Butternut Squash Soup

This butternut squash soup has a secret ingredient—a tart green apple. It adds just the right balance for the squash. Ready in an hour and freezes well.

It’s the season for butternut squash, which means butternut squash soup! The workhorse of the winter squashes, butternut squash is perfect for cooking up into a hearty soup, so welcome when the cold weather arrives.

Butternut squash can be a challenge to cut raw (see our easy how-to here), it’s so much meatier than mostly hollow pumpkins. But these days you can easily find pre-cut squash at the market.

Tip: Make Butternut Squash Soup with Apple!

My favorite trick for a memorable butternut squash soup is to include a chopped tart green apple with the squash. The tartness of the apple enlivens the squash and balances its natural sweetness.

How to Make this Butternut Squash Soup

This recipe is simple and easy, starting with a base of chopped onions, celery, and carrots. You add the squash, chopped apple, stock, and seasonings, and cook until done.

With a little blender magic at the end, you have a beautifully puréed, thick, smooth, and satisfying butternut squash soup. It’s perfect for fall.

Can You Make Ahead and Freeze This Soup?

You can make this ahead of time and reheat when you are ready to serve and you can freeze this soup, too. (Here’s how.) You may need to add a little broth or water to thin out the soup when you reheat it.

Craving more squash soup recipes?

Watch How to Make Butternut Squash Soup!

Updated October 9, 2019 : We spiffed up this post to make it sparkle! No changes to the original recipe.

Butternut Squash Soup Recipe

  • Prep time: 15 minutes
  • Cook time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 4 to 6

If you finely chop (1/2-inch) the butternut squash, apple, carrot, celery, and onion, they’ll cook more quickly.

Add a smoky flavor to the soup by sprinkling in some smoked paprika. Make the soup a little more creamy by swirling in some sour cream (after you remove the soup from heat).

Butternut squashes come in various sizes. Your ratio of chopped butternut squash to chopped apple should be 3 to 1.

Ingredients

For the soup:

  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
  • 1 celery rib, chopped (about 3/4 cup)
  • 1 carrot, chopped (about 3/4 cup)
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 butternut squash, peeled and chopped (6 to 8 cups), seeds discarded (see How to Peel and Cut a Butternut Squash)
  • 1 large tart green apple, peeled, cored, chopped (squash to apple ratio should be 3:1)
  • 3 cups chicken stock or broth (or vegetable broth)
  • 1 cup water
  • Pinches of nutmeg, cinnamon, cayenne, salt and pepper

For the garnish (optional):

  • Fresh parsley, chopped
  • Chives, chopped
  • Dash of smoked paprika
  • Sour cream

Method

1 Sauté onion, carrot, celery in butter: Heat a large thick-bottomed pot on medium-high heat. Melt the butter in the pot and let it foam up and recede. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and sauté for 5 minutes. Lower the heat if the vegetables begin to brown.

2 Cook the soup: Add the butternut squash, apple, broth, and water. Bring to boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes or so, until the squash and carrots have softened.

3 Purée the soup: Use an immersion blender to purée the soup, or work in batches and purée the soup in a stand blender.

4 Add seasonings: Add pinches of nutmeg, cinnamon, and cayenne. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Garnish with chopped fresh parsley or chives and, if you want, a dollop of sour cream.