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The coziest bowl of Creamy Butternut Squash Sage Pesto Soup. With golden brown butter, sage, and crispy bacon too! YUM! Roasted butternut squash, sweet yellow onions, garlic, fresh sage, and thyme are roasted with butter until soft and caramelized. Puree this into a creamy soup with a touch of cream, pesto, spices, and sharp cheddar cheese. SO delicious! A little bit of bacon on top makes this even yummier!
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I know I say this repetitively, but this is really the most special time of year. The weather, the lighting, the yummy food, warm drinks, sweet desserts, the engaging TV shows (Gilmore Girls on repeat), and the excitement for the looming holiday season—there is so much to love.
I really am happiest this time of year. I find I have the most inspiration and excitement during the autumn months. Even with all the back-to-back travel and busy schedules, I feel so happy and excited to share everything with you all, from the new cookbook to new product launches and recipes!
Today, I have the most special soup. I made it mostly because my mom loves a bowl of soup, and she’s been feeling a little off since returning from Europe. Soup is so comforting and often a great healer.
Mom usually loves broccoli cheddar or creamy chicken noodle soup. Or, actually, when I was a kid, she would make a creamy rice soup and put popcorn on top. She loves that. She’s such a pro, and when it comes to fall foods, she knows what’s best.
I suggested a butternut squash soup to her weeks ago, but last week finally felt like the time to make it. Our weather has been the most perfect: sunny days with mild temperatures and then cold at night. And the colors are magical right now—similar to this soup, actually!
I made this soup, and we all fell in love. It’s a great soup to make all season long. I may even add it to my Thanksgiving menu!
Here are the Details
Ingredients
- salted butter or olive oil (but I like butter best)
- butternut squash
- onions
- fresh sage and thyme
- whole garlic cloves
- bacon (omit if vegetarian)
- broth (I use bone broth)
- chipotle chile powder, smoked paprika, and nutmeg
- maple syrup
- heavy cream
- basil pesto
- flour or cornstarch
Equipment
- food processor, blender, or immersion blender
- soup pot
- sharp knife and cutting board too, of course!
Step 1: roast the squash
Take a butternut squash and cube it. Or cut into wedges as I did. I want to note that I only did this for photos and find it easier to roast the squash as cubes.
Toss the butternut squash with butter or olive oil. Add onion wedges, whole sage leaves, fresh thyme leaves, salt, and pepper. Then add whole garlic cloves. Roast until the squash is tender and the garlic is golden and caramelized.
Step 2: cook the bacon
While you have the squash in the oven, get the bacon crispy on the stove. Do this in the pot you plan to simmer the soup in. No need to create extra dishes!
Set the bacon aside for topping.
Step 3: puree the squash
When ready, puree everything on the sheet pan in a food processor or blender. Scrape any butter left on the pan into the food processor—this will add even more flavor!
Puree until creamy, then pour the squash puree into the soup pot.
Step 4: finish the soup
Add broth, chipotle, paprika, cayenne, and maple to the butternut puree. Once it’s steamy, mix in the cream and pesto.
Now, toss shredded cheddar cheese with cornstarch and add it to the soup. The cornstarch will prevent the cheese from clumping.
Step 5: serve
You can start serving once the cheese is melted and the soup is steamy! Ladle the creamy soup into bowls. You can swirl with cream or add cheddar to the top of the soup. We love a handful of sharp cheddar. It melts over the soup and is perfect with the crispy bacon!
Then Mom says she recommends beer bread. We believe every soup and chili recipe should be served with beer bread in the fall. It is a Gerard staple. It is our favorite.
I’m looking forward to having this soup stashed in the freezer and possibly even adding it to my Thanksgiving menu this year!! I was so happy with how YUMMY it turned out. If you’re serving this for dinner, definitely add my harvest salad to your menu!
Looking for other butternut squash recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Creamy Roasted Garlic Butternut Squash Pasta
Rosemary Roasted Butternut Squash Pizza
Roasted Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna
Butternut Squash Pasta Carbonara with Rosemary Bacon
Fall Harvest Roasted Butternut Squash and Pomegranate Salad
Hasselback Butternut Squash with Sage Butter and Prosciutto Breadcrumbs
Lastly, if you make this Creamy Butternut Squash Sage Pesto Soup, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Creamy Butternut Squash Sage Pesto Soup
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons salted butter or olive oil
- 3 cups cubed butternut squash
- 1 yellow onion cut into wedges
- 8 fresh sage leaves
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- salt and black pepper
- 8-12 cloves garlic
- 6-8 slices bacon, chopped , (omit if vegetarian)
- 4 cups broth
- 1 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 cup heavy creamy
- 1/3 cup basil pesto
- 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
- 2 teaspoons flour or cornstarch
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 425° F.2. On the baking sheet, toss together the butter, butternut squash, onion, sage, thyme, salt, and pepper. Add the garlic cloves. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the squash is tender and the garlic is golden. 3. Meanwhile, in a soup pot, cook the bacon until crispy, then remove and set aside for topping. 4. When ready, add the roasted butternut squash, onions, garlic, herbs, and any butter left on the sheet pan to a food processor/blender. Puree until smooth. Pour the puree into the pot used for the bacon. 5. Set the pot over medium heat. Add the broth, chipotle, paprika, nutmeg and maple. Bring to a simmer, then add cream and pesto. Toss the cheese with cornstarch, then add to the soup. Simmer until melty. 6. Ladle the soup into bowls. Add a swirl of cream or shreds of cheddar. Then top with bacon and sage. And done! Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Hi ,
I like my squash soup on the thicker side but, cannot use dairy. Can I use Coconut Cream instead? How would I thicken it up with the Coconut Cream, more squash?
