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This recipe for buttercup squash soup uses a less-common winter squash with a sweet, creamy flavor. You’ll love this unique twist on a hearty and satisfying dish!

Spoonful of buttercup squash soup held over the  soup pot

Whenever I see new and unique ingredients at the farmers’ market, I always have to try them. That’s how I came across this buttercup squash, a type of winter squash I’d never heard of before.

One night, I decided to try making a buttercup squash soup. I assumed it would be yummy, satisfy my hunger, and at least give me a chance to try the squash. I didn’t expect that I would absolutely LOVE this soup!

If you can’t find buttercup squash, you can easily substitute it for butternut or any other winter squash variety. However, if you are able to find butternut, I highly recommend it. It’s such a treat!

This cozy soup is also a great source of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, so you can feel good about enjoying a bowl!

How to make buttercup squash soup

This soup recipe is fairly simple to make. In fact, the hardest part is just peeling the squash!

Squash, onion, butter, and stock on a table

Step 1: Peel and seed the squash, then cut it into 1-inch square chunks and set aside.

Step 2: Add the butter to a large pot. Once the butter is melted, add the chopped onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.

Step 3: Add the squash and stir, then add 5 cups of stock.

Buttercup squash and stock cooking in a pot

Step 4: Turn up the heat and bring everything to a low boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until the squash is tender. If the pan gets too dry while cooking, add another cup of stock.

Cooked squash soup before blending

Step 5: Either transfer the soup to a food processor or use a stick blender right in the pan to purée the soup. Once smooth, season to taste with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

Finished blended soup in a serving pot

Divide into six bowls and dive on into a big bowl of delicious comfort!

Buttercup squash vs. butternut squash

So what exactly is buttercup squash?

On the outside, it looks completely different than butternut squash. But once you slice them open, they have a very similar creamy orange flesh.

Buttercup has a sweet and nutty flavor, although it’s a little less sweet than butternut. It’s also known as a drier squash, which makes it great for steaming, baking, or using in a soup.

The two squash types can easily be substituted for one another, so if you can’t find buttercup, don’t fret! Butternut will be just as delicious in this recipe.

Whole buttercup squash on a table

Storage

Once you try this soup, you’re going to want to have it for dinner every night of the week. Thankfully, the recipe makes 6 servings, so you’ll probably have some leftovers unless you’re feeding a crowd!

Any extra soup can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat gently in the microwave or in a saucepan before serving.

Two bowls of buttercup squash soup on a table with spoons

Other cozy soup recipes

At the end of a long day, sometimes all you want is to curl up with a big bowl of delicious soup. Thankfully, there are plenty of recipes that are both comforting and good for you!

Here are a few of my favorites that I think you’ll enjoy:

You can also take a look at my roundup of easy low-carb soup recipes for more inspiration.

When you’ve tried this soup, please don’t forget to let me know how you liked it and rate the recipe in the comments below!

Buttercup Squash Soup

4.67 from 3 votes
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This recipe for buttercup squash soup uses a less-common winter squash with a sweet, creamy flavor. You'll love this unique twist on a hearty and satisfying dish!
Author: Diabetic Foodie
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients 

  • pounds buttercup squash
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 sweet onion, (chopped)
  • 5-6 cups low-sodium chicken stock
  • salt
  • pepper
  • nutmeg

Instructions

  • Peel and seed the squash, then cut into 1-inch square chunks and set aside.
    1½ pounds buttercup squash
  • Add the butter to a large pot. Once the butter is melted, add the chopped onion and cook until translucent, about 10 min.
    2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 sweet onion
  • Add the squash and stir, then add 5 cups of stock.
    5-6 cups low-sodium chicken stock
  • Turn up the heat and bring everything to a low boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until the squash is tender. If the pan gets too dry while cooking, add another cup of stock.
  • Either transfer the soup to a food processor or use a stick blender right in the pan to purée the soup. Once smooth, season to taste with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
    salt, pepper, nutmeg

Notes

This recipe is for 6 servings of squash soup.
If you can’t find buttercup squash, you can substitute butternut squash or any other variety of winter squash.
For a vegetarian recipe, use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
Leftovers can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Nutrition Info Per Serving

Nutrition Facts
Buttercup Squash Soup
Serving Size
 
1 cup
Amount per Serving
Calories
106
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
4.8
g
7
%
Saturated Fat
 
2.8
g
14
%
Trans Fat
 
0
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
0
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
0
g
Cholesterol
 
12.5
mg
4
%
Sodium
 
455.5
mg
19
%
Potassium
 
27.9
mg
1
%
Carbohydrates
 
14
g
5
%
Fiber
 
3.8
g
15
%
Sugar
 
6.8
g
8
%
Protein
 
3.1
g
6
%
Vitamin A
 
1650
IU
33
%
Vitamin C
 
23.1
mg
28
%
Calcium
 
50
mg
5
%
Iron
 
1.3
mg
7
%
Net carbs
 
10.2
g
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.