Silky smooth, spiced, and perfectly sweet vegan butternut squash soup! This creamy flavor-packed soup is healthy, easy to make, and oh so comforting. You'd never guess it was dairy-free!
Butternut squash soup is one of my absolute favorite fall dishes. Sort of.
See, when butternut squash soup is good, it's SO GOOD. Thick, creamy, naturally sweet and full of flavor. But more often than not, I find it disappointing. Watery, bland, and lacking in spices.
Well folks, this butternut squash soup is really, really good. I've been tweaking and perfecting this one for years and I think at this point I've pretty much got the best vegan squash soup recipe ever.
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Why This Recipe Works
- This recipe uses lots of squash, and not that much liquid. When you're making pretty much any kind of creamy vegetable soup, keep the ratio of veggies to broth super high. Higher than you think you should! Tip: Always add broth conservatively to blended soups — adding just a smidge too much broth can result in watery soup. It's much easier to fix soup that's too thick (by adding more liquid) than it is to fix soup that's too runny.
- This is a roasted butternut squash soup. Roasting removes some of the water before you add it to the soup, helping you to get an even thicker and richer soup, and it caramelizes the squash, bringing out its natural sweetness.
- This soup is made with apple. Apple adds a touch of extra sweetness, plus some tartness to balance out the flavors.
- It's also made with coconut milk. Coconut milk is the best way to add creaminess to non-dairy bisque-style soups like this one.
- Lots of spices! You can go as crazy as you like here, but don't skimp on the spices. I used a blend of cumin, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, with a touch of cayenne pepper for heat.
What You'll Need
- Butternut squash. Choose a squash with an even, deep tan color that feels heavy for it's size. You'll need one good sized squash or two smallish ones.
- Olive oil. Any type of high-heat oil can be substituted.
- Onion.
- Garlic.
- Ginger.
- Spices. We're using ground cumin, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. You can also add a pinch of cayenne pepper for heat if you'd like.
- Light coconut milk. Use canned coconut milk. I don't recommend using the type in cartons (usually labelled something like "coconut milk beverage").
- Vegetable broth. I'm a big fan of Better Than Bouillon in seasoned vegetable flavor. For a variation, try swapping out a cup or so of your broth with beer!
- Granny Smith apple. You can substitute another type of apple (or even a pear) if that's what you've got. I really like the tartness that Granny Smith adds to the soup though!
- Salt & pepper.
How to Make Vegan Butternut Squash Soup
The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
- Roast the squash. Peel and dice the squash, toss it with some olive oil, and arrange it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Pop it into a 400°F preheated oven and let it bake until the pieces are tender and just starting to brown around the edges.
- While the squash roasts, start the soup. Sweat an onion in a bit of olive oil until it begins to soften, then add the minced garlic, grated ginger, and spices. Cook everything briefly, being careful not to burn anything (which can cause the soup to become bitter).
- Add the coconut milk and your chopped and peeled Granny Smith apple. Bring the liquid up to a simmer and let it cook for a few minutes.
- Stir in your roasted butter squash and broth. Don't worry if the squash isn't ready yet! Just keep the pot at a low simmer until it is.
- Simmer the squash and apples for a few minutes.
- Blend the soup. You can either transfer it to a blending vessel such as a food processor or blender like I used, or blend it in the pot with an immersion blender. A blender or food processor is best if you like your soup super smooth, whereas an immersion blender is perfect if you like a little texture, or even some chunks.
- The soup will be really thick at this point — more like a vegetable puree. We'll take care of that in a minute!
- Return the soup to the pot if you took it out. From here you can thin the soup with extra broth or tweak the seasonings. You'll almost certainly want to season it with some salt!
- Ladle your soup into bowls and sprinkle on some toppings if you'd like. Dig in!
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does butternut squash soup keep for?
It will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for about 3 days or in the freezer for about 3 months.
Is this soup gluten-free?
It is!
