Creamy Butternut Squash Soup

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Creamy butternut squash soup is always good once the weather cools down! In this recipe, the squash cooks with onion and chicken stock until tender. I like to blend mine at this point and then stir in some cream and a little nutmeg.

I usually prefer my butternut squash soup completely smooth, and I’ll sometimes press it through a sieve if I want an extra silky texture. You can also blend only part of the soup if you prefer a chunkier texture or just mash it a bit. It’s a simple butternut squash soup and there’s no roasting step to bother with.

Butternut squash is a great ingredient for much more than soup. My recipes with butternut squash roundup has more ideas for easy butternut squash recipes.

Why You’ll Love It

• The squash cooks directly in the soup, so you don’t need to roast it beforehand.
• An immersion blender lets you make the whole soup in one pot.
• You can blend it completely smooth or leave some texture if you prefer a chunkier soup.
• It works well as a make-ahead soup and reheats easily on the stovetop.
• The basic recipe is easy to adapt with garlic, curry powder or a different creamy ingredient.

Ingredient Notes

• Butternut squash: Use peeled, seeded squash and cut it into roughly even cubes. You can also make butternut squash soup with frozen butternut squash. Use the same weight and simmer it until fully tender.
• Butter and onion: Cooking the onion in butter first softens it and gives the soup a richer base. You can use salted or unsalted butter, whichever you have.
• Chicken stock: The squash cooks directly in the stock, so I recommend you use one you like the taste of. Low-sodium stock gives you more control over the final seasoning.
• Heavy cream: Heavy cream (double cream) makes the soup creamy and smooth. You can replace it with stock, yogurt or a dairy-free alternative if needed.
• Nutmeg, salt and black pepper: Nutmeg works well with the natural sweetness of butternut squash. I don’t season until after blending, because this lets me determine how much salt the stock has already supplied and how much, if any, it needs.

How to Make Creamy Butternut Squash Soup

Cook the onion in butter, then add the chicken stock and cubed squash. Simmer until the squash is tender enough to blend easily. Blend the soup until smooth (if liked) then stir in the cream and season with nutmeg, salt and black pepper. An immersion blender is the simplest option because you can blend directly in the pot without having to pour hot soup into a blender or food processor.

Tips for the Best Results

• Cut your squash evenly: Similar-sized cubes cook at roughly the same rate, so you don’t end up blending firm pieces with very soft ones.
• Use a gentle simmer: The squash only needs steady heat to soften. A hard boil isn’t necessary.
• Be careful with hot soup: If you’re using a countertop blender instead of an immersion blender, work in batches and follow the manufacturer’s instructions for hot liquids. You absolutely don’t want hot soup all over the place!
• Add the cream after blending: Stir it in once the squash is smooth, then heat the soup gently. I like to save a little cream to drizzle on top sometimes.
• Adjust the consistency: If the soup comes out thicker than you like, stir in a little warm stock. If it’s not thick enough, simmer it uncovered for a few minutes before adding the cream.

Substitutions and Variations

• Lower-fat soup: Replace the 1 cup (240ml) of cream with the same amount of extra chicken stock.
• Try yogurt: Swap the cream for plain yogurt. Stir it in off the heat and warm the soup gently afterward so the yogurt is less likely to split.
• Add garlic: I sometimes add minced garlic to the onion before adding the stock.
• Add curry powder: A small pinch of curry powder changes the flavor without altering the basic method.
• Dairy free and/or vegan version: Replace the butter with olive oil and use an unsweetened dairy-free cream or additional stock. Chicken stock isn’t vegan, so use vegetable stock as well if you need the soup to be vegan.
• Use frozen squash: Frozen butternut squash works in place of fresh. Use the same weight and cook until tender rather than relying strictly on the stated simmering time.
• Make chunky butternut squash soup: Blend only part of the soup or use a potato masher instead of blending everything completely smooth.
• Gluten-free option: Use a certified gluten-free chicken stock. The other ingredients in the recipe are naturally gluten-free.

