A classic butternut squash soup recipe, made with roasted butternut squash, flavoured with a little apple and maple syrup. Vegetarian and dairy-free options, as well. A perfect Fall soup!
This classic butternut squash soup tastes like Fall! It has been my go-to butternut squash for many, many years. I love how simply it comes together, that it is easy to make ahead and re-heats well and finally, that the combination of roasted squash, apple and maple is simply delicious.
Why you’ll love this butternut squash soup!
This soup starts with roasted squash. Roasting the squash really brings a wonderful flavour to this soup. It also means you don’t have to peel or cut the butternut squash into chunks and if you’ve ever done that, you know that’s a bonus!
Added to this butternut squash soup is a bit of onion, apple and thyme and it is finished with bit of maple syrup and cream. This soup is truly Fall in a bowl and a perfect way to celebrate the season!
Ingredients and Substitutions
Here are the simple ingredients you will need for this soup …
- Butternut squash – you’ll need about 2 medium whole butternut squash to yield the 6 cups of roasted squash that you’ll need for the soup. Look for two equal-sized squash, as they will roast more evenly.
- Chicken Broth – use your favourite chicken broth. Alternately, substitute a vegetable broth for a vegetarian soup.
- Apple – any apple will do. There is just a small amount in the soup. It can be omitted if you don’t happen to have an apple on hand, but it does offer a subtle acidic note to the soup that is very lovely. A bit of pear might work as well.
- Thyme – it’s hard to beat fresh herbs and specifically, fresh thyme in this soup, so it’s well worth it if you have some. If not, use a lesser amount of dried, thyme leaves.
- Maple Syrup – again, it’s hard to beat the flavour of the real thing, so real maple syrup is recommended here. In a pinch, a splash of pancake syrup will provide the flavour, at least. Use less to start, to avoid an overly-sweet soup.
- Cream – heavy whipping cream will provide the best results, as it will produce a lovely thick soup, without being overly rich. You can use a lighter cream, though it will produce a less thick soup. For a dairy-free alternative, substitute coconut milk (stirred), a plant-based cream or omit entirely.
- Other Ingredients You Will Need – Butter (or substitute cooking oil), Onion, Salt and Pepper.
Recipe Video
Recipe Tips
- The amounts for the maple syrup and the cream are flexible. Start with the lesser amount, taste and add a bit more if you feel it needs it. You should be able to detect a very subtle maple flavour.
- Seasoning is the key to a great soup! Be sure to taste the soup at the end of cooking and add salt, as needed and some freshly ground pepper. If it tastes a little flat or you feel “it needs something”, the something it needs is probably more salt :)
- When it came time to garnish my soup for photos, I kept it simple with just a few drops of heavy cream, that I ran a skewer through and a few fresh thyme leaves. For a heartier version, garnish with some simple homemade croutons (or maybe bacon-fat crisped croutons!).
FAQ
Can I make this soup ahead? Absolutely! I’ll often roast the butternut squash off ahead, maybe the night before or the morning of the day I’ll be making the soup. Simply roast, let cool a bit, then scoop the roasted flesh out in to a bowl and pop into the refrigerator until you are ready to make your soup.
You can also make this entire soup ahead of time and re-heat to serve, which is perfect for Thanksgiving. If the soup thickens while sitting in the fridge, simply thin with a little more chicken stock until you get to the desired consistency, if needed. Be sure to re-heat first, then add stock as necessary, as it will thin a bit as it heats.
Can I make this soup vegetarian? Yes! Simply swap vegetable broth for the chicken broth.
Can I make this soup dairy-free/vegan? Yes! Simply use non-dairy cream or coconut milk instead of the dairy cream or you can just omit the cream altogether and still have a lovely soup.
Can I freeze this soup? Yes! This soup freezes well frozen in an airtight container. As with making ahead, if soup is too thick after re-heating, simply add a splash of broth to thin it.
