Butternut Squash Soup
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Effortlessly easy and irresistibly silky, this butternut squash soup is brimming with naturally sweet and savory flavors, making it essential comfort food for crisp fall days.
If you’re on the lookout for a standout butternut squash soup recipe that’s as easy as it gets, you’ve come to the right place. My no-fuss recipe begins with a smart shortcut: pre-cut squash from the supermarket. Then, simply tumble all the ingredients into a pot, simmer, purée, and voilà, you’re done! But—and this is me wearing my kitchen dictator hat—please stick to the recipe as written. The simplicity here means that full measures of sugar, salt, and cream are not mere suggestions; they are essential to achieving that rich, full-bodied flavor and silky texture that take this soup from simple to sublime.
For the finishing touch, you have two seasoning options: fresh thyme or curry powder. Each leads the soup in a deliciously different direction, so choose whichever one suits your mood or pairs well with what you’re serving.
Table of Contents
“This is one of those obscenely simple recipes that gets rave reviews from everyone! Ive made it for as many as 150 people and they ALL wanted the recipe. So quick to put together—my favorite “dump” recipe; but the result is elegant, fragrant and such a beautiful color.”
What You’ll Need To Make Butternut Squash Soup
- Butternut Squash: The star of the soup, butternut squash provides the soup’s base, offering a sweet, nutty flavor and a velvety texture once blended.
- Red Bell Pepper: Adds a subtle sweetness and a vibrant color to the soup.
- Onion and Garlic: These aromatics are essential for building the soup’s flavor foundation.
- Water: Used as the liquid base, water helps to blend all the ingredients smoothly without overpowering their flavors.
- Salt: Enhances the natural flavors of the soup. Remember, don’t skimp because it’s essential for bringing all the flavors together.
- Sugar: While it might seem counterintuitive to add sugar to a savory soup, a touch of sweetness enhances the butternut squash and red bell pepper’s natural flavors. It also helps balance the saltiness. Again, don’t skimp on this essential ingredient.
- Heavy Cream: Gives the soup a luxurious, creamy texture and a slightly sweet richness.
- Thyme or Curry Powder: Choose based on the flavor profile you prefer: earthy and herbal with thyme, or warm and spicy with curry powder.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Begin by tossing all of the vegetables, salt, and sugar into a large soup pot.
Cover them with water.
Bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer until the vegetables are very tender, about 35 minutes.
Purée the soup with a hand-held immersion blender (or in a standard blender) until silky-smooth.
Pour in the heavy cream.
Stir until combined and bring to a simmer. Mix in the fresh thyme (or curry powder), then taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
That’s all there is to it. Ladle the soup into bowls, drizzle with more cream if desired, and serve.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! While it’s generally more expensive to buy pre-cut produce at the supermarket, it can be a huge time-saver, especially with large, unwieldy vegetables like butternut squash. Peeling, seeding, and chopping a whole butternut squash is a chore, so ready-to-cook cubes are a great shortcut. The key is to make sure the package is very fresh. The grocer’s rule is “first in, first out” so the freshest package will typically be towards the back of the shelf.
Yes, the soup can be frozen, without the cream, for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator for 12 hours and then reheat on the stovetop over medium heat until hot. Once heated through, add the cream and bring to a simmer before serving.
Yes, it’s an excellent make-ahead dish. It can be prepared up to 3 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container. In fact, letting the soup sit for a day or two can enhance its flavors as the ingredients meld together. When ready to serve, gently reheat the soup over low heat, stirring occasionally.
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Butternut Squash Soup
Effortlessly easy and irresistibly silky, this butternut squash soup is brimming with naturally sweet and savory flavors, making it essential comfort food for crisp fall days.
Ingredients
- 2½ pounds pre-cut butternut squash (7 to 8 cups, cubed)
- 1 red bell pepper, roughly chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
- 7 cups water
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ¾ cup heavy cream, plus more for serving
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon curry powder, for a different flavor profile)
Instructions
- Combine the squash, pepper, onion, garlic, water, salt, and sugar in a large soup pot. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 35 minutes
- Using a hand-held immersion blender, purée the soup until silky smooth. (Alternatively, cool the soup slightly, then purée in a blender in batches, making sure to leave the hole in the lid open to allow the steam to escape.) Stir in the heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Mix in the thyme (or curry powder), then taste and adjust seasoning (depending on the sweetness of the vegetables, you may need a touch more sugar). Ladle the soup into bowls, drizzle with more cream if desired, and serve.
- Make-Ahead/Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The soup can be prepared up to 3 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container. It can also be frozen, without the cream, for up to 3 months. Defrost the soup in the refrigerator for 12 hours and then reheat it on the stovetop over medium heat until hot. Once heated through, add the cream and bring to a simmer before serving.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 217
- Fat: 11 g
- Saturated fat: 7 g
- Carbohydrates: 31 g
- Sugar: 11 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Sodium: 1192 mg
- Cholesterol: 34 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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Amazing! I added cinnamon and some curry powder and balanced it out nicely!
This was a delicious recipe but the high sodium content makes me cautious. Is there a way to make a lower sodium option?
Hi Patrick, glad you liked it! There’s a tablespoon of salt in this recipe which definitely boosts the sodium; feel free to cut back as needed.
My daughter usually doesn’t like the special meals I make, but she Loved this one. Emphasizing that it was much better then my potato soup and rice porridge. It was very delicious. Any suggestions to add spice to it? Thank you.
Hi Kyle, Glad you liked it! You could add some heat by adding 1/4 tsp. of cayenne pepper. If you taste it and want more heat, you can add another 1/4 tsp. Hope that helps!
Has anyone ever tried adding apples to the recipe?
I loved the simplicity of this soup, and it was pretty good. However, I felt it was somewhat bland. I added about one tablespoon of fish sauce along with the cream at the end, and that really took it up a notch.
Butternut sounds wonderful except 1191 sodium, yikes. We watch our intake and that’s plain scary. How to adjust salt would be helpful.
Hi Victoria, There’s a tablespoon of salt in this recipe; feel free to cut back as needed.
Gosh, there are so many different measurements out there for sodium content. I use Penzeys Kosher Flake Salt (280mg sodium/.25 tsp, as noted on pkg.), for salt flavor with lower sodium content due to size of salt flakes. At that rate, 6-8 servings of this soup would clock out at 560 mg – 420mg of sodium per serving, based *only* on the 1T of Penzeys salt used. It doesn’t factor in added sodium in dairy or vegetables, however. YMMV, though, based on *type* of salt used. Great recipe!
I’ve been searching for the perfect butternut squash recipe…but so many of them have apples in them, and that combination just doesn’t work for me. But I found this recipe absolutely perfect! The only changes I made were to omit the sugar (it was plenty sweet) and I think I added more like 3/4c of heavy cream because that was what I had as leftovers from another recipe. A definite keeper!!!
Does not have well developed flavors. Bland
My husband and I loved this soup! I did add some chicken broth instead of all water and added a dash of cayenne pepper and dash of dried thyme.
Thanks for a great recipe!
I make this recipe often- always a hit. I’ve even tried swapping out the dairy cream for coconut cream to make it vegan to accommodate my sister- still just as good!!
I also cut up an apple and throw it in when the veggies are cooking just for some extra depth of flavor. This recipe always gets tons of compliments from anyone I make it for!!
I make your Butternut Squash soup all the time. I’ve subbed cream cheese for cream if I don’t have any and I’ve also used goat cheese if I need a non-cow dairy version. Always delicious!
Goat cheese lover here who is excited about this iteration!
Really enjoyed this soup! I’ve been looking for a simple savory recipe that celebrates the vegetables, and this hit the mark. Very satisfying and comforting. Many butternut squash soup recipes are too sweet. I Followed the ingredients and directions exactly, except halved the sugar. Thank You!
