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Get It Now- Why You’ll Love This Butternut Squash Soup Recipe
- Ingredients & Substitutions
- How To Cut Butternut Squash For Soup
- How To Make Butternut Squash Soup
- Tips For The Best Butternut Squash Soup Recipe
- Recipe Variations
- Storage Instructions
- What To Serve With Butternut Squash Soup
- Tools For This Recipe
- Butternut Squash Soup (Easy & Fast!) Recipe card
- Recipe Reviews
With common ingredients that are easy to find, I think you’re going to love this creamy, easy butternut squash soup recipe. It’s the perfect silky, soothing, veggie-packed way to serve this classic vegetable for fall and winter! I actually first made a version of this butternut squash soup with coconut milk when I had some roasted butternut squash and a can of coconut milk to use up, but then developed the recipe to not require the extra roasting step. (I do have instructions below if you want to roast it, though.)
Like pumpkin soup, the winter squash add a naturally rich and lightly sweet texture to every spoonful of this comforting dish. You can make this butternut squash soup in the Instant Pot or on the stovetop, so use your preferred method.
Why You’ll Love This Butternut Squash Soup Recipe
- Cozy squash flavor with aromatic herbs
- Smooth, thick, and creamy texture
- Basic, common ingredients
- Done in under 20 minutes total
- Just a few easy steps (low effort!)
- Meal prep and freezer friendly
- Make butternut squash soup in the Instant Pot, or use stovetop instructions instead
Ingredients & Substitutions
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for butternut squash soup, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
- Butternut Squash – Look for a medium squash (about 3 pounds). Peel it and cut into cubes (see instructions for cutting butternut squash below). You should end up with about 4 cups of butternut squash cubes.
- Root Vegetables – Celery, carrot, and yellow onion. Prepare them diced so they puree more easily. Carrots and celery are optional, but add more flavor, so I like to add them. You can also throw in other root vegetables if you want to.
- Garlic – Slice it thinly using fresh garlic cloves, or use minced jarred garlic for convenience. It doesn’t matter because the soup gets pureed later.
- Chicken Broth – I used store-bought reduced-sodium chicken broth, but if you have time, homemade chicken broth is even better. You can also use chicken stock or homemade bone broth with chicken bones for added nutrients and flavor. For a vegetarian option (or vegan if you also swap out the butter), simply use vegetable broth.
- Butter – I chose grass-fed butter, but any unsalted one you prefer will work. To cut down on dairy, you can also use coconut oil or olive oil instead.
- Fresh Herbs – Thyme, rosemary, and sage. I tie these into a bundle with twine and discard them afterward; this way the flavor gets infused into the butternut squash soup while the result is still silky smooth. If you prefer, you can also add them chopped instead and not remove them. The equivalent amount would be about 3-4 tablespoons of fresh herbs, or if you want to use dried, the right amount is 3-4 teaspoons.
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper
- Coconut Milk – Many butternut soup squash recipes are made with coconut milk for a creamy mouthfeel, without dairy. Be sure to use the full-fat coconut milk from a can, not the watery coconut milk beverage from a carton. Alternatively, you can substitute heavy cream or coconut cream.
How To Cut Butternut Squash For Soup
Butternut squash soup recipes are best to make with cubed squash, so that it cooks pretty quickly. It’s easy to do:
- Halve. Cut off the top of the butternut squash, then cut crosswise in half.
- Peel. Use a paring knife or vegetable peeler to peel the skin off both squash halves.
- Scoop. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds. (You can discard them, or toast in the oven to enjoy separately.)
- Dice. Cut the butternut squash into 1-inch cubes.
How To Make Butternut Squash Soup
This section shows how to make butternut squash soup in the Instant Pot or on the stovetop, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
- Simmer. In either an Instant Pot or a large Dutch oven or pot on the stovetop, stir together the diced squash, celery and carrots (if using), onion, garlic, broth, butter, herbs, salt, and pepper. Cover and simmer until the squash is fork tender. (If using the Instant Pot, release pressure manually.) Let the contents cool for 5 minutes.
VARIATION: Saute the veggies first.
