
- Once peeled, cut the squash in half lengthwise with a sharp and sturdy knife.
- Clean the seeds and pulp from each half.
- Place the cut side of each half down on a cutting board and slice the squash in one inch rows lengthwise and then in one inch rows the opposite direction to cube the squash for cooking.
- To make your soup preparation easier, you can also purchase the pre-cut butternut squash in the produce section of your local grocery store.
Frequently Asked Questions About Butternut Squash Soup
We like to serve this soup with a salad or with bread for dipping. You can also serve it with grilled cheese sandwiches.
You don’t have to peel the squash, but I like to peel it. It makes it easier to cut if the tougher skin is peeled.
There are many health benefits to eating butternut squash. It is high in potassium, manganese, vitamin A, vitamin K, vitamin E, and vitamin C. It is recommended as a high-antioxidant food. Butternut squash is also known to reduce inflammation and prevent osteoporosis. Many good reasons to find a place for this nutrient-packed food in your diet!
Yes! Freeze the soup in an airtight container. It will last in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Read Next: All Our Favorite Fall Recipes
More Delicious Recipes with Butternut Squash
Butternut squash tastes delicious on its own steamed with butter, salt, and pepper, or sprinkled with cinnamon and brown sugar. It’s so versatile and can be used in place of meat in vegetarian dishes. Here are a few of our favorite ways to use butternut squash, besides this butternut squash soup:
- Roasted Butternut Squash Flatbread Pizza – This is the pizza of fall! Mozzarella cheese, bacon, kale, roasted butternut squash, and parmesan all on flatbread.
- Gourmet Butternut Squash Burritos – This will change the way you think about burritos. Juicy spice rubbed pork tenderloin grilled and sliced, sautéed butternut squash, black beans, cotija cheese, mango salsa, and avocado lime sour cream.
- Butternut Squash Ravioli – This butternut squash ravioli with a brown sugar glaze as a surprise ingredient that is amazing – shaved chocolate. It is a sweet and savory dish that tastes amazing!
- Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese – A healthier take on a classic.
- Endorian Roasted Chicken Salad – with roasted butternut squash.
Creamy Butternut Squash Soup
Video
Equipment
- Large Soup Pot
- Blender or Immersion Blender
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup butter
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ginger freshly grated is best!
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon cloves
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 1/2 cup apple cider
- 8 cups butternut squash cut into 1 inch cubes (about 2 lbs butternut squash)
- 2 carrots sliced
- 1-2 cups heavy cream
- croutons optional
- candied pecans optional
Instructions
- In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add brown sugar and spices to melt butter and stir for 1 minute.
- Add chicken stock and apple cider. Bring to a boil.
- Add squash and carrots. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, or until squash and carrots can easily be poked with a fork. Check the liquid in the pot while simmering. Add more chicken stock if necessary.
- Pour all the contents of the pot into a blender. Puree until the mixture is smooth. Blend in 1 cup of heavy cream. Gradually add more until the mixture reaches the consistency of a creamy soup. Depending on the size of your blender, you may have to do this in batches. You can also use an immersion blender for this step.
- Pour the contents of the blender back into the pot and keep warm until ready to serve.
- After serving soup into individual bowls, garnish with croutons and chopped pecans.
Notes
- To make preparation easier, you can also purchase the pre-cut butternut squash in the produce section of your local grocery store.
- To freeze – Freeze the soup in an airtight container. It will last in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
- We like to serve this soup with a salad or with bread for dipping. You can also serve it with grilled cheese sandwiches.
I have tried about 5 different butternut squash recipes and haven’t found one I love; however, looking at the ingredients I think yours will be a winner! I’m going to make it and freeze for Thanksgiving. I’m thinking I will freeze the soup without the cream and then add it when I am warming to serve. Would you do it this way? Thank you.
Yes, that should work great. That’s exactly how I would do it!
I’ve been craving the soup from blue Lemon for over a year now. All the blue lemons in our area are closed and I have not been able to get the butternut squash soup. I made this last night and it taste just like it. I loved it! Thank you!
