This warm and cozy butternut squash soup is the perfect soup for fall. It’s so smooth and creamy, and it’s also incredibly easy to make too! Includes vegetarian or vegan options. Recipe includes a how-to video!
Fall’s Favorite Soup
Subtly sweet and creamy, the flavors in this beautiful butternut squash soup pair so eloquently. This is a unique and satisfying soup that was truly made for fall weather!
4 things to know about this recipe:
- Incredible flavor: roasting the squash and sweet potatoes really develops their flavor and enhances their natural sweetness for a more complex dish.
- So, SO simple: most of the time spent in this recipe is just waiting for the squash and sweet potatoes to finish roasting. After that, you’re nearly done!
- Can easily be made vegan by using vegetable broth and plant-based butter.
- Perfect for fall! We’ll use fall veggies, warm spices, and garnish with pumpkin seeds. You can even keep the fall theme going by serving my brussels sprouts salad on the side!
My inspiration for this soup came from a dinner at Fogo de Chao, a Brazilian steakhouse chain. It’s not quite as savory as some my other soup recipes, though I was tempted to make it this way at first.
I initially planned to make this soup similar to my potato soup, with a bacon base and a more filling and hearty consistency. But I ultimately leaned toward the silky, somewhat sweeter version, and I think you’ll be glad I did.
Because of the gentle sweetness of the squash and sweet potato, I find it to be equally as appetizing as a summer soup as it is in the winter (though it’s inspired by fall veggies). I can’t wait for you to try it!
What You Need
Prepare yourself–things are about to get real cozy! I love how these ingredients work together to create this exquisitely flavored soup.
- Squash + sweet potato. Using a combination of butternut squash and sweet potatoes rounds out the flavor of this soup and (!) gives it such a pretty color.
- Broth. Chicken or vegetable broth would work here. Stick with vegetable broth if you prefer to keep this soup vegetarian or vegan.
- Spices. Like thyme, ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon. This adds quite a different, lighter flavor dimension to the soup, a bit different from the heartier, more hearty/savory versions I’ve shared in the past (like my creamy chicken noodle), but it works so well with the veggies. Feel free to the adjust sweeter spices to your liking; I kept them mild, but you can always increase them for more intense flavor. Also, if you have fresh nutmeg, I highly recommend using that!
- Coconut milk. Coconut milk is great for a creamy texture and natural sweetness. Make sure you use culinary coconut milk, which is usually sold in the baking aisle (not the kind sold in the chilled dairy section). I typically add just 1 cup to the soup, then reserve additional for thinning the soup the next day as needed.
- Roasted pepitas. A type of pumpkin seed (and no, they aren’t the same thing has hulled pumpkin seeds), these add a lovely texture and color to the soup when sprinkled on top before serving.
You may notice that there are no apples in this recipe. Some recipes will toss in a tart apple, but neither I nor my taste testers preferred the soup that way (we’re a picky bunch!).
SAM’S TIP: An immersion blender is so helpful for creating a smooth and creamy soup (it’s also great for making apple butter!). You could alternatively puree it in a blender in batches if you don’t have a blender. I link to the exact one I use in the recipe card.
Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make It
We’ll start by roasting our veggies…
- Toss the diced squash and sweet potato with olive oil, salt, and pepper on a large baking sheet. Bake in a 425F oven until tender, about 30 minutes, then set aside.
- Cook the chopped onion in melted butter over medium heat. Once the onion is soft and translucent, add the garlic and cook until it’s nice and fragrant (this takes less than a minute).
- Toss in the roasted veggies, salt, and spices and stir to coat. Drizzle in the broth, stir, and bring to a simmer. Let the mixture simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Reduce the heat, then blend with an immersion blender until smooth. There should be no lumps at all (well, at least that’s how I like mine)!
- Drizzle in the coconut milk, then stir to combine. Taste-test for seasonings–if it needs more salt, add some. Ladle into bowls and garnish with pepitas and extra coconut milk, if desired, then serve!
SAM’S TIP: If you’d like, you can garnish your bowls of soup with an extra swirl of coconut milk. It looks so pretty and gourmet–see below!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, it absolutely can. Unlike my chicken pot pie soup or broccoli cheddar soup, this soup won’t separate when thawed. I recommend freezing in a freezer safe container and enjoying within 3 months.
As always, this depends on your view of what exactly constitutes “healthy” (don’t you love those “it depends” answers!?). This soup is high in several essential vitamins and minerals like vitamin A, vitamin C, and potassium. It’s also fiber rich, especially when topped with roasted pepitas. Plus, the coconut milk adds healthy fat. So yes, there are certainly health benefits to to this soup!
This recipe tastes great with a side of sourdough crackers or bread. Or, use that sourdough bread to make a grilled cheese (maybe with some bacon?). Yum!
If you love soups, be sure to check out my cozy soup recipes email series! Sign up, and I’ll walk you through five of my favorite cozy soup recipes.
Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook
Butternut Squash Soup
Ingredients
- 3 lb (1.4 kg) butternut squash peeled, seeded, and diced into 1” pieces
- ½ lb (226 g) sweet potato peeled and diced into 1” pieces
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- Table salt and ground black pepper
- ⅓ cup (75 g) salted butter
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon table salt plus additional for seasoning veggies and to taste
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ heaping teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 4 cups (946 ml) chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 1 cup (236 ml) coconut milk
- Salt to taste
- Roasted pepitas for serving optional
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Roast the veggies: Preheat oven to 425F. Once preheated, scatter diced squash and sweet potato over a large baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat with oil. Transfer to center rack of oven and cook until tender when pierced with a fork, about 30 minutes.3 lb (1.4 kg) butternut squash, ½ lb (226 g) sweet potato, 2 Tablespoons olive oil, Table salt and ground black pepper
- Once squash and sweet potato are cooked, melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Once melted, add onion and cook until softened and translucent.⅓ cup (75 g) salted butter, 1 medium yellow onion
- Add garlic and cook until fragrant.1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- Add roasted veggies, salt, thyme, ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon and stir well.½ teaspoon table salt, ½ teaspoon dried thyme, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, ⅛ heaping teaspoon ground nutmeg, ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Slowly drizzle in broth and stir. Bring to a simmer and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.4 cups (946 ml) chicken broth or vegetable broth
- Reduce heat and use an immersion blender to blend ingredients until completely smooth.
- Drizzle coconut milk into the soup and stir well. Season with salt to taste.1 cup (236 ml) coconut milk, Salt to taste
- Serve, topped with roasted pepita and an extra drizzle of coconut cream, if desired.Roasted pepitas for serving
Notes
Butternut squash
The squash should be weighed before it is prepared/diced. If buying pre-cut squash, you’ll only need around 2.75 lb, as you lose some weight after removing the skin and the seeds.Storing
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Butternut squash soup may also be frozen for up to 3 months.Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Wendy
Do you use full fat coconut milk?
Sam
Yes. 🙂
Janean
Wonderful recipe!
Sam
Thank you, Janean! I’m glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Ronald elman
I am a chef and like your pizza dough recipe but I think it would be easier with a kitchen aide mixer
Amber
This is amazing! Love all your recipes. You really do nail it every, single, time. Thank you for what you do!
Sam
Thank you so much for the kind words, Amber, and for trusting my recipes! I really appreciate your comment!
Tricia
Sam’s recipes never fail. This is DELICIOUS! Love all the details and tips and the way Sam always explains the “why’s” . I always learn so much from her blogs and videos. Thank you!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Tricia! 🙂
Mary-Jo Gannon
Made this last weekend for my hubby who was recovering from knee surgery. We both loved it sooo much. Ate half and froze the rest. He can’t wait to have it waiting for him after shoveling after our first snow.
Sam
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it so much, Mary-Jo! I can’t believe snow already!
Kim
Hi Sam just discovered your site while searching chocolate mousse cake-I so appreciate the caveats and side details in your recipes; the way you write and describe your recipes is how I think, and I love that. Thoroughly excited to try buncha your recipes.
Question in the butter nut soup. Can I substitute sour cream or__? for the coconut milk?
Sam
Hi Kim! While I think sour cream will work, it will change the flavor profile of the soup.
Nancy
Made this today – delicious!!!
Thanks for always providing such amazing recipes!!! You nail them every time! I also bought the immersion blender you had linked in the potato soup since I have been making that regularly. Used it for the first time today and much easier than using my blender!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Nancy! 🙂
Morgan R.
I love the rich and silky texture of this soup, and the warm and inviting spices reminiscent of fall.This my new go to recipe for a comforting cold weather soup 🙂
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Morgan! 🙂
Darrel
Wow. I am an engineer and find your practice of adding ingredients (with measure) directly under the instruction steps very clever and helpful. I have never seen this before and it’s just too innovative. Kuddos to you!
Sam
I’m so glad it’s so helpful Darrel! Thank you for your feedback. I hope you love the soup! 🙂
Nancy
I love this too!!!
Tricia
Totally agree, Darrel! I meant to comment on that feature, too. It is a brilliant idea and is another reason I love Sam’s recipes so much!
Kerri
This is the first time I’ve made butternut squash soup from scratch and this recipe couldn’t have been easier! This soup is absolutely delicious and perfect for fall/winter days!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Kerri! 🙂
Jennifer A
I just made this; it’s delicious. I used a butternut and an acorn squash to get to the 3 lbs, plus the sweet potato. Also, I didn’t want to buy all the individual spices and thyme, so I used a heaping teaspoon of allspice to replace the individual spices. Then I used an Italian seasoning blend that included thyme, in place of just thyme. So, so good, savory with a hint of sweetness. The hubby really likes it as well.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Jennifer! 🙂
Betty
This looks heavenly. Do you think I could use acorn squash instead, or would it mess up the flavor? Thanks!
Sam
Hi Betty! Acorn squash could work, but I haven’t tried it. Since it’s firmer it may need to cook longer or it could potentially change the texture of the soup. Let me know how it goes if you try it! 🙂