More Vegan Butternut Squash Recipes
- Vegan Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells
- Butternut Squash Chili
- Butternut Squash Pasta with Kale & Walnuts
- Spicy Vegan Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese
- Thai Butternut Squash Curry
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📖 Recipe
Ultra Creamy Vegan Butternut Squash Soup
Silky smooth, spiced, and perfectly sweet vegan butternut squash soup! This creamy flavor-packed soup is healthy, easy to make, and oh so comforting. You'd never guess it was dairy-free!
Servings 6
Calories 215kcal
Ingredients
- 3 pounds butternut squash*, (cut into 1-inch cubes - about 8 cups)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- Pinch cayenne pepper
- 1 (14 ounce or 400 ml) can light coconut milk
- 3 cups vegetable broth, or as needed (divided)
- 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced
- Salt & pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Place the butternut squash into a large bowl and drizzle it with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Stir or toss the squash with your hands to evenly coat it with the oil.
- Arrange the squash on the baking sheets. Place them into the oven and bake the squash for about 30 minutes, until tender.
- While the squash bakes, begin the soup. Coat the bottom of a large pot with the remaining tablespoon of oil and place it over medium heat.
- When the oil is hot, add the onion. Cook the onion, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until it becomes soft and translucent.
- Stir in the garlic, ginger, cumin, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and cayenne pepper. Cook everything for about a minute, until the garlic becomes very fragrant.
- Stir in the coconut milk and the apple. Raise the heat and bring the liquid to a simmer.
- Lower the heat and allow everything to cook at a low simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- When the squash has finished baking, stir it into the soup, along with 1 cup of broth. Raise the heat to bring the liquid to a boil.
- Lower the heat and allow the soup to simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the pot from the heat. Blend the soup either using an immersion blender, or by transferring it in batches to a food processor or blender. Always be super careful when blending hot liquids.
- Return the soup to the pot (if you removed it) and thin it with additional broth. Use as much broth as needed to reach your desired consistency — I use 2 cups. Heat it back up if needed.
- Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste. Adjust any other seasonings to your liking.
- Ladle into bowls and serve.
Notes
*Weigh your squash before prepping it. You'll end up with about 2 ½ pounds after peeling, dicing and removing the seeds.
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Nutrition
Serving: 1.5cups (â…™ of total recipe) | Calories: 215kcal | Carbohydrates: 35.6g | Protein: 3.5g | Fat: 8.8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 399mg | Potassium: 913mg | Fiber: 5.9g | Sugar: 10.4g | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 11mg
I am new to "Vegan" recipes and made this as I LOVE soups and this was fabulous!
I love the addition of the apples. What other veggies can I roast with the butternut squash to make this super veggie packed? Would Leeks, Carrots, Zucchini, Cauliflower or Broc work? I'm not sure which veggies may alter the taste significantly, so please provide me your expertise for additional veggies to "roast" along with the butternut squash.
Also, I used the coconut milk (unsweetened) in the can, that was new for me. It worked great BUT what other alternatives (I've read "soaked cashews?? How much for a double batch (12 servings) and how long to soak? And when to add to the soup?).
Making this for my DIL who is busy with new baby, I know she will appreciate and so will I!
I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Root veggies like sweet potatoes, carrots, and parsnips would all be great! I'd avoid broccoli and zucchini, but cauliflower and yellow squash could work. Also, not a veggie, but I have a recipe where I combine red lentils and butternut squash: https://www.connoisseurusveg.com/red-lentil-butternut-squash-soup-curry-croutons/ You can definitely use cashews in place of coconut milk. For a double batch of this recipe, I'd use 1 1/2 cups of raw cashews. Soak them in water for 4 to 8 hours, then drain, rinse, and blend them with 2 1/2 cups of water. I would add it at the end, after you blend the soup (cashews can take longer to blend than veggies, so separate is better).
This recipe did not work at all. We followed it exactly, but it had way too many spices, which overwhelmed the squash's flavor. There was no sweetness to it. Finally, it was super thick...way too dense to be enjoyable. Definite thumbs down.
