This easy butternut squash and sweet potato soup is creamy, comforting and just a little sweet. It's ready in 35 minutes, made without cream and freezes really well too. Simple, nutritious comfort food for colder days.
This is one of those soups I come back to as soon as the weather starts getting colder. It tastes properly comforting, but there is very little hands-on work and everything cooks in one pan.
On super busy days I use ready-cut or frozen butternut squash and save myself the peeling and chopping completely.
The natural sweetness of the sweet potato and squash gives the soup its lovely flavour and creamy texture once blended. I usually keep the base recipe fairly mild so everyone can enjoy it and then add chilli, extra black pepper or toppings at the table.
It also freezes really well, so if I am already chopping vegetables I will often make enough to have portions waiting in the freezer for another day.
Recipe update: This recipe was originally published on 5 December 2011 and was fully retested in September 2026 to check the cooking time and ingredient quantities. The original recipe still worked well, but I've expanded the instructions, tips and FAQs.
If you are looking for more butternut squash recipes, try our easy Roasted Butternut Squash, impressive Stuffed Butternut Squash or our delicious Butternut Squash Pasta.
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Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup
- Recipe Overview
- Ingredients and Substitutions
- Toppings
- Variations
- How to Make Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup
- Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup with Coconut Milk
- Slow Cooker Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup
- Serving Suggestions
- Is Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup Healthy?
- Storage
- Dannii's Top Tips
- Troubleshooting Guide
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Soup Recipes
- Recipe
- Feedback
Why You'll Love This Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup
- Easy - Everything cooks in one pan and the soup is ready in 35 minutes.
- Creamy without cream - The blended sweet potato and butternut squash naturally give it a thick, velvety texture.
- Budget friendly - It uses simple vegetables, stock and store-cupboard spices.
- Freezer friendly - Perfect for batch cooking and easy lunches.
- Adaptable - Add coconut milk, chilli, curry paste, apple, carrots or butter beans.
- Naturally vegan - Use vegetable stock and plant-based toppings to keep the whole dish vegan.
- Gluten-free option - The soup itself can easily be gluten free; just check your stock and any croutons or bread you serve with it.
Recipe Overview
- Prep time: 5 minutes
- Cooking time: 30 minutes
- Total time: 35 minutes
- Serves: 4
- Difficulty: Easy
- Texture: Thick, smooth and creamy
- Flavour: Slightly sweet with warming cumin, coriander and ginger
- Best for: Easy lunches, autumn dinners and batch cooking
- Freezer friendly: Yes - freeze for up to 3 months
Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Fresh butternut squash - Fresh butternut squash has a slightly sweet, nutty flavour and gives the soup lots of body. Look for one with firm, matte skin. Ready-cut or frozen butternut squash also works well and is a brilliant shortcut when you don't have time to tackle a whole squash.
- Sweet potatoes - I use orange-fleshed sweet potatoes because they blend beautifully and add natural sweetness. Choose firm potatoes without wrinkled skin.
- Onion - A small brown or white onion gives the soup a good savoury base. Shallots work too and are slightly sweeter.
- Garlic - I use two cloves. Add another if you want the garlic flavour to be stronger.
- Ground ginger, coriander and cumin - These are warming rather than hot spices, so they add flavour without making the soup spicy. A pinch of nutmeg works well too.
- Vegetable stock - Use a good-quality, preferably lower-salt stock. Chicken stock can be used if you do not need the soup to be vegetarian or vegan.
- Olive oil - Just enough to soften the vegetables at the beginning and help build flavour.
Toppings
The soup is delicious on its own, but I usually add something for colour and texture.
Try fresh parsley, black pepper, crunchy croutons, pumpkin seeds, a swirl of yogurt or a little coconut milk.
If you are keeping the soup vegan, use a plant-based yogurt. If you need the entire meal to be gluten free, make sure your stock and croutons are suitable too.
Variations
Roasted butternut squash and sweet potato soup - Roasting the vegetables first gives them deeper, sweeter, more caramelised flavours.
Toss the squash and sweet potato with a little olive oil and roast until tender and beginning to caramelise, then add them to the soup and continue with the recipe.
This takes longer than the stovetop version, so I tend to save it for days when I have a little more time.
Spicy butternut squash and sweet potato soup - Add chopped fresh chilli, chilli flakes or a little cayenne.
If I am making the soup for everyone, I usually leave the base fairly mild and put chilli flakes or chilli oil on the table instead. That way everyone can make their own bowl as hot as they like.
Curry version - Add curry powder with the other spices, or use Thai red curry paste for a different flavour. Coconut milk is particularly good with either version.
Add more protein - Blend a drained can of butterbeans into the soup. They make it even creamier as well as adding protein and making it more filling.
You may need a little extra stock to loosen the soup after blending.
Add carrots - Carrots work naturally with both sweet potato and squash. Add one or two chopped carrots with the other vegetables.
Add apple - A chopped apple gives the soup even more autumn flavour and a little extra sweetness. Add it to the pan with the squash and sweet potato.
If the finished soup tastes sweeter than you would like, a small squeeze of lemon juice at the end can help balance it.
