Butternut Squash Soup

Butternut Squash Soup is the perfect way to warm up as the weather cools down. Made with apple, cinnamon, and a hint of spice, this soup recipe is loaded with flavor!

Why You’ll Love It

It’s delicious. All butternut soup recipes are not created equal. This one is lightly sweet, but with a mildly spicy kick, and the velvety texture makes it irresistible. It’s hard to stop taste-testing it as you go!

It’s allergy friendly. This soup is naturally gluten-free and dairy-free, and it’s made without nuts. If you need to bring a dish for a holiday meal, it would make a great starter course or side dish that you can keep warm in a slow cooker. 

It’s flexible. You can make this recipe even easier by starting with store-bought bags of frozen squash, which come peeled and cubed for you already. 

It’s nourishing. This recipe is a great way to sneak more nutrient-dense veggies into your life! When it’s blended to silky perfection, it tastes like something you’d buy at a restaurant, but it’s made with simple pantry ingredients that you probably already have on hand. 

It’s easy. Instead of roasting the butternut squash for this soup, you can skip the oven and cook it all in one pot on the stove top. When you use an immersion blender, you won’t have extra dishes to do later, either.

Ingredients You’ll Need

What’s in butternut squash soup? 

• Butternut squash
• Yellow onion
• Garlic
• Apple
• Cinnamon
• Cayenne pepper (optional, but recommended!)
• Milk of choice

I used almond milk in this recipe, but you can also use oat milk, or coconut milk if you prefer a little more creaminess. The butternut squash creates a velvety texture on its own, so you don’t need much milk to create a “creamy” texture. 

This recipe doesn’t call for vegetable broth, because water is a) easier and b) it doesn’t add any unwanted flavor to this delicate soup. Feel free to swap it out if you prefer using chicken stock or veggie broth, but be sure to cut-back on the salt in that case, since there will be extra sodium in the added broth.

Tip: If you do cut your own fresh butternut squash for this recipe (rather than using frozen or pre-cut butternut squash) be sure to save the seeds! Roasted squash seeds make an excellent soup topping or snack. 

How to Make The Best Butternut Squash Soup

1. Sauté. 

Pour the olive oil into a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Saute the onion and chopped apple until they start to soften, about 8 minutes. 

Add the minced garlic cloves, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper, and stir for 1 more minute. 

2. Simmer. 

To the pot, add the water, cubed butternut squash, salt, and black pepper. Bring the liquid to a boil over high heat, then cover the pot and lower the heat. 

Cook at a gentle simmer until the squash is fork tender (meaning a fork can easily pierce the pieces), about 25 minutes. 

3. Blend. 

When the soup is done cooking, use an immersion blender to puree the soup until it’s smooth. 

Or, you can carefully transfer the soup to a blender and blend until smooth. Be sure to remove the vent cover in your blender’s lid, then cover it with a thin dish towel, so that steam can safely escape without splattering any hot liquid as it blends. You may need to blend this in batches, depending on the size of your blender.

Return the soup to the pot, and stir in the milk and maple syrup, for extra natural sweetness. Adjust any seasoning to taste, adding more salt, if needed. (I usually add an extra 1/2 teaspoon.)

Ladle the warm soup into bowls, and garnish it with an extra sprinkle of cinnamon or nutmeg. For an extra-pretty look, you can also drizzle on a little heavy cream or coconut milk, and swirl it through the soup. 

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also freeze soup for up to 3 months! It’s easily reheated on the stove top when you’re ready to serve again. Add a splash of water, if needed, to help thin it out again. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the best way to cut the squash? Use a sturdy vegetable peeler (like this one) to remove the outer squash peel. You may need to go over the squash more than once, to remove any green veins you see. Once the squash is peeled, use a sharp knife to cut it into 1-inch cubes. Try to keep the size of the squash uniform, so they will finish cooking at the same time. 

Can I change the seasoning? If you prefer a spicier soup, try my Curried Butternut Squash Soup, which calls for curry powder, instead. You can also add a 1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme to this recipe, for extra Fall flavor, or any other fresh herbs you like. If you love fresh ginger, try adding up to 1 tablespoon when you saute the garlic and other spices.

Is this soup vegan? When you use a dairy-free milk, this recipe is vegan as written. Keep in mind that if you use chicken broth as the liquid, or add a dollop of sour cream as a garnish, it will no longer be vegan friendly.

Can I use the Instant Pot? Yes! Similar to my Instant Pot Curried Butternut Squash Soup recipe, you can cook this soup at high pressure for 15 minutes, and then let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes after that. Since there is no evaporation with pressure cooking, you may want to start with only 3 cups water, and add more at the end, if you’d like to thin out the soup.

If you try this butternut squash soup recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how you like it.