Thomas Keller’s Butternut Squash Soup With Brown Butter Recipe • 5★ • 2 hrs 15 min, plus refrigeration

Updated Dec. 10, 2025

This soup, an adaptation of one found in Thomas Keller's "Bouchon," should be approached as a labor of love; it requires several steps (including making vegetable stock) and four hours of cooking, but the result is astonishingly flavorful and complex. Sizzling brown butter is swirled in at the very end, giving the soup a rich toasted flavor.

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Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1cup thinly sliced leeks

½cup thinly sliced carrots

½cup thinly sliced shallots

½cup thinly sliced onions

6cups vegetable stock, more if needed

Bouquet Garni made of 8 sprigs thyme, 2 sprigs Italian parsley, 2 bay leaves and ½ teaspoon black peppercorns, all wrapped in a packet made of 2 green leek leaves

384 calories; 25 grams fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 11 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 48 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams dietary fiber; 14 grams sugars; 5 grams protein; 1332 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Step 1Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a small baking sheet with aluminum foil. Cut the neck off the squash and set it aside. Cut the bulb in half and scoop out and discard seeds. Brush each half inside and out with about 1½ teaspoons of the canola oil. Sprinkle the cavities with salt and pepper and tuck a sprig of sage into each. Place cut-side-down on the baking sheet and roast until completely tender, about 1 hour. Remove the squash from the oven and let cool, then scoop out and reserve the flesh (discard sage).

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a small baking sheet with aluminum foil. Cut the neck off the squash and set it aside. Cut the bulb in half and scoop out and discard seeds. Brush each half inside and out with about 1½ teaspoons of the canola oil. Sprinkle the cavities with salt and pepper and tuck a sprig of sage into each. Place cut-side-down on the baking sheet and roast until completely tender, about 1 hour. Remove the squash from the oven and let cool, then scoop out and reserve the flesh (discard sage).

Step 2Meanwhile, using a paring knife, peel away the skin from the neck of the squash until you reach the bright orange flesh. Cut the flesh into ½-inch pieces (you should have about 4 cups).

Meanwhile, using a paring knife, peel away the skin from the neck of the squash until you reach the bright orange flesh. Cut the flesh into ½-inch pieces (you should have about 4 cups).

Step 3Put the remaining canola oil in a stockpot over medium-high heat, add the leeks, carrots, shallots and onions and cook, stirring often, for about 6 minutes. Add the diced squash, garlic, 1½ teaspoons salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper and cook gently for 3 minutes, reducing the heat as necessary to keep the garlic and squash from coloring. Stir in the honey and cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the stock and bouquet garni, bring to a simmer and cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until the squash is tender.

Put the remaining canola oil in a stockpot over medium-high heat, add the leeks, carrots, shallots and onions and cook, stirring often, for about 6 minutes. Add the diced squash, garlic, 1½ teaspoons salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper and cook gently for 3 minutes, reducing the heat as necessary to keep the garlic and squash from coloring. Stir in the honey and cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the stock and bouquet garni, bring to a simmer and cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until the squash is tender.

Step 4Add the roasted squash and simmer gently for about 30 minutes for the flavors to blend. Remove from the heat and discard the bouquet garni. Transfer the soup to a blender, in batches, and purée. Strain the soup through a fine sieve into a bowl. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning. Let the soup cool, then refrigerate until ready to serve.

Add the roasted squash and simmer gently for about 30 minutes for the flavors to blend. Remove from the heat and discard the bouquet garni. Transfer the soup to a blender, in batches, and purée. Strain the soup through a fine sieve into a bowl. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning. Let the soup cool, then refrigerate until ready to serve.

Step 5Place the crème fraîche in a small chilled bowl and stir in nutmeg to taste. Whisk until the crème fraîche holds a shape. Cover and refrigerate.

Place the crème fraîche in a small chilled bowl and stir in nutmeg to taste. Whisk until the crème fraîche holds a shape. Cover and refrigerate.

Step 6Gently reheat the soup until just hot. If it is too thick, add a little more vegetable stock. Heat a medium skillet over high heat. When it is very hot, add the butter and rotate the skillet over the heat as necessary to brown the butter evenly, scraping up any bits that settle in the bottom. As soon as the butter is a hazelnut brown, pour it into the pot of soup -- keep a safe distance, it may sputter -- then stir.

Gently reheat the soup until just hot. If it is too thick, add a little more vegetable stock. Heat a medium skillet over high heat. When it is very hot, add the butter and rotate the skillet over the heat as necessary to brown the butter evenly, scraping up any bits that settle in the bottom. As soon as the butter is a hazelnut brown, pour it into the pot of soup -- keep a safe distance, it may sputter -- then stir.

Step 7Ladle the soup into six serving bowls. Top each with a dollop of crème fraîche. Grind some black pepper over the top and sprinkle on the chives. Drizzle a little olive oil over the top.

Ladle the soup into six serving bowls. Top each with a dollop of crème fraîche. Grind some black pepper over the top and sprinkle on the chives. Drizzle a little olive oil over the top.

Finally, after many misadventures, here is a recipe for a delicious butternut squash soup! Thank you. The only change I made was in how I prepared the squash. I poked the squash with a knife then baked it at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. When cool enough to handle, I cut open the squash, removed the seeds and peel, then baked with sage etc. per instructions. The squash is much easier to cut open and peel after the short pre-baking step.

In the first step you cut the neck off the squash and only roast the bottom bulb.The second step you are cutting the un-roasted neck bit.(I agree, this was difficult to understand)

I love this soup!! Pro tip: save the thick paste that comes out of straining the soup! I refrigerated it for a day or two, then mixed it with some Parmesan to make ravioli filling, and the raviolis were fantastic.

This soup takes time but it has never felt like cutting a corner made sense; every step creates depth of flavor. I wish the vegetable broth recipe was also here, as I always go looking for his recipe anyway. I usually don’t like squash soup, this one is different.

Best soup. So good. Make it now

I added pepitas and chili crisp on top of mine.

Source: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1857-thomas-kellers-butternut-squash-soup-with-brown-butter