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This easy butternut squash soup recipe is delicious and timeless! The sweet squash forms a luscious puree with no cream.
There is nothing like an easy butternut squash soup recipe to usher in cooler weather! This soup is one of the first recipes Alex and I ever made together. I remember eating it in our first apartment, before our interest in cooking, as well as local and seasonal eating. Honestly I think we ate it in the summer (though I must admit I have had squashes that have lasted that long in our pantry!). Whatever the case, I remember us being incredibly impressed at how delicious it was.
How to make this easy butternut squash soup
Time has passed, and I was curious to look back at this easy butternut squash soup to see if it was as good as we remembered! At first glance, I was pleasantly surprised at the short ingredient list and simple preparation method. I also was surprised at the lack of cream, which tends to be common in this type of soup.
Here’s the basic process for this easy butternut squash soup recipe:
- Chop the veggies: Thinly slice the shallots. Peel and dice a butternut squash (see the section below for tips!). Peel and dice a potato.
- Saute the shallots in olive oil.
- Add water and simmer until tender, about 30 minutes.
- Blend the soup! You can puree using a standard blender, but our favorite for pureed soups is using an immersion blender. This way, you don’t have to transfer the hot soup into a blender and then back to the pot: you can put the blender right into the pot and whiz!
After tasting this butternut squash soup recipe, we were amazed at how creamy it got without cream. Somehow, just a potato and the squash make for an incredibly creamy texture! This easy soup still stands the test of time! It’s a solid, basic soup with a full-bodied flavor and a smooth, velvety texture. And while we love fancy versions like our Cozy Curried Butternut Squash Soup, this one still hits the spot every time!
Video: How to cut butternut squash
The main challenge in this soup is this: just how to cut butternut squash? Everyone uses slightly different methods, but here’s what Alex and I do. Once you know how to cut it, it’s a breeze to this easy butternut squash soup recipe. See the video below to watch us in action!
- First, slice off top of the squash, then the entire straight neck of the squash.
- Peel it and peel the round base.
- Cut the base in half and remove the seeds from each half with a spoon.
- Slice the neck into strips and then cubes.
- Then do the same with the rounded bottom part of the squash: slice it into strips and then cubes.
Looking for more squash recipes?
Here are some of our favorite butternut squash recipes on A Couple Cooks:
- Butternut Squash Pasta
- Vegan Butternut Squash Soup
- Creamy Butternut Squash Risotto
- Cozy Curried Butternut Squash Soup
- Easy Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup
- Roasted Butternut Squash
- Healthy Butternut Squash Recipe
- Superfood Butternut & Lentil Soup
- Vegan Butternut Squash Soup
- 33 Butternut Squash Recipes
- Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
This butternut squash soup recipe is…
Vegetarian, vegan, plant based, dairy free, gluten free, and sugar free.
Easy Butternut Squash Soup
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
This easy butternut squash soup recipe is delicious and timeless: the sweet squash forms a creamy puree with a handful of ingredients and no cream!
Ingredients
- 2 shallots
- 1 pound butternut squash
- 1 medium boiling potato
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 bay leaf
- Kosher salt
- Fresh ground pepper (or white pepper, if you have it)
- To garnish: Fresh sage, sour cream or coconut milk (or vegan sour cream) and fresh herbs
Instructions
- Thinly slice 2 shallots. Dice the butternut squash (see the video!). Peel the potato and cut into 1-inch pieces.
- In a saucepan over low heat, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil, add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are translucent (5 to 10 minutes).
- Add the squash, potato, 1 bay leaf, a few pinch of kosher salt, and 3 cups of water. Increase the heat to medium high and bring to a steady simmer. Cook about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the squash is tender.
- Remove the bay leaf and let the soup cool slightly. Then puree the soup using an immersion blender (or transfer to a blender, then transfer back to the pot). Let the soup cool a bit more; it will thicken a bit and become creamy. Taste and add kosher salt and pepper to taste (we added about 1 teaspoon kosher salt). Use white pepper to preserve the pure look of the soup (if you don’t mind the black flecks, use black pepper).
- Serve garnished with sour cream and fresh dill, or other garnishes as desired.
Notes
Adapted from Williams and Sonoma: Rome Tip: We highly recommend an immersion blender for a pureed soup. However, a blender or food processor will also suffice – you’ll just have to transfer the soup to the blender and back to the pot. You also can stir in spices of your choice to add a bit of flair – curry powder, cumin, coriander, chipotle powder, etc.
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Last updated: September 2019
So much easier to roast the squash. Better flavour and easier to cut.
This soup looks great, I can’t wait to make it some time! I also like it because it doesn’t need cream (which I don’t have) and it doesn’t need peanuts (which I’m allergic to).
I can’t wait to try your soup recipe with one of the dozen squash that are in my basement from this past year’s harvest. I need to get them all turned into something before the new garden season.
Haha! Good idea. We have held onto squash a bit too long before — they don’t necessarily go bad, but they aren’t so good either!
Just made this! And yes I ate it for breakfast! Thank you for such a simple and delicious recipe. It’s amazing how much just a single bay leaf can do. I roasted the squash and potato with the shallots and some garlic. Added an apple also and simmered with a parmesan rind I had lying around (just tryin to clear out the fridge!) Thank you for this soul warming recipe.
This soup is simply delicious! I threw in some Williams and Sonoma Ras El Hanout seasoning and it gave it some great extra flavor. So yummy! Thanks for sharing this!
You’re welcome! I had never heard of Ras El Hanout and just looked it up – sounds delicious! Thanks for the idea :)