Hello, Echo! My maternal grandparents are Blickenstaffs and we live in Hagerstown, Maryland. I suppose your husband has German heritage but Yours may be different. I love to cook some but baking is my actual passion. I look forward to trying your recipes. Everything looks delicious and makes me suspect you may have some German in your ancestry, as well. All the best to you and yours.
Hi Peggy! You and my husband might be relatives! My father-in-law, Eugene Blickenstaff was born in Kansas. His father, John Ezra Blickenstaff, was born in Middlepoint, Maryland in Frederick County. His father, John Blickenstaff, was born in Wolfsville, Maryland, also in Frederick County. It was John’s father, Jost (Yost) Blickensderfer, that came from Germany. The family story is that Yost was 18 years old when he came to America. At first he didn’t want to come, but his brother, Christian, promised him a rifle if he would come. Apparently, Yost changed his last name from Blickensderfer to Blickenstaff when he came to America. Does any of this sound familiar?
I have a crazy question. Last year I found the yummiest butternut squash soup recipe and made it often. I thought for sure it was from your website, but the one I used didn’t have carrots, and I’m pretty sure it had onion. Have you changed your recipe?
We haven’t changed our recipe, sorry!
Has anyone ever tried to freeze it? I am making a bunch of different soups for a large family gathering next week and would like to get a head start and freeze some soups to be reheated the day of the event.
I haven’t frozen this particular soup recipe, but I have frozen other cream-based soups. It will work fine, but it may separate in the freezing process. Cool the soup before freezing it and make sure it is completely thawed before re-heating. It’s an extra step, but to keep the soup nice and smooth after freezing, I would blend it again once it is thawed and then reheat it. Add a little chicken broth if the soup is too thick. Good luck!
I’m a single, so I kind of divided the recipe in half. It was marvelous! I cut back a bit on the brown sugar and since I’ll be having just a cup at a time, to leave out the half and half until I warm my portions back up. This really is a delicious soup – I topped it with a few toasted pepitas. I love the idea of a pear and gorgonzola salad with this!
Thank you for sharing how you adapted this for a single serving (and for heating up the leftovers)! So glad you liked this soup!
IS THIS CROCKPOTABLE? LOL THINK IT COULD BE MADE IN CROCK POT?
I haven’t tried it in a crockpot! Let me know how it goes if you try it!
could I substitute lactose free milk or a soy/nut based milk instead of cream? Two lactose-intolerant people in my family.
Yes, you could probably add a different kind of milk, it just won’t be as thick and creamy. I would say add a little at a time until you reach the consistency you are looking for. Hope this helps!
Hi
I’m looking to make a squash soup, and I found yours sounds amazing but instead of using all the different spices could I use all spice in there place?
Hi Rebecca- Allspice in and of itself is a specific spice made from dried Pimenta. It doesn’t contain the spices used in this soup so it would end up tasting very different than the recipe. Is there a specific spice in this recipe you are having difficulty finding?
I made this! I never write reviews but it turned out amazing! Definitely a keeper! Thanks!
Oh so glad you liked it! Thanks for taking the time to comment 😀
I LOVE the butternut squash soup from Blue Lemon. Does this taste just like it? Also, do you know if the restaurant uses this much sugar as well? I really try to avoid sugar, I’ll definitely have to try this recipe though!
Yes, that is where we got the idea for this soup! It tastes just like it! Give it a try and let us know what you think 😀
So excited to make this! There’s not a Blue Lemon in St. George and their butternut squash is my favorite. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
I had butternut squash soup in Sun Valley and they served it with blue cheese crumbled on top–sounds crazy but it was AMAZING! I highly recommend trying it! I have your cookbook and I use it all the time–everyone is SO impressed. Thanks for the recipe–I’ll be making this tonight!
THANK YOU Stephanie! That is so nice 😀 What was the restaurant in Sun Valley? We would love to try it!
Your recipe reached the Bronx, NY. I made this several times and I love it so much. I use 1/2 cup of brown sugar instead and use 2 cups of chicken stock. I make this for my work lunch and it is a nice change from my regular sandwich. Very good!
Thank you, Barbara! I’m so glad you like the recipe! Thanks you for sharing your adaptations as well. It may be helpful to another reader on our site.