This Butternut Squash Soup Recipe first appeared on our site back in 2009, nearly 10 years ago! This recipe is very loved. If you read through the comments, it has review after review showering praises. It’s one of those recipes where the finished product far outshines the simple ingredient list. Surprisingly it’s been years since I’ve made this at home for my own family. When I whipped up this batch to photograph I expected my kids to whine and to my surprise the SLURPED it down, and all had seconds. So looks like it’s a family favorite around here, as well!
I’ve changed nothing in the original recipe for these fresh new photos, but I have added one optional topping idea, a drizzle of cream with some crispy prosciutto and fried sage leaves. Add the flair if you want, or leave plain-jane, either way this warm, comforting, perfectly autumnal soup will surely become a favorite for your family as well.
Every time a particular vegetable or fruit is season I get inundated with requests for recipes. “What do I do with all of this zucchini??” (Answer) “How do I use up lots of tomatoes?” (Answer A. Answer B. Answer C.) “Someone just gave me a crate of cherries–help!” (Can do.) So right now, you guessed it. Butternut squash. I’ve had so many people ask me for a soup recipe but I didn’t have one! So I decided that would be the next thing to cross of my list and here we have one.
why this works
I have issues with a lot of squash soup recipes I’ve eaten. One is that they’re often too sweet. People try to make them taste like dessert with pumpkin pie spice and lots of sugar. I want something I can dip a sandwich in and pie flavored dessert soup just won’t cut it. The other thing is the texture. Sometimes they’re just downright slimy. I packed this one with vegetables but also added a little secret ingredient- single potato. The potato adds smoothness and also some bulk so it fills you up a little better.
In case you’re totally confused, this is a butternut squash. You could use a variety of other squashes for this recipe as well.
how to make it
In a large stock pot, heat olive oil and butter. When butter is melted add onions, carrots, celery, and garlic
Saute for 2-3 minutes or until onion is tender. Add the squash, potato, sage, salt, red pepper, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer. Simmer with the lid on for 30-40 minutes or until everything is tender (You can find Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker instructions in the printable recipe). Check a piece of squash and also a piece of celery and potato to make sure they area fork tender. Stir in 1 T brown sugar.
Use an immersion blender, or transfer soup to a regular blender and puree until smooth.
T O P P I N G B U T T E R N U T
S Q U A S H S O U P
One of my favorite toppings for Butternut Squash Soup is a combination of crispy, salty prosciutto and light and crisp sage leaves.
To prepare, simply add some cubed prosciutto (or you could chop up the thinly sliced variety as well) to a hot skillet and cook until it’s crisp, like bacon.
Remove the prosciutto from the pan with a slotted spoon and place it on paper towels to drain. With your pan still hot, toss in 1 bunch of sliced fresh sage leaves. You’ll toss them around the hot oil for a few minutes until they look fried and crisp. Place those on the paper towels as well and sprinkle with just a bit of sea salt.
Sprinkle on top of individual servings and add a drizzle of cream. It’s incredible!
This is a really light soup, so it works great as an appetizer, or along side a sandwich and/or salad. I love it with croutons on top and grilled ham and cheese on the side.
Butternut Squash Soup
Description
This butternut squash soup makes wonderful use of a delicious vegetable! Creamy and comforting, this is perfect for serving with a hot sandwich!
Ingredients
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup sliced carrots (about 1 medium carrot or 12 baby carrots)
2 stalks celery, diced
1 cup diced onion
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1 medium butternut squash, (about 4 cups peeled and diced)
1 medium potato, diced (about 2 cups diced)
32 ounces chicken broth (that’s one box/carton or 2 cans)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon dried sage
optional: 1 pinch cayenne pepper or a shake or two of hot sauce
Optional Topping
olive oil
4 oz diced prosciutto
1 bunch fresh sage
sea salt or kosher salt
cream
Instructions
In a large stock pot, heat olive oil and butter. When butter is melted add onions, carrots, celery, and garlic
Saute for 2-3 minutes or until onion is tender. Add the squash.
Then add potato, sage, salt, red pepper, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer. Simmer with the lid on for 30-40 minutes or until everything is tender. Check a piece of squash and also a piece of celery and potato to make sure they area fork tender. Stir in brown sugar.
Use an immersion blender, or transfer soup to a regular blender and puree until smooth.
Topping: Heat a medium sized heavy skillet to medium high heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil and swirl to coat pan. Add prosciutto and cook until crisp and browned. Remove with slotted spoon and lay on paper towels to drain. Add sage to pan and cook in prosciutto drippings (add a little extra olive oil if needed) until crisp. Drain on paper towels as well and sprinkle with a little sea salt.
