Creamy butternut squash soup is a staple in the winter kitchen. This version elevates a classic with coconut milk, ginger, soy sauce, curry powder, maple syrup, and lime juice. Naturally vegan and gluten free!
This brightly-hued butternut squash soup brings a welcome flash of color to winter's darkest days. Butternut squash is one of my favorite vegetables to turn into soup - you don't need much to pretty it up, but the addition of fresh ginger and coconut milk makes it extra special.
This recipe calls for butternut squash, a touch of maple syrup for natural sweetness, a little curry powder for spice, and salty soy sauce to keep it from being too sweet or bland (think of this soup as more sweet-salty than anything else).
Pair bowls of soup with a loaf of easy dutch oven bread or leftover porridge bread to round out the meal.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Butternut squash soup is like sunshine in a bowl. This is such a gorgeously velvety and rich soup made extra flavorful and creamy from coconut milk. Serving bowls of soup with lime wedges alongside is a must - the punch of citrus juice brings a hit of tartness that takes this soup from delicious to utterly sublime.
- Gluten-free - I love that all of the ingredients you need for this soup are naturally gluten free!
- And dairy-free - Coconut milk also keeps this soup rich and creamy without needing dairy.
- Simple ingredients - I firmly believe vegetables don't need a lot to fancy them up. Let the delicious flavor of the squash shine through in this soup.
Ingredients You'll Need
- Olive oil - Extra virgin olive oil is always my choice, but you could use any oil here.
- Onion - A red, white, or yellow onion works fine!
- Garlic - Add more garlic if you like a lot of garlic flavor.
- Curry powder - Reduce the amount or omit it if you don't like too much spice.
- Ginger - Use fresh ginger for the best gingery flavor, or substitute 2 teaspoons of ground ginger.
- Butternut squash - Choose a squash that's in the 2-pound range.
- Coconut milk - Use unsweetened coconut milk so that the soup isn't too sweet.
- Water
- Maple syrup - Swap honey if you don't have maple syrup.
- Soy sauce - Use gluten-free tamari sauce if needed, either regular or low-sodium.
- Salt and pepper - I like fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
- Limes - Fresh lime juice is the perfect finishing touch to bowls of soup.
Variations
- Sweet potatoes - Use this method to make sweet potato soup! You'll need about two pounds of sweet potatoes in place of the butternut squash. Or you could do a mix of half squash and half sweet potatoes.
- Make it spicy - Add a little cayenne pepper to the spice mix, or drizzle hot sauce over your bowl for a kick of heat.
- Leave out the maple syrup - If you find butternut squash plenty sweet enough, leave out the maple syrup so it's not overly sweet.
How to Make Butternut Squash Soup
Here's a look at how you'll make this easy soup.
1. Cook the aromatics: Cook the onion and garlic in the olive oil until soft, then add curry powder and ginger.
2. Add the remaining ingredients: Stir in the squash, coconut milk, broth, maple syrup, and soy sauce.
3. Simmer: Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until the squash is soft, about 30-40 minutes.
4. Puree: Blend the soup until smooth.
Soup Tip
Use Broth: For a bit more flavor, you can use vegetable broth instead of water. I like to use low-sodium broths so that my soups aren't too salty. If you don't need to keep vegetarian, you can use chicken broth.
Recipe notes
- Use an immersion blender. I love leaving the soup in the pot and using an immersion blender to whiz it smooth. Be careful, because the vegetables and liquid will be hot (I prefer this method to pouring the hot soup into a blender and then back into the pot!). If you don't have an immersion blender, though, no worries, a blender or food processor will be perfect.
- Don't skip the lime. The perfect finishing touch is a drizzle of fresh lime juice! In a pinch, use lemon wedges.
- Add olive oil and cracked black pepper. A little drizzle of olive oil and a grind of fresh black pepper across each soup bowl just before serving adds a special something that elevates the flavor of the soup even more.
- Add sour cream or yogurt. For a pretty flavor contrast, swirl a little sour cream, Greek yogurt, or regular plain yogurt into each serving of soup. Use dairy-free sour cream or yogurt if needed.
Serving Options
- Popovers - Light as air popovers with a little salted butter are amazing with bowls of soup.
- Salad - Make a simple green salad with lots of fresh, crunchy vegetables.
- Bread - No knead whole wheat bread is lovely with soup, or make cute bunny bread for a festive touch.
Proper Storage
Transfer the cooled soup to an airtight container such as a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days. To reheat, heat the soup in the microwave or a pot over low heat until heated through.
If you tried this recipe please let me know! Or if you have any recipe questions, always feel free to reach out in comments or email. I hope you love it! ❤️
Recipe
Butternut Squash Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 teaspoon curry powder, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
- 1 large butternut squash, peeled and cubed
- 1 can unsweetened coconut milk
- 3 cups water, or vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- Salt and pepper
- 2 limes, wedged for serving
Instructions
- Warm the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and saute until they begin to soften, about five minutes. Add the garlic and cook another one to two minutes. Add the curry powder and ginger and saute a minute more.
- Add the squash, the coconut milk, broth, maple syrup, and soy sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until the squash is soft, about 30-40 minutes.
- Puree the soup until it's smooth and velvety. An immersion blender makes this easy (and safe!), but you can also carefully puree the soup in batches in a food processor or blender.
- Serve the soup hot with lime wedges for squeezing over the top.
Notes
- Use an immersion blender. I love leaving the soup in the pot and using an immersion blender to whiz it smooth. Be careful, because the vegetables and liquid will be hot (I prefer this method to pouring the hot soup into a blender and then back into the pot!). If you don't have an immersion blender, though, no worries, a blender or food processor will be perfect.
- Don't skip the lime. The perfect finishing touch is a drizzle of fresh lime juice! In a pinch, use lemon wedges.
- Add olive oil and cracked black pepper. A little drizzle of olive oil and a grind of fresh black pepper across each soup bowl just before serving adds a special something that elevates the flavor of the soup even more.
- Add sour cream or yogurt. For a pretty flavor contrast swirl a little sour cream, Greek yogurt, or regular plain yogurt into each serving of soup. Use dairy-free sour cream or yogurt if needed.
sonrie says
I will have to try this soup too!! And, congrats on the book - I can't wait to read it
lunch at 11:30 says
mmmhmmm. totally going to have to make that. sounds very doable, even for "beginners" (and impatient ones at that!) like me xo from balteemore!
Laurie says
I'm so excited about your cookbook! Must have it.
My husband is not a fan of squash, but I'll give the soup a try because I love it. The color makes me happy. So glad you're finding the pleasing things in Casa. Isn't it time to post another pic of bebe?
Be well, Nicole. It's freezing here in NJ. I love the blue shadows on the snow and my old dog making her way atop the ice. I could do with some warmth & I guess it will have to be from soup.
Wishing you well.