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This easy homemade roasted butternut squash soup is so flavorful despite having only 3 main ingredients! It’s creamy and rich without being too heavy. It’s the perfect cozy fall soup for chilly days.
I LOVE a good dutch oven recipe around here! Even better when it’s a seasonal recipe AND a soup. Fall is my favorite time of year, and I love using seasonal fall produce. This simple roasted butternut squash soup highlights one of the best fall veggies - the butternut squash.
This easy butternut squash soup recipe is great as the main course, a side dish, or to pair with a sandwich or salad.
It’s kind of incredible how delicious this soup is with only 3 simple ingredients! I give all the credit to butternut squash here. Roasting the butternut squash does some amazing things. It softens the flesh of the squash to a smooth buttery texture, and it caramelizes the sugars creating a deeper richer flavor. The onion gives a little extra savory flavor and using a good vegetable broth rounds it all out.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Easy recipe with only 3 main ingredients but so delicious
- Filling enough to be the main dish
- Freezes well to save for later
- A great base recipe to customize
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Ingredients & Substitutions
There are only three main ingredients in this soup recipe. I’m not counting salt, pepper, and olive oil since those are very common pantry staples.
Butternut Squash - The star of the show here. Choose one that is free from bruises or soft spots, solid beige in color, and heavy for its size. The size here doesn’t really change the recipe. You can use a large or small butternut squash, it will just affect the final volume of soup made.
Onion - I like using red onion for this recipe since it is a little more flavorful than yellow or sweet onions. Roasting the onion mellows out some of its pungent flavor. I have also tried this recipe with a yellow onion and it also works well.
Vegetable stock - It is important to use a high quality vegetable broth since there are only 3 ingredients. You can make your own homemade stock from kitchen scraps! You can also use chicken stock if needed.
See the recipe card below for full list of ingredients and measurements.
Step By Step Instructions
STEP ONE: PREP. Cut butternut squash in half lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds. Cut a quarter of a red onion.
Place the squash halves and red onion on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush with olive oil and add a few cracks of fresh black pepper and sea salt.
PRO TIP: If you can’t get your parchment paper to lie flat, crumple it up in a ball, then flatten it back out. It won’t curl up anymore!
STEP TWO: ROAST. Roast the butternut squash and onion for 45-60 minutes until fork tender. After about 30 minutes, remove the onion and set aside so it does not burn.
PRO TIP: Roasting the butternut squash and onion adds so much flavor to this soup by caramelizing the natural sugars in the vegetables.
STEP THREE: SCOOP: Remove the squash from the oven. When it is cool enough to handle, scoop the flesh out with a large spoon, and transfer to a medium sized pot. Add in the onion and vegetable stock. *If you are using a regular blender, add ingredients straight into the blender.
STEP FOUR: BLEND: Blend the ingredients with an immersion blender or or high speed blender until it reaches a smooth and creamy texture.
STEP FIVE: SIMMER: Bring the soup up to a boil over medium heat and reduce to a simmer. Cook uncovered until the soup has reached desired consistency. Taste and add additional seasoning if needed at the end of cooking.
PRO TIP: This butternut squash soup should have a velvety smooth texture. It can be made thicker by letting it simmer longer, or made thinner by adding additional vegetable stock.
STEP SIX: SERVE: Serve this creamy butternut squash soup warm as is, or add additional toppings like a swirl of coconut milk, fresh herbs, toasted pumpkin seeds, or my favorite - homemade garlic and herb croutons.
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Expert Tips
- Roasting the butternut squash and onion adds an extra depth of flavor to this simple soup by caramelizing the sugars.
- Make your own vegetable stock, or use a high quality one. I like using a vegetable stock paste like Better Than Bouillon.
- Throw a parmesan rind into the soup while simmering for some extra flavor. Parmesan cheese has such a great nutty and salty flavor profile that is perfect for adding an extra layer of flavor to vegetable soups.
- Use extra caution when blending hot liquid.
- For a thicker soup, add less broth, or allow to simmer longer to reduce.
Storage & Reheating
How to store leftovers: Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
How to freeze: Add two soup servings to quart sized freezer bags and lay flat to freeze. Once frozen, you can stand up frozen packs like a file cabinet for easier storage. Don’t forget to label and date!
How to reheat: This soup reheats well in the microwave or on the stove top. You can add additional broth or water to loosen the soup back up after defrosting.
Variations & Substitutions
This is a basic roasted butternut squash soup recipe, so it's a great canvas to experiment with adding your own flavors!
- Make it meaty - While the squash is roasting, brown Italian sausage, andouille, or chorizo in the pot, then set aside. After you blend the soup, add the meat back in and let it simmer for a few minutes. You can also top with crispy bacon.
