This creamy butternut squash soup is a wonderful fall and winter treat. My easy version is made with garlic, heavy cream, and parmesan. I use dried spices to streamline the recipe, and the result is comparable to far more elaborate ones.
Soups are pure comfort. I love onion soup, cauliflower soup, and cabbage soup. This butternut squash soup is especially good! The parmesan adds texture and flavor, while a touch of heavy cream adds silkiness and enhances the soup's delicate flavor. Considering this is an elegant soup you can order in fine dining restaurants, it's surprisingly easy to make at home.
Ingredients and Variations
See the recipe card for exact measurements. Here are my comments on the ingredients.
- Butternut squash: It's easiest to use pre-cubed packaged squash, fresh or frozen.
- Chicken broth: I use store-bought reduced-sodium chicken broth. When I have homemade chicken broth, I use that. You can use vegetable broth, but chicken broth is richer and more flavorful.
- To season: Kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and dried thyme.
- Heavy cream: ¼ cup is all it takes to add a silky creaminess to the soup. You could add a little more if you wish, up to ½ cup. You can use canned coconut milk instead of heavy cream. Make sure it's full-fat coconut milk, and mix it well before using it.
- Parmesan: Please use finely grated parmesan and not coarsely shredded.
Instructions
The detailed instructions and step-by-step photos are included in the recipe card. Here's a quick overview.
Cook cubed butternut squash in chicken broth and spices.
Blend the soup with an immersion blender right in the stockpot.
Add the dairy ingredients - heavy cream and Parmesan cheese. Those add flavor and creaminess. Serve immediately.
Great recipe! Me and my husband really enjoyed it and it is filling as a meal.
Judy
Read more comments
Great recipe! Me and my husband really enjoyed it and it is filling as a meal.Recipe Tips
Blending the Soup
There are two ways to puree a soup. For a very creamy texture, working in at least two batches, puree the soup in a stand blender. The second method is to use an immersion blender and blend the soup inside the pot. The result won't be as thick and creamy, but it's just as tasty, and using an immersion blender is easier.
Thickening the Soup
A ratio of four cups of squash to 2 cups of broth works well to produce a thick soup. The heavy cream and parmesan further help to thicken it. But if you make it and are dissatisfied with how thick it is, you can add more parmesan, add a cornstarch slurry, or add coconut flour. See the recipe card notes for exact measurements.
Thinning out the Soup
Sometimes, the opposite can happen, and the soup is too thick. If this is the issue, it's easy to fix - simply add an extra ½ cup to 1 cup of broth.
Storage Tips
You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat them gently, covered, in the microwave, making sure they don't reach a boiling temperature. You can also freeze the cooled soup for up to three months.
Serving Suggestions
I usually serve this soup as an appetizer, but it's so rich and filling that you can easily serve it as a main course. To turn it into a main course, serve it in a bowl instead of a cup, with any of the following on the side:
Recipe Card
Creamy Butternut Squash Soup
Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt - or ½ teaspoon of any other salt, including Morton kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- 4 cups butternut squash - cubed; 20 ounces
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese - grated, not shredded
Instructions
- In a medium stockpot, whisk the chicken broth, kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and dried thyme.2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth, 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- Add the butternut squash. Bring to a boil over high heat (this should take about 5 minutes), then lower the heat to medium, cover, and cook until the butternut squash is very tender, about 8-10 minutes.4 cups butternut squash
- Turn the heat off. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup in the stockpot (see Notes below).
- Turn the heat back on medium-low. Stir in the heavy cream and cook, uncovered, just until heated through, about 2 more minutes. Turn the heat off and stir in the Parmesan until fully melted. Taste to see if you'd like to add salt or freshly ground pepper, then serve.¼ cup heavy cream, ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
Notes
Blending The Soup
If you like pureed soups and make them often, I highly recommend purchasing an immersion blender. A stand blender is more powerful and will produce a smoother soup, but an immersion blender is easier because it lets you blend the soup directly in the pot, eliminating the need to transfer hot liquid, work in batches, or deal with extra cleanup. If you don't own an immersion blender, working in at least two batches, carefully transfer the hot soup to your stand blender. Blend each batch until completely smooth and transfer it to a bowl. When all batches are done, return the pureed soup to the pot and proceed with the recipe. When using a stand blender, never fill your blender past the maximum fill line. It's best to fill it no more than half full. If the lid of your blender wasn't designed to allow steam to escape, remove the centerpiece and drape a clean towel over the lid. You can hold down the lid when blending to prevent it from being pushed off, but do so without placing your hand or face over the hot steam.Thickening the Soup
After some trial and error, I have found that a ratio of four cups (20 ounces) of squash to 2 cups of broth works well to produce thick, silky soup without any flour. The heavy cream and Parmesan further help to thicken the soup. But if you make it and are dissatisfied with how thick it is, you have two options:- Check the soup after blending it and before adding the cream and Parmesan. If it seems too thin, simmer it uncovered for a few more minutes to allow more liquid to evaporate, then add the cream and Parmesan.
- Add 2-4 extra tablespoons of heavy cream and/or 2 extra tablespoons of Parmesan.
Storing Leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat them gently, covered, in the microwave, making sure they don't reach a boiling temperature. You might need to thin the leftovers with a bit of water, as the soup tends to thicken in the fridge. You can also freeze this soup for up to three months. I like to freeze individual servings and thaw them gently, covered, in the microwave at 50% power.Nutrition per Serving
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Most recipes are low-carb and gluten-free, but some are not. Recommended products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate - please verify it. The carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Please read these Terms of Use before using any of my recipes.
Mary Perry says
This soup was so, so good!
Vered DeLeeuw says
Glad you liked it, Mary! Many thanks for the review.
Patty Haag says
This is the best butternut squash soup recipe!! Thank you!!! I will be making this all fall and winter long!
Vered DeLeeuw says
Thank you so much, Patty! I'm thrilled you enjoyed it. This soup is one of my favorite fall/winter dishes too, and I love that you'll be making it all season long. Appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment!
Judy says
Great recipe! Me and my husband really enjoyed it and it is filling as a meal. What did you garnish yours with in the picture? It that bacon and green onions?
Vered DeLeeuw says
Glad you liked it, Judy! The garnishes are chives and red pepper flakes. 🙂