For extra flavor, saute the onions, garlic, carrots, and celery in the butter first. Then, add the other ingredients and proceed to simmer.
- Blend. Transfer everything from the pot into a high powered blender. Add coconut milk. Puree until smooth. (See tips below if you don’t have a large or powerful blender.)
- Finish. Adjust salt and pepper to taste if needed. Ladle into bowls, and drizzle with extra coconut milk and fresh thyme for garnish, if desired.
Tips For The Best Butternut Squash Soup Recipe
- Save time with pre-chopped veggies and squash. Since we’re pureeing the soup, nobody will know the difference!
- No big blender? Use an immersion blender instead. You can do this right in the Dutch oven or Instant Pot.
- Only have a small blender? Work in batches. Divide the coconut milk between batches evenly.
- For safety, vent for steam when blending. Otherwise too much steam pressure can build in the blender cup. Use a kitchen towel to hold down the vented lid in your blender.
Recipe Variations
This easy butternut squash soup is already flavorful as-is, but there are so many ways to add a spin to it. Try these variations:
- Use roasted squash – If you like the flavor of roasted butternut squash (or just have leftovers to use up), you can! This works best with the stovetop method. Simply reduce the simmering time for the soup to only about 10-15 minutes.
- Add apple – Add a peeled apple with other soup ingredients to the pot. Tart apples, such as Granny Smith, will balance the natural sweetness of the squash, but use any kind you like.
- Make it dairy-free – This butternut squash soup with coconut milk is already almost dairy-free. Just swap the butter with coconut oil or olive oil to make it completely dairy-free.
- Use other veggies – For an option lower in carbohydrates, add cauliflower or delicata squash in place of some of the butternut squash. You can also add roasted cauliflower after cooking and puree as usual.
- Amp up the spices – Replace the fresh herbs with curry powder, chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, nutmeg, and/or cayenne pepper to taste. Start with 1/2 teaspoon of spices and add more to your liking.
- Add garnishes – Top your bowl of soup with pumpkin seeds, fried sage leaves, shredded parmesan cheese, or crumbled oven bacon.
Storage Instructions
- Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.
- Meal prep: Cube the vegetables ahead of time and refrigerate before cooking. Alternatively, make the whole soup ahead and store for later.
- Reheat: Heat on medium-low heat on the stove or in the microwave on low power.
- Freeze: You can freeze butternut squash soup recipes for up to 6 months. Wait for soup to cool, then pour into quart-size zip lock bags and place in the freezer. When ready to use, you can place the frozen block of soup into a pot and heat over low heat, stirring occasionally. Another option is to defrost overnight in the fridge first, which reduces the chance of splitting. If your soup does break when reheating, you can puree it in a blender or food processor again to bring it back together.
What To Serve With Butternut Squash Soup
There are so many delicious pairing options for this creamy butternut squash soup recipe! Try these ideas:
- Roasted Vegetables – Plate your soup with oven roasted mushrooms, crispy smashed brussels sprouts, or baked zucchini fries on the side. You could also make stuffed acorn squash for a complete meal.
- Chicken – My popular butter garlic chicken, stuffed prosciutto wrapped chicken breast, or simple chicken leg quarters would taste phenomenal with this soup.
- Seasonal Salads – Kale salad with maple dressing is the favorite in our family, but broccoli cranberry salad or kale and brussels sprout salad would also pair nicely with this easy butternut squash soup recipe.
- Crunchy Snacks – Try this soup with a side of crispy flax seed crackers, kale chips, or air fryer zucchini chips.
Tools For This Recipe
- Instant Pot – My favorite for making this fast soup!
- Dutch Oven – My favorite when I make this butternut squash soup recipe on the stovetop. It comes in different colors and looks beautiful going straight to the table.
- High-Powered Blender – Essential for making blended soups in a flash.
- Immersion Blender – Another easy way to puree the soup.
Butternut Squash Soup (Easy & Fast!)
The best butternut squash soup recipe! Make this thick, creamy butternut squash soup with coconut milk in the Instant Pot or on the stove.
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
Stovetop:
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Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, celery, and carrots. Saute for about 5 minutes, until the vegetables are soft.
