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Creamy Butternut Squash Soup with Sage is a smooth American-style soup where butternut squash simmers with onion, garlic, broth, and sage, then gets blended and finished with cream

Butternut Squash Soup Recipe

Creamy Butternut Squash Soup with Sage is a smooth American-style soup where butternut squash simmers with onion, garlic, broth, and sage, then gets blended and finished with cream for a velvety, comforting bowl.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 6
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Calories: 230
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Soup
  • 2½ lb butternut squash peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tbsp fresh sage finely chopped (or 1 tsp dried sage)
  • 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
For Finishing
  • ¾ cup heavy cream
  • Optional garnish: extra chopped sage crisp fried sage leaves, extra black pepper

Equipment

  • Large cutting board
  • Chef’s knife
  • Vegetable peeler
  • Dutch oven with lid
  • Measuring cups
  • Measuring spoons
  • Wooden spoon
  • Ladle
  • Immersion blender (or countertop blender)

Method
 

Prep the squash and aromatics
  1. Place the butternut squash on a large cutting board, cut off both ends with a chef’s knife, then stand it up and slice it in half from top to bottom.
  2. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and stringy center, then lay each half flat on the cutting board and peel off the skin with a vegetable peeler.
  3. Cut the peeled squash into 1-inch slices and then into 1-inch cubes with the chef’s knife, keeping the pieces as even as you can.
  4. Chop the onion on the cutting board with the chef’s knife and mince the garlic, then set both aside in a small pile.
Sauté the base
  1. Set a Dutch oven on the stove over medium heat, add 2 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp olive oil, and stir with a wooden spoon until the butter fully melts.
  2. Add the chopped onion to the pot and cook for 5 minutes, stirring with the wooden spoon, until the onion turns soft and slightly translucent.
  3. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, moving it around with the wooden spoon so it becomes fragrant without browning too much.
  4. Add the cubed squash and 1 tbsp chopped fresh sage to the pot, then stir again with the wooden spoon so the squash gets coated in the butter, oil, and aromatics.
Add broth and simmer
  1. Pour 4 cups broth into the pot using a measuring cup, then add 1 tsp kosher salt and ½ tsp black pepper with measuring spoons and stir to mix.
  2. Turn the heat up to medium-high until the soup starts to bubble, then lower the heat to medium-low, place the lid on the pot, and let it simmer gently for 20 minutes.
  3. After 20 minutes, remove the lid and test a piece of squash with the wooden spoon or the tip of a knife; it should break apart easily with light pressure.
Blend the soup
  1. Turn off the heat, then use an immersion blender directly in the pot to blend the soup until it looks completely smooth and thick.
  2. If using a countertop blender, ladle the hot soup into the blender in batches, blend until smooth with the lid vented slightly, then pour each blended batch back into the pot until all the soup is smooth.
Finish with cream and sage
  1. Turn the heat to low under the pot and pour in ¾ cup heavy cream, stirring gently with the wooden spoon until the soup looks silky and evenly pale orange.
  2. Taste with a spoon and add a small pinch of extra salt or pepper if the flavor needs a little boost, stirring again to blend it in.
Serve
  1. Ladle the hot soup into bowls with a ladle, then sprinkle a few fresh sage pieces or crisp fried sage leaves on top and finish with a light grind of black pepper before serving.

Notes

  • Cut the squash into even 1-inch cubes so it simmers at the same rate and blends into a smooth texture without hard chunks.
  • When blending hot soup in a countertop blender, work in batches and leave the lid slightly vented to let steam escape so pressure does not build up.
  • This soup keeps well in the fridge and reheats gently on the stove over low heat; add a splash of broth or water if it thickens too much after chilling.