Rich and Creamy Butternut Squash Soup

This super-easy homemade paleo Butternut Squash Soup is naturally thick and creamy without needing to add any cream to it. It’s full of butternut flavor and is perfect for when you’re craving something warm and creamy this winter.

Turns out to be the right comfort food while staying healthy!

I’m going to keep with this “fall” theme that we have going on right now, but slightly switch gears. Instead of pumpkin, let’s talk about butternut squash. 

For starters, I’m not sure about you but it’s a fall time staple in my house. As soon as the leaves start to turn and the weather gets slightly cooler, my husband starts asking me for my Butternut Squash Soup. 

A couple of weeks ago though, he was very fortunate. A customer of ours grew some butternut squash in their garden and we happened to be at their house the day before I was about to go buy a bunch at the store.

She sent me home with 2 gigantic butternut squashes, probably totaling at least 10 lbs!! So not only was I gonna make a HUGE pot of butternut squash soup, but now I had to come up with a few more things to make with it. 

Within a few days, I made a large pot of soup, and 2 big butternut squash casseroles, roasted butternut squash, and I still had some left-over!

Here’s a side thought about this beautiful homegrown butternut squash I cooked. I’m sure there’s a lot of you out there that have their own garden. I started mine a couple of years ago, and isn’t there something so awesome about picking your own fresh fruits and veggies?

Not only does it taste delicious, but they also haven’t been sprayed with gross chemicals, and there’s something about cool saying “hey you like those tomatoes and cucumbers? Yup, I grew them!!!” 

Well after eating these fresh garden butternut squashes, they will be added to my garden come next May, and by September I will hopefully have some beautiful butternut squashes of my own.

I’m gonna have to start coming up with some new butternut squash recipes for next fall…

Is Butternut Squash Low Carb/Good for Keto?

While the butternut squash is low in calories has so many health benefits and good things in it, which I will get into a little bit later, it’s not really considered to be on the keto-approved list. It’s because it’s considered to be a fairly starchy vegetable. 

Butternut squash on its own isn’t really suitable for a keto lifestyle, but that doesn’t mean it can’t fit into a keto or low carb diet in some instances.

I wouldn’t recommend eating a lot of this butternut squash soup while on keto, but having a little bit of it depending on your own personal restrictions may be ok for you. 

For 1 cup it’s 10.2 NET CARBS. Like we’ve been talking about, it’s a bit higher in net carbs, but you can always have a smaller portion as well.

Another option for making it fewer carbs is by thinning out the soup. Adding more broth to it will stretch it out further and overall give you fewer carbs per serving. 

There may be other butternut squash recipes that will have fewer NET Carbs in it like our delicious Butternut Squash Casserole. 

What Ingredients are in a Butternut Squash Soup Recipe?

Butternut Squash – Obviously this is the key ingredient to our soup, but roasting it first is the best way to do it. It’s always best to use fresh butternut squash.

Here are my instructions for how to peel, and cut fresh butternut squash. Trust me, the secret we use will save you TONS of time!

Or if you need to save time, then you can purchase your butternut squash pre-cut in the fresh produce section of the grocery store. Keep in mind it typically costs more than buying it whole and cutting it yourself. 

Nutmeg and Cinnamon  – I find these to be the perfect seasonings added to this soup.

The nutmeg gives it a nice nutty flavor, while the cinnamon adds some sweetness and has a little bit of a woody fragrance. Both of them enhance the taste of the butternut squash so much and are necessary.   

Celery and Onions  – This is an essential part of the soup. The flavors of the onions and celery pairs so well with the sweetness of the squash. 

Vegetable Broth – I go back and forth between vegetable broth and stock, or chicken broth.

If making this vegan or vegetarian, then stick with the vegetable. Otherwise, chicken broth works just as well.  

Can I Substitute Pumpkin for Butternut Squash?

I wouldn’t really call it substituting…but yes you can make a pumpkin soup instead.

You can simply omit the butternut squash and use fresh pumpkin instead, following the rest of our recipe. Or you can do a combo of pumpkin and butternut squash which is also amazing!

How Healthy is Butternut Squash Soup?

So as we previously discussed butternut squash is higher in carbs, but that doesn’t make it a bad carb. This easy butternut squash soup is actually a very healthy soup!

