Easy Butternut Squash Soup Recipe
This easy butternut squash soup is silky smooth and light! It’s a great starter course for Thanksgiving and holiday entertaining, or a great addition to a soup bar. It warms you from the inside out during the fall and winter and makes a pretty soup course for dinner parties.
Every year I make some of the same traditional dishes for holiday meals, like sweet potato casserole or creamy mac and cheese. But I love to introduce 1 or 2 new recipes too.
This seasonal soup is one of those “new” recipes I served a few years ago and it quickly became a family favorite! Now, I make it by request for Thanksgiving dinner, but the color and flavor are ideal for fall and winter dinner party themes too.
This recipe has a short list of ingredients, and you can make it ahead and freeze it for easy entertaining. It’s a vegetarian option with a hint of sweetness naturally from the butternut squash. Even the kids like it!
Ingredient Notes
- Butternut squash. Peel and cut a whole squash into dice-size pieces, or you can buy pre-cut pieces in the produce section to save time.
- Onion. I prefer sweet onions for this but yellow or white will work too.
- Vegetable broth. Use vegetable stock to keep the recipe vegetarian, or use chicken broth or bone broth to add richness.
- Half and Half. This makes the soup creamy, and you can substitute with heavy cream if you want.
- Soy Sauce. This adds salty umami flavor that’s fantastic in this soup.
How to Make It
This easy soup only takes a few simple steps.
- Cook the butternut squash, onions and garlic in vegetable broth in a large stock pot until squash is soft.
- Add half-n-half and soy sauce to the mixture and then transfer it to a blender to puree. You may have to puree the soup in batches, depending on how large your blender is. Pour each pureed batch into a large mixing bowl until all the soup is smooth.
- Once the soup is pureed, transfer it back into the stock pot and stir in nutmeg and pepper. Heat through and keep warm until ready to serve, or let it cool and refrigerate over night.
The taste is rich and layered, and the consistency is thin enough that you could serve it in cups for sipping.
Make-ahead
I suggest making it a day ahead and refrigerate over night so the flavors have time to fully marry and develop. Complete the steps above and let it cool completely before storing in an airtight container. Reheat over medium-low heat on the stove.
Freeze. To really get ahead of the game, make it up to a month ahead and freeze. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat when ready.
Serving Ideas
Smooth creamy soups are ideal for adding toppings to. They can provide texture and complementary flavors. Here are some favorite toppings for butternut squash soup.
- Croutons
- Bacon Bits
- Crumbled Goat Cheese
- Fresh Herbs like chives, thyme, oregano
- Microgreens
- Sour Cream
- Pomegranate Arils
- Pepitas (Pumpkin Seeds)
- Sunflower Seeds
Include this soup as a starter course when you host Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving. Or make it part of a soup dinner party for fall gatherings.
Serve soup “shots” as part of an appetizer buffet like this curried pumpkin soup & stuffing balls. Just pour it into demitasse cups or shot glasses and add to an appetizer table.
FAQ’s
The rich fall flavors of this soup pair well with lots of meats. Pork tenderloin, ham, rustic beef dishes, lamb chops, chicken and turkey are all good options.
Yes, you can transfer it to an air tight container and freeze for about 3 months. Let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator and then reheat on the stove or in the microwave.
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Butternut Squash Soup Recipe
This butternut squash soup recipe is silky smooth and light! It’s a great starter course for holiday entertaining or a great addition to a soup bar.
Ingredients
- 1 butternut squash peeled and cut into cubes, or 4 ½ cups small cubes
- 1 medium onion (about 1 cup), chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced (or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder)
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup half & half
- 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Add the butternut squash, onions, garlic, and vegetable stock to a large stock pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until the vegetables are soft, about 30 minutes.
- Add the half & half and soy sauce to the vegetables and broth. In three separate batches, puree in a blender or food processor until smooth and creamy, about 10 seconds. NOTE: I used a large mixing bowl to hold the blended soup, while blending the other 2 batches.
- Return soup to large stock pot and stir in the nutmeg and white pepper. Keep warm over low heat, and serve.
Notes
Save time by purchasing a bag of pre-cut butternut squash in the produce section of the grocery store.