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Add the butternut squash, chicken broth, salt, and pepper. Tie the fresh herbs with twine and place on top.
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Bring the butternut squash soup to a boil, then simmer for 20-30 minutes, until the squash is soft.
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Ladle the soup into a large high-power blender. Add the coconut milk. (If your blender is too small, you can work in batches and add the cream proportionally to how many batches you divided the other ingredients into, or just use an immersion blender.) Blend for 30-60 seconds, until smooth.
Instant Pot:
-
Combine the butternut squash, celery, carrot, onion, garlic, chicken broth, butter, salt, and pepper in the Instant Pot. Tie the fresh herbs with twine and place on top.
(Alternatively, for extra flavor, you can use the Instant Pot's Saute function to saute the onions, garlic, carrots, and celery in butter first. Then, add the broth, squash, salt, pepper, and herbs, and proceed to the next step.)
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Place the lid on the Instant Pot and set to the Sealing position. Press the Manual button and select high pressure. Cook for 8 minutes. When the time is up, release pressure manually by turning the knob to the Venting position. (Be careful of the hot steam that will come out.)
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Remove and discard the bundle of fresh herbs. Let the ingredients cool in the Instant Pot for 5 minutes.
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Ladle the contents of the Instant Pot into a large high-power blender. Add the coconut milk. (If your blender is too small, you can work in batches and add the cream proportionally to how many batches you divided the other ingredients into, or just use an immersion blender.) Blend for 30-60 seconds, until smooth.
Did You Like It?
Leave a rating to help other readers, or get the recipe sent to your inbox.
Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 cup
The cook time above is for the Instant Pot method. The stovetop method takes a bit longer, but is still pretty quick!
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead. 🙂
70 Comments
Debbie
1BEST butternut squash recipe I have ever made the combination of seasonings were perfect!!!
I used the stove top method and heavy cream, I will defiantly be making this again!!
Karen
1LOVED! After reading comments, I decided to also change it up And used a little less broth, heavy cream, and added a dash of Old Bay. Also cayenne and paprika. My friends say it was the best! Thanks!
Dagmar
1I just made this recipe as shown, you have to make it, it’s fantastic, my family loves it, great comfort food for fall/winter, perfect with homemade biscuits, thumbs up.
Nita
1My husband says this is the best soup I have ever made.
Cameron
0I have made this in the past and I love it! One thing I can’t remember, do I discard the herbs before blending? Or blend them as well? Thank you!
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Cameron, Remove and discard the bundle of fresh herbs.
Lori
1I used coconut oil instead of avocado oil and coconut cream instead of coconut milk … it was DELICIOUS! Thank you for the recipe!
Brendon
0Looking forward to trying this recipe out! We’ve enjoyed several others so far and have no doubt this will be a hit.
Side note: you might want to adjust the “Cook Time: 8 minutes” portion of the recipe since the simmering time frame is 20-30 minutes!
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Brendon, This recipe has 2 cooking methods, it cooks in 8 minutes in the instant pot.
Glynis
0Hoping to make this today, but I’m wondering what you’d suggest if we can’t get our hands on fresh herbs?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Glynis, You can also use dried herbs.
MASuttles
0Est butternut squash soil,I have ever made. Flavors come together nicely, and it’s smooth and delicious. Thanks for this recipe. This is a keeper.
Mary Anne Suttles
0Can I use squash that has been frozen for this recipe
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Mary Anne, Yes you can.
Babbitts2
0*Great receipe 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Abby
0This turned out so creamy and delicious. Such a good fall and winter soup.
Ina
0This butternut squash soup has been part of our yearly Thanksgiving dinner. And we never get enough of it!
Jessica
0I love soup but this might be the best recipe of all time! I loved it, thank you so much.
Cynthia
0Soooo good! Perfect just the way it is!
Terry
0This was the first time I ever used my Instant Pot, which I have had since Christmas nine months ago. I made a double batch, so I had to do two runs in the instant pot. I just poured the first batch into a soup kettle, then added the second batch, and it was perfect. I made this soup for my daughter, son in-law and granddaughter, who are all sick with Covid-19. It’s full of healthy ingredients, and makes a nice hearty meal for someone under the weather. We served it with stuffed pepperoni bread on the side. They loved it, my wife and I loved it, and it’s going in the “favorite recipes” file.
