This is the ultimate butternut squash soup recipe – full of flavour and warming spices.
Butternut squash soup is a go-to for those who love a classic, creamy soup. This vegan recipe uses curry powder, cinnamon and chilli to give the soup a deep, spicy flavour that is perfect for warming you up on a cold day or night. The natural creaminess of butternut squash and the added coconut milk give this soup a delicious velvety texture that is great for dipping warm bread into.
This recipe is simple and makes plenty of soup to share a hearty bowl with friends or family. The three main elements to create a great tasting and creamy soup are this: sauté your aromatic base (shallots and garlic in this case), season with spices, and blend it up!
An immersion blender (AKA a stick blender) works the best for blending soup as you can blend the ingredients right there in the pot. If you don’t own one, however, don’t worry – you can still use a normal blender by carefully transferring the soup mix from the pot using a large ladle. This does tend to be trickier and messier but will still work!
To make this soup even more impressive, decorate it with a swirl of coconut milk; start with a blob in the centre of the soup in a bowl and draw it outwards in a spiral using the back of a spoon. Sprinkle on chilli flakes and pumpkin seeds for extra garnish. Enjoy!
Spiced Butternut Squash Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp. coconut or avocado oil
- 2 medium shallots (thinly diced)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced (2 cloves yield ~1 tbsp. or 6g)
- 1kg peeled & chopped butternut squash (1 medium butternut squash )
- 1 pinch each sea salt + black pepper (plus more to taste)
- 1 1/2 tbsp. curry powder
- 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. chilli (or garlic chilli paste)
- 1 can light coconut milk
- 0.5l vegetable broth (DIY or store-bought)
- 2-3 tbsp. maple syrup (or sub coconut sugar)
- chilli flakes (to decorate)
- roasted pumpkin seeds (to decorate)
Method
- Heat a large pot over a medium heat.
- Once hot, add the oil, shallots, and garlic. Sauté for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add the butternut squash and season with salt, pepper, curry powder, and ground cinnamon. Stir to coat the butternut squash pieces in the seasoning. Then, cover and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the coconut milk, vegetable broth, maple syrup or coconut sugar, and chilli garlic paste.
- Bring to a low boil over a medium heat and then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes or until the butternut squash is soft enough to put a fork in.
- Use an immersion blender and puree on a high setting until smooth and creamy.
- Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more curry powder, salt, or sweetener as needed. Continue cooking for a few more minutes over a medium heat.
- Serve as is or with garnishes of choice. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or in the freezer up to 1 month.