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Butternut Squash Soup

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This butternut squash soup recipe is thick, creamy, healthy, and naturally sweet. It's the perfect cozy and warming fall or winter soup!

the best butternut squash soup with coconut milk (in a bowl with a spoon, on a marble background, topped with croutons)
Photos updated 11/2020

Well, it's just about time to start making all the fall recipes! I've held off as long as I can, but I admit I am excited to post this recipe even though I'm a summer girl at heart. This is a bowl of liquid sunshine... look at that color! 

I like to make butternut squash soup with coconut milk (it makes it extra silky and that little bit of coconut flavor makes it taste soo good), but if you wish to leave it out for any reason, it isn't 100% necessary. 

Want to make this soup in your Instant Pot? Try my Instant Pot butternut squash soup recipe. 

chopped raw butternut squash on a white plate and marble background

How to peel a butternut squash

Peeling squash isn't my favorite thing in the world, but from trial and error I've found that using a sharp knife is the best way. The peel is very thick, so your standard potato peeler isn't too effective. Once I cut the squash in half and then into quarters, I just use the knife to basically cut the peel off. I ensure the chunks are stable on the cutting board so I don't cut myself. Or, you can be more precise and peel it with a knife like you'd peel an apple (if that makes any sense). 

How to make butternut squash soup

First, you prep the squash, carrot, potato, and onion. Then it's time to sauté the onion for a few minutes in a soup pot until it starts to lightly brown. Add the chopped squash, carrot, potato, broth, and cinnamon + nutmeg to the pot and cook it, with the lid slightly open, until the veggies are very tender. You then blend the soup (either with a stick blender or a regular blender in batches) until smooth, then stir in the coconut milk and season with salt & pepper as needed. (Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below).

the best butternut squash soup in a yellow soup pot with a ladle full of soup

If you love butternut squash recipes, you may like my butternut squash pasta. 

Some recipe notes & tips:

  • Buy pre-cut butternut squash to save time! I'd aim for closer to 3 pounds than 4 since once you peel the squash the actual edible parts will weigh less than the suggested 4 pounds of whole squash.
  • With this soup, I err on the side of caution and add less liquid to start with. It's always easy to add more when you're in the blending stage. The potato helps make this soup thicker and more hearty. It's a nice little trick you can use to easily help thicken blended soups like this one. 
  • You don't have to discard the squash seeds - try roasting them like in this roasted butternut squash seeds (5 ways) recipe. 
  • Want to add a little zip to the soup? Grate in some fresh ginger! 
  • Need to make this a vegan butternut squash soup? Omit the butter and use vegetable broth. 
  • Can you freeze butternut squash soup? Yes! This soup freezes well for up to 3 months. Or you can keep it in the fridge for a few days. 

What to serve with butternut squash soup:

Try a couple slices of fresh bread (sourdough or a baguette is perfect), some garlic bread, or add some croutons.

More fall soups you'll love:

close-up of creamy butternut squash soup with coconut milk in a bowl

I hope you'll give this easy butternut squash soup a try!

Questions? Let me know in the comments below. 

the best butternut squash soup with coconut milk (in a bowl with a spoon, on a marble background, topped with croutons)

Butternut Squash Soup

This butternut squash soup recipe is thick, creamy, healthy, and naturally sweet. It's the perfect cozy and warming fall or winter soup!
4.88 from 8 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 45 mins
Total Time 1 hr
Course Soup
Cuisine American
Servings 6
Calories 298 kcal

Ingredients
 

  • 4 pounds butternut squash peeled, seeded, & cut into pieces
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1/2 medium onion chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 large carrot peeled & sliced
  • 1 large Russet potato peeled & diced
  • 3 cups chicken or veggie broth (and more if needed)
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • 1 (5.4 ounce) can coconut milk (I used full fat)

