This is the best butternut squash soup recipe with the perfect blend of herbs and spices, nice and creamy, easy to make, plus you can freeze the leftovers.
Today we're making a big pot of one of my favorite colder weather soups in the Chili Pepper Madness kitchen - Butternut Squash Soup.
My butternut squash soup recipe is filled with a select blend of spices and fresh herbs that compliment the natural sweetness of the butternut squash.
Butternut squash has a nutty taste and soft consistency when cooked, making it perfect for soup season.
I cook it down with lots of onion, celery, garlic, and peppers, then simmer it in stock, herbs, and spices, until the entire pot is tender and brimming with flavor.
Once you blend it, you'll always crave the luxurious creaminess that results from this perfect blend of ingredients.
This is definitely my favorite way to make it, and I think you'll love this recipe as much as we do.
Let me show you how to make butternut squash soup!
Butternut Squash Soup Ingredients
- Olive Oil. For cooking.
- Butternut Squash. The star of the dish! The perfect winter squash.
- Vegetables. Onion, celery, garlic, and peppers. You can use bell peppers for a milder version, or use hotter peppers to your preference, like jalapenos, serranos, or your favorites.
- Fresh Herbs and Spices. Use paprika, cayenne, cumin, thyme, rosemary, salt and black pepper. See the recipe notes section for other options. This is very customizable.
- Stock. Use chicken or vegetable stock or vegetable broth, or chicken broth. The amounts are variable, based on how thin or thick you'd like your final soup.
- For Garnish. Toasted pepitas (optional), red chili flakes, fresh chopped parsley. Try a drizzle of my homemade herb oil recipe.
How to Make Butternut Squash Soup - the Recipe Method
Cook Down the Squash and Vegetables. Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven to medium heat. Add the chopped squash, onion, peppers, and celery.
Sprinkle with a bit of salt and cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften and slightly caramelize at the bottom of the pot.
Garlic and Spices. Add the garlic, seasonings, and herbs. Stir and cook for 2 minutes to let the spices bloom.
Add the Stock and Simmer. Add the chicken stock or vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer.
Simmer for 20 minutes, or until everything is nice and tender.
Blend the Soup Until Smooth. Use an immersion blender to blend the ingredients until very smooth, or you can transfer the contents of the pot to a blender or food processor, then blend until smooth.
Transfer the soup back to the pot.
Adjust and Final Simmer. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper, seasonings, and amount of liquid. You can add a bit more stock or water to thin it out, if desired.
At this point, you can serve the soup if you'd like. I like to let it simmer for just a bit longer to continue developing flavor.
You can simmer longer if you’d like. If you're adding any cooked proteins, add them just before the final simmer to warm them through.
Garnish and Serve. I like to sprinkle on freshly toasted pepitas or pumpkin seeds, spicy red pepper flakes, and some fresh chopped parsley.
Boom! Done! Nothing like a bowl of butternut squash soup! Looks so good, doesn't it? So nice and creamy, with the perfect amount of spices for great flavor.
This is the best butternut squash soup I've had by far, just the way I like it. Perfection, my friends.
Recipe Tips & Notes
Change Up the Seasonings. You can easily change up the spices and seasonings to make this butternut squash soup recipe your own. Here are some great options to consider.
- Cajun or Creole. Use Cajun Seasoning or Creole Seasoning for a southern U.S. flavor spin.
- Curried Butternut Squash Soup Recipe. Try my Homemade Curry Powder for a burst of curry flavor. This is even better when you add coconut milk.
- Go International. Think outside the box with blends like Jamaican Jerk Seasoning, Ethiopian Berbere, or Chinese 5 Spice. Sweeten it with a bit of maple syrup.
Add Proteins. You can round out the soup to make it more of a meal by adding in cooked chicken or pork, shrimp or other seafood, silky tofu, lentils or beans.
Extra Creamy Butternut Squash Soup. Want extra richness and creaminess? Consider swirling in cream cheese until melted through, goat cheese, or heavy cream.
Winter Squash Options. You can easily make this recipe with other winter squash as you find them. Try it with roasted butternut squash. It's also perfect for gourds like pumpkin.
Storage & Freezing
This recipe will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator in a sealed container. You can easily make it ahead of time, then reheat it in a pot on the stove.
You can also freeze it for 2-3 months in freezer containers. I do this all the time when I made large batches.
That's it, my friends. I hope you enjoy my butternut squash soup recipe. Let me know if you make it. I'd love to hear how it turned out for you, and what spices and seasonings you decided to use.
Tools Used For This Recipe
Immersion Blender - I love my immersion blender. It makes soup making so much easier than transferring it back and forth between the pot and blender.
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Try Some of My Other Popular Recipes
I hope you'll try some of my other soup recipes, all made "Madness Style", with lots of spices and full of big flavor.
Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
Butternut Squash Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 pound butternut squash peeled and chopped (seeds removed)
- 1 large onion chopped (white or yellow)
- 1 large bell pepper chopped (use jalapeno peppers or hotter for a spicy version)
- 1 stalk celery chopped
- 5 cloves garlic chopped
- 2 tablespoons paprika I use hot paprika
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 4 cups chicken stock use vegetable stock for a vegetarian version – you can use up to 6 cups for thinner soup
- For Garnish. Toasted pepitas (optional), red chili flakes, fresh chopped parsley
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven to medium heat. Add the chopped squash, onion, peppers, and celery. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften and slightly caramelize at the bottom of the pot.
- Add the garlic, seasonings, and herbs. Stir and cook for 2 minutes to let the spices bloom.
- Add the chicken (or vegetable) stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes, or until everything is nice and tender.
- Use an immersion blender to blend the ingredients until very smooth, or you can transfer the contents of the pot to a blender or food processor, then blend until smooth. Transfer the soup back to the pot.
- Taste and adjust for salt, seasonings, and amount of liquid. You can add a bit more stock or water to thin it out, if desired.
- Simmer the soup for 5 minutes to develop more flavor. You can simmer longer if you’d like.
- Garnish and serve!
Nutrition Information
NOTE: This recipe was updated on 11/10/23 to include new information. It was originally published on 11/21/22.
Mary P says
Bring on the heat! Delicious soup. I'm going to make it again, but this time I'll add a couple of Granny Smith apples, a leek and some Sam Adams Octoberfest beer. I think this will be a fun additions to the awesome soup.
Mike Hultquist says
I love it, Mary! Yes, bring on the heat!
Connie Lopez says
I used 3 jalapeño instead of bell pepper and tepin instead of cayenne. Delicious!
Mike Hultquist says
Nice!! I like it!
Leone says
tepin? I will have to look that up. sounds interesting
Amber says
I loved this soup but it had a little too much heat from the spices. I added a dash of heavy cream to my bowl and that fixed it right up for my wimpy tastebuds. Still spicy but not over powering. I’ll be making this again!
Mike H. says
Amber, I am happy you've adjusted the heat to your preference. Well done!
Sue Martin says
Made as described. It was excellent! Thank you! It will be a repeat!
Mike H. says
I appreciate it, Sue. Enjoy!
Sherrie says
omgosh this soup is absolutely fantastic !
I had to tweet your recipe just a bit because I didn't have enough butternut squash, but I had some Hubbard squash cut up in the freezer so I added that and I had to eliminate the garlic because my stomach doesn't tolerate it. I also thought it would be nice to have a little creamy consistency so I added chicken bullion to 2 cups of almond milk. mmmmm simple delicious. I can't wait to take some to my dad. I am also going to try a little bit of Greek yogurt with mine later. sorry I am such a rebel .
Mike Hultquist says
Excellent!! I love it, Sherrie! Glad you like it!
Rebecca Gose says
Can this recipe ctanned?
Mike Hultquist says
I believe you can pressure can it, Rebecca. I don't believe there is enough acidity to water bath preserve.
Francis Garten says
The amount of cayenne pepper was way too much for my tastes.
Mike Hultquist says
Watch out for the cayenne, Francis. Please note that this is a spicy food web site, so many of the recipes may be out of your preferred heat and spice range. Take care.
Debbie Gullo says
I used green ancho chili seasoning in place of cayenne pepper. It was SO delicious.
Mike Hultquist says
Nice! I love it! Great addition. Thanks, Debbie!
Leone says
that's a great idea and I always have some on hand
Janet says
I served this as part of our Thanksgiving meal, and it was a huge hit. I suspect it will be served for years to come. I made no changes to the recipe. Thank you!
Mike H. says
Awesome, glad to hear it, Janet!
Courtney L. says
Any suggestions for side dishes? I see someone said toast but just wondering if you would serve with croutons or something for a crunch element?
Mike H. says
Courtney, croutons would be great, especially garlic parmesan. In fact, any crusty bread or baguette would work particularly well.
Sydney says
There is no way this recipe has 171,000 calories?! What am I converting wrong if it’s really 171kcals?
Mike H. says
Haha, that would be insane, huh? If seriously, in nutrition, kcal is the right way to indicate what we refer to as "calories" in everyday language. So 171 kcal means that this recipe has 171 "calories". 😉
Wendy says
Love butternut squash soup, and this recipe was so flavorful and easy to make!
Mike Hultquist says
Excellent! Thanks, Wendy! Glad you enjoyed it! =)
Ellen Green says
This soup is perfect for a snowy winter day! Creamy and filling with some crusty bread.
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks so much, Ellen! I appreciate it!
Becka says
It is hot. Will use less cayenne next time. I put croutons and creme fraiche.
Mike Hultquist says
Sorry it was too hot for you, Becka. Keep that in mind with other recipes on this site. I focus on spicy. Cheers.