This roasted butternut squash soup combines sweet, caramelized squash with onion, garlic, and warm spices for a satisfying, flavorful meal. The roasting process brings out the natural sweetness of the squash, while ginger adds gentle warmth.
Serve the soup as a hearty weeknight dinner with a loaf of crusty bread or as a starter for holidays and other fall gatherings.
Table of Contents
Before You Get Started
Before you head into the kitchen, here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Choose a squash that feels heavy for its size with smooth skin. You can peel and cube it yourself, or purchase about 4-5 cups of peeled, diced squash from the produce section.
- Low-sodium stock works best so you can control the salt.
- Sweeten with brown sugar for depth, or swap in maple syrup for a seasonal touch.
- An immersion blender makes life easier, but a regular blender works too.
- Roast the squash ahead of time if you want to cut down on prep.
Step-by-Step: How to Make Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Step 1: Roast the Squash
Cut the squash in half, scoop out the seeds, and place the halves cut-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Rub a little olive oil over the skin, then roast at 425°F until the flesh is tender. Let it cool slightly so you can peel it and cut into chunks.
** Tip: Roasting makes the squash much easier to peel. Don’t stress about fighting with raw squash skin.
Step 2: Sauté the Onions, Ginger, and Garlic
In a big pot, heat the olive oil and sauté the onion until it’s just turning golden. Add garlic, ginger, and a pinch of cayenne if you like a little heat. This base gives your soup great depth of flavor.
Step 3: Simmer with Stock
Pour in a couple of cups of stock, toss in your roasted squash, and add a little brown sugar or a drizzle of maple syrup. Bring it to a simmer, cover, and let everything soften together for about 10-15 minutes.
** Tip: If you want a richer base, use chicken broth instead of vegetable stock.
Step 4: Blend Until Smooth
Once the squash is very tender, blend the soup until it’s smooth and creamy (without any cream!). Add more stock a little at a time until you get the consistency you like. Some folks prefer a thicker bowl of soup, while others like it a bit thinner for dunking bread.
** Tip: Always let hot soup cool slightly before blending in a traditional blender. Hold the lid down with a towel to avoid spills or steam.
Step 5: Taste and Garnish
Season with salt and pepper, then ladle into bowls. Dress it up with a dollop of sour cream, fresh herbs, croutons, grated cheese (Parmesan, Gruyere, feta, goat cheese, or sharp cheddar), toasted nuts or pumpkin seeds, or even crispy bacon.
Serving Suggestions
Pair a cozy bowl of roasted butternut squash soup with a skillet of cast iron cornbread, a basket of Aunt Bee’s 3-ingredient biscuits, a loaf of one-bowl pumpkin cranberry bread, homemade garlic bread, no-knead Dutch oven bread, a batch of easy orange cranberry muffins, or a kale apple salad with maple bacon.
The soup is also delicious as a first course before mustard pork tenderloin, roasted Dutch oven chicken, grilled beef tenderloin, or maple glazed turkey breast.
Variations and Customizations
This recipe is flexible, so make it your own:
- For a creamy soup, stir in heavy cream, half-and-half, or coconut milk at the end of the cooking time (just until warmed through).
- Make it vegan by using vegetable stock or vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
- Add curry powder for a curried butternut squash soup.
- If you like a spicy soup, increase the amount of cayenne or garnish individual bowls with crushed red pepper flakes.
- Fresh herbs add nice depth to the soup. Try sage, thyme, rosemary, parsley, or chives.
- Warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg are also a great addition.
- For a sweet-tart addition, add some peeled and diced Granny Smith apple to the pot when you add the roasted squash. Cook until the squash and apple are very tender before pureeing.
- Stir in cooked white beans before blending for added protein and creaminess.
Make-Ahead and Storage Tips
- Prep Ahead: Roast the squash up to 2 days in advance. Refrigerate until you’re ready to make the soup.
- How to Store: Keep the soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. It’s a great make-ahead option for busy weeks.
- Freezing: Store in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
- Reheating: Warm over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through. You can also reheat individual servings in the microwave for about 1 minute.
** Tip: Always cool soup completely before freezing so you don’t get icy crystals.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why is my soup too thin? Simmer a little longer to reduce, or add a cornstarch slurry to thicken.
- Why is my soup too thick? Stir in extra stock, water, or a splash of cream until it loosens up.
- How do I make it smooth without a fancy blender? An immersion blender works well, or you can mash by hand (with a potato masher or something similar) for a more rustic texture.
- Do I need to peel the squash before roasting? No, roasting softens the skin so it peels off easily once cooked.
- Can I make this vegan? Yes, just use vegetable stock and choose dairy-free and meat-free garnishes.
I made this soup this evening. It is delicious, my new favourite soup! I wouldn’t change a single thing in the recipe – why mess with perfection!!
– Sue
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Watch How to Make It
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Ingredients
- 1 (3 lb.) butternut squash (or about 4-5 cups peeled and diced butternut squash cubes)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- ½ medium onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger (or ¼ teaspoon ground ginger)
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- 3-4 cups vegetable stock (or chicken broth), divided
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar (or maple syrup)
- Optional garnish: sour cream, fresh chives, toasted nuts or seeds, croutons, parsley, thyme, sage, grated cheese, crispy bacon or prosciutto
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Slice the squash vertically down the center, scoop out the seeds, and place the halves cut-side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Rub 1 tablespoon of olive oil on the outside skin of the squash, and bake in the oven for about 30 minutes (or until almost tender). Allow the squash to cool so that you can handle it. Peel off the skin and cut the squash into 2-inch cubes. Set aside.
- Next, in a large pot, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Saute the onions until slightly brown, about 3-4 minutes, adding a pinch of salt as they cook. Stir in the garlic, ginger, and cayenne pepper; cook for 1 more minute. Add 2 cups of the stock, the brown sugar (or maple syrup), and the squash. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat, and simmer for about 10-15 minutes (or until the squash is very tender). Remove from heat.
- Puree the soup with an immersion blender, or puree in batches in a regular blender or food processor. Add the remaining stock slowly until the soup reaches the desired consistency.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls and garnish with optional toppings.
Notes
Nutrition
This is absolutely delicious! Such depth of flavor with the garlic, brown sugar & touch of cayenne pepper. Would make it again. Absolutely 5 stars.
– Deborah
More Vegetarian Soup Recipes
Creamy Mushroom Soup
45 minutes mins
Fall Harvest Creamy Pumpkin Soup
55 minutes mins
Tomato Basil Soup
30 minutes mins
If you’re looking for even more vegetarian soup recipes, be sure to try this Crock Pot vegetable soup, this Crock Pot black bean soup recipe, and a pot of broccoli and cheese soup, too!
Originally published in October, 2014, this post was updated in September, 2025.
Wow that looks AMAZING!!
Thanks, Amanda! 🙂
Thank you Blair for posting this recipe. I have made this soup several times for my husband and I. It is fantastic and so healthy too! The only thing that I do slightly different is to add less ginger and cinnamin instead. We sweeten ours with fresh maple syrup and not the brown sugar. This recipe is a keeper. It is very easy too for anyone out there that has not tried making it. Fabulous fall meal :).
Your version sounds perfect, Theresa! I’m so glad that you love the soup, too. 🙂
It IS beautiful! This soup looks lovely! I love the pictures of it too!
LOVE Squash Soup!! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!
Thanks, Christine! 🙂
Looks delicious! We’re always up for trying new soup recipes! Thanks for sharing it with us at Foodie Fridays, Blair! Pinning!
That is a gorgeous soup, the color is amazing!! I think I see soup in my future. 🙂
Thanks, Lisa. It really is the best that I’ve ever had. Just made another batch this morning!
Hey, Christine! I just used regular ground ginger (the dried stuff). 🙂
This looks amazing but I have a question. I have a special needs son that gets sick from maple syrup, is there anything I could use as a substitute? Thanks
Hi, Jan! Yes — I use brown sugar instead of the maple syrup sometimes, and that works equally well. I think that honey would be a fine substitute, too. You can also just omit the extra sweetener altogether. It’s just one tablespoon, so it won’t change the flavor of the soup drastically…it just will be slightly less sweet. 🙂
If your son is not allergic to it, try Agave syrup, but use less, as it’s very sweet.
Delish just made this for supper quick easy and yummy. I’m going to toast the seeds to add a little crunch for the left overs.
Awesome, Brenda! I’m so glad that you enjoyed it! The toasted seeds sound like a perfect topping. Love that idea!
Sounds like a GREAT idea, Brenda. Hadn’t even thought of this but I’m going to try it.
CarolynM
I made this last night. It was amazing! I omitted the garlic because I can’t stomach it, and the cayenne only for the sake of my 1-yr-old. The taste was so pleasant and my BlendTec pureed it smooth as baby food! It’s healthy and my family loved it so I will definitely be making this again!
Awesome! I’m so glad that you and your family enjoyed it! 🙂
Thanks, this is really tasty!!
Wonderful! So glad that you enjoyed it, Aimee!
Christine–
I’m glad that you asked this question as it was mine, too!
My husband had cut up more butternut squash than I needed for a Thanksgiving recipe. I had been wanting to try making roasted butternut squash soup and used your recipe following the directions exactly. My husband and I both agree that it’s delicious! And it was so easy. I’ll definitely make it again.
Awesome! I’m so glad that you and your husband enjoyed the soup, Susan! Thanks for letting me know. 🙂
All I have is chicken broth, will it be ok to use this?
Definitely! I’ve used chicken broth before too!
I just finished making this soup 10 minutes ago and I love it. I used 3 squash, barely 1/2 cup shallots, 5 cloves garlic, and I eyeballed everything else, and it had a good amount of flavor. I like it a little thicker so I used about 3 cups of vegetable broth. I also used 4 tbsp butter, about 1 tbsp brown sugar, and a couple shakes of nutmeg on top of salt and pepper to taste. Even with 3 squash and not as much shallot as the recipe called for for 1 squash, I can still taste them. This is my first time making this soup and I am pretty happy with the result. Thank you for the great recipe!
So glad that you enjoyed it, Elizabeth! 🙂 Thanks for your note and for sharing your changes. Sounds great!
This is absolutely delicious! Such depth of flavor with the garlic, brown sugar & touch of cayenne pepper. Would make it again. Absolutely 5 stars .
Thanks so much, Deborah!
Can you add apple to the cooking
Yes, I think that would be delicious!
How many servings does this make
Hi, Barbara! It says in the recipe that it yields 8 cups total. So the number of servings will depend on how large your serving size is. If you’re serving small 1-cup servings, it will feed 8. If you’re using larger 1.5 or 2-cup servings, it will only serve 4-6. Hope that helps!
How many squash does this recipe usually take??
Hi, Todd! The recipe calls for 1 squash that weighs about 3 lbs. Ultimately, you need about 4 cups of peeled, diced squash, so you can use two smaller squashes or just part of a really big one. Enjoy!
I made this soup tonight and my family thoroughly enjoyed it! I followed the recipe exactly using the maple syrup!
Great! Thanks for taking the time to comment, Phillis!
This was so delicious! I added the sprinkling of curry powder along with other spices, sweetened with maple syrup, and puréed with 2 percent milk (what we had on hand) for a wonderful creamy consistency. We garnished with croutons, toasted pecans, feta cheese, and bacon bits. Yum! Will be making it again for sure.
Thanks, Diana. Your meal sounds delicious. So glad that you enjoyed the soup!
Super easy….super YUMMY….I added a little more stock and next time I will just add a hint of pepper – was a bit spicy (even for this Texas girl who loves spice).
Thanks, Cathy!