This easy butternut squash soup recipe is perfectly creamy, velvety, and full of sweet and savory autumn flavors. Instant Pot, Crock-Pot and stovetop options included.
The Coziest Autumn Soup
Is there a more quintessentially autumn meal than a cozy bowl of butternut squash soup? ♡
On a particularly chilly day this past weekend, we made our millionth batch of my mom’s butternut squash soup recipe to share with friends who came over for dinner. As always, this vibrant, nourishing, velvety soup delivered all the fall comfort-food vibes and completely hit the spot. It’s just perfect this time of year!
One of the best things about this butternut squash soup is that it’s naturally gluten-free and vegan, which makes it a great option for hosting (especially around the holidays). It’s also easy to make in the Instant Pot, Crock-Pot, or on the stovetop, so you can take your pick. Most importantly, it’s perfectly balanced with sweet-and-savory autumn flavors and absolutely delicious. Thousands of readers have made this one over the years and agree!
Best Butternut Squash Soup Recipe | 1-Minute Video
Recipe Tips
Here are a few tips to help make the best butternut squash soup every time:
- Aim for silky-smooth. Blend longer than you think—an extra 30–60 seconds makes it ultra-velvety.
- Balance the sweetness. Granny Smith adds brightness; a squeeze of lemon at the end can perk flavors right up.
- Salt matters. Different brands of broths vary in saltiness, so season in layers and finish with a final pinch to make flavors pop.
Recipe Variations
Feel free to try these easy twists to customize the recipe and make it your own:
- Roast the veggies: Roast the squash, carrot, and onion at 425°F until caramelized, then blend for deeper, sweeter flavor.
- Make it smoky: Swap cayenne for chipotle chili powder and finish with a sprinkle of smoked paprika.
- Use cream: Sub heavy cream or half-and-half for the coconut milk for an ultra-silky, dairy-based finish.
- Go Thai-inspired: Stir in 1–2 tablespoons red curry paste and 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger; finish with lime and cilantro.
- Go Mexican-inspired: Omit sage/nutmeg and add 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin plus a pinch of chipotle; serve with lime and cilantro.
- Brighten it up: Add a squeeze of lemon juice or a splash of apple cider vinegar to balance sweetness.
- Have fun with toppings: Try toasted pepitas, roasted chickpeas, crispy sage, chili crisp, coconut milk swirl, croutons, or Parmesan.
FAQ
Yes, you will need about 4 to 5 cups diced raw butternut squash, which roughly equals about 2 pounds. Feel free to use fresh or frozen!
Definitely! Let it cool completely, portion into airtight containers, and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight and rewarm gently, adding extra broth if needed.
If you feel that the soup is too sweet, feel free to add a pinch more salt, a squeeze of lemon, or an extra dash of cayenne or black pepper to balance the sweetness.
Sure. Kabocha, honeynut, or sugar-pie pumpkin all work well. They’re often a bit sweeter/drier, so feel free to add a splash of broth or lemon juice if needed.
More Vegetarian Soup Recipes To Try
Looking for more cozy vegetarian soup recipes to make this season? Here are a few of our favorites:
- Cozy Autumn Wild Rice Soup
- Broccoli Cheese Soup
- Potato Leek Soup
- Quick Black Bean Soup
- Tomato Feta Soup
Butternut Squash Soup
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 6 –8 servings 1x
Description
My all-time favorite Butternut Squash Soup recipe! It’s super-easy to make, naturally gluten-free and vegan, and so incredibly cozy and delicious. Stovetop, Crock-Pot and Instant Pot instructions included below.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 white onion, peeled and diced
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 Granny Smith apple, cored and roughly chopped
- 1 medium (about 3 pound*) butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced
- 1 sprig fresh sage
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
- pinch of ground cinnamon and nutmeg
- 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
- fine sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper, to taste
- optional garnishes: smoked paprika, extra drizzle of unsweetened coconut milk, or see more ideas above
Instructions
Stovetop Butternut Squash Soup:
- Sauté the onion and garlic. Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 to 2 more minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant.
- Simmer: Add the vegetable broth, carrot, apple, butternut squash, sage, cayenne, cinnamon and nutmeg and stir to combine. Continue cooking until the soup reaches a simmer. Then cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 20-30 minutes until the vegetables are all tender and mash easily with a fork. Remove and discard the sage. Stir in the coconut milk.
- Purée: Use an immersion blender to purée the soup until smooth. (Or alternately, see instructions in the notes below for how to purée the soup safely using a traditional blender.)
- Season and serve: Taste and season the soup generously with salt and pepper as needed. Serve warm, topped with your desired garnishes, and enjoy!
Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup:
- Slow cook: Add the oil (optional), onion, garlic, vegetable broth, carrot, apple, butternut squash, sage, cayenne, cinnamon and nutmeg to a small (3-quart) slow cooker or large (6-quart) slow cooker. Toss briefly to combine. Cook for 4-6 hours on low, or 2-3 hours on high, or until the squash is completely tender and mashes easily with a fork. Remove and discard the sage. Stir in the coconut milk.
- Purée: Use an immersion blender to purée the soup until smooth. (Or alternately, see instructions in the notes below for how to purée the soup safely using a traditional blender.)
- Season and serve: Taste and season the soup generously with salt and pepper as needed. Serve warm, topped with your desired garnishes, and enjoy!
Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup:
- Sauté the onion and garlic: Press the “Sauté” button on an Instant Pot. Heat the olive oil. Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 to 2 more minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant.
- Pressure cook: Add the vegetable broth, carrot, apple, butternut squash, sage, cayenne, cinnamon, nutmeg, and toss briefly to combine. Close lid securely and set vent to “Sealing”. Pressure cook on high for 8 minutes, followed by a quick release. Remove and discard the sage. Stir in the coconut milk.
- Purée: Use an immersion blender to purée the soup until smooth. (Or alternately, see instructions in the notes below for how to purée the soup safely using a traditional blender.)
- Season and serve: Taste and season the soup generously with salt and pepper as needed. Serve warm, topped with your desired garnishes, and enjoy!
Notes
Store-bought diced squash: If you’d like to save time, feel free to use 2 pounds of pre-cut butternut squash (fresh or frozen) instead.
Puréeing using a traditional blender: As always, please be extra-careful when blending hot liquids in a traditional blender. I recommend puréeing the soup in two or three batches, so that the blender is not too full. Then also be sure to slightly tent the cap of the blender lid open so that the extra steam can escape.
Recipe looks so delicious and perfect for fall. I’m wondering if you had any suggestions for replacing the coconut milk. Unfortunately have someone who is a bit allergic and I was thinking cream as a replacement I was wondering if you think there might be something else that’s a bit more low fat?
Thanks :)
Thank you Ella, we hope you enjoy this! And we’d recommend using half and half or whole milk.
Hi there,
I just made this not realizing til after that I wasn’t supposed to put the coconut milk in the crockpot until after…will it still be o.k?
Hey Sarah! We haven’t tried it that way, but we think it should be okay. Let us know?
Wow, this is really really good. We love everything fall and this includes butternut squash so when I saw your slow cooker recipe I had to try it. Followed it exactly as you have it posted (in a 4qt slow cooker – round) and it turned out perfect. Thank you for a great recipe!
Em
Thanks Emily, we’re happy you enjoyed it! And we love fall too, pretty excited right about now! :)
Ok….I know this is probably such a lame question, but how do you peel and dice the squash? Do you roast it first? I’ve only cooked squash once, for spaghetti squash, and it was a PAIN to cut.
Hey Carissa, not a lame question at all! Here’s a good peeling and cutting tutorial you might find helpful. And no need to roast the squash before cooking — it will have plenty of time to cook in the soup. Enjoy!
I doubled the recipe because I knew this would be good. So glad I did. The cayenne pepper added just a hint of heat.
Thank you for sharing #2carsonlove
Thanks, Linda, we’re so glad you enjoyed this!
I just made this for dinner for myself, and I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT! It was so easy to make and the cayenne adds the perfect kick. I haven’t had a butternut squash soup this good in a long time. I keep eating it while I’m waiting for it to cool to be put away. SO GOOD!
That’s wonderful, Marisa! We’re happy you liked it! : )
Thanks for the recipe! Made it today with 1 extra carrot and some red lentils. It’s yummy and my toddler couldn’t get enough : )
You’re welcome, Jac! So happy you and your babe loved it! And the red lentils sound yummy! : )
I’ve been looking for delicious healthy things I can make and feed my 1 year old and things that will freeze well. I’m making this soup today (apple and all!) I’ve added a few more carrots because I had to use them up and I had no vegetable stock so had to make do with chicken.. Hope that doesn’t ruin it! Looking forward to trying this later, will tweet a pic! Thanks for this great recipe! Looks delicious!
Thanks for sharing Ruby, I hope it’s a hit with you and your 1 year-old! Definitely let me know how it went! : )
I made this yesterday and loved it! I might try a sweeter apple next time because I felt like there was a bit of a sour aftertaste. I don’t know if it was because of the sourness of the granny smith or if it was something else?
Thanks Allison! I’m sorry you found it a bit sour, and yes, you could definitely try a sweeter, more neutral-tasting apple. I bet a golden delicious would work well.
Sounds like your convo’s around the Thanksgiving table are interesting with a group with diverse interests! Excited about this recipe because I got my own immersion blender for Christmas and now I can put it to work.