Kathi
0Hi, I made this soup tonight for a potluck tomorrow. Can’t wait to see what everyone thinks. I think it’s wonderful!
Kathi
0Hi, I made this soup tonight for a potluck tomorrow. Can’t wait to see weekday everyone thinks. I think it’s wonderful!
Diane Buchanan
0Thank you so much for this recipe! I have never made this soup and searched for one that had regular ingredients. I did cut back on the rosemary a little (not a huge fan even though I have a huge plant in my herb garden lol) and I added an apple, cinnamon and curry. We loved it! We will definitely make this again!
Elizabeth
0Could I omit the celery and carrot and roast the butternut squash first?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Elizabeth, Yes, you cold omit the celery and carrots.
Jeanne Burns
0So easy and so good!!
jess
0Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! I have been looking everywhere for a good instant pot butternut squash soup and I am super excited about this one.
Erin
0This was so easy to make! Love that it’s dairy-free too.
Julia
0Not a heavy soup at all! super satisfying and very good! I enjoyed it very much. Thanks for the recipe!
Heather
0Would this work with a lower carb option like kabocha squash or pumpkin?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Heather, Here is a link to my creamy pumpkin soup recipe.
Marjorie Heard
0How is this keto? It has twice the carbs someone on keto would eat in a day!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Marjorie, This is not a keto recipe. You can find my keto recipes here.
Marjorie Heard
0Oh sorry, under the list of filed under at the bottom of the recipe it mentions keto!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Sorry about that and thanks for catching it! I fixed it. 🙂
Roberta Mazzoni
0how many carbs if I add 1 cup pumpkin to the soup ,and coconut cream to recipe? It is really delicious. thanks Berta
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Roberta, I’m not sure but you are welcome to enter the recipe (plus your substitutions) into an online recipe calculator! It will give you an accurate view of the nutrition with those changes.
Roseann
0This was soooo good! I didn’t have 6 cloves of garlic or nutmeg but it was still great! I love my soup creamy and I was afraid this wouldn’t be creamy enough but it really was!
This soup was so worth wrestling with a butternut squash and I will make it again!
Sarah
0Only reason I did not give a five star is this is a lower carb version of this recipe but is not low carb or keto.
I love butternut squash! So every fall this is my I will trade a cup of this for a day of fasting
This is the best butternut squash soup recipe I have found. Using coconut milk is genius! I had a much smaller squash so had to guess at some of the measurements, added some cayenne pepper, maybe a little much
Will enjoy this recipe for years to come. Thank you!!!
Lynda
0I love this recipe. I used ginger & cinnamon & a dash of cayenne as I did not have the spices called for. I used less broth & added heavy cream instead of coconut milk. Perfect consistency & great flavor!
Anu
0This is wonderful! I eat dairy, so I used ghee instead of avocado oil, and double cream instead of coconut milk for lower carbs, and used plain water instead of stock. I also made do with dried thyme and garlic paste as I didn’t have fresh, but it was still delicious. To thicken it I used about 2 tbsp of beef gelatin dissolved in hot water and that seemed to do the trick. Thank you so much for this recipe, this is lovely even on a hit summer’s day!
Rachel
0This recipe looks awesome, and I’ve never not liked one of yours 🙂 I’m gonna make it tonight! I will sub the avocado oil for olive, since I can never find avocado oil in portugal. I would like to add some veggies in as well at the end, after its been blended, and I was thinking of some shredded kale. Do you have any other vegetable suggestions that might go well with this soup, keto or not?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Rachel, Kale sounds lovely. Get creative and let me know how it turns out!
Kris
0Very nice and easy, I just made this for my busy daughter! I used fresh thyme from my garden, and substituted pumpkin pie spice for the nutmeg and cinnamon.
Laila
0I am loving your site, and especially this recipe! However- being in Europe, I’m using the metric conversion- is the weight value the correct for the butternut ?? It’s saying that I need app 5,4 kg of butternut- now that’s one HUGE pumpkin to start cutting up in two halves !!! I’m gonna go ahead and try to make the recipe with a (close to) 1 kg butternut I’ve got in the fridge , and then let’s see how this goes!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Laila, You are correct! Thank you for catching this error, I updated it in the recipe card. You used the perfect size squash for your recipe.