Where does all the sodium come from??
There’s quite a bit of salt in this recipe, Mary Kay. Feel free to cut back as needed.
I love this soup and alter by using chicken stock instead of water, add sage and chili pepper flakes to spice it up. So easy and delicious!
Awesome soup! Super easy & incredibly flavourful. I didn’t have pre-cut squash so added 8 cups & everything else exactly the same….delicious!!!!
This soup is fantastic. I don’t come from a family of soup eaters, but I get requests to make this over and over. I especially like that this recipe doesn’t require that the squash be pre-roasted. Saves so much time and cleanup with sacrificing any flavour.
Easy and delicious!!!!
I followed the directions exactly. The soup was delicious although a little thinner than I thought it would be. Next time I will add a cup less water. I used frozen cut up squash and maybe this is why it was not as thick. My husband and I loved this soup regardless.
Great flavour in this soup, unusual but interesting combination. A little bit sweet for my tastes, even though I left out the sugar entirely. Maybe the squash and pepper were sweet enough alone.
I’ve written before, in response to a comment made by another reviewer, but I want to say that I absolutely LOVE your butternut squash recipe! Came across it while searching food sites, and I am so glad that I clicked onto yours! The simple ingredients and prep make this recipe ideal, and I appreciate that it does not call for spices like nutmeg, cloves, etc. I have made it several times (and there is a pot on the stove right now, simmering for tonight’s dinner!). I don’t include the sugar, nor the cream. It is stellar without those ingredients. Those of us with stomach problems sincerely welcome simple, non-irritating recipes such as this one. Kudos to you!
Really easy, tasty soup. I had a poblano pepper on hand so I used it in place of the bell pepper. Enjoyed the flavor it added. I think roasting the squash first may add more flavor, will try it next time. Thanks for the recipe, love your site!!!
Really enjoyed this recipe! Substituted carrots for sugar, added some Indian spices and didn’t use the cream. It was fabulous and creamy without the fat. I did however sauté the vegetables with a bit of butter to start it all off. Will surely use this recipe a lot! Thank you!
Can’t believe how easy and delicious this soup is! Thank you for sharing. You are my go to website for recipes. You have never ever disappointed me. Thank you again!
I made this Thanksgiving week to have on hand for weekend guests. Super easy, delicious and I even left out the cream for my non-dairy eating sister-in-law. I think she had two bowls!
I made the soup with and without the bell pepper and it is very delicious both ways!
I made this recipe as the starter of our Thanksgiving dinner. We had 3 families over and they all went for seconds. Super easy and stress free. Clean friendly. I had an Indian family over so I added a pinch of cardamom just for them to have a familiar taste and it was a hit. I don’t think there is a need to try other recipe and they all asked for the recipe. I made the cream cheese buiscuits you have as well to accompany the soup!
🙂 Gracias
As a chef, which immersion blender do you highly recommend? I am a first time clueless buyer. Too many options out there.
This soup was amazing – I decided to leave out the sugar and add one cored and peeled red delicious apple to the water mix & added a hint of dry thyme to the soup mixture before serving. So happy with the results!!
Can this soup be frozen?
Yes Angela, it freezes nicely!
If I am making this ahead of time (for Thanksgiving) I assume don’t add the cream before I freeze it?
Exactly!
I don’t have heavy cream. Can I use full fat coconut cream instead?
Hi Lisa, I’m not sure that coconut cream would work here, but full fat coconut milk would.
Yum! This was excellent soup. The addition of heavy cream is spot on. I did grate approx 1/4 tip fresh nutmeg.
Can you use half and half cream instead of heavy cream?
Hi Judy, This recipe really needs the heavy cream, but you can use half and half in my Butternut Squash Sweet Potato Soup.
Made the soup just like the recipe, but found it a bit bland, so next time I added a tablespoon of grated fresh ginger. Delicious.
I haven’t tried the recipe yet but I plan to. My only concern is using sugar. I have diabetes. Is there a substitute I can use?
