I’m all about soups as the weather dips, and nothing says warm comfort like this easy and creamy butternut squash soup. This is by far the best butternut squash soup I’ve ever made. It’s is sweet, smoky and spicy with squash, sage, curry powder and ginger, loaded with veggies, and it tastes great on its own or with a hunk of crusty bread. Swirl the optional but yummy pumpkin cinnamon cream on top for more deliciousness. This is a vegan, soy-free, nut-free and gluten-free recipe.
A bowl of soup is the ultimate comfort soup for fall and winter. This easy butternut squash soup recipe, which I love and make over and over, is one of my favorites of the season (along with my cream of mushroom soup and lentil soup). It is so simple to put together, but it tastes amazing with layers of flavor and a smooth, creamy mouth feel.
The soup comes together in one pot, and it takes just about 30 minutes to go from scratch to done. It’s a great starter course or a complete meal, depending on how hearty an eater you are. I usually eat it all by itself, curled up in front of the television, for a light and healthy meal.
Why you will love this butternut squash soup recipe
- It’s cozy and delicious. There’s so much flavor happening in this soup: the sweetness from the butternut squash and maple syrup, the heat from the ginger, curry powder and paprika and the smokiness from the sage. The texture of the soup is smooth and creamy.
- It’s easy to make. There is no reason to roast the squash first, as some recipes ask you to do. The soup comes together in one pot (you need a blender or an immersion blender as well to make it creamy), and it takes no more than 30 minutes to make.
- It’s a good looking soup. They do say we eat with our eyes first and I love soups with vivid colors. This curried butternut squash soup is a pretty orange-yellow and a swirl of the pumpkin cinnamon cream makes it even prettier.
- It’s a very healthy soup. Butternut squash is loaded with good for you nutrients, including vitamins A, potassium and fiber, among other goodies. And it’s not the only vegetable in this soup. We also have tasty leeks, carrots and celery, which make the soup tastier and healthier.
- You can make it oil free. If you don’t like added oils in your food, you can leave out the oil and saute the ginger, leeks, carrots and celery in ¼ cup vegetable stock.
- It’s everyone friendly. The soup is soy-free, nut-free, gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan.
Ingredients
- Vegetable oil. Avocado oil is my oil of choice for most cooking. You can also use coconut oil, grape seed oil, sunflower oil or safflower oil.
- Ginger. Spicy, fresh ginger is an exquisite pairing with butternut squash
- Leeks. You can use shallots or red onions if you don’t want to use leeks. Be sure to rinse the grit out of the leek after cutting it down the middle–something I have forgotten to do at times resulting in grit in the food.
- Carrots. The carrot will add more yummy flavor and color to the soup.
- Celery. You just need a stalk of it for this soup but it helps add to the complexity of the flavor.
- Butternut squash. You can also use pumpkin or any other coral fleshed winter squash. I usually buy pre-cut, cubed butternut squash, which saves a ton of time for prep on weeknights.
- 4 cups vegetable broth or vegetable stock. You can use water instead, but stock adds great flavor.
- Sage. Sage is terrific with butternut squash. If you don’t have it, you can use thyme or rosemary instead. I added a little bit of thyme along with the sage to the butternut squash soup this time.
- Paprika. Paprika adds a tiny bit of heat and more smokiness to the soup, as well as color. If you want more heat in the soup add cayenne instead.
- Curry powder. The curry powder adds complex spice notes to the soup.
- Maple syrup. This adds more depth and flavor. You can skip it and use sugar or another sweetener like stevia or erythritol.
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste.
Ingredients for optional pumpkin cream
- Pumpkin seeds. You can also use raw cashews or coconut milk for this.
- Ground cinnamon. Cinnamon, like sage and ginger, is perfect with butternut squash.
- Water or vegetable stock. To blend the seeds into a smooth paste.
How to make butternut squash soup
- Saute the aromatic base ingredients. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or large pot. Add the crushed ginger and saute for a few seconds. Add the leeks, carrots and celery, season with salt and pepper, and cook until softened but not brown, about five minutes over medium heat.
- Add the butternut squash and herbs. Saute the butternut squash for a couple of minutes, then add the sage, water, maple syrup and paprika. Stir, cover and cook 8-10 minutes or until the squash is tender and fork tender.
- Blend the soup. Transfer the soup to a blender and blend until smooth. The soup is very hot, so exercise caution and follow manufacturer instructions on blending hot liquids. You also might need to blend in batches. If you have an immersion blender you can blend the soup right in the pot. Or if you have a food mill pass the soup through the mill to puree.
- Finish the soup. Return the soup to the pot and bring back to a simmer. Check seasoning and add more salt and pepper if needed. Turn off the heat.
Make the pumpkin cinnamon cream
- To make the optional pumpkin seed cinnamon cream place all ingredients for the cream into a blender and blend until smooth. Drizzle over the soup before serving. If you are not using a high powered blender like a Vitamix, soak the pumpkin seeds in the water for 30 minutes first.
More topping ideas
- Pumpkin seeds. Sprinkle a few pumpkin seeds on the soup before serving to add crunch and nutty flavor.
- Curry powder or paprika. If you like the soup spicier, sprinkle a dash of curry powder or paprika on the soup.
- Vegan sour cream. A dollop of vegan sour cream is divine with a hot bowl of butternut squash soup.
- Chives, parsley or basil. To add a lovely dash of green and freshness to the soup bowl, chop and sprinkle on some fresh herbs.
- Coconut milk. Swirl a bit of coconut milk over the soup and sprinkle with cinnamon. Butternut squash with coconut milk tastes amazing (have you tried this butternut squash curry with coconut milk?).
- Melted vegan butter or a drizzle of olive oil. This adds a lovely dash of flavor.
Helpful tips and variations
- For easy prep use pre-cut butternut squash cubes. This saves a good bit of time peeling and cutting a whole butternut squash, making the dish much more weeknight friendly.
- Don’t add too much of the leeks and celery for a more vividly colored soup. Just one small leek and one celery will add enough flavor without toning down the orange color too much.
- If you add water instead of stock or broth, add a cube or two of vegetable bouillon if you have some for better flavor.
- You can make the soup as thick or thin as you like. If you find the consistency too thick, thin out with more water or vegetable stock. If you accidentally make it too thin, cook a little longer or stir in a slurry of ½ teaspoon cornstarch mixed with two teaspoons water and bring to a boil.
- This soup tastes amazing with butternut squash, but you can also use another orange-fleshed winter squash, including pumpkin and acorn squash.
- You can add a dash of nutmeg to the cinnamon cream, or replace all of the cinnamon with nutmeg for a different deliciousness.
Frequently asked questions
Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to three days.
You can place leftovers of the butternut squash soup in a freezer safe container and freeze up to three months. Thaw in refrigerator and reheat before serving.
Butternut squash is not highly recommended on keto diets because of its high sugar and starch content. But if you are eating a less restrictive low carb diet you can make the butternut squash soup fit in by leaving out the maple syrup and using a sweetener like stevia or erythritol. Each serving of the soup made this way will have 11 grams of net carbs.
Absolutely. Frozen squash will work just as well as fresh in this recipe. Just add it to the pot, no need to defrost.
Because butternut squash cooks quickly, I don’t think the Instant Pot saves you time with this recipe. However, if you want to make it in the Instant pot, use the saute function for step 1. After adding the butternut squash, broth and spices and herbs, cook on high pressure for five minutes. Release manually or force-release after 10 minutes, blend, and reheat in the Instant Pot liner with the “saute” function selected.
More vegan soup recipes
Butternut Squash Soup
This is by far the best butternut squash soup — sweet, smoky and spicy with squash, sage, curry powder and ginger, loaded with veggies, and it tastes great on its own or with a hunk of crusty bread. Swirl the optional but yummy pumpkin cinnamon cream on top for more deliciousness. This is a vegan, soy-free, nut-free and gluten-free recipe.
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Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 94kcal
Ingredients
For optional pumpkin cream
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Instructions
Saute the aromatic base ingredients. Heat the oil, add the crushed ginger and saute for a few seconds. Add the leeks, carrots and celery, season with salt and pepper, and cook until softened but not brown, about five minutes over medium heat.
Add the butternut squash and herbs. Saute the butternut squash for a couple of minutes, then add the sage, water, maple syrup and paprika. Stir, cover and cook 8-10 minutes or until the squash is soft and a fork goes cleanly and easily through.
Blend the soup. Transfer the soup to a blender and blend until smooth. The soup is very hot, so exercise caution and follow manufacturer instructions on blending hot liquids. If you have an immersion blender you can blend the soup right in the pot. Or if you have a food mill pass the soup through the food mill to puree.
Finish the soup. Return the soup to the pot and bring back to a simmer. Check seasoning and add more salt and pepper if needed. Turn off the heat.
Make the optional pumpkin cream
Recipe notes
- Pumpkin seeds. Sprinkle a few pumpkin seeds on the soup before serving to add crunch and nutty flavor.
- Curry powder or paprika. If you like the soup spicier, sprinkle a dash of curry powder or paprika on the soup.
- Vegan sour cream. A dollop of vegan sour cream is divine with a hot bowl of butternut squash soup.
- Chives, parsley or basil. To add a lovely dash of green and freshness to the soup bowl, chop and sprinkle on some fresh herbs.
- Coconut milk. Swirl a bit of coconut milk over the soup and sprinkle with cinnamon.
Helpful tips
- For easy prep use pre-cut butternut squash cubes.
- If you don’t like added oils in your food, saute the ginger, leeks, carrots and celery in ¼ cup vegetable stock instead of oil.
- To make the soup low carb friendly, skip the maple syrup and use erythritol or stevia instead. This will bring down net carbs to 11 grams per serving.
- Don’t add too much of the leeks and celery for a more vividly colored soup. Just one small leek and one celery will add enough flavor without toning down the orange color too much.
- You can make the soup as thick or thin as you like. If you find the consistency too thick, thin out with more water or vegetable stock. If you accidentally make it too thin, cook a little longer or stir in a slurry of ½ teaspoon cornstarch mixed with two teaspoons water and bring to a boil.
- This soup tastes amazing with butternut squash, but you can also use another orange-fleshed winter squash, including pumpkin and acorn squash.
Storage instructions
Nutrition
Calories: 94kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 0.5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.001g | Potassium: 350mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 9182IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 1mg