Creamy Butternut Squash Soup

5 from 7 votes

A bowl of creamy butternut squash soup is the epitome of comfort food during the cold weather season!

Prep Time20

Cook Time35

Total Time55

Course: Appetizer, Lunch, Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: American

Servings: appetizer-sized servings

3 ¾ – 4 pounds butternut squash peeled, cored and cubed (buy pre-cubed to save time)
3 medium carrots peeled and roughly chopped
1 large sweet onion peeled and roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves smashed
2 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth plus ½ cup reserved just in case
½ cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh ginger peeled and finely chopped
1 teaspoon Chinese five spice
Cayenne pepper to taste (optional)
Salt to taste

In a large pot, add onion, carrots, garlic, ginger, and olive oil. Sauté over medium heat for 3-4 minutes until fragrant.
Add cubed squash and 2 ½ cups broth. Simmer, covered, for 30-35 minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally. Squash will become tender and start to fall apart.
Use a blender or immersion blender to purée until smooth and creamy.
Add cream, Chinese five spice, cayenne, and salt to taste. Stir until smooth. Add up to a ½ cup more of chicken broth if soup is too thick.
Serve with fresh chives, sour cream, or chopped nuts on top!

What is Chinese five spice blend? It can be found in most groceries stores in the spice aisle! It is a blend of warm spices (star anise, cloves, cinnamon, peppercorns, and fennel).
Add more Five Spice if you like your soup with more of those warm spice flavors.
See blog post above for more garnish and serving ideas!
You can use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth if preferred.
Instead of heavy cream, you can use half and half for a thinner soup. You can also use coconut cream instead of heavy cream!