Easy Butternut Squash Soup (Stovetop)

This creamy cozy Butternut Squash Soup recipe is perfect for a chilly evening. It combines butternut squash, warm spices, cayenne pepper, and heavy cream for a tasty, hearty winter soup. Make a double batch and freeze leftovers for another night.

If you’re looking for more cozy cool weather recipes with butternut squash, our favorite fall vegetable, you’ll want to add these recipes to your arsenal: Maple Braised Butternut Squash,  Southwest Black Bean Stuffed Butternut Squash, Smoked Gouda Dip With Butternut Squash, and Pumpkin Alfredo with Butternut Squash Ravioli. 

Be sure to sign up for my email… to get new recipes and ideas in your inbox!

Easy Butternut Squash Soup Recipe, Love At First Bite!

• Quick and easy stovetop butternut squash soup on the table in 30 minutes!
• Frozen or pre-cut packaged squash saves even more time, making this squash soup a delicious, hearty go-to year-round.
• Butternut squash is low in sugar and high in fiber.
• Rich, creamy butternut squash soup is delicious the second time around for lunches.
• Bonus: Healthy, full-flavored, packed with vitamins and minerals.

Butternut Squash Soup Recipe Ingredients

I love how quick and easy this satisfying, creamy squash soup is to make. Keep a package of frozen squash on hand, or pick up a pre-cut squash from the grocer on the way home-hungry bellies won’t grumble about this tasty butternut squash soup!

• Olive Oil – regular cooking olive oil is best if you have it; save the EVOO for dipping sauces or fresh salads.
• Chopped Yellow Onion – use a sharp knife to slice through the onion to keep those eyes dry!  
• Minced Garlic – raw garlic deepens the savory side of squash soup. You can use jarred garlic if that’s what you have. Check it’s not turned bitter and drain off the excess liquid to avoid a metallic taste.
• Butternut Squash – Fresh, frozen or pre-packaged peeled, seeded, and cubed. See below for how to pick squash.
• Vegetable Broth – adds depth and boosts flavors in soups without meat.
• Brown Sugar – you’ll want to stick with this moist sugar with a hint of molasses for layering and boosting the natural sweetness of the butternut squash.
• Ground Cinnamon, Ground Ginger, & Nutmeg – warm, woody, spicy, and aromatic; traditionally associated with fall and winter recipes. 
• Salt & Ground Pepper
• Cayenne Pepper – is optional, but check out the tips below to enhance our butternut squash soup recipe with this “warming” spice.
• Heavy Whipping Cream – is recommended for the most luscious and silky consistency. You can always use a “lighter” milk product to save on calories, but you deserve the finest, right?!
• Optional Garnishes: additional heavy whipping cream, croutons, fresh sage, or thyme.

How To Make Creamy Butternut Squash Soup

(full printable directions at the end of this post)

1. Saute onion in olive oil until tender and add garlic and saute for another minute.
2. Stir in butternut squash, vegetable broth, brown sugar, and spices, and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce the heat and simmer covered for 10-15 minutes or until squash is tender.
4. Blend cooled squash soup in batches until completely smooth. 
5. Add the cream and cook until heated through, stirring frequently. 
6. Taste the butternut squash soup and add more salt, if needed.
7. Ladle the soup into bowls, drizzle with heavy cream, and top with homemade croutons and fresh sage or thyme.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy here.

Easy Butternut Squash Soup Recipe Notes/Tips

• For a quick tip, use store-bought pre-cut butternut squash.
• Frozen squash for soup is always an option; drop it into the soup and simmer until it’s warmed through, then blend.
• Roasted butternut squash soup is delicious and adds a deeper savory layer. Roast the butternut squash for about 1.5-2 hours until fork tender.
• You can leave the thoroughly cleaned skin on the squash.  The peel won’t add any additional texture since it is pureed for this butternut squash soup recipe.
• Butternut squash peels are an excellent addition to homemade veggie broth, adding extra nutrition.

Storing Butternut Squash Soup

Refrigerate:

Butternut squash soup in an airtight container keeps well in the refrigerator for up to one week. Reheat on the stovetop or microwave.

How to Freeze:

Store completely cooled squash soup in a glass or plastic freezer jar for up to 3 months in the freezer. Thaw in the refrigerator for 36-48 hours. Heat over medium heat until warmed through.

What Goes Well With Butternut Squash Soup? Serving Suggestions

• Serve this butternut squash soup with a delicious and dense No-Knead Homemade Bread with a tangy hint of sourdough flavor. 
• Pull-Apart Garlic Bread With Blue Cheese And Rosemary or Easy Pull-Apart Garlic Rolls are a quick and easy fix with frozen bread dough or a can of biscuits!
• Butternut squash soup and Classic Egg Salad Sandwich night? Or how about a carnivore break and go all veggie with Sweet Heat Chickpea Avocado Salad Sandwich or Grilled Cheese? 
• Make it a squash soup and salad night with White Bean Tuna Salad or Creamy Caprese Macaroni Salad.

4 Tips On How to Pick A Butternut Squash

A surefire way to pick the best winter squash is to use the four S’s:

1. Sight – look for dull, matte skin with deeper tan hues. It isn’t ripe if the skin is pale, green-hued, or shiny.
2. Stem – The “tail” left on the squash should be firm, brown, dry, and free from mold. Older squash will have soft, moldy, or missing tails.
3. Skin – It’s not always easy to get blemish-free fruit these days, but if there are cracks, bruises, cuts, or soft spots, avoid them.
4. Solid – Like watermelons, a good heft or weight to the squash indicates ripeness relative to its size.

Bonus Tip: Storing – Keep butternut squash separate from ethylene-producing fruits like peaches, avocados, and apples. Ethylene gas causes soft spots, yellowing, and rot in squashes.

Variations For Butternut Squash Soup & Additions

Butternut squash recipes adapt to your family’s tastes. (And what you have in the pantry!)

• If you are short on butternut squash, add pumpkin or sweet potato to make the difference.
•  Change things up if you are out of heavy whipping cream by using coconut cream and curry spices flair of Indian cuisine.
•  Substitute chicken broth for vegetable broth in squash soup.

Butternut squash soup garnishes:

• Sprinkle with crumbled feta or blue cheese.
• Drizzle with EVOO or a pat of butter instead of heavy cream.
• Top with diced ham, bacon bits, or shredded chicken breast.
• We love the added crunch of croutons on squash soup recipes.
• Crispy fried sage leaves are perfect on this fall soup! Just coat a pan with a little olive oil, once it’s hot and shimmering add the sage leaves in a single layer, and remove when crisp (about 30 seconds). Transfer to a paper towel then serve on top of soup

Butternut Squash Soup  FAQs

Like This Soup Recipe? Pin It!