To serve, ladle soup into bowls, top with a drizzle of cream and a sprinkle of prosciutto and sage leaves.
Notes
Pressure Cooker Instructions: Turn pressure cooker to saute mode. Add butter and olive oil and saute the onions, carrots, celery and garlic for 3-4 minutes until tender. Add squash, potato, broth, and seasonings (except brown sugar) to pot. Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. Release pressure, add brown sugar, and puree until smooth.
Questions & Reviews
Made this for a family gathering. My adult niece said it was the best soup she’d ever had! ❤️❤️❤️ this soup!
This recipe is on my regular fall and winter menu rotation. It is perfectly seasoned and so delicious!
I’ve discovered that adding a can of (or a cup or so of cooked, dried) white beans, rather than a potato, increases the protein–and lowers the blood sugar spike–of this soup. They are a great substitute–mild, super nutritious and filling, too. We all LOVE this soup!
Thanks for this recipe. I love to double it and have it with bread. I like the texture best when the soup hasn’t been frozen. I am thinking of trying it with frozen diced butternut from a bag and would love feedback if anyone’s tried that.
This is my “go to” squash soup recipe! Whole family loves it and it’s Smartpoints friendly as well!
This has become my go to fall soup. I love it!! It is the only thing my brother in law requests. I made it for a women’s church activity and when asked for the recipe, and I telling them it was from here, the response was “again!?!” Apparently you guys give me all me best recipes! Thank you!
Haha, I LOVE IT!
Made this today. It was delicious. Very creamy with so much good, savory flavor. Thank you!
This was great. The only problem with mine was that it turned out more like mashed potatoes! But, super velvety mashed potatoes haha. It was totally my fault- I added way more than 4 cups squash cuz I didn’t think it would matter. Oops! Still good though 🙂
THis soup is great. I substitued a sweet potatoe for the white potatoe and then didn’t need any sugar. Love this soup – it makes me feel smart (and happy)!
I have tried a few different butternut squash recipes and there was always something missing. I made yours the other night and it is delicious!! I took some to a friend yesterday and she loved it and asked me for the recipe this morning 🙂
Hey there! I just wanted to thank you for this great recipe! I found it on Pinterest a couple months ago and have made it about 5 or 6 times! It’s the best soup I’ve ever had!
This was EXCELLENT Soup!!!! We LOVED it!!! (We left out the brown sugar because our squash
was plenty sweet without it.) We added salt & pepper to our servings and cream.
I am going to make this for a friend that is vegan, has anyone tried making this using vegetable broth rather than the chicken broth?
I was curious about the calorie count, so I input all the ingredients and their measurements into my handy dandy Fitness Pal. For six servings it comes out at 176 calories and 4.6 grams of fat. Not too shabby. I’ll be trying this recipe on Sunday by letting everything simmer in my crock-pot while at church and then blending just before dinner. Looks delicious!
This is the best butternut squash soup I’ve had in a long time. I love that its not a heavy cream soup but tastes rich like one. This is a true winner! Did I mention it’s a snap to toss together and tastes like it cooked all day.
This is a wonderful fall soup! I had never eaten a butternut squash so I had no idea what to expect. It is simply amazing!
I made this with sugar pumpkins that I canned. It was about 4 cups of pureed pumpkin. It is AWESOME. It’s amazing that a soup so rich and creamy has no cream or milk whatsoever. Healthy and delicious!
oooh, maybe you’re meaning the cayenne pepper, and I’m just thinking straight up red pepper! ha!
Lol- Cayenne is red pepper!
I looked…i definitely don’t see it… no red pepper in your ingredients list.
1/2 T olive oil
1 T butter
1/2 C sliced carrots (abt 1 med carrot or 12 baby ones)
2 stalks celery, diced
1 C diced onion
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1 medium butternut squash, (abt 4 cups peeled and diced)
1 medium potato, diced (about 2 C diced)
32 oz chicken broth (that’s one box/carton)
1 T brown sugar
1 1/2 t kosher salt
3/4 t dried sage
1 pinch cayenne pepper or a douse of hot sauce
I made this and we all LOVE it! My one question is in your recipe you don’t call for red pepper, however in your instructions you include it?!? I just left it out- is that correct?
Look again, it’s definitely there!
Yummmm!! I made this last night for dinner and the WHOLE family loved it. I topped it with a swirl of sour cream and Sriracha hot sauce, then topped with the homemade croutons. Loved it so much I’m eating leftovers for lunch and I never eat leftovers! Thanks for the great recipe! (I did make one change, I baked my squash and added it at the end because I hate cubing it ;))
Wow, this was soooo good! I totally feel the same about sweet/pumpkin pie-spiced soups and have been hunting for a good savory squash soup. This was perfect. Thanks!