Wayne M Mackey
0My wife loves soups and your recipes are awesome
Barb
0I love squash soup but my family doesn’t. I have resorted to making a small batch and freezing it for lunches.
Madisyn
0LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!!! The consistency was absolute perfection (that’s the hardest part for me and soups)! I even had a little squash left over so I whipped up some treats for the pup!!! Thank you so much, I always know I can trust your recipes!
Heather Flynn
0This was such an excellent soup! Absolutely loved it. The batch was quite large, so I have extra for freezing in lunch portions. Thanks for this one!
Leesuh
0Very thin consistency, since there is no onion, potato, or keto starchy options (arrowroot powder) of any kind. I’ll use less broth next time probably.
Karen
0How do you make it thin and flavourful?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Karen, If this soup is too thick for your taste, it can be thinned out with a good quality stock. You can use your preference – vegetable or chicken, either would be a nice compliment to the flavors.
Claire Meyers
0Hi Maya! Thank you for sharing your recipe! My family and I are on Keto for over a month now and want to have hearty soup for dinner. I made it Keto friendly version. I used heavy whipping cream (but will try the coconut milk next time), added cream cheese, sprinkler with paprika, and cayenne pepper. Top it with bacon bits and pumpkin seeds. When I baked the store-bought chopped butternut squash, I added chop cauliflower as well. After blending the soup It turned out very thick, so skipped the thickening agent. I hope this helps others want to make keto butternut squash. Thanks again!
Laura Franceschi
0Our squash was completely cooked after 30 minutes. We used fresh herbs from our garden. Next time I will pull them out before blenderizing. We served this yummy soup to friends. It was delicious!
stephanie moore
0I followed recipe except i used organic unsweetened coconut milk in place of can it only adds four carbs and added a tad of splenda since i did that turned out great basically a bowl is ten carbs
Tamara Donnelly
0This was delicious and so easy! I added cauliflower because I did want it thicker. I followed everything else though and it was a lovely soup. I topped mine with spicy, sautéed shrimp.
Terry Duncan
0This soup is AAAMAZING! I used heavy cream instead of coconut milk. If I freeze it using heavy cream will it separate when thawed or will it still be fine when heated slowly ??
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you so much, Terry! Yes, you should be able to freeze it just fine as long as you thaw first and reheat slowly.
Monica
0What is on the soup on your photo above? Whipping cream drizzled on top? What might make a good topper? Table cream? Sour cream? Greek yogurt?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Monica, I recommend sour cream or plain greek yogurt.
Nicole
0I was wondering if I could use butter it squash that’s frozen and cooked and just needs to be heated up?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Nicole, Sure, you can do that!
Kathy Heiner
0I made this for dinner a couple of days ago. It was delicious! I cooked the squash in my Instant Pot instead of the oven. Then assembled the rest of the soup in the Pot. I used homemade chicken bone broth that I made in the IP too. I think it really adds to the flavor. Also added a little bit of grated fresh ginger to it. Served it with a small dollop of sour cream on top. Hubby loved it! I froze the leftovers to take to my elderly parents for a healthy easy meal.
Nikki
0This was so good! The only thing I’d change it to increase the spices to 1tsp cinnamon and 1/2tsp nutmeg. I took your note about mixing xanthan gum with chicken stock to help thicken the soup. 1/2 tsp was all it needed to get the perfect consistency.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy to hear that, Nikki! Have a great day!
Serenity M Simpson
0Hi! I am very similar when it comes to fall flavors. I am doing Keto. I was wondering if you could add heavy cream instead of the coconut milk? Would that pose as a thickening agent and make it higher in fat content?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Serenity, Yes, you can use heavy cream instead of coconut milk. The nutrition info is a little different, but both are high in fat. The cream would not make it any thicker, but I have some tips in the post if you want a thicker soup.
Gayle
0How do you thicken the squash soup
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Gayle, I have some tips about this in the post above.