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Butternut Squash Soup

This roasted butternut squash soup screams fall comfort food. It’s everything you want in a soup – creamy, velvety, and tons of depth of flavor. Topped with smokey bacon and chives for the finishing touch. It’s a must this fall season and perfect for the holidays!

Why You’ll Love This Butternut Squash Soup Recipe

If you’re looking for a new recipe to add to your Thanksgiving menu, this hearty butternut squash soup is just what you need.

  • Freezer-friendly. Pop it out of the freezer the night before or throw it into a pot right before dinner for an extra quick side.
  • Naturally sweet. Roasted squash, potatoes, and bell peppers come together for a smokey, naturally sweet soup.
  • Fall flair. Crispy bacon, thyme, sage, nutmeg, and cinnamon are some of autumn’s favorite ingredients.
  • Wholesome. It’s packed with fresh ingredients and perfect for cleaning out the pantry.
Adding the squash, peppers, and potatoes to the baking tray.

What You’ll Need

Piney sage and thyme give this soup an herby, aromatic vibe that just screams “fall”. Scroll to the bottom of the post for exact ingredients.

  • Butternut squash – Remove the seeds.
  • Yukon potatoes – Russet potatoes and baby potatoes are fine as well.
  • Bell pepper – Use red, yellow, or orange peppers. Don’t use green ones because they’ll darken the color of the soup.
  • Olive oil – Go for vegetable, corn, or canola oil if that’s what you’ve got on hand.
  • Salt and pepper – I prefer kosher salt and freshly-cracked black pepper.
  • Bacon – Regular and thick-cut bacon both work.
  • Red onion – You can also use yellow and white onions.
  • Garlic – Fresh garlic and garlic paste are best.
  • Herbs – I used fresh sage and thyme. Rosemary is a good swap.
  • Spices – You need ground nutmeg and ground cinnamon.
  • Vegetable broth – Feel free to use water or chicken broth.
  • Chives – Green onions work too.
Bowl of butternut squash soup with crispy bacon and crunchy chives on top.

How To Make Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Using bacon grease to sautée the onions adds complexity and lots of smokey goodness. Scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe card.

  • Prep the oven. Preheat it to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. You can also bake directly on it. Set it aside.
  • Season and roast. Toss the squash, potato, and bell peppers in a large bowl with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread them out on the prepared baking sheet. Don’t overlap them too much. Bake for 25 minutes or until the squash is fork-tender.
  • Cook the bacon. Add the bacon to a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook the bacon for 5-6 minutes or until crispy. Remove it from the heat and set it on a paper towel-lined plate.
  • Sautée the onions. Stir the onions into the bacon grease and cook them for 2-3 minutes or until translucent. Mix in the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. Add the sage, thyme, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Cook for 30 more seconds.
  • Simmer it. Pour in the veggie broth. Stir in the roasted veggies and cover the Dutch oven. Simmer it for 10 minutes. Remove it from the heat.
  • Blend it. Transfer the mixture and cinnamon to the blender. Process until smooth.
  • Serve. Add soup to serving bowls and top with fresh herbs, crispy bacon, and chives. Enjoy!
Two bowls of soup with crunchy chives and crispy bacon on top.

Tips & Variations

Savory parmesan, heavy cream, and tangy goat cheese can elevate this spiced butternut squash soup in minutes.

  • Make it spicy. Stir 1/4-1/2 small jalapeño into the Dutch oven when sautéeing the onions for a spicy kick. You can also use 1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, or chili oil.
  • Go creamy. Mix 1/2-1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half into the soup after blending. Simmer for 5 minutes to combine the flavors and serve as usual.
  • More toppings. Sprinkling crunchy croutons, crumbled goat cheese, puffed quinoa, or chopped cashews can add more texture to every spoonful.
  • Prep ahead. Roast the veggies, cook the bacon, and sautée the onions up to 3 days in advance so all you need to do is simmer and blend right before serving.
  • Make it cheesy. Whisk 1/4 cup cream cheese or shredded parmesan into the soup after blending and simmer over medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes or until completely melted.
  • Use leftovers. Add 1-2 cups of leftover roasted veggies like my Roasted Cauliflower into the pot and continue with the recipe as usual to reduce food waste and add more flavor.
A bowl of silky, homemade squash-pepper soup with crunchy chives and smokey bacon.