Let’s talk first about the health benefits and facts of butternut squash: 

• It’s a winter squash that is known for its versatility and sweet nutty flavor.
• You can eat it roasted, baked, or even raw.
• It’s usually always thought of as a vegetable but I guess technically it’s a fruit…I know I was surprised to hear that too. 
• It has so many good uses in both sweet and savory recipes. 

Besides it tasting so good and being able to be used in a lot of recipes, it is completely full of vitamins, fiber, antioxidants, and minerals. 

Here are just some of the nutrition facts for 1 cup of cooked butternut squash:

• Calories – 82
• Fat – 0.2 grams
• Carbs – 21.5 grams
• Fiber – 6.6 grams
• Protein – 1.8 grams
• Vitamin A
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin E 
• Magnesium
• Potassium
• Rich in Vitamin B including B1, B3, B6, B9
• Iron 
• Calcium 

Clearly we can see that just 1 vegetable (or fruit) is so low in calories and fat but packed with so many important nutrients.  What do I mean here?

As far as the rest of the soup goes, you have some olive oil which is a healthy fat, and vegetable broth which only has 10 calories, 0 fat and 2 carbs per 1 cup.

I don’t use any dairy in this butternut squash soup, which also helps keep the calories and fat down.

So when looking for a healthy, low calorie, low-fat soup…you’ve found the right one! 

What Makes this Soup Paleo?

The Paleo diet is basically a diet that includes eating lean meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. It also means staying away from grains, legumes, and dairy products. 

So all the ingredients in this butternut squash soup are pretty straightforward and fall into the paleo food acceptable list. Just make sure you avoid any type of dairy, and you’re all set. 

If you need some help seeing what’s allowed and what isn’t allowed on Paleo, then click on this link for a Paleo Food List

How to Make Butternut Squash Soup – Instructions

Let me walk you through how to make this healthy butternut squash soup. 

For starters, we need to get that fresh butternut squash peeled. It may seem difficult at first, but I promise it’s actually easier than I thought at first too.

I’m going to give you some basic steps here, but for more detailed information and to find out the secret, see our guide on How to Peel and Cut Butternut Squash, the easy way!

Cut off the 2 ends, using a large knife. 

Then take a vegetable or potato peeler and start peeling. Working your way lengthwise. Keep peeling until you get all the little green lines off of the squash. 

Once it’s all peeled cut the squash into thick slices, then cut into medium chunks. 

Turn the oven on to 425 degrees.

Place all the cut butternut squash onto a baking tray. Drizzle with a little bit of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Using your hands, toss the butternut squash until they are all coated in oil and seasoning. 

Roast in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the squash is soft and starting to get roasted edges.

While the butternut is in the oven roasting, now get started on the rest of the soup. I use a dutch oven for mine, but you can use a regular stockpot. 

Turn the heat onto medium, and add the onions, celery, and olive oil. Saute until onions and celery are tender.

Once the vegetables are soft, add in the nutmeg and cinnamon. Stir constantly so the spices don’t burn in the pan. 

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After they are mixed well, then add in the vegetable broth. 

By this time the butternut squash should be ready. Take it out of the oven, and spoon it into the pot.

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Turn the heat up and let it boil. Once it starts to boil, turn down to a simmer and put the lid on. Let simmer for about 20-30 minutes. 

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Now that it’s had plenty of time to simmer and the flavors to really blend in together, it’s time to puree it.

The easiest way to do this part is to use your immersion blender. This way you don’t have to worry about transferring the hot soup to a blender and risk burning yourself. 

Place the immersion blender inside the pot and start blending. Now keep the immersion blender fully immersed into the soup. If you don’t then it will come up and splatter and burn you. 

After you have finished blending the soup, it’s time to taste it. Add salt, pepper, or even more cinnamon and nutmeg if you need to. I always taste it and add accordingly.

Then, put it back on the burner and keep it on low until ready to serve. 

How to Make Butternut Squash Soup Thicker or Thinner 

I always make my butternut squash soup on the thicker side. But you can adjust that easily.

If you find it to be too thick, all you need to do is add more of the broth. It will thin it out and actually make your soup fewer carbs because it will stretch the batch further. That’s something to keep in mind if you need to make the soup have fewer carbs. 

