Butternut Squash Soup with Chicken
This hearty and vibrant Butternut Squash Soup with Chicken is a creamy, comforting meal, packed with incredible flavor and texture. It’s an easy stovetop soup with rich autumnal flavors – perfect as a nourishing midweek family meal or to impress dinner guests.
The secret to any delicious soup is the flavorful foundation created by sautéing key ingredients, such as onion, garlic, and celery. From there, it’s a matter of building upon this base by simmering the squash, beans, and kale in a smoky, herb-infused broth.
While I do love a vegetarian butternut squash soup, the addition of chopped rotisserie chicken transforms this recipe into a protein-packed and complete meal that requires no extra sides, if you feel like a little time off!
Don’t forget to garnish each bowl with extra parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of toasted pumpkin seeds.
Butternut squash season is the perfect time to explore new recipes, from a bright Orzo Salad with Lemon and Butternutto a savory Green Curry Butternut with Fish or a comforting Turkey Potpie with Butternut and Pearl Onions.
What is butternut squash and chicken soup?
This hearty butternut squash soup with chicken is a complete, comforting meal featuring soft cubes of butternut, chopped rotisserie chicken, creamy beans, and kale in a savory broth. Its flavor is deeply enriched by sautéed onions and celery, then warmed with smoky paprika and aromatic rosemary.
Heavy cream and grated Parmesan adds a luxuriously smooth texture just before serving. It’s an easy, one-pot dish that is both nourishing and elegant, especially when garnished with toasted pumpkin seeds for a little crunch.
Ingredients needed to make butternut squash soup with chicken
- Olive oil: Enhances the richness in this soup and helps sauté the aromatics. You can also use vegetable or avocado oil.
- Onion: Adds sweetness and depth when sautéed. Yellow or white onion works best.
- Celery ribs: Sautéing celery with onion creates a flavorful foundation for this butternut squash and chicken soup.
- Garlic: Freshly minced garlic enhances the savory aroma. Garlic powder can be used in a pinch.
- Chili flakes: This is optional, but I love the subtle heat it offers.
- Butternut squash: Peeled and cubed. Unlike some recipes that puree the squash, I’ve left it as cubes for a lovely rustic version.
- Rosemary sprigs: Infuses the entire soup with its aromatic, piney flavor. Remove the sprigs before serving.
- Great Northern Beans: You don’t need to rinse or drain the white beans. The liquid adds flavor and helps to thicken the consistency of the soup.
- Chicken: Use chopped, cooked chicken in this soup. Rotisserie chicken is great for convenience, but you can also use leftover boneless skinless chicken breasts.
- Kale: I’ve used lacinato kale, also known as dinosaur kale or Tuscan kale. It’s a sturdy variety of kale – perfect for stews and soups. Fresh spinach or Swiss chard are great alternatives; just stir them in at the very end since they cook much faster.
- Chicken broth: Use low-sodium broth for better control of the salt content in this soup. Vegetable broth could be used instead.
- Water: Another standard cooking liquid for soup. Measure the water accurately to avoid a thin or flavor-diluted soup.
- Smoked paprika: For a deep, woody sweetness and a rich, smoky aroma.
- Salt and black pepper: Essential for balancing flavors. Adjust to taste.
- Heavy cream: For a rich and creamy flavor. Mix it into the soup just before serving.
- Parmesan cheese: Freshly grated and mixed into the soup just before serving. Grate a little extra for garnish.
- Fresh herbs: Mix in finely chopped fresh sage, rosemary, or thyme leaves (or a combination) just before serving for a lovely herbaceous twist.
- Optional garnish: In addition to extra grated Parmesan, toasted green pumpkin seeds are a delicious garnish, adding extra flavor, color, and texture to this butternut squash and chicken soup.
How do you make butternut squash soup with chicken?
Create the soup base:
- In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and celery, sautéing for 8-10 minutes until soft.
Simmer the soup:
- Stir in the garlic, chili flakes, butternut squash, and rosemary sprigs. Cook for 5 minutes.
- Add the beans (with liquid), kale, broth, water, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper, and bring the soup to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, or until the squash is soft.
Stir in remaining ingredients:
- Remove the rosemary sprigs, and stir in the heavy cream, Parmesan, and mixed herbs.
- Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Serve and garnish:
- Serve the soup in bowls.
