Butternut Squash Soup with Sage Brown Butter. Autumn in a Bowl.

I cook for smells like this, the kind that make you stir too long and eat before the bowl hits the table.

This butternut squash soup has become my October-through-November staple, the thing I make when the evenings start drawing in and I want something that feels like wrapping yourself in a cashmere blanket.

There’s a particular smell that only happens once a year, butternut squash roasting in the oven, its edges just starting to caramelise, filling the kitchen with that sweet, almost nutty warmth. It’s the smell that tells you autumn’s properly arrived, even if the weather outside hasn’t quite got the memo yet.

It’s silky, naturally sweet from the roasted squash, with this gorgeous depth from the sage brown butter that makes it taste far more sophisticated than the 45 minutes it actually takes to make.

The brown butter is what elevates this from “nice soup” to “I need the recipe immediately” territory. That nutty, almost toffee-like flavour it develops when you let the butter solids toast in the pan, combined with crisp sage leaves that shatter when you bite them.

Why Roasting the Squash Changes Everything

This starts with roasting the butternut squash rather than just boiling it. Those caramelised edges, the concentrated sweetness, the way the natural sugars turn golden and slightly sticky, that’s where all the flavour lives.

You want roughly 1kg of cubed squash. Toss it with olive oil, salt, and pepper, spread it out on a baking tray and let the oven do its work. Twenty-five minutes and you’ll have sweet, caramelised squash with those gorgeous brown edges.

Peeling butternut squash is nobody’s favourite job, mind you. The skin is tough, the shape is awkward, and there’s always that moment where you’re convinced you’re going to slice your hand open.

But if you are peeling it yourself, a Y-shaped peeler works better than a regular one, and a sharp knife makes all the difference. Cut it in half lengthways first, scoop out the seeds (save them if you fancy roasting them with the pumpkin seeds later), then work in sections.

The Brown Butter Moment

This is where this butternut squash soup goes from good to extraordinary. The first time you make brown butter properly, you’ll understand why French cooking is so obsessed with it. It’s beurre noisette, which just means hazelnut butter, because that’s what it smells like.

I melt 40g of unsalted butter in my largest saucepan over medium heat and just watch it. It’ll foam up first, then it will subside and you’ll see the butter solids starting to brown at the bottom of the pan. It smells incredible.

Once it’s that gorgeous amber colour, I add the sage leaves. They sizzle immediately, crisping up in the hot butter. One to two minutes is all they need.

The sage leaves fry in that brown butter for barely two minutes, going crisp and dark green, and they become this incredible garnish that’s part herb, part crisp, entirely delicious.

Building the Butternut Squash Soup

Whilst the squash is roasting, I get everything else ready. Onion roughly chopped (no need for precision here), garlic crushed, stock measured out. The actual cooking part is quick once the squash is done, so it’s nice to have everything lined up.

After the sage comes out, the onion and garlic go into that brown butter. The smell is extraordinary, sweet onion, toasted butter, garlic warming through. Cook it for about five minutes until the onion’s soft and everything’s fragrant. The roasted squash gets tipped in next, and I stir it all together so the squash gets coated in that buttery, garlicky base.

Pour in the vegetable stock, I use about 700ml but you can adjust depending on how thick you like your soup and bring it to a simmer. Let it bubble away for five to ten minutes, just to let the flavours meld together, and then it’s time to blend.

I use a stick blender directly in the pot because I’m lazy and don’t want to wash up a blender jug, but use whatever you’ve got. Blend until it’s completely smooth and velvety. If you’re using cream and I usually do because this is autumn comfort food, not January health kicks stir in about 100ml now and warm it through.

How to Make It Look as Good as It Tastes

I ladle this butternut squash soup into wide, shallow bowls because it’s just more pleasing that way. The crisp sage leaves go on top they look beautiful, all dark and dramatic against the orange soup. Then a scatter of toasted pumpkin seeds for crunch (toast them in a dry pan until they start popping, takes two minutes), and a final drizzle of either really good olive oil or a spoonful of the remaining brown butter if you’ve got any left.

If you want to add extra depth, roast a few garlic cloves in their skins alongside the squash. They’ll go soft and sweet and you can squeeze them out and blend them into the soup. Game-changing.

Want to keep it vegan? Use olive oil instead of butter and skip the cream. It’s still delicious, just lighter. The roasted squash flavour is strong enough to carry it.

The soup keeps for four to five days in the fridge and freezes brilliantly. I usually make a double batch and freeze half for when November turns grey and miserable and I need something quick, easy and delicious!

And if you’re still in that mood, craving something silky and warming, something that feels like good company in a bowl – my Mushroom Gnocchi Soup lives in the same space. Different flavours entirely, but the same Autumnal energy. Both a bit indulgent, both exactly what you want when the day’s done and dinner needs to feel like more than just ‘food”.

If you’d like to see me make these recipes IRL, catch me over on my Tik Tok channel! Come and say HI!