How to Make Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup
- Prepare the vegetables: Peel and chop the sweet potato and butternut squash, chop the onion and mince the garlic.
The pieces do not need to look perfect because everything is going to be blended, but try to keep them roughly the same size so they cook evenly.
- Heat the oil: Heat the olive oil in a large soup pan over a medium heat.
- Soften the vegetables: Add the onion, garlic, sweet potato and butternut squash and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the stock and spices: Pour in the vegetable stock and add the cumin, ground coriander, ginger, salt and pepper.
- Cook: Bring everything to a gentle simmer and cook for about 25 minutes, or until both the squash and sweet potato are completely tender.
- Blend: Use a stick blender to blend the soup directly in the pan until completely smooth.
💡 If the soup is thicker than you like, add a splash more hot stock or water and blend again.
⚠️ If you are using a jug blender, take extra care with hot liquid and follow the manufacturer's instructions. Work in batches rather than overfilling the blender.
- Serve: Divide between bowls and add your favourite toppings. I like parsley, croutons, plenty of black pepper and a swirl of yogurt.
Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup with Coconut Milk
Coconut milk works particularly well with the cumin, coriander and ginger.
For a creamy coconut version, stir 100 ml coconut milk into the soup just before blending.
It gives the soup extra richness and a subtle coconut flavour without overpowering the vegetables.
For a more Thai-inspired version, add a spoonful of Thai curry paste as well. Check the curry paste ingredients if you need the recipe to remain vegan or gluten free.
Slow Cooker Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup
You can also make this soup in the slow cooker. Add the sweet potato, butternut squash, onion, garlic, spices and stock to the slow cooker and cook on high for around 3 hours, or until the vegetables are completely soft.
Blend until smooth before serving.
There is no need to sauté everything first, which makes this version very useful on busy days. If you do have a few extra minutes, softening the onion and garlic first will give the soup a slightly deeper flavour.
Serving Suggestions
This sweet potato and butternut squash soup is thick enough to make a satisfying light meal on its own, but I don't think you can beat warm bread with a bowl of soup.
For something simple, serve it with our Slow Cooker Bread or Easy White Bread.
If you want something with more flavour, Garlic and Rosemary Focaccia is brilliant for dipping, while Air Fryer Garlic Bread is ideal when you want something ready quickly without switching the oven on.
For crunch, add Sourdough Croutons or our quick Air Fryer Croutons.
To make lunch more substantial, serve a smaller bowl of soup with a Cottage Cheese Grilled Cheese on the side. The extra protein makes it a much more filling meal.
You could also top the soup with pumpkin seeds, chopped herbs, chilli flakes, yogurt, coconut milk or an extra drizzle of olive oil.
Is Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup Healthy?
This is a vegetable-based soup made with butternut squash, sweet potato, onion, garlic, stock and spices.
As written, the estimated nutritional information is 198 calories and 6 grams of fibre per portion, although exact values will depend on the ingredients and stock you use.
The basic soup is also low in fat. It is not naturally a high-protein soup, so if you want to make it more filling you can blend in butter beans or serve it with a higher-protein side.
Storage
Fridge: Allow the soup to cool and transfer it to an airtight container. Keep it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Freezer: This soup freezes really well for up to 3 months.
I like freezing it in individual portions because it means there is an easy lunch ready whenever I need one. Freezer bags are handy too because they can be laid flat and take up very little space.
Reheating: Defrost frozen soup thoroughly before reheating.
Reheat gently in a saucepan until piping hot, stirring occasionally, or use the microwave.
The soup can thicken as it sits, so add a small splash of water or stock when reheating if needed.
Dannii's Top Tips
- Cut the squash and sweet potato into similar-sized pieces so they soften at roughly the same time.
- Ready-cut or frozen butternut squash is absolutely worth using when you need dinner with less prep.
- Use lower-salt stock if you are serving the soup to younger children, then season individual portions at the table.
- Keep the basic soup mild and let everyone add their own chilli flakes or chilli oil.
- Do not worry about perfectly neat vegetable chopping - it is all being blended anyway.
- If the soup becomes too thick after blending or reheating, loosen it with a little hot stock rather than adding lots at once.
- A squeeze of lemon can balance the sweetness if your squash or sweet potatoes are particularly sweet.
- Make a double batch when you can. This is one of those recipes that is genuinely useful to have portioned up in the freezer.
- Add crunchy toppings immediately before serving so they stay crisp.
Troubleshooting Guide
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Soup is too thick | The sweet potato and squash have thickened the soup more than expected. | Add hot stock or water a little at a time, blending after each addition, until it reaches your preferred consistency. |
| Soup is too thin | Too much stock was added or the vegetables released more moisture. | Simmer uncovered for a few minutes to reduce, or blend in a little more cooked sweet potato or squash. |
| Soup tastes too sweet | Some varieties of sweet potato and squash are naturally sweeter. | Add a squeeze of lemon juice, extra black pepper or a little more cumin to balance the sweetness. |
| Soup tastes bland | The stock or vegetables may be mild, or it needs more seasoning. | Add salt and black pepper to taste, then try a little extra cumin, coriander or ginger. |
| Soup isn't completely smooth | The vegetables aren't soft enough or haven't been blended for long enough. | Simmer until the vegetables are completely tender, then blend again until smooth. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. This recipe is naturally thick and creamy without any cream. The soft squash and sweet potato create the creamy texture once blended.