- More veggies - You can also roast sweet potatoes, carrots, or red bell peppers with the squash to add in extra vegetables.
- Fresh herbs - Sage, rosemary, parsley, chives, and thyme all go well with butternut squash.
- Make it creamy - Stir in heavy cream or coconut milk for a creamier soup..
- Make it cheesy - Add a parmesan rind to the soup while it simmers for extra flavor. You can also top with grated parmesan or pecorino cheese, or stir in some goat cheese.
- Add spices - These spices all go great with the flavor of butternut squash: allspice, ginger, cinnamon, curry powder, nutmeg, red pepper flakes, cumin, cayenne pepper, and coriander.
- Add texture - Add contrasting textures to this ultra creamy soup with some croutons, roasted pumpkin seeds, or toasted pine nuts.
- Roasted garlic cloves or caramelized onions would also be delicious in this soup!
Serving Suggestions
Serve this soup with some crusty bread, or add some homemade garlic and herb croutons on top (my favorite way to eat it!).
Pair this delicious butternut squash soup with a salad or sandwich. Elevate your grilled cheese sandwich by using brie and thinly sliced apples.
This is a great recipe to serve as an appetizer for a fall or winter dinner party.
I have an entire post on What to Serve With Butternut Squash Soup that has curated dishes for soups, salads, main course proteins, and breads and crackers to serve with your butternut squash soup!
Frequently Asked Questions
Butternut squash is in season from fall through winter.
Choose a butternut squash that is free from bruises or soft spots. It should be solid beige in color, and heavy for its size.
The tough outer skin of a butternut squash is edible when it has been cooked, but I recommend omitting the peel for this soup. Instead of peeling the squash, roast the squash in two halves, then scoop the flesh from the thicker skin.
You can prepare this soup a day or two ahead of time, and reheat prior to serving.
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3 Ingredient Butternut Squash Soup
Equipment
- Medium sized pot at least 6 quarts
- baking sheet
- Immersion blender or blender
- Pastry brush (optional)
- parchment paper
Ingredients
- 1 butternut squash medium-large size
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- ¼ red or yellow onion
- Optional toppings coconut milk, fresh sage, toasted pumpkin seeds, roasted garlic
Instructions
- PREP: Set oven to 400°F with rack in the middle position. Cut butternut squash in half lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds. Cut a quarter of a red onion. Trim the root and stem ends, and remove outer peeling. Leave the quarter intact rather than separating the layers. Cover a baking sheet in parchment paper. Place the squash halves flesh side up on the baking sheet with the red onion quarter. Brush oil on the flesh sides of the squash and the onion, and add a few cracks of fresh black pepper and salt.
- ROAST: Roast the butternut squash and onion for 45-60 minutes until fork tender. After about 30 minutes, remove the onion and set aside so it does not burn. The edges should be slightly charred.
- SCOOP: Remove the squash from the oven, and cool enough to handle, about 5 minutes. Scoop the flesh out with a large spoon, and transfer to a medium sized pot. Add in the onion and vegetable stock.
- BLEND: Blend the ingredients until smooth with an immersion blender. Alternatively you can add roasted butternut squash, onion, and vegetable stock to a blender and puree until smooth, then transfer to a pot.
- SIMMER: Bring the soup up to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook uncovered until the soup has reached desired consistency, 5-25 minutes, depending on how big your squash was. Taste and add additional seasoning if needed at the end of cooking.
- SERVE: Serve warm as is, or add additional toppings like a swirl of coconut milk, fresh herbs, or toasted pumpkin seeds.
Notes
- Since this soup is only 3 ingredients, it is important to use high quality broth, or make your own.
- I tried this recipe with both yellow and red onions, and both were great! I liked the red onion better though. Roasting it reduces its pungent flavor.
- If you can’t get your parchment paper to lie flat, crumple it up in a ball, then flatten it back out. It won’t curl up anymore!
- If you have one on hand, throw a parmesan rind into the soup while it simmers for an extra layer of salty nutty flavor. Remove before serving.
- If your squash is very large, you can add another cup of veggie broth.
- You can substitute vegetable broth for chicken broth.
- Make in advance: You can prepare this soup a day or two ahead of time, and reheat prior to serving.
- How to store leftovers: Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
- How to freeze: Add soup to a quart size freezer bag and lay flat to freeze. Once frozen, you can stand up frozen packs like a file cabinet for easier storage. Don’t forget to label and date!
- How to reheat: This soup reheats well in the microwave or on the stovetop. You can add additional broth or water to loosen the soup back up after defrosting.
Nutrition
About me
Hey good lookin', what ya got cookin'? I'm Lauren and I love to teach you how to make the good stuff, from scratch! I use fresh quality ingredients to create impressive but approachable restaurant worthy recipes.
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