- Garnish with toasted dark green pumpkin seeds and more Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Serving
For a complete meal, top this comforting butternut squash soup with grated Parmesan and toasted pumpkin seeds for crunch. Serve it with garlic bread for dipping or this elegant Poached Pear Salad – the flavors are a match made in heaven!
End the evening on a perfect autumnal note with a warm Rustic Apple Galette with Whipped Cream or ice cream.
Sandy’s tips and substitutions:
- Storage: Store leftover butternut squash soup with chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat individual servings in the microwave or larger portions on the stovetop until heated through.
- Freezer: Once completely cool, store this soup in the freezer for up to 3 months, either in an airtight container or individual portions in freezer-safe bags. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat to serve with fresh garnish, if desired.
- Make-ahead: Chop the rotisserie chicken and peel and cube the butternut squash in advance to reduce the recipe time. Make sure to store these elements in the fridge in separate airtight containers.
- Adjust the liquid: Add more water or broth to the soup mixture to achieve your desired consistency, especially if the soup has boiled down too much. Then taste for seasoning and adjust as needed.
- Cuts of chicken: You can use any part of the rotisserie chicken when making this butternut squash soup. Use chicken breasts for a leaner version or thighs and drums (the darker meat) for additional flavor.
- Large pot: A Dutch oven works the best when making this butternut squash soup with chicken, but you can use a regular large pot too. Just make sure that the pot you use is big enough to hold all of the ingredients comfortably for even cooking and no spilling over.
- Prepare your sides: Prep optional sides like salad or homemade bread in advance.
- Make it vegetarian: Simply omit the chicken and use vegetable broth to easily make this a hearty vegetarian butternut soup. You may need to add more veggies to add bulk.
More comforting soups you may want to try:
- Mexican Soup
- Creamy Parmesan Italian Sausage Soup
- Easy Pear Potato Soup
- Creamy Ravioli Soup
- Turkey Lasagna Soup
Get the Recipe:
Butternut Squash Soup with Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 celery ribs, finely chopped
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- ¾ tsp. chili flakes, optional
- 1 lb. peeled and cubed butternut squash, cut into 1/2” cubes
- 5 rosemary sprigs
- 1 15 oz. can Great Northern Beans, no need to rinse or drain
- 2 cups chopped, cooked chicken (I use rotisserie)
- 4 cups stemmed and roughly chopped lacinato kale
- 4 cups lower-sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- ½ tsp. black pepper
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
- 2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh sage, rosemary or thyme leaves
- Toasted pumpkin seeds for garnish, optional
Equipment
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium. Once hot, add onions and celery; cook for 8-10 minutes until soft.
- Stir in the garlic, chili flakes, cubed butternut squash, and rosemary sprigs, and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add the white beans (no need to rinse or drain), kale, broth, water, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper, and bring the soup to a boil.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, or until the squash is soft.
- Remove the rosemary sprigs, and stir in the heavy cream, grated Parmesan, and mixed herbs (or use your favorite).
- Taste and adjust seasoning as needed, adding more salt, etc.
- Serve the soup in bowls and garnish with toasted dark green pumpkin seeds and more grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Notes
Sandy’s tips and substitutions:
- Storage: Store leftover butternut squash soup with chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat individual servings in the microwave or larger portions on the stovetop until heated through.
- Freezer: Once completely cool, store this soup in the freezer for up to 3 months, either in an airtight container or individual portions in freezer-safe bags. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat to serve with fresh garnish, if desired.
- Make-ahead: Chop the rotisserie chicken and peel and cube the butternut squash in advance to reduce the recipe time. Make sure to store these elements in the fridge in separate airtight containers.
- Adjust the liquid: Add more water or broth to the soup mixture to achieve your desired consistency, especially if the soup has boiled down too much. Then taste for seasoning and adjust as needed.
- Cuts of chicken: You can use any part of the rotisserie chicken when making this butternut squash soup. Use chicken breasts for a leaner version or thighs and drums (the darker meat) for additional flavor.
- Large pot: A Dutch oven works the best when making this butternut squash soup with chicken, but you can use a regular large pot too. Just make sure that the pot you use is big enough to hold all of the ingredients comfortably for even cooking and no spilling over.
- Prepare your sides: Prep optional sides like salad or homemade bread in advance.
- Make it vegetarian: Simply omit the chicken and use vegetable broth to easily make this a hearty vegetarian butternut soup. You may need to add more veggies to add bulk.
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
