When I was a typical kid, I was a finicky eater especially when it came to vegetables. As far as I can remember the only veggies I ate were peas, carrots, mushrooms, cauliflower and potatoes. Tiny onion pieces in meat dishes were painstakingly picked out and decorated the side of my plate meal after meal. My parents tried their best to ply me with all sorts but to no avail. Popeye could keep his spinach and the whole other lot too.
Strangely, once I listened to my father’s pleading to try some butternut. He mentioned it was sweet. Immediately my ears perked up. Sweet, you say? One mouthful of the stuff and I was sold forever. The South African way of preparing it is with generous lashings of butter, a tonne of sugar, a bit of salt and if you’re lucky some ground cinnamon. It all will be mashed to create a smooth, irresistibly sweet pile of goodness, more fit for a dessert than a side dish.
Shortly afterwards we went on holiday to Cape Town. For the first time ever I saw butternut soup on the menu. Living a bit more on the wild side than before I ordered it and have been hooked ever since. Now it’s your turn. 
Update
Astonishingly, month after month, year after year this recipe has been consistently viewed more times than any other recipe on this site. The sad part was the original image, which has now been removed. Surely, the photo and recipe needed some sprucing up, and here it is – enjoy!
2 Ways to Cook Butternut
- Boiling: Peel the butternut, remove the seeds and chop it in chunks. Just follow the recipe as stated below.
- Roasting: This is my preferred method of cooking pumpkins. Halve the butternut, drizzle some oil on it, add some garlic and herbs, e.g. rosemary, if you fancy them, and place the dish in a 180°C(fan 160°C/355°F/gas 4) preheated oven. Roast for 45-50 minutes, or until the squash is tender and has turned golden-brown in places. The butternut’s flavour intensifies in the cooking process and becomes even sweeter. Peeling the skin off the flesh is now much easier too. After softening the onions in the pot, add the cooked butternut to it and don’t forget to add the roasted garlic too! Boil for only 10 minutes, then blend. Voila!
Simple Butternut Squash Soup & Special Diets
- Weight Watchers or other Low-Fat Diets: [Option 1] Leave out the butter and use low fat cooking spray to fry the onions with which would turn this dish into 0 ProPoints! [Option 2] Omit frying the onions separately and boil them with the butternut instead.
- Vegetarian: Use Knorr‘s vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.
- Vegan: Leave out the butter and use more olive oil.
- Baby Food: Leave out the garlic, stock and salt. Use water to boil the vegetables instead.
Don’t Have Enough Butternut?
Use other root vegetables, e.g. carrots and parsnips, to make up for the weight specified in the recipe. This easy solution will introduce new, interesting flavours to the soup!
How To Jazz Up Your Simple Butternut Soup
Chances are you will like this soup so much that you’ll make it again and again. Why not play with one variation or another each time? Here are a few ideas:
- Nutmeg
- Cinnamon
- Chili
- Rosemary
- Rind of ½ a lemon
- Fresh ginger
- Fresh sage
- Paprika
- Curry paste
- Sherry: Add the sherry after frying the onions and before you add the butternut and stock.
- Coconut Milk: Add a bit less stock to the vegetables and add some coconut milk to them, then boil.
What To Add When Your Simple Butternut Squash Soup Is Ready
- Spring Onions
- Parsley
- Cilantro/Coriander leaves
- Chives
- Cream
- Greek Yogurt
- Bacon
- Blue Cheese
- Goat’s Cheese
Wine Pairing
Most people often don’t think about matching wine to soups as they find pairing liquid to liquid an odd concept. Think about it instead then as matching the wine to the components that make the soup and you’ll find it much easier.
Falanghina is a traditional southern Italian white grape variety that shows myriad flavours and aromas, especially when served lightly chilled rather than cold. There is a subtle sweetness on the palate that lends itself perfectly to vegetables, particularly sweet ones like squash, and the fresh citrus quality helps lift the flavours on the finish. Falanghina has a smooth texture and a delicate hint of spice running through the backbone so if you’re adding cinnamon or nutmeg to your soup it really brings it to the fore. Buy it here.
Equipment You Need For This Recipe
You’ll need a chopping board and the fact that it’s beautiful makes the cooking process so much more enjoyable. A decent sharp knife is a must when it comes to peeling a butternut squash. If you’re planning on having roast butternut soup a decent roasting pan is a good idea. Let’s not forget a good-sized pot to boil the soup in. Most importantly, we need a hand blender to create a silky smooth soup. Just click on the links to view further information about these specially selected products.
