Article by Alice K. Thompson

Simple does it: Butternut squash is such a stellar ingredient it needs little embellishment. Our test kitchen will teach you to coax the best flavor from it for a delicious five-ingredient soup that’s garnered hundreds of rave reviews. It works brilliantly as a feel-good main course or as a starter for a larger meal, Thanksgiving and beyond. Once you know the basics, it’s so straight-forward you might find yourself cooking it again and again without a recipe and coming up with your own variations.

How to Make Butternut Squash Like a Pro

A few tips on prepping, blending and making ahead will speed the soup to your table. Here’s what our Food Network kitchen experts want you to know.

Microwave squash for easy peeling. Slice off the top and bottom, poke the squash all over with a fork and microwave it on high for about 3 minutes; the skin will soften for slightly smoother peeling. Get more info from our step-by-step guide to peeling and cutting squash.

You can use pre-cut squash. If you’d rather buy squash already prepped, you’ll want 5 to 6 cups of cubed squash.

Make it vegan. Use olive oil in place of butter and opt for a vegan vegetable broth in place of chicken stock.

Blend safely. Blending hot liquids can be dangerous since it creates high pressure that can blow the lid off the blender and splatter scalding soup all over your kitchen. Be sure to work in batches, fill the carafe only halfway, hold the lid down with a kitchen towel and start on low speed.

Or use an immersion blender. Soups can be blended right in the pot with an immersion blender. It’s often quicker than doing it with a conventional blender, but make sure you thoroughly blend it for the soup’s signature silky texture.

You can make it ahead. Once cool, transfer the soup to one or more airtight containers. You can refrigerate the soup for up to 3 days or freeze it for up to 3 months. Reheat the soup and remember to taste it and adjust seasonings if needed before serving.

How to Serve Butternut Squash Soup

One of the great things about this soup is how versatile it is. Here are some top serving suggestions, including over a dozen great garnishes.

Make it a first course. Butternut soup is hard to beat as an opener to a cool-weather meal. You’ll get eight to ten 3/4-cup servings from this recipe, a good portion as part of a larger meal. It fits in with classic fall menus like Thanksgiving.

Make it a main course. Just add a salad and crusty bread for a perfectly hearty meal. Or try it with avocado toast, grilled cheese, cornbread or a fall salad like pear and blue cheese or beet salad.

Garnish it up. Don’t limit yourself to just one; a combination can add a brilliant contrast of flavors, colors and textures.

Rich:

• A swirl of sour cream, crème fraîche, heavy cream or other dairy.
• Full-fat coconut milk for plant-based richness.
• A drizzle of walnut oil, pumpkin seed oil or a flavored oil like truffle oil or lemon oil.
• Crumbled goat cheese or queso fresco.

Crunchy:

• Roasted pepitas (green pumpkin seeds) or sliced almonds.
• Croutons, homemade or storebought.
• Chopped crisp bacon.
• Crispy shallots.
• Indian sev.

Herby:

• Thinly sliced scallions.
• Chopped chives, cilantro or parsley
• Fried sage leaves.
• A swirl of an herb-based condiment like pesto, kale pesto or gremolata.

Spicy:

• A sprinkle of hot paprika, Aleppo pepper or gochugaru.
• A swirl of chili crisp.
• Crumbled extra-spicy snack chips.

More Squash Recipes

See our collection of 32 delicious butternut recipes, plus even more winter squash recipes for everything from acorn squash to sugar pumpkins.