Roasted Butternut Squash Soup, finished with a Sage Brown Butter drizzle, is fall in a bowl. Deeply caramelized, silky, and irresistibly cozy, this is the kind of soup you'll crave all season.
Cold weather and this soup are made for each other. Butternut squash is in season during fall and winter, and they are exceptionally sweet this time of year. Feel free to swap in other squash varieties, but butternut offers the best in flavor and texture.
This soup absolutely deserves a spot at the Thanksgiving table. Check out my recipes for Green Bean Casserole, Sausage Apple Sage Stuffing, or Orange Cranberry Sauce to complete the spread!
Another cold-weather favorite of mine is my recipe for Beef and Chorizo Chili. This uses Mexican Chorizo and a dried-chile puree, which delivers the perfect amount of heat and richness to create a seriously delicious bowl of chili!
Craving more cozy soups? Try Potato Leek Soup (with Bacon) for a bowl of comfort, or Rustic Zuppa Toscana for rustic, savory vibes.
Quick Recipe Insights
- ⏱️ Prep: 20 min
- 🍳 Cook: 1 hr 30 min
- 🕐 Total: 1hr 50min
- 👥 Servings: 6
- ⚡ Calories: ~584 per serving
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy
- 🧑🍳 Flavor: Roasted and silky-creamy, nutty sage-brown-butter, umami-rich (red miso) with a bright vinegar finish
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- Quick Recipe Insights
- Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Roasted Butternut Squash Soup Ingredients
- Substitutions and Variations
- How to Make Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
- Expert Roasted Butternut Squash Soup Tips
- Storing Tips
- Reheating Instructions
- Roasted Butternut Squash Soup FAQs
- Other soups you'll love
- Recipe
- Comments
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Here's why you'll make this soup part of your fall recipe rotation:
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup Ingredients
This recipe has three parts: the soup base, a nutty Sage Brown Butter, and my Quick Creme Fraiche Substitute. The garnishes come together while the soup simmers, which helps speed things up.
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
- Butternut squash: Roasting concentrates sweetness and adds caramelized depth.
- Ground ginger + nutmeg: Gentle warmth that keeps the soup cozy, not spicy.
- Red miso paste: Umami and roundness without extra salt; stir in off heat to preserve flavor.
- Rice vinegar: A small splash at the end brightens the natural sweetness.
Love miso in soup? Try my Potato Leek Soup (with Bacon) or Savory Chicken Katsu Ramen for more!
Sage Brown Butter
Brown butter is rich and toasty on its own; sage and a pinch of cayenne make it aromatic and lively. Drizzle just before serving for maximum aroma.
Quick Creme Fraiche Substitute
Traditional crème fraîche is cultured overnight; my quick mix delivers a similar silky tang in seconds with just milk and sour cream. Just stir until glossy and pourable, then drizzle over the soup to finish. Check out this article from Serious Eats if you're interested in making real crème fraîche from scratch.
Refer to the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions and Variations
- Squash Variety - Other winter squash will work if you can't find butternut. Buttercup, acorn, sugar pumpkin, or honeycup are all good options, but they're usually a bit less sweet. Taste and add a touch of honey or sugar if you'd like to bump the sweetness back up.
- Type of Stock - Feel free to use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock to make this vegetarian-friendly.
- Spices - As always, you can tailor the spices to suit your tastes. Swapping the ginger and nutmeg for garam masala or cumin puts an interesting Indian-inspired twist on this recipe.
- Red Miso Paste - Substitute for white miso paste for a milder option, or swap for a teaspoon or two of soy sauce or tamari to maintain the same umami depth.
How to Make Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
This recipe is as simple as it is delicious. Cube and roast the squash for maximum flavor, simmer it with sautéed shallots, fall-inspired spices, fresh herbs, chicken stock, and cream, then blend until silky-smooth. Detailed instructions are below.
Step 1 - Roast the Squash: Toss the peeled and cubed squash in some oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roast at 425°F for 45 to 50 minutes, flipping every 15 to 20 minutes until well browned.
Step 2 - Saute Aromatics & Spices: Sauté shallots in butter until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the spices, bay leaves, and thyme.
Step 3 - Deglaze: Add the roasted squash to the pot, deglaze with the chicken stock and heavy cream. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.
Step 4 - Prep Garnishes: Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring for 6 to 8 minutes until well browned but not burnt. Remove from heat, and stir in fresh sage, salt, and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Prepare the Quick Creme Fraiche by combining the milk and sour cream.
Step 5 - Blend: Remove the thyme and bay leaves and blend the soup with an immersion blender until smooth. Or work in batches and use a conventional blender if desired.
Step 6 - Finish & Season: Bring the soup to a boil and lower to a simmer. Cook for an additional 15 to 20 minutes until thickened. Kill the heat and stir in the miso paste, rice vinegar, and season to taste with more salt and pepper as needed.
Expert Roasted Butternut Squash Soup Tips
- Roast it deeply. Don't rush the roasting step. Those caramelized edges add big flavor. The darker the squash gets (without burning), the richer and sweeter your soup will taste.
- Brown butter, not burnt butter. Watch closely once the butter foams-those golden specks at the bottom are where the nutty flavor lives. Pull it off the heat the second it turns chestnut brown.
- Add miso off the heat. Stir in the red miso after blending and simmering, not while boiling. Heat dulls miso's umami complexity
- Balance with acid. A splash of rice vinegar (or lemon juice) at the end wakes up the roasted sweetness and rounds out the flavors.
Storing Tips
- Short-term: Store leftovers in separate airtight containers and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
- Long-term: Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
- Pro tip: Portion the soup into individual servings before freezing for easy weeknight meals or lunches.
Reheating Instructions
- To reheat, simply warm the soup and the sage brown butter in separate pots on the stove until warm, then garnish and serve. Pro tip - add a splash of water or stock if the soup gets too thick.
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup FAQs
Yes! This soup freezes beautifully. Portion into containers, leaving a little room for expansion, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat on the stove or in the microwave.
Absolutely. The flavor actually deepens after a day in the fridge. Cool completely, store in an airtight container, and refrigerate for up to 5 days. Reheat gently on the stove and stir in a splash of water, stock, or cream if it thickens.
Be sure to roast the squash deeply, and add flavor enhancers, like red miso paste, sage brown butter, and rice vinegar to make things pop. Check out the "Expert Butternut Squash Soup" section above and the recipe notes for more details!
Not at all! Simply swap it out for a teaspoon or two of soy sauce or tamari to keep the same umami edge. Or substitute equal amounts of white miso paste for a milder option.
Other soups you'll love
Hungry for more? Try these cozy favorites next:
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Recipe
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Sage Brown Butter
Equipment
- Large Dutch Oven Or other large heavy-bottom pot
Ingredients
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
- 1 Butternut Squash - About 3 lbs. Peeled, Halved, Seeded, and Cubed
- 2 - 3 tablespoons Neutral Oil
- 2 tablespoons Unsalted Butter
- 1 Shallot Finely Minced
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 5 - 6 Sprigs Fresh Thyme Tie these together with kitchen twine to make removal easier
- ½ Teaspoon Ground Ginger
- ¼ Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
- 1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt Plus more to taste
- 1 Teaspoon Black Pepper Plus more to taste
- 1 ½ Quarts Chicken Stock 6 cups
- 1 ½ Cups Heavy Cream
- 1 Tablespoon Red Miso Paste
- 1 ½ Teaspoons Rice Vinegar
Sage Brown Butter
- 4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
- 2-3 Sprigs Fresh Sage Leaves
- ¼ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 Pinch Cayenne
Quick Creme Fraiche
- ½ Cup Sour Cream
- 2 - 3 Tablespoons Whole Milk
Garnishes
- Quick Creme Fraiche From Above
- Sage Brown Butter From Above
- Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
- Fresh Thyme Leaves
Instructions
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Toss the peeled, halved, seeded, and cubed butternut squash in several tablespoons of oil and several pinches of kosher salt and black pepper. Transfer to a baking sheet and roast for 45 to 50 minutes, flipping every 15 to 20 minutes until deeply roasted and soft. Remove from oven and allow to cool while you prepare the rest of the soup.
- Melt 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a large pot or Dutch oven. Sauté the shallots with a small pinch of kosher salt for 2 to 3 minutes until translucent and soft. Add the ground ginger, ground nutmeg, kosher salt, black pepper, and bundle of fresh thyme. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the roasted butternut squash to the pot, then deglaze with the chicken stock and heavy cream, scraping any fond from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. While the soup is simmering, prepare the Sage Brown Butter and Quick Creme Fraiche -instructions below.
- Remove the thyme bundle and bay leaves from the soup and blend using an immersion blender (or work in batches with a conventional blender) until smooth, about 2 to 3 minutes. Return the soup to the pot or Dutch oven and bring back to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook for an additional 15 to 20 minutes or until thickened to your desired consistency. Longer simmering time will achieve a thicker consistency and vice versa.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the red miso paste and rice vinegar. Season to taste with more kosher salt and pepper as needed.
Sage Brown Butter Instructions
- While the soup is simmering, melt 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Continue to cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring frequently as the milk solids begin to brown but not burn.
- Remove from the heat and stir in 2 to 3 sprigs of fresh sage leaves, kosher salt, and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Keep warm until ready to serve.
Quick Creme Fraiche Instructions
- While the soup is simmering, combine the sour cream and 1 to 2 tablespoons of whole milk until glossy, and thinned slightly. (It should be pourable, but not runny). Cover and reserve until ready to serve.
Soup Assembly
- Ladle several spoonful's of soup into a bowl or cup, drizzle with several teaspoons of the sage brown butter and faux crème fraîche. Garnish with fresh thyme leaves and roasted pumpkin seeds. Serve warm.
Notes
- Roast it deeply. Don't rush the roasting step. Those caramelized edges add big flavor. The darker the squash gets (without burning), the richer and sweeter your soup will taste.
- Brown butter, not burnt butter. Watch closely once the butter foams-those golden specks at the bottom are where the nutty flavor lives. Pull it off the heat the second it turns chestnut brown.
- Add miso off the heat. Stir in the red miso after blending and simmering, not while boiling. Heat dulls miso's umami complexity
- Balance with acid. A splash of rice vinegar (or lemon juice) at the end wakes up the roasted sweetness and rounds out the flavors.
Stanley says
This is a seriously decadent bowl of soup, and is perfect during cooler weather! The miso paste does a really fantastic job of balancing this dish out, and the brown butter sage drizzle is to die for!