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- Serves: 4
- Serving size: 248.1g
- Calories: 200
- Fat: 9.5g
- Saturated fat: 4.3g
- Unsaturated fat: 0
- Trans fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 29.7g
- Sugar: 0.1g
- Sodium: 52mg
- Fiber: 3.3g
- Protein: 2.5g
- Cholesterol: 16mg
- 15ml (1 tbsp) olive oil
- 30g (1 oz) butter
- 1 onion, peeled and chopped
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 900g (2 lbs) butternut, peeled and sliced
- 900ml (1½ pints) Knorr vegetable or chicken stock
- 30g (1 oz) chives, washed and roughly chopped
- Heat the oil and butter in a large saucepan, add the onion and garlic and gently sauté.
- When the onion has softened after about 5 minutes, add the butternut and stock and stir well. Bring to the boil. Simmer for 25 minutes or until the butternut is soft.
- Blend the soup with a hand-held blender or in a food processor.
- Season to taste, serve in four bowls and sprinkle with the herbs.
Your favourite type of bread, buttered, will go down a storm.
Notes
If you’re on Weight Watchers, simply omit the butter and oil and use low-fat cooking spray instead, which will turn the soup into 0 ProPoints! If you’re vegan, omit the butter and add more oil to the recipe instead. If you’re on a low-fat diet, leave out the oil and butter and use low-fat cooking spray.
Liked this recipe? Then you’ll love this one! Don’t forget about this easy step-by-step carrot soup too!
Oh that recipe sounds great…thanks! I’ve bookmarked your blog. mmmmm.
D
I am an awful cook and have has some disasterous attempts at makin soup but this recipe was so easy to follow and it was extremely tasty, even my ccildren had second helpings
Thanks
This is my first time at making this lovely looking soup thanks i’ll let you know when i’ve eaten some mmmm
Did you like it?
Best soup ever…… For Whoever and whatever tastes, wins them all over from the 1st spoon to the bottom of the bowl….. Just made it myself with about 10 mins prep.. Now let’s get eating.
Thanks so much for the positive feedback, Jono! Do let me know how you get on with other recipes on the site.
Second time I’ve made this, and its gorgeous!!! Loving this site… getting lots of ideas!!
Thanks, Lydia! I’m glad to hear you enjoyed it.
i added one small pot of single cream and served with fresh chopped spring onions and fresh thyme.delicious
thanks for the recipe!
If you saute the butternut squash first and slightly brown it, the soup tastes even better!
This is indeed a delicious soup. For a bit of variation, I would recommend adding a parsnip. Peel the parsnip. Some parsnips might need their core removing (mine do; I grow my own, but most supermarket ones won’t). Chop it into small pieces, no bigger than 1cm cubes. Add these with the butternut but extend the cooking to 45 minutes. For maximum happiness, make your own stock using the rest of the onion, the butternut peel and the parsnip peel,
Its on the hob now simmering away – lets hope its as good as you people say!!
Just made this soup and it was lovely! Thanks:) I also added a bit of cinnamon which was really nice! Highly recomended from someone who had never tried butternut squash before!
This is so simple but delicious. Very good
how much water do i put in and when?
Atara: 900ml (1½ pints) vegetable or chicken stock is meant to be used but I guess you can use plain water too if you like!
Very easy to make and tasted delicious! kids loved it too!!
HI I FIRST TASTED THIS SOUP IN AMERICA FOUR YEARS AGO AND HAVE NOW TRIED THE APPLE VERSION WITH MY CHILDREN THEY LOVE IT TOMORROW CHRISTMAS DAY AND TRYING IT OUT ON MY NIECE AND NEPHEW I AM SURE THEY WILL LOVE IT TOO
Made this some in my cookery lesson. It is very yummy my mum took two flasks into work
My first try and….DELICIOUS :0) thanks
hey i would like to know when do u add the chicken stock?
Check step 2. After the onions have been softened you add the butternut and stock to it. Happy cooking!
im will try the recipe it seems tp be the easiest one so far, and really looks like tons of people are indulging in it!
my 2nd fav soup. but my wiffee loves it, and seen as shes cooking, she can make this 1 every time x
Absolutely delicious and really easy to do! Everyone at home loved it! Thanks!
trying it out tonight !!!
wow this is lovely making it again today thanks
very easy and very delicious. highly recommended.
Gorgeous photo! First I came because I love any kind of butternut squash soup. But, then the photos….dreamy!
Soo yummy!
What lovely color and presentation, Tidy mom!
Your pictures are an absolute delight, and so is your recipe. We would be glad if you could submit it on our site. Cheers
Wonderful! Great photos and wonderful recipe. I have butternut squash in the oven right now…..I’m going to stuff them. I just looked for a quick recipe for my friend and this popped up first in the search engine. I too am from South Africa and now live in the UK. Loving your site and am going to take a squiz at it. Great to see the pro points in there as well. :0)
Necia
Have made your soup for the first time and it was delicious. My squash wasn’t big enough so andded some carrots and a little potato. As you suggested I added some spices (5 spice, cinamon and some chilli). Really liked this and for Slimming World it was free! Will try some of the other recipes now, hope they are as good
Thanks you so much for this recipe, Bought some reduced butternut squash determined to make something with them as never had them before. Your recipe was the only one I found that I had everything in for.