Equipment

• Cuisinart Chef’s Classic 6-quart stockpot: You need a pot that’s large enough for simmering the squash and stock with enough room for blending.
• KitchenAid variable speed immersion blender: Blends the soup directly in the pot, which saves transferring hot liquid to a countertop blender.
• Victorinox Fibrox Pro 8-inch chef’s knife: A sturdy chef’s knife helps with cutting the peeled squash into cubes.
• OXO Good Grips utility cutting board: Gives you a stable surface for preparing the squash and onion.

What to Serve with Butternut Squash Soup

Butternut squash soup goes well with something crisp or savory to offset its creamy texture. A grilled cheese sandwich, toasted sourdough, a simple green salad or grilled vegetable salad, or perhaps some roast chicken can make it into a heartier meal. My butter swim biscuits are another option if you want something warm and baked for dipping.

Butternut Squash Soup Toppings

Croutons and fresh parsley are the toppings I typically use with this recipe. Toasted pumpkin seeds, chopped chives, a small swirl of cream or a little freshly ground black pepper also work well. Pick one or two rather than loading the soup with too many garnishes.

How to Store

• Refrigerate: Transfer leftover butternut squash soup to a covered container within 2 hours of cooking and refrigerate it for up to 3 to 4 days.
• Reheat: Warm the soup gently on the stovetop, stirring occasionally, until it reaches 165°F (74°C).
• Freeze: Freeze the soup for up to 2 or 3 months. Cream-based soups can separate slightly after thawing, so you may need to whisk or blend the soup briefly while reheating it.
• Make ahead: If you’re making the soup specifically for freezing, leave out the cream and add it after thawing and reheating. This gives it a smoother texture.

Creamy Butternut Squash Soup FAQs

Victoria Haneveer

Creamy Butternut Squash Soup

This creamy butternut squash soup simmers tender squash with onion and chicken stock, then blends it smooth with heavy cream and nutmeg. You can choose to make it chunky or smooth.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Servings: 6 people

Course: Soup

Cuisine: European

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

 

• 2 ½ pounds (1 ¼ kg) butternut squash, peeled and seeded
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 ¼ cups (1 liter) chicken stock
• 1 cup (250ml) heavy cream (double cream)
• Nutmeg, to taste
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

Equipment

• 6-quart stockpot
• Immersion blender or countertop blender
• Chef’s knife
• Cutting board
• Measuring Cups and Spoons
• Liquid measuring cup

Method

 

1. Cut the peeled and seeded butternut squash into roughly 1-inch cubes.
2. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook for about 8 minutes, or until translucent.
3. Add the chicken stock and butternut squash.
4. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 18 minutes, or until the squash is tender.
5. Remove the pot from the heat and blend the soup until smooth with an immersion blender. If using a countertop blender, work in batches and follow the manufacturer's instructions for blending hot liquids.
6. Stir in the heavy cream. Return the soup to low heat if needed, then season to taste with nutmeg, salt and black pepper. Heat through and serve.

Notes

• For a lower-fat soup, replace the 1 cup of the heavy cream with 1 cup of extra chicken stock.
• For a chunkier soup, blend only part of the squash or use a potato masher.
• Croutons and fresh parsley make simple toppings.
• Refrigerate leftovers for 3 to 4 days. Reheat to 165°F (74°C). Freeze for 2 to 3 months. For the smoothest texture, freeze the soup before adding the cream when making it ahead.

A Simple Soup for Cooler Days

This is the kind of soup I prefer completely smooth, although the recipe is flexible enough to leave chunkier if that’s how you like it. The squash gives it plenty of body on its own, and the cream makes it richer without a long ingredient list. My tom kha gai soup is another creamy soup, made with coconut milk, chicken and Thai seasonings. You might also like my spiced pumpkin soup.

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