Hi Lynn, you could just omit the sugar if necessary. (I also noticed in the comments section that some readers used a diced apple in place of sugar to add natural sweetness.) Enjoy!
I was looking for a simple squash soup recipe and I found it! Kids loved it, simple ingredients. I searched for something without chicken broth added and also without tons of spices like nutmeg or cinnamon . I am keeping this recipe and will surely use it often.
Hi, I used a yellow pepper, 5 cups chicken stock + 2 water and just over 7 cups butternut (no sugar) Before adding the cream. The chicken flavour was too strong, but after adding cream it was good. Bit bland, added black pepper. (I like a slight bite in the butternut soup) Family liked it, will make again with more butternut for thicker soup and perhaps a bit of chili. Will try adding a turnip as well and see how that goes. Regards, Jacques
Never made butternut soup before. Recipe looked quick and easy. Wonderful result. Thank you.
Hey made this and loved it – its so filling!
it says its 186 calories a serving can you advise what a serving is ?
Glad you liked it Jessica! Each serving is about 1 1/2 cups.
Just another easy, fabulous tasting soup!!! Thanks Jenn!
Excellent! Wouldn’t change s thing my kids and husband loved it and will make again. Looked watery at first but placed all ingredients into blender back into pot and finished with rewarming while adding heavy cream as directed. It was perfect!!
Seemed like something was missing in this one, but still good.
Soooo delicious!
I followed this recipe exactly and this is so disappointing. I am now doctoring it up hoping to salvage it.
So sorry you were disappointed with the soup Nancy. Was there something in particular that you didn’t like about it?
I followed this recipe almost exactly. Instead of adding sugar, I added two peeled and cored sweet apples. I also added several twists from the black pepper grinder.
Delicious!
Loved this recipe! It’s so basic, simple, and tasty.
During the holidays up in the mountains, I didn’t have some of the ingredients but had others, so I had to be resourceful.
I used fresh butternut squash and roasted it for 45 minutes because I had no peeler. I also roasted the red pepper, garlic, and 2.5 shallots (instead of an onion). Combined all the ingredients and used one can of vegetable broth and half the salt. For the sugar, I used half white sugar and half brown sugar.
The heavy cream was definitely important. I knew this would be the only fat added to the recipe, so I did not roast the vegetables with olive oil.
This recipe was such a great basic recipe that it could be modified without detracting from the taste. My family loved it!
Did you omit the half the water for the vegetable broth or, use the 7 cups and the vegetable broth? Thanks, G from MD.
This was terrific!
Thank you for this wonderful recipe! I made this on Thanksgiving and it turned out great! I added 1/3 more of heavy cream. Yummy! I will definitely make this soup again!
Hi
What can I use in exchange for the heavy cream? Thank you
Hi Kim, The only thing that will work is full fat coconut milk — add 3/4 cup. I’ve tried it and it’s delicious 🙂
This is a wonderful butternut squash soup recipe! I have made it several times now and we love every version. I usually cut down the amount of ingredients as it makes a lot of soup. Some of my favorite changes are to add an apple during cooking, cut back the sugar a little, and add goat cheese during the blending process. YUM!
I’m looking for a pumpkin soup recipe. Do you think this soup would still taste yummy if I substituted pumpkin for the butternut squash?
Thanks,
Jennifer
PS Your recipes and site are awesome!
Thanks, Jennifer. I do think that would work — pumpkin and squash are very similar. If you try it, please let me know how it turns out!
Love butternut squash soup but was particularly pleased with the addition of the red pepper. Instead of garlic I minced a piece of peeled ginger – about a one inch chunk – and instead of sugar I chopped up two medium sized peeled apples and added them with the squash, onions, etc. Added fresh thyme leaves to the ingredients as they sauteed. Used chicken stock instead of water which gave the soup sufficient body that the cream was unnecessary. The apple added an additional layer of autumn flavour and the ginger provided a modicum of warming heat.