Hi Cheryl,
Sure, coconut cream will work nicely for you! I would just use less liquid. I hope you love this recipe!
Turned out great!!
I loosely followed the recipe
Not really sure how much squash I used but roasted it with 3 onions, a ton of garlic and the fresh herbs listed. Used butternut and honeynut squash.
I omitted the basil pesto and cheese
Added a little more seasoning
Also used light butter and fat free half and half… tastes just fine!!
Hey Caitlin,
Love to hear this! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe and your comment. Have the best weekend!
This soup hasn’t come out very thick for me, what’s wrong?
Hi there,
Thanks for trying this recipe! I wouldn’t say this is a super thick soup, but if you want yours to be on the thicker side, I would reduce the broth slightly. I hope this helps!
I love love love this soup! This is the second time I’ve made it. I leave the cream out (lactose intolerant) and I make the basil pesto from scratch. It’s so delicious I love having it in the freezer for a cozy dinner!
Hi Julia,
Happy Monday!! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, I’m so glad it was a winner!
This looks great – if I wanted to use dried sage and thyme what would the amounts be?
Thanks Ariel! I would highly recommend the fresh thyme and sage for this recipe, it’s going to make a difference I promise:) I hope you give it a try!
This is the best thing I’ve ever eaten on this website quite possibly. SO GOOD thank you sm!!
Hey AJ,
Happy Friday!! Thank you so much for trying this recipe and your comment, love to hear it was a winner!!
Hi there! Would frozen squash be fine to use and if so, same measurement? Thanks!
Hey Dana,
You bet, that will work nicely for you. I hope you love this recipe! xT
I made this without the peppers and the bacon. OH MY GOD…. SOOOO good!!! And so much fun using my food processor for the first time!!! Once again, thank you for dinner, Tieghan! I am so excited to make ricotta gnocchi this week!
Hey Jenn,
Thanks so much for making this recipe and your comment, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Have the best week! xxT
I made this soup tonight. I thought 10 garlic cloves sounded like a lot, but I followed the directions. The garlic was fine. HOWEVER, for our tastes this soup was wildly hot! I also wanted more of a squash presence. I roasted 2 more cups of squash, added 2 cups of apple juice. It still had too much heat for us. I put a blob of sour cream in each bowl and that was the answer. If you’re skeptical at all about the pepper, I’d recommend cutting that in half.
Hi Bette,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback! So sorry about the spice. Please let me know if you make again:) xT
Ditto!!! It was way too spicy hot for us. Thanks for the idea of how to ‘cool’ it down!!
The soup was the perfect comfort gift for a friend who had a terrible horse-riding accident. It was made with ingredients from our garden and delivered alongside freshly baked beer bread. Your creativity in crafting the recipe, along with our love, will help her in her healing process.
By the way, I didn’t peel the squash because I was feeling a little lazy. You were right: peel and cube before roasting!
Hey Kym,
Happy Holidays!! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe and appreciate you making it! Thanks for your comment:) So sorry to hear about your friend. xx
hello, are you leaving all of the bacon fat in pan to included in the soup? Comes off as a bit much with the butter and heavy cream.
Hey Ryan,
If you have a lot of bacon fat, you can go ahead and drain that. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
Hello! Would coconut milk be a good substitute for heavy cream as a healthier option? Thanks!
Hi Emma,
Totally, that will work nicely for you! Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
Or is Almond Milk an option?
Sure!
Hello Tieghan,
I have a Bourbon Pairing dinner coming up on Friday. If I prepped this late Wednesday or early Thursday right to the point of adding the cream, pesto, and cheese would it reheat better on Friday evening? Planning a small, sweet butter board with a country bread alongside as an appetizer.
Hi Tammie,
Totally, that would be just fine to do! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
This was amazing. It had a nice bite from the chipotle powder which I loved. I only added about 2 and a half cups of broth just because I like my soup a little thicker. The neighbours were asking for seconds. I will definitely make this again. Thanks for sharing!
Hey Linda,
Happy Sunday!! I’m so glad your family enjoyed this recipe, thank you so much for making it and your feedback! xx
Can you make this ahead of time?
Hey Allison,
Totally, that will work nicely for you! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT