A secret to making the best Healthy Butternut Squash Soup is to add a whole head of roasted garlic and a splash of coconut milk. Super easy and delicious. Eating healthy never tasted so good. This creamy soup is vegan and gluten-free too.
If crispy fall air makes you crave a little comfort food, then soup is just the perfect recipe for that.
This healthy Butternut Squash Soup with roasted garlic, warming spices and coconut milk is so flavorful and soothing.
Ready in about 40 minutes, it's great when you're craving comforting soup, but don't want just anything out of a can.
The recipe is very easy to make. Just like my Butternut Squash and Black Bean Salad or Stuffed Acorn Squash, this vegan Butternut Squash Soup a "must" for chilly autumn and winter nights.
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Here's Why This Recipe Works
- it’s made with clean and good-for-you ingredients and is very satisfying. Unlike other squash soups, my version is made without apple. Instead, I use roasted garlic and tomato. The roasted garlic paired with the sweet butternut squash gives this soup a perfect texture and a flavor that's anything but boring;
- Butternut squash is absolutely loaded with vitamins and minerals, and its mild, slightly nutty flavor is delicious enough for the whole family;
- this creamy plant-based butternut squash soup is quick and easy to make and perfect for an easy weeknight dinner or just cozying up with on a cold day
Packed with a variety of healthy veggies, this butternut squash tomato soup is good for you, too.
Ingredients
Here's an overview of the specific ingredients for this recipe. For the exact ingredients and measurements, please scroll to the recipe card below.
Recipe Notes
To make this easy butternut squash soup recipe, you only 13 ingredients:
- butternut squash - in this recipe I use about a squash that is about 2 lbs. You can either weigh it in a store. Most grocery stores have convenient weights to weigh your produce. Or, you can weigh it at home using a portable kitchen scale;
- garlic. You'll need the whole head of it. I recommend picking the biggest that you have, because roasted garlic produces phenomenal flavor. This will make your soup taste even better;
- vegan butter. I add butter for the creaminess and richness. You can skip it and just use olive oil if you want;
- cayenne pepper - I use just a pinch, which gives this soup just enough spiciness. You can use more if you like or omit it altogether;
- plant-based milk. In this easy vegan butternut squash soup recipe I use coconut milk. It acts as a heavy cream and because of its high fat content, it makes this soup taste richer. Don't worry, you won't taste the coconut. If you don't have coconut milk, you can substitute with the oat milk or soy milk. In that case, you can use a little more milk to make the soup creamier.
🔪 Instructions
- Roast the garlic and tomato
Preheat the oven to 420º F and line a small baking tray with parchment paper. Slice a quarter inch of the top part of the garlic head, leaving the cloves exposed. Drizzle the garlic and tomato with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and roast for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let garlic and tomato cool on a counter.
- Cook the vegetables
Heat the remaining olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and ¼ tablespoon of salt. Sauté until the vegetables have softened, about 7 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the vegetables to a plate.
- Sauté the butternut squash
In the same pot melt the vegan butter, then add the butternut squash. Sauté on a medium high heat for 5 minutes giving it an occasional stir. Pour in half of the vegetable broth and cook on medium-low heat until the squash is tender, about 20 minutes.
- Combine ingredients
Add the onion and carrot back to the pot along with the paprika, cumin, cayenne pepper and the remaining salt. Peel the roasted tomato, slice it in half, remove the seeds and roughly chop. Squeeze the garlic pulp out of its skin and add it along with the tomato to the soup. Simmer the soup for 5 more minutes.
- Blend and add the coconut milk
Using an immersion blender, puree the soup. If you're using a stand blender, you can puree the soup in batches. If soup is too thick to your liking, add ½ - 1 cup of broth. Add the coconut milk and heat through, adjusting the seasoning if necessary. Remove the soup from the heat. Ladle soup into bowls and serve.
Cook's Tip
Don't skip roasting the garlic and tomato to save time, though! They make the flavor of the other vegetables enhanced and richer.
In terms of herbs and spices, I like to keep it simple. Cumin, paprika and cayenne pepper are all this best butternut squash soup needs. If you want more of a warm autumn flavor, you can also add a pinch of nutmeg or cinnamon.
Add-Ons
If you want to add some texture to the easy butternut squash recipe, you use the following additions:
- pumpkin seeds (also called "pepitas")
- oven-baked croutons
- dusting of spice, like smoked paprika
- nutritional yeast, which has a "cheese" flavor and also provides a good amount of nutrients
If you have other vegetables in your refrigerator, you can roast them along the garlic and tomatoes and incorporate them into a soup. That way, the butternut squash soup will be even more satisfying and nutritious.