But what if it’s too thin and you need to thicken it? The most common and obvious method is to use more squash and less broth.

If you find it still not thick enough you can add a little bit of xanthan gum, it acts as a low carb thickener. All you have to do is add a little bit at a time directly into the broth, then add it into the rest of the soup.

Xanthan gum is only needed in very small quantities, start off with only ½ tsp, and then only had ½ increments as needed. 

Finding the Right Level of Saltiness

I find this topic to be very personal as far as how much salt everyone prefers. I have certain family members that put salt on absolutely everything, and then I have friends that don’t put salt on anything. I try to find a happy medium. 

The amount of salt you will need in this easy soup recipe will depend on the type of broth or stock you use. If your broth is already salted then you probably don’t need to add much more at all, but if you use a low-sodium broth like I do, then you most likely need to add a little bit.

Don’t go crazy with it, just add a little at a time. 

Because everyone has different ideas about how salty a dish needs to be, then I’d suggest you add a small amount of salt, tasting it and then letting your dinner guests add more if they want it. 

Other Tips to Make the Best Butternut Squash Soup

You can choose to make this easy butternut squash soup in a crockpot instead.

1. Follow all the above steps, except don’t cook the squash ahead of time.
2. Once the onions and celery are cooked transfer them to the crockpot, then add the broth and the squash. 
3. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or high of 3-4 hours. 

Different Variations on Butternut Squash Soup

In the past, I’ve added 1 sweet potato with the butternut squash. I’ve found that it gives a little bit more sweetness to the soup. But keep in mind if you are counting carbs that sweet potatoes are high in them, so you might not want to do this. 

You also could add a granny smith apple or even a carrot. Your options are pretty open, again though beware of how many carbs you’re adding.

You can add some garnishes on top, such as pepitas, or even drizzle with coconut cream or heavy cream. 

A twist to traditional butternut squash soup is Thai Curry Butternut Squash Soup. Just add some curry paste and some ground ginger, and serve with fresh cilantro and fresh lime. 

Another super popular herb that a lot of people use is adding fresh sage to their soup. And that actually goes really well with nutmeg. 

Is it Gluten-Free?

Once again yes! There’s no flour or any type of gluten in my butternut squash soup.

Keep in mind though, that whatever vegetable or chicken broth you use, make sure that it’s gluten-free. I’m not sure how many still contain it, but for anyone who is celiac, please make sure the carton or can say Certified Gluten-Free. 

Is this Soup Vegan?

Yes!! I know how hard it may be to find recipes that are vegan, so that’s why I’m so excited to share this one with you.

Obviously, to be vegan I don’t use any cream or butter in this soup. Butter is completely unnecessary, olive oil is all you need. 

And if you need to thicken it up, coconut is a nice vegan option. I hope all you who are vegans really enjoy this butternut squash soup!

How to Store Low Carb Butternut Squash Soup 

Store it in a glass or plastic Tupperware container in the refrigerator. It’s perfectly ok for several days in the fridge.

A piece of advice for you is that if you are using vegetable broth or stock it should last a couple of extra days, but if using chicken broth I don’t like to keep it for more than 3 days or so. 

Can you Freeze Butternut Squash Soup? 

Of course, you can even freeze butternut squash soup! All you need to do is wait until the soup has cooled to room temperature, and then you can do it 2 different ways. 

1. You can pour the soup into a glass or plastic container that’s properly sealed and put in the freezer. 
2. Or if your freezer space is limited then you can pour it into quart-size Ziploc bags, and place them flat in the freezer. This way they take up less space in the freezer, and you can even stack them on top of each other. I would say stick with putting them in smaller Ziploc bags because it will be easier to reheat. 

When you are ready to thaw out your soup, you can leave it in the fridge overnight to thaw, leave it on the counter for a little while to thaw or place the frozen block into a pot and heat over low heat.

Don’t forget to take it out of the plastic bag before you put it on the stove!

It should last several months if stored properly in the freezer. 

Other Low Carb Recipes:

If you’re in the mood for some other Keto-friendly recipe, check out our:

• Butternut Squash Casserole
• Keto Pumpkin Bread
• Low Carb Apple Crisp
• Sugar-Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

All of them are Keto-friendly and low carb, and will have your friends raving!

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