Sorry this one didn’t work out for you! The squash should provide plenty of natural sweetness — it sounds like yours might have been a dud. The post includes some tips on choosing a good one, and it helps to taste a piece after roasting to make sure it’s flavorful. If it’s not, a touch of sugar or maple syrup can balance things out. The spices are meant to give the soup a cozy flavor, but you can always scale them back. And for texture, the recipe notes that you can thin it with extra broth after blending to reach your preferred consistency.
Such a wonderful recipe. I added some spaghetti squash as well because I had some leftover.
The flavors are superb!
Thank you so much for this.
Great recipe! I was looking at other recipes first and made my soup with those. I was not happy with the result so I came here and managed to fix my soup! The flavor from these spices, especially the cinnamon, was exactly what I was looking for.
I love this recipe and have made it many times. I ofent substitute half of the broth with dry white wine. And I always add two roasted red or yellow bell peppers--usually the Italian ones from a jar. We garnish with toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds), cilantro, vegan sour cream, and Aleppo pepper flakes.
This was delicious! The only difficult part about the recipe was getting the butternut squash out of the butternut squash. I ended up cutting it in half and roasting the whole thing and then cutting it in big chunks and cutting the rind off of those chunks. I just couldn’t get it off with a peeler. But other than that it was simple, warm, and perfect for the season!
To make it easier to peel, cut both ends off the butternut squash and poke holes all over it with a fork. Then microwave the entire squash for 3-1/2 minutes. It will peel much more easily. Slice it in half lengthwise and remove the seeds.
Thanks! I'm going to give this a try next time I cook with butternut squash!
Hey so this is going to be my first time making butternut squash soup...so I’m just curious why would some recipes call for maple syrup and others don’t? What does this add in terms of depth of flavour besides sweetness to the soup?
I also seen in some recipes they add thyme...?? Any ideas on why and what this would add in terms of depth of flavour to the soup?
I’m not a vegan or vegetarian and I’ve seen in quite a lot of recipes how they substitute chicken broth instead of veggie broth and I was just wondering if anyone has tried that with this recipe and could tell me the difference it makes in taste.
Thanks!
The maple syrup just adds some additional sweetness - you can leave it out if you prefer. There are a lot of spices you can season butternut squash soup, and thyme is just one of them. Thyme would add some savory flavor, and I wouldn't recommend adding it to this particular recipe - I think it could clash with some of the other spices I've chosen. Since this is your first time making the soup I'd recommend following the recipe exactly, and then maybe experiment with switching things up as you get the hang of it. Another variation you could try would be to leave out the maple syrup and use a mix of savory spices like thyme and sage instead of the ones used in this recipe. Good luck and I hope you enjoy the soup!
Amazing as always. Your recipies are always on point, flavorful and easy to follow. Keep 'em coming. Thank you for sharing your love of food.
I'm so glad you enjoyed it! I will absolutely keep them coming!
Any recommendations for adding protein? I was thinking maybe trying red lentils in the soup for dinner tonight.
Red lentils would be great - I actually have an older recipe for red lentil butternut soup! https://www.connoisseurusveg.com/red-lentil-butternut-squash-soup-curry-croutons/
Made this last night, SO good! It has this amazing silky, creamy texture and the seasonings are perfect. Mine did turn out SUPER thick, it was difficult to blend and I had to add an extra cup of broth at the end, but I agree that it is easier to thin a soup than thicken it!
I'm glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much Anne!
So creamy, so tasty, so satisfying!
We did this last night, and it was wonderful. Thank you for, once again, a fantastic recipe! :)
Awesome! I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks Christian!
Hiya 😊 Would I be able to make this with pumpin puree instead? I have to make 10 litres of pumpkin soup for a charity event and it's something I've never made before. Also, would this soup freeze successfully?
Am reeaalllyy hoping it's a "yes" to both questions. 🤞🤞
Thank you
I think it would work with pumpkin puree! I'm not sure how much though - maybe 6 cups, but that's just a guess. I can confirm that it freezes great though!