Vegan Butternut Squash Soup
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This easy vegan butternut squash soup is thick, creamy, and full of flavor. It’s so good and simple you’ll end up making this over and over! Serve it as a hearty appetizer or as the perfect weeknight dinner during the cold winter months!
Table of contents
One of the best ways to enjoy the fall and winter is by making warm and comforting soups.
This easy soup recipe is healthy and nutritious, and it doesn’t require any fancy ingredients.
Most of the ingredients are easy to find and may already be in your kitchen.
To make this quick and flavorful soup, you’ll just need vegetable broth, carrots, onion, garlic, celery, and fresh sage, along with the star of the show: butternut squash.
This soup is great as a starter or as a simple nourishing main. It pairs well with crunchy bread or a leafy green salad on the side. It’s also great for meal prep throughout the week!
Ingredients you’ll need
For the soup:
- Extra virgin olive oil: My favorite heart-healthy cooking oil, great for sauteeing vegetables.
- Garlic & onion: To infuse the soup with its aromatic flavor.
- Fresh sage: The bold taste of sage contrasts the sweet flavor of butternut squash and give the soup a fresh garden taste.
- Butternut squash: You’ll need about three pounds of cubed butternut squash. Butternut squash is rich in antioxidants, has a natural sweetness, and blends up smooth and creamy.
- Carrots & celery: Two classic soup ingredients to give depth to our soup base.
- Vegetable stock: To thin out the soup and to add extra flavor and nutrients. If you don’t have veggie broth around, I made this soup with water as well, and it’s still delicious.
- Seasonings: Black pepper and nutmeg give this soup a hint of warming spiciness that pairs well with the naturally sweet butternut squash.
For serving:
- Fresh herbs: Freshly chopped sage and thyme give the soup an extra kick.
- Pumpkin seeds: For a healthy, nutty crunch.
How to make Vegan Butternut Squash Soup
1. Saute the vegetables. Add a large pot on the stove and heat to medium-high heat. Drizzle with a little olive oil and wait until it gets hot and shiny. Then, add the onion, garlic, salt, and sage. Sauté for five minutes or until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the butternut squash, carrots, celery, and seasonings. Give it a quick stir to combine, then pour in the vegetable broth.
2. Simmer the soup. Once all the ingredients are in the pot, turn the heat up to bring it to a boil. Once it’s boiling, turn it down to a simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the butternut squash is fork-tender.
3. Blend the soup. Add an immersion blender inside the pot and blend until the soup is creamy and smooth. You can also do this in a regular blender in batches or in a food processor. Once blended, adjust the thickness of the soup using more vegetable broth if needed. Taste and adjust seasonings.
4. Garnish and serve: Pour the hot soup into bowls, then top with fresh sage, thyme, and crunchy pumpkin seeds before serving.
How to store
Fridge: You can store this soup in the fridge for up to one week, which makes it great for meal prep. Make sure the soup is fully cooled, then add it to an airtight container or mason jar. Reheat on the stovetop in a saucepan over medium-low heat mixing well, until warmed through.
Freezing: Simply make the recipe as directed and let it cool completely. Freeze it in an airtight container (I like to use glass containers) with room to expand for up to 3 months. To enjoy, defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat. You can also use freezer bags to store this soup as well.
Tip: You might need to add some extra water or broth to thin the soup while reheating it.
Tips
Short on time? Try using pre-cut butternut squash instead of slicing it yourself. You can find this in the produce section of your local grocery store.
Roast the squash: To enhance the sweetness and natural flavor of the butternut squash, try roasting it in the oven until fork-tender. Then add the roasted butternut squash to the soup before blending.
Chop in small pieces: To ensure the butternut squash cooks quickly and evenly in the broth, make sure the cubes are all chopped roughly to the same size. I usually go for 1-inch cubes.
Creamy texture: For a decadent creamy texture, you can add 1/2 cup to 1 cup of coconut cream or full-fat coconut milk to the soup.
Reheat soup as needed: If you’re serving right away and the soup loses heat while blending, add it back to the pot and warm over medium-low heat until warmed through. Just a couple of minutes of heating is all you’ll have to do.
Flavor variations & add-ins
Try these fun flavor ideas:
- Extra protein: Add a handfull of red lentils, beans, or chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans) for some extra plant-based protein.
- Add apples: Add a chopped granny smith apple to the mix to increase the sweetness.
- Give it some spice: Spice it up by adding cayenne pepper to the soup or top each bowl with a sprinkle of red chili flakes. But be careful – a pinch of cayenne goes a long way!
- Curried squash soup: Add curry leaves, cumin seeds, yellow curry powder, or garam masala to transform this soup into a curried butternut squash soup.
- Squash & sweet potato: Add cubed sweet potatoes for a mix of flavors and texture.
- Add grains: To make this soup even more hearty and filling, serve it over a bed of cooked basmati brown rice, quinoa, farro, or your favorite grain.
- Fresh ginger: Add fresh grated ginger to the soup for a natural spice flavor with anti-inflammatory benefits.
- Greens: Add a handfull of baby spinach, kale, or other greens for extra vitamins!
- Lime or lemon: If someone in your family is not too fond of the butternut squash sweetness, a drizze of fresh lime juice or lemon juice can contrast it nicely with a bit of acidity.
F.A.Q.
You can eat the skin. In fact, it’s full of fiber and vitamins. And if you leave it on, it can reduce your prep time by a good 10 minutes. Just scoop out the seeds, and cut the butternut squash into cubes. Make sure to wash it well before adding it to the pot.
Cut your butternut squash either in half lengthwise or quarter it and remove the seeds inside. A chef knife works great for cutting the squash into pieces. Here you can find a good tutorial.
Why I love this recipe
- It’s made with simple plant-based ingredients.
- Full of nourishing, comforting ingredients.
- A great recipe to make as a main course or as a comforting appetizer.
- This is the perfect fall meal, but it’s also a delicious winter squash soup too.
- So good to reheat the next day.
Other butternut squash recipes you’ll love
- Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta with Sage
- Roasted Butternut Squash Salad
- Butternut Squash Risotto
- Butternut Squash Curry With Chickpeas
- Butternut Squash Buddha Bowl
If you try this easy vegan butternut squash soup recipe, please leave a comment and a rating and let me know how much you liked it!
Vegan Butternut Squash Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 garlic cloves - minced
- 6 fresh sage leaves
- 1 butternut squash - (3 pounds – around 6 cups peeled, seeded, and cubed) – see note 1
- 2 carrots - chopped
- 1 cup celery - chopped
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 3 cups vegetable broth - (or water)
Instructions
- Heat a large pot on medium heat. Once hot, add the extra-virgin olive oil, chopped onion, garlic, salt, and sage leaves. Sauté until soft for around 5 minutes.
- Add the cubed squash, chopped carrots, celery, ground black pepper, and ground nutmeg and stir for 30 seconds to a minute to give it time to absorb all the flavors. Then add the vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes until the butternut squash is tender (check with a fork).
- Remove from the heat, use an immersion blender, or pour the soup into a blender, and blend until smooth. Depending on how thick you like your soup, you can add an extra cup of broth, a bit at a time, and keep blending.
- Taste and adjust for seasoning. If needed, reheat the soup in the pot until it’s hot and steamy. Serve in individual bowls, and top it with some sage leaves, pumpkin seeds, and fresh thyme.
Notes
Nutrition
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