Learn my tips for making the BEST creamy butternut squash soup. There’s a helpful video to make it even easier!
Who doesn’t love butternut squash soup?
Creamy butternut squash soup has to be one of my favorites, if not my favorite, of the season. It’s sweet and comforting with the perfect luscious texture. Out of all the wonderful winter squash out there, butternut squash is definitely top on my list. You’ll see creamy butternut squash soup everywhere this time of year and it’s no wonder why.
Tips to Make this the BEST
- Roast your squash. Roasting the butternut squash intensifies the sweetness and gives this soup tons of flavor.
- Slow cook your onions. For even more sweetness and concentrated flavor, cook your onions low and slow. They’ll taste caramelized without taking on any color.
- Let it simmer. Once you get the squash and onions in the broth bath together, let it simmer low and slow for even more flavor development.
- Strain it. If you don’t have a Vitamix to achieve that perfect texture, I recommend straining the soup through a fine sieve. I might not do this if it’s just me eating it (and it’s not shown in my video), but it definitely helps keep things perfectly smooth. Also of note, I added more stock to the soup than shown in the video to get just the right consistency.
- Add crunch. For textural contrast and a salty bite, I like to top this soup with pepitas. I toast them in the oven after tossing them in olive oil and salt. If you’re not into the oiliness you can dry roast them with salt, but I love the flavor and texture this way.
How To Make It Vegan
It’s super simple to make this recipe vegan, and I’ve made vegan butternut squash soup many times so I definitely recommend it.
Here are the substitutions:
- Coconut oil, vegan butter or olive oil instead of regular butter
- Vegetable stock instead of chicken stock
- Coconut milk or no milk instead of heavy cream
Creamy Butternut Squash Soup with Pepitas
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Learn my tips for making the BEST creamy butternut squash soup. There’s a helpful video to make it even easier!
Ingredients
- 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1 inch cubes
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 4 tbsp butter, divided (sub vegan butter, coconut oil or olive oil, if vegan)
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 4 cups chicken stock, or as needed (sub vegetable stock, if vegan)
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 whole cloves
- ¼ cup heavy cream (sub coconut milk, if vegan)
- ½ cup raw pepitas
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt
Instructions
- Roast squash: Preheat oven to 425°F. Place squash on sheet tray and toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and salt. Roast for 25-30 minutes or until tender.
- Cook onions: While squash roasts, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a dutch oven or large heavy bottomed pot. Add onions, season with salt, and cook over medium to medium-low heat until soft and very sweet, about 30 minutes. After 10-15 minutes the water from the onions will be released and evaporate. Add remaining 2 tablespoons of butter at this time, and reduce to low, if needed, to prevent excess browning.
- Simmer soup: Add roasted squash to pot with cooked onions. Pour in about 3 ½ cups stock or just enough to cover. Add bay leaf and cloves. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook partially covered for 30-45 minutes or until squash is very soft and soup is flavorful.
- Toast pepitas: Reduce oven to 350°F. Place pepitas on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Toss with 2 teaspoons of oil and salt. Toast 8 minutes. Transfer sheet tray to cooling rack.
- Blend & serve: Remove bay leaf and cloves from soup. Transfer to Vitamix or blender to blend, or puree directly in pot with an immersion blender. If you do not use a Vitamix, I recommend straining through a fine sieve for the optimal texture. Add additional stock or water (I added 1 cup) to thin soup to desired consistency. Stir in cream. Adjust seasoning, if needed. Transfer to serving bowls, top with a drizzle of cream and pepitas, and enjoy.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Soup
- Method: Simmer, Roast
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 ½ cups soup + 2 tablespoon pepitas
- Calories: 400
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 940mg
- Fat: 32g
- Saturated Fat: 12g
- Carbohydrates: 27g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 9g
romain says
Chicken stock, butter and cream for me please! Love the extra intensity roasting the squash brings to this.
sabrinarusso136@gmail.com says
Yes, roasting the squash really ups the flavor!
Jess says
Butternut squash soup is my favorite! Yours looks amazing!
sabrinarusso136@gmail.com says
Thanks! It’s my favorite too!