Butternut Squash Soup With Homemade Sage-Parmesan Croutons
Butternut Squash Soup Recipe
This Butternut Squash Soup Recipe is simple, nourishing, and the kind of cozy soup recipe you want to eat on a chilly fall day. It’s creamy without being too rich, with the perfect balance of sweet and savory flavor.
Why You’ll Love This Easy Butternut Squash Soup Recipe
A Celebration of Fall Flavors. There’s so much more to fall than pumpkin! With tart apples, butternut squash, yellow onions, and freshly grated nutmeg, this creamy butternut squash soup has a delicate balance of sweet and savory autumn flavors.
Freezer-Friendly. Because butternut squash is plentiful, inexpensive, and delicious, I buy it in big quantities and turn it into a fresh pot of soup at least two or three times a month. (My budget-friendly 15 Bean Soup and Cabbage Soup are also excellent for freezing!)
Endless Variations. While I do have different versions of this recipe—Spicy Butternut Squash Soup, Crockpot Butternut Squash Soup—you can also create a unique version of this butternut squash soup by simply switching up the toppings. Go creamy with a dollop of plain Greek yogurt, lean into the sweetness with a sprinkle of cinnamon or cardamom, or stick with the sourdough croutons I share below.
Creamy Without Being Heavy. Creamy, without heavy cream! The butternut squash purees into a velvety smooth, creamy consistency without the addition of dairy.
5 Star Review
“I just made this recipe exactly as written and it is delicious! It was also very easy. I have tried many different recipes for butternut squash soup and this one is by far the best.”
— Donna —
How to Make This Butternut Squash Soup Recipe
The Ingredients
For the Soup:
Yellow Onions. Yellow onions are a nice middle-of-the-road onion—less sweet than red, with less bite than white.
Butternut Squash. You’ll need to peel and dice the squash, or take a shortcut and look for pre-cut squash in the produce section at the grocery store.
Apples. For balanced flavor, I like to use some sweet apples, such as McIntosh or Golden Delicious, and some tart apples, such as Granny Smith or Cortland.
Low-Sodium Chicken Broth. Stock is absolutely fine too, but keep in mind that it usually comes seasoned, so you’ll want to use a lighter hand with the added salt.
Seasonings. Kosher salt, grated nutmeg, black pepper, and cayenne.
For the Sage Parmesan Croutons:
Sourdough Cubes. Whole grain bread works too; basically, you want a crusty, rustic loaf here.
Fresh Sage. Dried sage pales in comparison. You’ll likely have some extra, so add Chicken Saltimbocca or Pumpkin Pasta Sauce to your menu this week.
Grated Parmesan. The nutty, umami flavor of Parmesan is fabulous with butternut squash.
The Directions
Cook the Onions. Let them get nice and soft.
Simmer. Add the squash, apples, and broth. Cover and simmer until the squash is tender.
Make the Croutons. Sprinkle ’em with Parmesan and sage (YUM).
Puree. Use an immersion blender or work in batches in a food processor.
Finish. Add more liquid to reach. your perfect butternut squash soup consistency. Season, serve with the croutons, and ENJOY!
Recipe Variations
Make It Vegan. Simply swap the chicken stock for vegetable broth and omit the Parmesan (or use a plant-based Parmesan) for a vegan butternut squash soup. (You’ll love this Vegan Potato Soup too).
Add Bacon. For the opposite of vegan, cook bacon in the pot, then remove it and crumble it. Leave about 2 tablespoons of bacon fat in the pot and use this to cook the onions. (Alternatively, you can use Baked Bacon for topping and follow the original soup recipe.)
Try Pears. Give your soup a slightly different flavor profile by using pears instead of apples.
What to Serve with Butternut Squash Soup
Bread. If you skip the croutons, you’ll definitely want to serve some bread on the side—even if you do add the croutons, bread is still a good idea! Grab a loaf from your favorite bakery or try my Homemade Dinner Rolls or No Knead Focaccia.
Salads. Pair butternut squash soup with a fall-inspired salad like my Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad or Apple Walnut Salad.
Sandwiches. Speaking of fall pairings, my Apple Grilled Cheese with Turkey is an outstanding partner for a bowl of butternut squash soup, or try a classic Air Fryer Grilled Cheese.