Serving Suggestions

This sweet butternut squash soup with hints of garlic is great with Thanksgiving dinners. I love it with my No Fuss Thanksgiving Turkey and Turkey Gravy on top. Other holiday turkey recipes include my Maple Smoked Turkey and Garlic Herb Turkey Breast. For veggie sides, try my Sauteed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes.

How To Store & Reheat Leftovers

Keep it away from direct heat and sunlight when on the counter for cooling or serving to prevent spoilage.

  • Fridge: Place it in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
  • Freezer: Pour it into freezer bags or containers in serving-size portions. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight or reheat straight from frozen.
  • To reheat it: Microwave it in 20-second increments, stirring in between each one, until warm. You can also heat it in a pot over medium-low heat for 10-12 minutes.

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A bowl of silky, homemade squash-pepper soup with crunchy chives and smokey bacon.

Butternut Squash Soup

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  • Author: Krista
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 40 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 810 1x
  • Category: Soup
  • Method: Stove
  • Cuisine: American

Description

This creamy butternut squash soup recipe with crispy bacon, woodsy sage, spicy cinnamon, and earthy nutmeg is the definition of fall.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1” cubes
  • 3 yukon potatoes, cut into 1” cubes
  • 1 red pepper, seeds removed cut into 1” cubes
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • salt & pepper
  • 5 slices of bacon, diced
  • 1 red onion, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tablespoons diced fresh sage
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 1/4 cup diced chives

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
  2. Add butternut squash, potato, and red pepper to a large bowl. Season with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
  3. Spread out on a baking sheet in a single layer.
  4. Bake for 25 minutes.
  5. In the meantime, heat a large dutch oven to medium-high heat.
  6. Add bacon and cook until crispy. (about 5-6 minutes)
  7. Remove bacon from the pan using a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel-lined plate. Set aside.
  8. Leave the remaining bacon grease in the pot and add the onions. Saute onions until translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Add garlic to pan and saute for 30 seconds. Add in the fresh sage, fresh thyme, salt, pepper, and ground nutmeg. Saute for 30 seconds and add in the vegetable broth. Stir to combine.
  9. At this point the vegetables in the oven should be done. Add those vegetables to the dutch oven. Stir and cover. Let simmer for 10 minutes. Along to cool for 5 minutes.
  10. Add soup mixture to a blender along with cinnamon. Blend until smooth, or use an immersion blender.
  11. Serve, top with fresh herbs, crispy bacon, and chopped chives.


Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups
  • Calories: 143
  • Sugar: 4 g
  • Sodium: 530 mg
  • Fat: 6 g
  • Carbohydrates: 21 g
  • Fiber: 3 g
  • Protein: 4 g
  • Cholesterol: 6 mg

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22 comments on “Butternut Squash Soup”

  1. Avatar photo
    Sharon McIsaac

    This recipe looks amazing, I will be making it today. I only have dried herbs, is that ok? How much would I use? Thank you.

    1. Hey Sharon! Yes that’s totally ok. Dry herbs are stronger than fresh so you’d use probably about half the amount.

  2. Avatar photo
    Karen Luciani

    Would you have a suggestion of what one could replace the white potato with? It is not on my Lyme diet. Thank-You!

  3. Avatar photo
    Patricia @ Grab a Plate

    What a lovely soup! Your photos are gorgeous and really bring this to life! I look forward to giving this a try this fall!

  4. Avatar photo
    Lora @savoringitaly

    Your photos are so pretty and your soup looks fantastic!! I just picked up more squash earlier today and will try your recipe out this weekend!!

  5. Avatar photo
    Faith (An Edible Mosaic)

    I love recipes like this that can be made and stashed in the fridge to enjoy throughout the week. And this is perfect fall comfort food…I love roasted butternut and the fact that you used fresh sage!