Frequently Asked Question
Just like any vegetable soup, butternut squash soup is an extremely satisfying soup that is also good for your body. Butternut squash in particularly is a highly nutrient vegetable that provides a quality fiber, vitamins and minerals. Because of its creamy consistency, the soup is easy on digestion and keeps the body hydrated.
Absolutely. Make sure it's fresh and has the same weight as required in the recipe.
Yes. Although it tastes slightly more soothing when hot, the soup can also be eaten cold.
Although most recipes call for roasted butternut squash, I find this unnecessary. That being said, you can roast the squash alongside garlic and tomato and then finish the soup by simmering it for a bit in vegetable broth and coconut milk.
For more filling and calorie-dense soup, feel free to add 2-3 potatoes.
Serving Suggestions
This easy butternut squash soup can be enjoyed as a light stand alone meal with some crusty bread. My 2 Hours No-Knead Bread is a great choice.
If you're serving this squash soup for a big holiday like Thanksgiving or Christmas, then I recommend pairing it up with a cornbread.
In addition, you can roast 2 garlic bulbs and save one to make my ultimate Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes recipe. You can top it off with a simple Mushroom Stroganoff and pair it up with a healthy vegetable salad like Creamy Cauliflower Salad or Asian Beet Salad.
To round up a flavorful meal, I recommend a classic Pumpkin Pecan Pie.
Storing And Reheating
This roasted garlic and tomato butternut squash soup stores extremely well.
If you're planning to consume it within a few days, I recommend storing it in the cooking pot or airtight container in the refrigerator. That way it'll keep fresh for 3 days.
You can also double or triple the batch and freeze the soup. Distribute the soup among freezer-friendly bags, lay flat in the freezer and store for up to 3 months.
To defrost a soup, transfer it from the freezer bag into a small pot. Simmer on a medium low heat for a few minutes until the soup is heated through.
🍲 Similar Recipes
If you're looking for a quick overview of the recipe, please check out my Healthy Butternut Squash web-story.
Recipe
Healthy Butternut Squash Soup
Equipment
- Immersion blender
Ingredients
- 1 head garlic
- 1 medium tomato
- 2 tablespoon olive oil divided
- 1 medium onion minced
- 1 large carrot chopped
- 2 tablespoon vegan butter
- 1 butternut squash about 2 pounds, peeled with seeds removed, chopped into cubes
- 4 c vegetable broth
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¾ teaspoon salt divided
- ½ c coconut milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 420º F and line a small baking tray with parchment paper. Slice ¼ inch top part of the garlic head off leaving cloves exposed. Drizzle garlic and tomato with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and roast for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let garlic and tomato cool on a counter.
- Heat the remaining olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, ¼ teaspoon of salt, and sauté until vegetables have softened, about 7 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer vegetables to a plate.
- In the same pot melt vegan butter. Add butternut squash and sauté for 5 minutes. Pour in 3 cups of vegetable broth and cook on a medium-low heat for 20 minutes, or until squash is tender.
- Add onion and carrot back into the pot along with paprika, cumin, cayenne pepper and the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt. Peel roasted tomato, slice it in half, remove the seeds and roughly chop. Squeeze the garlic pulp out of its skin and add it along with the tomato to the soup. Cook everything for 5 more minutes.
- Using an immersion blender, puree the soup. If soup is too thick to your liking, add ½ - 1 cup of broth. Add coconut milk and heat through. Adjust the seasoning if necessary and remove soup from the heat. Ladle soup into bowls and serve.
Natalia Bartkova says
I like to have this soup in this particular season when you can buy a fresh butternut squash and make from the scratch. very good recipe. I am not vegan and I like to do this soup with heavy cream.
Iryna says
Thank you Natalia for your comment!
Kulia says
Vegan butter... Is it the same as margarine?
Iryna says
They're similar but margarine also may contain water and vegetable oils, such as soybean, corn, palm, canola, or olive oils.
Katrina Bodner says
Wow this is incredible so much flavour. I will be making this over and over again. Thank you. The roasted garlic comes through perfectly. This soup feels like a warm hug.
Iryna says
Katrina, thank you so much for your comment and a 5 star rating! I'm happy you enjoyed this soup as much as I do.