Toppings. Try Roasted Pumpkin Seeds, Brussels Sprouts Chips, Greek yogurt or crème fraîche, or chili crisp for a little bit of heat.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
Grate the Parmesan Yourself. The shelf-staple Parmesan they sell next to the pasta—you know, the kind in the green bottle—will not melt into the croutons the same way freshly grated does. It’s absolutely worth it to grate it yourself. I buy big blocks and grate them with a rasp grater or food processor whenever I need it for a recipe. Since Parm is a hard cheese, it’s much faster to grate than other varieties like cheddar!
Cut the Squash Into Uniformly-Sized Pieces. If they’re all roughly the same size, they’ll all be tender at roughly the same time. Same goes for the onions and apples, but it’s even more important for the squash since hard pieces can get caught in your blender blades or create a gritty texture in your soup.
Cool the Soup if You’re Using a Food Processor. This is absolutely essential! Piping hot soup in a closed blender or food processor has the potential to cause an explosion as the steam builds pressure.
Use Freshly Grated Nutmeg. Yes, more grating! It truly makes a difference to grate your own nutmeg rather than buying a jar of it pre-ground; I use this zester to do it. Freshly grated nutmeg is also fantastic in Crustless Quiche, Cheese Fondue, and Apple Pie Filling.
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Butternut Squash Soup Recipe
The best butternut squash soup recipe for fall! It's easy to make, so creamy and cozy, with the perfect balance of sweet and savory flavor.
Course Soup
Cuisine American
Prep Time 20 minutesminutes
Cook Time 40 minutesminutes
Total Time 1 hourhour
Servings 8servings
Calories 302kcal
Author Erin Clarke / Well Plated
Ingredients
For the Soup:
2tablespoonsolive oil
2medium yellow onionschopped (about 3 cups total)
2large butternut squashabout 5 pounds total, peeled and diced into chunks
4medium apples (or 3 large) I like using a mix of sweet apples such as McIntosh or Golden Delicious and tart such as Granny Smith or Cortland, peeled, cored and roughly diced
3-4cupslow sodium chicken stockdivided
1 ¼teaspoonkosher salt
½teaspoonfreshly grated nutmeg*
¼teaspoonblack pepper
¼teaspooncayenne pepper
For the Sage Parmesan Croutons:
6cupssourdough cubesor whole grain bread cubes(1-inch cut) use a hearty, crusty loaf—you’ll need about 6 thick slices total
3tablespoonsolive oil
2tablespoonsminced fresh sage
½teaspoonkosher salt
3tablespoonsfreshly grated parmesan
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 375°F. In a large, deep stockpot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over low. Add the onions and cook until very tender, about 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
While the onions cook, cut and peel the squash and apples. Add them to the pot, then add 2 cups of the stock. Bring the pot to a boil, reduce the heat to low, then cover, and cook until the squash and apples are very soft, about 20 to 30 minutes depending upon how larger you cut your squash and apple pieces (smaller pieces will cook more quickly).
Meanwhile, prepare the croutons. Place the bread cubes on a large baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with sage and salt, then toss to coat. Spread the cubes in a single layer, then bake until lightly crisp and brown, 10 to 12 minutes, tossing once halfway through. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, toss to coat, then set aside until ready to serve.
Once the apples and squash in the soup pot are tender, puree the soup with an immersion blender or carefully transfer it to a food processor fitted with a steel blade to puree in batches. Return soup to the pot once complete. Add 1 cup of the remaining chicken stock, then stir, adding a bit more stock as needed to reach your desired consistency (the soup will thicken somewhat when stored). Leave the texture fairly thick and rich. Stir in the salt, nutmeg, black pepper, and cayenne. Taste and add a bit more salt and pepper as desired. Serve hot, topped with sage croutons.
Video
Notes
*It’s an incredible flavor upgrade to grate your own nutmeg from whole nutmeg, vs. buying preground. I use this zester to do it. Other uses: grate fresh nutmeg into your oatmeal, vanilla ice cream, and coffee too!
TO STORE: Store butternut squash soup an airtight storage container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
TO REHEAT: Reheat soup in a pot on the stovetop over medium-low heat or warm it up in the microwave. Add a splash of broth as needed to thin the soup.
TO FREEZE: Transfer the soup to an airtight freezer-safe storage container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheatingaccording to the instructions above.