Yes. Add 100 ml coconut milk before blending for a richer soup with a subtle coconut flavour.
Yes. Frozen butternut squash is a really useful shortcut. Add it to the pan and simply make sure it is completely tender before blending.
No. Sweet potato skin is edible, so you can leave it on if it has been thoroughly scrubbed. Peeling it will give you a slightly smoother finished soup.
Yes. Roasting adds deeper caramelised flavour. Roast the sweet potato and squash until tender before adding them to the soup.
Sweet potato and squash both thicken soup considerably. Add hot stock or water a little at a time until you reach the consistency you want.
Blend in butterbeans or serve the soup with bread, a cheese toastie or another protein-rich side.
More Soup Recipes
If you've tried this Sweet Potato and Butternut Squash Soup recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
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Recipe
Easy Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon of Olive oil
- 350 g (2 ½ cups) of Sweet potato
- 500 g (3 ½ cups) of Butternut squash - peeled weight
- 1 Onion - small
- 850 ml (3 ½ cups) of Vegetable stock (low salt)
- 2 Garlic cloves
- ½ teaspoon of Ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon of Cumin
- ¼ teaspoon of Ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon of Fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon of Ground black pepper
To serve (all optional):
- Fat-free yogurt or plant-based yogurt
- Croutons
- Fresh parsley
Instructions
- Prepare the vegetables: Peel and chop 350 g of Sweet potato and 500 g of Butternut squash, chop 1 Onion and mince 2 Garlic cloves.
- Heat the oil: Heat 1 tablespoon of Olive oil in a large soup pan over a medium heat.
- Soften the vegetables: Add the onion, garlic, sweet potato and butternut squash and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the stock and spices: Pour in 850 ml of Vegetable stock (low salt) and add ½ teaspoon of Cumin, ½ teaspoon of Ground coriander, ¼ teaspoon of Ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon of Fine sea salt and ½ teaspoon of Ground black pepper.
- Cook: Bring everything to a gentle simmer and cook for about 25 minutes, or until both the squash and sweet potato are completely tender.
- Blend: Use a stick blender to blend the soup directly in the pan until completely smooth.
- Serve: Divide between bowls and add your favourite toppings. I like parsley, croutons, plenty of black pepper and a swirl of yogurt.
Recipe Notes
- Cut the squash and sweet potato into similar-sized pieces so they soften at roughly the same time.
- Ready-cut or frozen butternut squash is absolutely worth using when you need dinner with less prep.
- Use lower-salt stock if you are serving the soup to younger children, then season individual portions at the table.
- Keep the basic soup mild and let everyone add their own chilli flakes or chilli oil.
- Do not worry about perfectly neat vegetable chopping - it is all being blended anyway.
- If the soup becomes too thick after blending or reheating, loosen it with a little hot stock rather than adding lots at once.
- A squeeze of lemon can balance the sweetness if your squash or sweet potatoes are particularly sweet.
- Make a double batch when you can. This is one of those recipes that is genuinely useful to have portioned up in the freezer.
- Add crunchy toppings immediately before serving so they stay crisp.
Nutritional Information
Where nutritional information is provided, it is approximate and calculated using online tools. Values can vary depending on the ingredients and brands used, but we endeavour to be as accurate as possible.
All timings are a guide and may vary depending on the ingredients, equipment and, where relevant, the appliance used. Changing the serving size may also affect the time needed.
Mary Wood says
This soup is too samey, like any standard squash + sweet potato soup. The notes hold some good pointers. Ok, nothing to write home about.
Deborah says
Very nice recipe, thank you.
I added 1/4 cup of lentils (a little extra protein) and 1/2 tsp. of tumeric.
Next time I will try the Thai curry paste...love Thai and curry!!!!
Dannii says
Sounds delicious! I am happy you enjoyed it :)
Steph says
The nicest sweet potato squash soup I have ever tried. I really think frying up the sweet potato squash onion and garlic gave it the kick it needed. I'll be making this plenty from now on.
Dannii says
It really makes a difference doesn't it. We are happy to hear you enjoyed it.
Jessica Formicola says
This soup is so comforting and delicious! My family has already requested it again!
Kelly Anthony says
This sweet potato and butternut squash soup looks perfect for a cold day. Your pictures really highlight your dish!
lola@cheflolaskitchen says
I usually have surprise guests coming over. This looks like a perfect and quick way to deal with them!
Adrianne says
Yum, I love a soup packed with veggies and this definitely ticks all of those boxes. Great presentation as well.
Veena Azmanov says
Love the option of Sweet Potato in this Soup. Sure to be delicious and tasty. Soup is always a welcome to my family at Dinner time.
Mary Bostow says
This is my daughter’s favourite kind of soup – delicious! I LOVE butternut squash and sweet potato. And soup. Amaaazing recipe!