Can I change up the flavours? Yes! This is my favourite version of this soup, but when I’m looking to change it up a bit, I’ll omit the maple syrup and bring on the spice. Add a bit of curry powder or smoked paprika instead. Or cinnamon. Or add a little heat with some cayenne pepper. So many ways to make this soup your own :)
How to serve butternut squash soup
There are an endless number of ways to serve this delicious soup, but if you are looking to dress it up for Thanksgiving, for example, here are a few ideas …
- Drops of heavy cream with some thyme leaves (as shown in the photos here)
- Thyme-infused toasted bread croutons
- Dried apple slices and walnuts
- Dollop of sour cream or creme fraiche
- Roasted sunflower or pumpkin seeds
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Get the Recipe: Simply Perfect Butternut Squash Soup
Ingredients
- 6 cups roasted butternut squash, from about 2 medium-large butternut squash
- 3 Tablespoons butter, salted or unsalted or substitute 1 Tbsp vegetable or olive oil
- 1/2 cup onion, diced
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 medium apple , peeled, cored and shredded
- 1 sprig fresh thyme, or about 1/4 tsp dried thyme leaves (less if powdered)
- 1/4 - 1/3 cup real maple syrup
- 1/2 - 2/3 cup heavy whipping cream, 35% b.f.
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (regular bake setting/not fan assisted) Cut squash in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, scoop out and discard the seeds and dark orange stringy flesh. Place squash cut side down on to a baking sheet. Note that you want the squash to lay perfectly flat, so you can get some caramelization going for best flavour. If they won't all lay flat, use two baking sheets if necessary and rotate their position in the oven half way through roasting. Roast in pre-heated oven for 60-70 minutes or until very tender and soft when you press on the top of the squash.
- Remove from oven and using a spatula, flip the squash halves over and allow to cool a few minutes. Using a spoon, scoop all the roasted squash flesh out and in to a bowl, being careful not to take any of the skin. Discard squash skins. If making the soup immediately, measure out the amount of cooked squash needed for the soup and set aside. Any extra squash can be refrigerated or frozen and used for another purpose.
- In a large soup pot, large saucepan or Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook, stirring, until onion has softened and is translucent, but not browned. Add the measured roasted squash. Add the chicken broth and shredded apple. Stir to combine well. Add the fresh thyme sprig. Bring to a light boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, then reduce heat to medium-low and allow soup to gently simmer, uncovered, for 20-30 minutes to blend the flavours.
- REMOVE THYME SPRIG and discard. Using an immersion blender (or alternately in small batches in a blender) puree the soup well until smooth. In the soup pot, add the maple syrup and the heavy cream to the pureed soup. Stir well to combine and allow to cook over medium-low heat a few minutes to warm through.
- Taste soup. Add salt as needed and some freshly ground pepper. You don't want to be skimpy with the salt! Salting well is the key to bringing out all the great flavours in this soup. Maple syrups vary in intensity. If you don't notice a subtle maple taste in the soup, add a bit more maple syrup, as needed. Serve warm garnished with drops of heavy cream and fresh thyme leaves. If you like, use a skewer to run through the drops of cream to make a pretty design.
Notes
More Fall Soup Recipes to Love!
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
Made this tonight for myself and a friend. It was absolutely delicious and really simple to make. I made a few alterations by adding a touch of cinnamon, and garnished with some ginger infused oil, Justin a few drops really gives It a kick.
As for the seeds I never throw them out and rinse them off and pat them dry. Then I roast them with some olive oil salt pepper and tonight some cinnamon and sugar. These make for a great snack just like roasted pumpkin seeds.
Thanks for the delicious recipe!
Sounds delicious, Andrew :) And great tip to use the seeds, too! Thanks so much.
This soup looks just heavenly! I love roasted butternut squash. And it’s so much easier – and tastier – than peeling and cubing it.
Thanks so much and I agree. Never interested in peeling a butternut squash, let alone cubing it :)
When I roast the squash there is quite s lot of liquid in the pan which becomes toasted and brown. Should the liquid be discarded or included in the soup?
Hi Derek and no, you should just discard the liquid. Sometimes it scorches a bit and that is usually quite bitter tasting.
I literally refer to this soup as Holy Water. It is tied with Eggs Benedict as my favorite food. I can’t say enough good things about this recipe… I’ve made it on multiple occasions and will continue for years to come!
Lol! I agree :) I just never tire of this soup. It’s soul soothing every time with that first spoonful! So glad you are enjoying it, too. Thanks :)
I have made this now three times. Family loves it so much . I have made other versions but have to agree this version is a winner. Your tip in roasting the squash is very smart. I make it exactly as you say. Fantastic !
So glad to hear, Pat! Thanks :)
This might be the best soup I’ve ever made!! Wow! Wow! Wow! Amazing!! I can’t stop eating it. I’m going make this for everyone that comes over this fall and winter!
So glad you are enjoying it, Aleks :) Thanks!
I agree with you. Just made this for myself for supper tonight. Simply delicious!
So glad to hear, Bev :) Thanks!
Can you freeze this soup after cooking cheers
Hi Susanne and yes, it should freeze just fine :)
Okay, wow! After following this recipe, now I know why it’s a 5 star recipe. I usually don’t like butternut squash and the addition of apple being in a soup doesn’t scream yum to me, but let me tell you, it was amazing! The ingredients are simple yet so flavorful! I used frozen butternut squash instead and it still tasted delicious. I even veganized it and it tasted incredible. I made a few substitutions cause I didn’t have some of the ingredients. Instead of maple syrup I used brown sugar… About two tablespoons. I didn’t have cream so I used almond milk instead. And I used thyme powder (1/2 tsp) instead of fresh and it still turned out delicious! I took in the suggestion of adding a pinch of nutmeg and I even added a pinch of cayenne for a kick and every one just loved it. We topped it off with croutons and called it a night! Next time, I’ll make it with fresh roasted butternut squash. :)
So glad you enjoyed it Jenny and love that you were able to adapt it to your need so nicely :) Thanks!
I agree Jenny, 5 stars as I usually don’t like butternut squash soup either. I added aunt jemima’s pancake syrup because I didn’t have maple syrup, and didn’t have thyme, but added a tiny pin of cinnamon. Awesome!
So glad you enjoyed it, Samantha! And I have busted out the Aunt Jemima’s a few times, too :) Thanks!
Omg. I just made this soup and it is amazing, I added a pinch of nutmeg .
We were going to have it tonight but I think a day in the fridge will meld the flavours even more.
Can’t wait until tomorrow to enjoy.
This was my first attempt at butternut squash soup,it will not be my last.
Roasting the squash and adding the juices that escaped made it truly amazing.
Thank you posting this recipe .
Teresa
Glad to hear, Teresa! Enjoy the soup and thanks :)
I loved this soup!!! I included the apple, so reduced the pure maple syrup to 1/4 cup. The soup was intoxicatingly delicious!!! I made this for dinner guests and garnished with toasted pumpkin seeds – They loved it.!! If you are looking for the quintessential roasted butternut squash soup – This is it!!!! Do allow 2 hours to make this soup as there is cooking, cooling, and blending to do.
So glad to hear, Julie! Thanks :)
Amazing!! Definitely a keeper. The combinations of the different flavors are so complementary that I might just have to have yet another bowl. My sister and I thoroughly enjoyed this soup. Thank you for sharing!! (Side note, love your name ?)
So glad to hear, Jennifer :) Thanks!
This is the most delicious butternut squash soup ever! Made it today because I wanted to try something new instead of my old reliable and this one is stellar. Thank you.
PS I didn’t even follow the recipe exactly and it still turned out extremely well.
So glad to hear, Lore and now worries! I rarely follow the recipe exactly either :) It’s a very forgiving soup. Thanks!
I made this soup a couple of days ago, following the recipe almost to a T (I had to switch out the maple syrup which i thought I had for honey).
It is absolutely, incredibly delicious.
The time it takes to roast off the butternut squash is completely worth it, so if someone is looking to skip a step for time, just…don’t. ?
Thank you for an excellent recipe! One question; if i wanted to make my next batch a little less sweet, what would you suggest I add/subtract, while still keeping a great flavour?
Hi Alicia and so glad you enjoyed it! To make it a little less sweet, I would reduce the maple syrup a tad and increase the salt a bit. Tweak until it hits the sweet spot for you :)
Just finished making this and OMG I wanna eat the whole pot myself!! I had to substitute with coconut milk for allergies and you’d never know! I’m loving the maple syrup in it! My husband did his own this year for the first time and am loving all the ways I am finding to use it in cooking!
So glad to hear, Melabie and even better with homemade maple syrup! Thanks :)
Soup turned out really good. Though my family is vegan so substituted to vegatable broth (instead of chicken) and coconut milk instead of cream. I skipped the apples and maple syrup though added 1/2 jalepeno (diced) with the onions. So good! My wife even took it to work for lunch and she’s the chef in the house, so that says a lot :)
So glad you enjoyed this, Shomit! Thanks :)
Love this soup! I added the apple and also some nutmeg and apple cider vinegar (only a little bit which brings some brightness into the soup and balances out the flavour). I made a bit pot of it and could eat it all to myself! So perfect for a fall day <3
Sound lovely! So glad you’re enjoying it. Thanks :)
Amazing recipe! We blended the apple into the soup. Our family doesn’t like overly sweet, how much maple syrup would you add just to add flavour without the sweetness?
Hi Stef, I would start with a couple of Tablespoons, then taste and add a bit more if you feel it needs it :) Thanks!