Instructions
 

  • Prep your squash (cut it into roughly 1.5" pieces), onion, carrot, and potato. To easily peel the squash, I cut it into quarters and carefully use a knife to cut the peel off since it's thick, and I find potato peelers don't the best job.
  • Add the oil and butter to a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion to the pot and sauté for 5 minutes.
  • Stir in the garlic, followed by the carrot, potato, squash, broth, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Increase the heat to high and bring the soup to a boil. The liquid likely won't completely cover everything, and that's fine.
  • Once it's boiling, cover the pot with the lid slightly ajar. Reduce the heat so it's simmering but not boiling furiously. Cook until the veggies are soft (easily pierced with a knife), about 15-20 minutes depending how large you cut everything.
  • Blend the soup using either an immersion blender (that's what I used) or a regular blender. You may want to let the soup cool for a while first.
  • Stir in the coconut milk and season with salt & pepper to taste (I was pretty generous with both - I'd start with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and add more if needed). If you find the soup is still too thick after adding the coconut milk, stir in 1/2 cup of broth at a time until your desired consistency is reached.

Notes

  • I used one of those tiny cans of Thai Kitchen coconut milk. If you can't find a small can, use 1/2 of a regular size can. You can leave out the coconut milk if you wish, but I like the added silkiness and coconut flavor it adds.
  • I usually end up buying two smaller squashes because I can't always find one that's around 4 pounds. If using pre-cut squash, aim for closer to 3 lbs. than 4.
  • Want to make this in your Instant Pot? Here's the recipe. 
  • Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.

Nutrition

Calories: 298kcalCarbohydrates: 51gProtein: 6gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 475mgPotassium: 1540mgFiber: 8gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 34208IUVitamin C: 78mgCalcium: 173mgIron: 3mg
Keyword butternut squash soup, butternut squash soup coconut milk
Author Natasha Bull
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  1. Joseph Swizdor says

    5 stars
    Aloha,
    Made this dish for my family and even the toddler ate a big bowl!

    Things i did differently:
    Roasted all veggies, 400° for 25 minutes.
    The skin was significantly easier to peel after roasting.
    Added 1 yellow bell pepper
    Added 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast
    I used sea salt instead of regular salt, so i used a little bit more.
    Allow a little bit more time for knife sharpening before cutting that squash!

    This was the first time I have made a soup with our own grown potatoes & carrots, the squash was grown by a friend.

    I will make this again!

    Reply

  2. Michele says

    4 stars
    Made this tonight, not sure what I did wrong. 4 pounds of diced squash may be the problem. It took 2 hours to cook down and there weren’t near enough spices. I have so much leftover that’ll I’ll add ginger and more salt and pepper. Overall it’s tasty and super filling. I also roasted the seeds and put on top and next time, I’ll roast the squash and onion to start. Pic on my Insta: @burienwino

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hi Michele! Did you use 4 pounds of diced squash (like after peeling it etc.)? I tried to indicate in the post that you'll end up with a bit less of useable squash if you buy about 4 lbs. of whole squash then peel it, remove the seeds, etc. (so if you're using pre-diced squash, buy between 3-4 lbs.), but yeah, it definitely makes quite a lot of soup. It didn't take me two hours for it to cook down, though... maybe I chopped it smaller? I just cooked it until it was soft enough to blend. But yes, roasting the squash definitely works too! I think spicing soups is quite subjective too, but it's easy to add more (as you did) if you prefer a stronger flavor. In any case, I'm glad you were able to tweak it and ended up liking the recipe overall. 🙂

      Reply

  3. Kalpana Patel says

    5 stars
    Just made this and it was delicious. I did add a little curry powder for some kick.
    I will freeze the leftovers so I have something to look forward to on cold days.

    Reply

  5. jr says

    I am making this as we speak. Adding smoled bacon bits and LEEKS i Ilive in Thailan and there is only one store that has fresh Butternut squash. but very expensive THOUGH as the squasj is imported from Australia 2lb sQUQSH + tHE OTHER STUFF = QABOUT $30.00. hOPE ITS GOOD!

    Reply

  7. Evanka says

    5 stars
    I am getting ready to make this recipe for what is probably the 10th time since it was posted in September! It is so easy to make, it freezes well, but most importantly, it is DELICIOUS! Thank you so much for posting this.

    Reply