‘Tis the season for butternut squash- the greatest vegetable on the face of the earth!
In my humble opinion, that is.
The melt-in-your-mouth texture, the slightly sweet flavor, and the high nutritional value of this seasonal vegetable makes it good enough to eat every day. And this Butternut Squash and Thyme soup is simple enough to let the awesome earthy flavor of the squash shine, subtly enhanced by the fresh thyme. No frills, no fuss, and very few ingredients… just pure cozy fall butternut squash deliciousness!
This soup would also be fabulous with fresh rosemary (Butternut Squash and Rosemary Fettucini Alfredo is one of Bowl of Delicious’s most popular posts, and the flavor combination is AMAZING).
On it’s own, this soup is completely vegetable-based. To add a bit more “oomph” to the soup to make it into a meal, I recommend adding one or two poached eggs to it. Like in this soup. YUM. When you break into the yolk of the egg and it combines with the rest of the soup, it makes it extra creamy and decadent. Toasted or candied pecans would be delicious sprinkled on top of the soup, as well as roasted pumpkin or squash seeds. (Did you know you can roast the seeds from a butternut squash the same way you would roast pumpkin seeds? It’s delicious, and a great way to reduce kitchen waste.)
One of my favorite things about this soup is how EASY and simple it is to make, and that it requires no special equipment– just a simple potato masher
. You can certainly use an immersion blender
to make this soup extra creamy (like in my Curried Butternut Squash Soup), but I like the rustic texture of this recipe. Somehow, I think it makes it seem more filling. Kind of like how eating whole fruit feels for breakfast more like a “meal” than drinking a smoothie.
A dollop of Greek yogurt (or cashew cream, for a vegan version) and a sprinkling of extra herbs on top makes this soup absolutely beautiful, and perfect for an impressive first course at a dinner party.
Here’s what to do.
First, saute some onions in olive oil. Then, add garlic, cubed squash, salt and pepper, and chicken or vegetable broth, and simmer until the squash is tender. Add some fresh thyme (or rosemary), mash with your potato masher, and you’re done! Depending on how small the butternut squash pieces are, this soup can take as little as 25 mins to make start to finish. Easy peasy.
This recipe can just as easily be made in your slow cooker
: just add all of the ingredients besides the herbs and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours, or until the squash is tender. Then, add the herbs (it makes the flavor much more pronounced if you add fresh herbs at the end of a recipe).
Recipe below. Enjoy!
Butternut Squash and Thyme Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small onion finely diced
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves plus more for serving (rosemary can also be used)
- 1 butternut squash peeled, seeded, and cubed
- 1 cup chicken stock/broth or vegetable broth
- kosher salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- Greek yogurt, sour cream, or cashew cream for serving, optional
Instructions
- In a large pot, sauté the onion and fresh thyme (1 tablespoon) in olive oil (1 tablespoon) until browned and softened.
- Add the squash, broth (1 cup), and salt and pepper to taste. Stir, bring to a boil, and simmer for 20-30 minutes (or until squash is tender).
- Mash with a potato masher until desired consistency is reached.
- Serve garnished with extra thyme and Greek yogurt, sour cream, or cashew cream (if desired)
Notes
- To make this in your slow cooker, add all ingredients besides thyme and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours. Add the thyme and mash with a potato masher, then serve.
- Freeze the leftovers in an airtight container or jar for up to 6 months.
- The provided nutrition information does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. Feel free to calculate it yourself using this calculator or by adding the recipe to Yummly.
Nutrition
Nutrition Information Disclaimer
The provided nutrition information is my best estimate and reflects one serving of the recipe (total servings indicated at top of recipe card). It does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. I use an automatic API to calculate this information. Feel free to calculate it yourself using one of these tools:
Tracey
Great recipe for this thyme obsessed cook! I added about 1/8 tsp. of freshly ground nutmeg. Delicious and satisfying soup. Thanks
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it! Love the idea of adding nutmeg.
Victoria
This is a wonderful soup but if you use rosemary instead of Thyme, do NOT put an entire Tablespoon per one squash. I’m speaking from experience. Less than a teaspoon is appropriate.
Elizabeth
Thanks for the tip! Rosemary is definitely a potent herb, so that’s great to keep in mind. Also, not sure if you used dried rosemary or not, but dried herbs are much more potent than fresh- the general rule is to use one teaspoon of dried for every tablespoon of fresh. So glad you liked it!
Heidi
FANTASTIC (tastes gourmet) and super easy soup!!! Thank you!!! I added some apple juice, which made it just perfect in my opinion.
Elizabeth
So glad you liked it- LOVE the idea of adding a little apple juice! I bet it added a great sweetness. Thanks for the comment!
carli walbert
rather than cut up the squash, bake it in the oven like a baked potato. All you need to do is poke a few holes in it with a fork, bake at 375 for about an hour and it’s done. Cut the squash in half and take out the seeds an it’s really delicious for all of your squash recipes.
Elizabeth
Love that idea! I’ve never tried it like a baked potato in the oven, but I just recently discovered cooking it in my slow cooker and I’ll never go back. Just put the squash- whole- in the slow cooker, and cook for 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low. Then, you can cut in half, seed, and scoop out the perfectly cooked flesh. Love these shortcuts- chopping up a butternut squash is such a pain, and fairly dangerous! I may make a new squash soup recipe with both of these shortcuts sometime soon :-)
Melissa | Bits of Umami
Love butternut squash soup. So creamy and it just feels like fall in a bowl. Last year I tried making some in my magic bullet and it exploded in my kitchen – EVERYWHERE. I swore it off, but your recipe gives me hope to happier and tastier endings :)
Sandra @ Heavenly Home Cooking
This soup looks delicious, Elizabeth! I love thyme. Believe it or not, I don’t think I’ve ever tried butternut squash. I think it’s time to remedy that. I pinned this to try later. Love that it’s a slow cooker recipe too.
Elizabeth
Oh my gosh! YOU NEED TO TRY IT! Best vegetable ever.