This butternut squash soup is creamy and flavorful. It's such 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 much more elaborate ones.
Soups are so comforting. I love onion soup, creamy cauliflower soup, and cabbage soup. This creamy soup is especially good and is one of my favorites to make in the fall and winter. The parmesan cheese adds texture and flavor, while a touch of heavy cream adds silkiness and enhances the soup's delicate flavor.
Considering it's such an elegant and flavorful soup that you can often order in fine restaurants, It's surprisingly easy to make at home!
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Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this soup. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
- 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.
- 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.
- Parmesan: Make sure you use finely grated parmesan and not coarsely shredded.
Variations
- Add a pinch of nutmeg to the soup. Other tasty options include curry powder (1 teaspoon) and cayenne pepper (a pinch).
- Use canned coconut milk instead of heavy cream. Make sure it's full-fat coconut milk, and mix it well before using it.
- Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. I do feel that chicken broth is more flavorful, though.
Instructions
Making this soup is so easy! Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps:
Simply cook cubed butternut squash in chicken broth and spices.
Then, blend the soup with an immersion blender right in the stockpot.
The last step is to add the dairy ingredients - heavy cream and parmesan cheese. Those add wonderful flavor and creaminess.
Recipe FAQs
It depends on the recipe. A one-cup serving of this soup has 142 calories, 7 grams of fat, 17 grams of carbs, and 4 grams of fiber.
In addition to salt and pepper, I like to use garlic powder, onion powder, and dried thyme. Sometimes, I add a pinch of cayenne pepper and a teaspoon of curry powder.
It's easy because it's a one-pot dish that you cook in a single stockpot from start to finish. I also use pre-cut squash and dried spices rather than peeling, cutting, and chopping vegetables.
There's nothing wrong with more elaborate recipes! But this one is truly a breeze to make and it's wonderfully flavorful.
Expert Tips
Blending the Soup
There are two ways to puree a soup. For a very creamy texture, 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.
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. Which of these methods you choose is up to you. Both work and yield great results, just different textures.
When using a stand blender, never fill it 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, you’ll need to remove the centerpiece and drape a clean towel on top of the lid. You can hold down the lid when blending to prevent it from being pushed off, but do so without actually placing your hand - or your 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. 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 three options:
- Add more parmesan and/or more heavy cream. You can add an additional ¼ cup of each.
- Make a slurry of 2 tablespoons of cornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoons of cold water, add the slurry to the soup, and heat over medium heat, stirring, until the soup thickens (1-2 minutes typically).
- Stir in ½ tablespoon of coconut flour to the warm soup. Coconut flour is a powerful thickener, and the small amount added here won't affect the soup's flavor.
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 stir an extra ½ cup to 1 cup of broth. You can do it after pureeing the soup. Then, keep cooking briefly to heat through. You can also preheat the extra cup of broth in the microwave.
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. Simply serve it in a bowl instead of a cup, with cheese biscuits or cornbread on the side.
Storing Leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. Reheat them gently, covered, in the microwave, making sure they don't reach boiling temperature. You might need to thin out the leftovers with a bit of water, as the soup tends to thicken while it stands 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.
More Soup Recipes
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Recipe Card
Easy Butternut Squash Soup
Ingredients
- 2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt - or ½ teaspoon of any other 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 parmesan cheese - grated, not shredded
- ¼ cup heavy cream
Instructions
- In a medium stockpot, whisk the chicken broth, kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and dried thyme.
- Add the butternut squash cubes. Bring to a boil over high heat (this should take about 10 minutes), then lower the heat to medium, cover the pot, and cook until the butternut squash is very tender, for about 10 minutes.
- Turn the heat off. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup in the stockpot (see Notes below).
- Return the soup to the pot. Turn the heat back on to medium-low. Stir in the heavy cream and parmesan and cook, uncovered, just until heated through, about 2 more minutes. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
Pureing The Soup
There are two ways to puree a soup. For a very creamy texture, 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. The second method is to use an immersion blender and blend the soup right inside the pot. The result won't be as thick and creamy. However, it's just as tasty, and using an immersion blender is easier. Which of these methods you choose is up to you. Both work and both yield great results, just different textures. 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, you’ll need to remove the center piece and drape a clean towel on top of the lid. You can hold down the lid when blending to prevent it from being pushed off, but do so without actually placing your hand - or your 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. 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 three options:- Add more parmesan and/or more heavy cream. You can add an additional ¼ cup of each.
- Make a slurry of 2 tablespoons of cornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoons of cold water, add the slurry to the soup, and heat over medium heat, stirring, until the soup thickens (1-2 minutes typically).
- Stir in ½ tablespoon of coconut flour to the warm soup. Coconut flour is a powerful thickener, and the small amount added here won't affect the soup's flavor.
Storing Leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. Reheat them gently, covered, in the microwave, making sure they don't reach boiling temperature. You might need to thin out the leftovers with a bit of water, as the soup tends to thicken while it stands 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
Disclaimers
Cup measurements refer to the standard American cup, which is 240 milliliters. Most of my recipes are low-carb (or keto) and gluten-free, but some are not. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate, and the carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Nutrition info may contain errors, so please verify it independently. Recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them. Please read these Terms of Use carefully before using any of my recipes.
Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. 
Judy
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
Glad you liked it, Judy! The garnishes are chives and red pepper flakes. 🙂