Recipe

Need something cozy for dinner? Try this spiced butternut squash soup served with a green salad or crusty bread.

Whether you are making spiced butternut squash soup for the first time or have been a fan for years, this recipe is a keeper.

large bowl of orange colored spiced butternut squash soup

Chai Spiced Butternut Squash Soup Recipe

Laura fuentes holding a skillet of food standing in front of a blue door

My roasted butternut squash soup has been a family favorite for years, so I decided to give it a twist by adding chai tea for a unique spiced flavor.

This cozy soup is simmered on the stovetop with cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, and black pepper, yielding a velvety smooth texture and notes of fall spices to bring out the savory flavors of butternut squash. So good!

Ingredients

The base of this recipe is fresh or frozen butternut squash. To make this soup big on flavor, you’ll add green onion, butter, brown sugar, a chai tea bag (keep reading for substitutes), and crème frâiche or heavy cream. You’ll also use water, which can be swapped for chicken broth if you crave extra flavor.

Spices for Butternut Squash Soup

If you don't have a chai tea bag in your pantry, you can still make spiced butternut squash soup; simply omit it and stir any of these spice mixes with the veggies as they cook:

2 cloves minced garlic + 1 teaspoon dried sage + ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
½ teaspoon cinnamon + ¼ teaspoon dried nutmeg + 1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 cloves garlic + 1 tablespoon curry powder + ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

How to Make Butternut Squash Soup

Here are the steps and tips to make this spiced butternut squash soup and a quick video in the recipe card:

Cook the veggies.
Cook the squash until is softened. Save time by prepping the butternut squash and green onions ahead, and refrigerate in airtight containers for up to 5 days.
Add water and the teabag.
Bring the soup to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes. The squash needs to be completely tender. Remove the teabag.
Blend until smooth.
I use an immersion blender. Alternatively, working in batches, add the soup to a blender, process, and return to the soup pot.
Simmer.
For for 5-10 minutes after adding the crème frâiche to the soup.

Can you Freeze Butternut Squash Soup

Yes! Allow the soup to cool to room temperature, then store it in freezer-safe containers, leaving 1 inch of space at the top. Freeze the soup for up to 3 months. Defrost the soup container in the fridge overnight and reheat it on the stovetop or in the microwave.

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Chai Spiced Butternut Squash Soup

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 40

Total Time: 50

Need something cozy for dinner? Try this spiced butternut squash soup served with a green salad or crusty bread.

5 from 23 votes

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Watch how it’s made:

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
3 pounds butternut squash, cut into ½-inch pieces
3 green onions, sliced, greens separate from the whites
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 chai flavored tea bag
2 tablespoons crème frâiche, plus extra for serving, or heavy cream
5 cups water

Instructions

Cook the veggies:

In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the squash, onion whites, sugar, salt, and black pepper. Cook, frequently stirring until the squash is softened and lightly browned, about 8 minutes.
Stir in 5 cups water, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the tea bag and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes or until the squash is tender.
Remove the teabag with the cooking spoon and discard.

Blend:

Blend the soup using an immersion blender or working in batches. Process the soup in a blender until smooth.

Make it creamy:

Return the soup to the pot and add the crème frâiche or heavy cream. Stir until incorporated into the soup. If the soup is too thick, add enough water to bring it to the desired consistency.

Heat & serve:

Simmer over medium-low heat or until heated through.
Serve topped with additional crème frâiche and green onions.

Notes

You can make this dairy-free by swapping the butter for a neutral oil and the crème frâiche for canned coconut milk, about ¼ cup. Get my full recipe for Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Coconut Milk here.

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