This chicken soup with butternut squash is hearty, cozy and especially perfect as a fall lunch or light dinner! Made with easy to find affordable ingredients, there's no need to turn the oven on as we make this dairy free chicken butternut soup right on the stovetop.
Have a peek at my butternut and leek soup and pumpkin chicken risotto for more warming fall meal ideas!
Much like my turmeric chicken soup and chicken cabbage soup, this fun fall recipe (but enjoy year-round!) has all the cozy warming feels, and is packed with tasty veggies and herbs! Chicken makes it hearty and gives some protein, and the veggies are so colorful and tasty.
This chicken butternut squash soup is equally delicious as a lunch recipe or a lighter dinner, served with some sides. We cook the chicken thighs right in the soup pot, making it so easy to do.
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⭐ Why this recipe is so good
All the fall feels. We use delicious butternut squash, herbs and nutmeg, making this recipe perfect for cozy soup season!
Simple ingredients. No tricky or expensive items to track down, we use more affordable chicken thighs and fresh seasonal veggies, plus some pantry staples.
Easy stovetop chicken soup. No need to turn the oven, this is a one pot meal made on the stovetop.
🐓 Ingredients
All the ingredients and their quantities are set out in the recipe card below.
Some notes on a few of them:
- Butternut squash - always delicious for fall recipes, choose one with unwrinkled skin for freshness. We peel and dice the squash to make the soup.
- Chicken thighs - we cook the boneless skinless chicken thighs right in the pot and then shred with forks. I use six small thighs, but you can use four larger too.
- Kale - I like to use curly kale, but Lacinato kale or Tuscan kale also work well. Shred the kale, then add to the pot towards the end of cook time so it holds its shape.
- Herbs and spice - I like to use thyme, oregano and nutmeg. A herbes de Provence blend could be used as a swap for the herbs.
🔪 Step by step instructions
Making this chicken soup with butternut squash is super simple, uses easy to find affordable ingredients and is a flavorful one pot recipe.
All the instructions are set out in the recipe card below, but these step by step photos should help guide you.
Step 1: Cook onion and garlic
Drizzle olive oil in a Dutch oven or soup pot and cook diced onion, garlic and celery, until softened (image 1).
Step 2: Add butternut squash
Add peeled, cubed butternut squash to the pot along with thyme, oregano and nutmeg (image 2).
Step 3: Add chicken thighs and broth
Use tongs to add the chicken thighs to the pot and pour in the chicken broth. Press the chicken thighs down so they are under the broth. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and cook with the lid on, but slightly ajar (image 3).
Step 4: Shred the chicken
Remove the chicken thighs from the pot with tongs, then shred with two forks. Add back to the pot along with the kale (image 4). Cook for a few minutes, season with salt and black pepper. Ladle into your serving bowls and enjoy!
💭 Recipe tips and notes
- Dice the butternut squash into small pieces, about half an inch thick.
- Press the chicken thighs down when you add to the pot so they are covered by the broth.
- If needed, skim any foam from the top of the soup with a wooden spoon.
- Check the chicken thighs have reached 165F as an internal temperature at their deepest point using a meat thermometer before shredding.
- You can shred cooked chicken with two forks or using a stand mixer with the appropriate attachment.
📋 Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can easily swap and use chicken breast for the soup. The cook time will likely be a little shorter if you do so. Just check it is cooked through before shredding.
It's down to personal preference whether to peel the butternut squash or not. The skin of the squash is edible, so you don't have to peel. For soups that aren't roasting the squash first though, peeling the squash gives a softer creamy texture.
Sweet potato can easily be used as a swap for butternut squash. It may break down a little more than the squash, but will still be delicious!
If you wish to blend the soup, do so after removing the chicken to shred. Blend it in an immersion blender or batches in a food processor, then add the shredded chicken to the pot afterwards.
❄️ Freezing and storage
It's very easy to freeze this chicken butternut squash for another meal! Simply allow to cool completely, then ladle portions into airtight freezer-safe containers such as appropriate tupperware. You can freeze the soup for up to 2-3 months, but my low histamine readers may like to see the SIGHI advice on freezing foods.
🥣 More cozy soup recipes
Choose from so many cozy soup recipes here, including my popular vegetable soup no tomatoes and my broccoli zucchini soup, as well as these recent recipes:
I'm always in the kitchen, so come join me on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest to be the first to hear of new recipes! And I love to hear from you - so please do leave a star rating ⭐⭐⭐ and comment if you've tried the recipe!
📖 Recipe
Chicken Soup with Butternut Squash
Equipment
- Dutch oven or large soup pot
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ onion diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- ⅓ cup celery diced
- 4 cups butternut squash seeds removed, peeled, diced into half inch pieces
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- ½ cup kale tightly packed, shredded
- 3.5 cups chicken broth
- pinch salt
- pinch black pepper
- fresh parsley optional garnish
Instructions
- Drizzle olive oil in your soup pot, then cook diced onion, garlic and celery for 4-5 minutes on a medium heat, until the onion is softened.
- Add the peeled, diced butternut squash, thyme, oregano and nutmeg. Cook for a couple of minutes, then add the chicken thighs and chicken broth. I suggest to press the chicken thighs down so they are covered by the broth. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and cook for 25-30 minutes, covered with the lid slightly ajar, or until the chicken is cooked through to 165F as an internal temperature. If needed, skim any foam from the surface of the soup with a wooden spoon.
- Remove the chicken thighs with tongs and shred with two forks. Return the shredded chicken to the pot, along with the kale. Stir through, season with salt and black pepper, and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Ladle into your servings bowl and garnish with fresh parsley.
Notes
- Dice the butternut squash into half inch pieces, roughly the same size for an even cook time.
- I've used quite small chicken thighs on recipes tests, so swap for 4 larger thighs if that's what you're using.
- Skim any white foam from the top of the soup with a wooden spoon, if needed.
- Use two forks or a stand mixer with the appropriate attachment to shred the chicken.
- Nutritional information is auto-generated and should be understood to be an estimate.
- onion, which scores 1 and as a liberator. White onion scores 0.
- garlic and nutmeg, which score 1.
- kale isn't rated.
- chicken broth will depend upon ingredients used and cook method.
- black pepper, which scores 2.
Alice L. says
just made this recipe this morning and it is so delicious. Lots of flavor and easy to make especially if you get your husband to chop up the butternut squash.
Claire says
Haha, love the butternut squash comment! Always good to find a helper for that task. So glad you enjoyed the soup and thanks so much for taking the time to comment.
Patricia says
Delicious and easy
Claire says
Lovely to hear you enjoyed the soup Patricia!
Anne Martin says
Absolutely love this recipe and have made it several times. Very easy to make but super tasty and wholesome. The hint of nutmeg makes it.
Claire says
So lovely to hear that you enjoy the chicken soup Anne! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment, much appreciated.
Hana says
A perfect dish for the chilly autumn weather. Nourishing, warming & easy to make. Definitely one to add to the favourites!
Claire says
So lovely to hear that you enjoyed it Hana! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment 🙂
Catherine says
An amazingly easy & hearty soup that was the only thing i was able to.eat & keep down for days! I added half a cup of rice when going to reheat as I needed a little more heartiness due to not being able to keep pureed or my usual meals during an especially rough patch in digestion, with many histamine flares.
Claire says
So glad it worked so well for you Catherine, and love the idea of adding some recipe to make it more hearty!