I loved it and more importantly, the kids loved it. 10/10 for taste, simplicity and more importantly for me at this time cost.
I tried this recipe, i used fresh ginger instead of garlic and i cooked the onions, butternutsquash and ginger in butter and let them half cook, then added boiled water and simmered. I took some out for my 8 month old girl and she seemed happy with it. I added dried red chilles crushed and added cream and chopped spring onion upon serving. It came out delicious! Thanks for this recipe.
Creamy and delicious! A fabulous recipe! x
I’m making it right now as I post a comment and it smells delicious! I agree with you when you say roasting brings out the flavour- I’ve added a pinch of allspice as well. It’s going to be enjoyed with bread and cheese. My two little ones will be having whats left for lunch tomorrow. Thanks for a great recipe!
Hope your kids liked the soup too! Mine gets it every weekend and they gobble it up with glee every time. Thanks for the feedback.
Hello – this looks lovely. Does it freeze well do you know?
Wow! Just found, and I am so pleased. This recipe is so comprehensive, it’s really more than just a recipe. Thanks so much!
Hi, I’ve been making your Simple Butternut Squash Soup regularly since 2009 and thought it was high time that I thanked you for this brilliantly simple and delicious recipe that all my family love. I have seen how your blog has grown and it is brilliant. I have just started a blog of my own and am a little bewildered but also excited to start to sharing my recipes.
that looks absolutely delish! tried making a dairy-free stove-top version of the soup the other that turned out to be great, but i’ll have to try baking the squash like you did to see how it turns out. looks really beautiful!
here’s mine: http://figfondue.blogspot.com/2012/05/dairy-free-butternut-squash-soup.html
This is my favourite soup – I make it all the time. In fact I’m pretty sure that it was through searching for a recipe for butternut squash soup that I found Greedy Gourmet. It’s quick and easy to make and delicious – usually just stick to the original simple version.
So glad you like the soup, Catherine. Sometimes simple is the best! Do keep your eyes peeled for upcoming giveaways – fingers crossed.
Wow this is so easy to make and really tasty!
Didnt use butter as am following slimming world and used fry light so is all syn free! Fabulous!
If you ask me, you don’t really notice the difference if you don’t add butter. Wahey, less calories!
Looking forward to next newslette!r
What a wonderful soup this has been today! I am suffering from ‘homa’, (kiswahili for flu or cold) today and the Kenyan weather isn’t helping. Thundering, breezy, and fits of rain showers every few minutes. I thought of making some kind of soup to soothe my sore throat and temp my palate since I don’t want to eat. I had all I needed on hand in my rural kitchen to make this delightful soup and I’m looking forward to making it again and again. Thanks for making this ill missionary a happy lady again!
This recipe reminds me of gems squash from my young in South Africa. Do you know of a substitute one can buy in the States? And can we make it in the same fashion as the this squash?
Oooh, I miss gem squash. You don’t really find them over here in the UK and if they do, they cost £1 each! Worst of all they’re not in great shape either. I don’t know what kinds of produce are available in USA but any type of squash/pumpkin (with exception to spaghetti squash) will do – go for those with dense flesh. Just use the same weights and you’ll be fine.
I make butternut pumpkin soup two ways with two slightly different flavours. If I do it with roasted pumpkin I have found that the special roasted flavour disappears if the soup is refrigerated or frozen for another day. This is not always true of soup make with other roasted vegs. If I use steamed/microwaved/boiled pumpkin I add a teaspoon of curry paste to give a little zing.
That’s something I didn’t know, Louise. Curry paste, an apple and a bit of cream then you’re onto a winner!
I have never tried butternut squash before and bought it wanting to try it. This was the first recipe I stumbled upon on the net for cooking it and I have to say its the most amazing soup I have ever had. So much better than the processed stuff out of tins and so simple to make. I will definitely be trying more of your recipes and making this soup again with more twists. I added carrot and celery to mine and its mighty fine : D
That’s the beauty of soup. It’s simple to prepare and has a big scope to play with ingredients. Glad to hear you enjoyed your tweaked soup. Thanks!
Made this soup and it is delicious. Just wondering if it would be possible to get some more nutritional information on it?
Thanks
Hi from a fellow South African – now living in the UK. Tried the roasted version of the soup and it was absolutely delicious! It was the perfect lunch for a snowy Saturday. I also wanted to compliment you on the photos – superb!! You might want to consider photograpy as a sideline career. Kim
Glad you enjoyed the soup. Thanks, Kim. I’m actually right in the middle of setting up my portfolio and last year already started shooting for restaurant and hotel clients.