Creamy, flavorful and ready in about 30 minutes, this vegan butternut squash soup is a recipe you don’t want to miss! It’s easy to make and perfect for meal prep. It’s the ultimate Fall comfort food.
The Eat With Clarity kitchen is in fullllll Fall mode. Sweet potato smoothies, this butternut squash soup, lentil chili, butternut squash risotto, and pumpkin everything. It permanently smells like cinnamon in my kitchen and I’m definitely not complaining.
Sit by the fire with a bowl full of this vegan butternut squash soup and top it off with some crispy roasted chickpeas. Does that not sound the perfect Fall Sunday evening?!
It’s vegan, gluten free, so creamy, incredibly flavorful, and even freezer friendly! Made with coconut milk for a rich flavor and texture. You can make it spicy with red pepper flakes, sweet with an apple, or enjoy exactly as is!
Roasting Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cut the squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds from the bottom of the squash and discard. The seeds are sometimes latched on really well to the squash, so you can also scoop them out after they roast if it’s easier.
Add the squash to a baking tray lined with parchment paper and place the cut side down.
Add the carrots and drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil on top and bake for 40-45 minutes or until the squash is easily pierced with a fork.
Roasting the butternut squash for this soup yields major flavor that you can’t get from boiling or steaming the squash. Coupled with the sautéed onions and garlic, ugh, I wish I had some leftover!
How to make this recipe
While the squash and carrots are roasting, we can prep the rest of the ingredients.
Mince the garlic and add to a pan with the chopped onion and final tablespoon of olive oil.
Saute until the garlic is fragrant and onion is translucent. This should take about 5 minutes.
When the squash is done, carefully scoop out the flesh and add to a high speed blender with the carrots, onion/garlic mixture and all remaining ingredients.
Process until completely smooth. My blender holds 8 cups of liquid which was the just enough space for this recipe, but if you have a smaller blender, you may need to do this in two batches.
When blending hot liquids, it helps to start the blender on the lowest setting, then slowly turn it up. I like to keep the center part of the lid slightly ajar to let heat escape.
Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Transfer to a pan and to keep warm or serve immediately.
This soup is perfect as a main dish with the chickpeas, but also works as a starter before the main meal. Flavors I love with butternut squash are apple kale salad, grilled chicken, roasted broccoli or rosemary flatbread.
Frequently asked questions
How can I thin it out? As written, this soup is fairly thick. If you want the soup a little thinner, you can add extra coconut milk or vegetable broth until it reaches your desired consistency.
Does it keep? This vegan butternut squash soup will keep in the fridge for about 3-5 days. Store it in an air tight container and heat it up on the stove for best results. Be sure to let it cool completely before sealing it in a container.
Can you freeze it? Yes! Be sure to let it cool completely before sticking it in the freezer. Once frozen, it should last about 1 month. Let it defrost in the fridge overnight before reheating.
You can freeze it in one container or store it in individual reusable freezer friendly bags so it is easy to reheat and pre-portioned!
Ingredient substitutions: I like using full fat coconut milk for this recipe so it’s nice and creamy, but you can use light coconut milk for a lighter version. I don’t recommend subbing the canned coconut milk for cartoned milk because it won’t be as rich or creamy.
You can use chicken broth in place of veggie broth if you are not vegan or vegetarian. However, the soup won’t last quite as long in the fridge if you use chicken broth.
Try these fall recipes next!
- Vegan Pumpkin Pasta
- Red Lentil Dahl
- Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal
- Maple Roasted Rainbow Carrots
- Bean and Lentil Chili
If you make this recipe, be sure to leave a rating and comment below. Tag me on instagram so I can see your creation!
Creamy Vegan Butternut Squash Soup
by: claire cary
Ingredients
Soup:
- 1 large butternut squash about 2 pounds
- 4 large carrots peeled
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 cup chopped yellow onion
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 can full fat coconut milk
- 1 cup low sodium vegetable broth
- ⅛ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- ½ -1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Chickpeas:
- 1 can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- ¼ tsp cumin
- ¼ tsp garlic
- ¼ tsp paprika
- ¼ tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas and dry them off, removing as many skins as possible.
- Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds.
- Add the peeled carrots and squash (cut side down) to a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Drizzle the carrots with 1 tbsp of olive oil.
- Toss the chickpeas will the olive oil and add to a separate baking tray. Don't add the seasonings yet!
- Roast both the chickpeas and the squash/carrots for 45 minutes, remove from the oven and then toss the chickpeas with the seasonings.
- Meanwhile, mince the garlic and add to a pan with the chopped onion and 1 tbsp of olive oil.
- Saute until the garlic is lightly browned and onion is translucent.
- When the squash is done, carefully scoop out the flesh and add to a high speed blender with the carrots, onion/garlic mixture and all remaining ingredients.
- Process until completely smooth. My blender holds 8 cups of liquid which was the just enough space for this recipe, but if you have a smaller blender, you may need to do this in two batches. When blending hot liquids, it helps to start the blender on the lowest setting, then slowly turn it up. I like to keep the center part of the lid slightly ajar to let heat escape.
- Taste and adjust seasonings as desired, or add a bit more vegetable broth if you want to thin it out at all. The thickness will depend on exactly how big your squash was, mine was about 2 pounds.
- Transfer to a pan and to keep warm or serve immediately with the crispy chickpeas and fresh parsley.
Christin says
This soup recipe is incredible! I loved the sweetness of the soup, as well as the crispy chickpeas on top. It was the perfect dinner for a chilly day! Thank you for another fantastic, vegan friendly dinner!
Claire Cary says
Sounds perfect! So happy you enjoyed it, thanks for the feedback!
Alexa says
My mom and I made this soup tonight and it was so good! The carrots gave the soup a nice sweet flavour and it was a hit in my house (especially with the chickpeas). I will definitely make this again on another cold day.
Claire Cary says
Thanks Alexa! So happy you liked it, it’s one of my favorites!
D’Ann says
I love this soup! I’ve been trying different butternut squash soup recipes this fall and this one is my favorite.
I’ll be trying your Tuscan White Bean soup next. With that in mind, is there a hearty gluten free bread you recommend?
Claire Cary says
So glad you liked it! For gluten free sandwich bread I really like Canyon Bakehouse, but I’ve had a hard time finding good rustic style bread. I’ll let you know when I come across some 🙂
Jamie says
Loved this recipe! Squash grows so well in our garden, so I’m looking forward to using home-grown squash next fall. In the meantime, this is a great soup for those colder winter days – the chickpeas were such a delicious addition of crunch.
Claire Cary says
Thanks for the feedback Jamie! So happy you liked it.
Michelle says
This soup was delicious. We’re trying to incorporate more plant based meals into our diet and this was the perfect addition. Loved the crispy chickpeas- started adding them to my salads as well!
Claire Cary says
Thank you Michelle! I’m so happy you liked it. I LOVE these chickpeas in salads, too!
Lisa says
This soup is delicious!!! It’s so perfect for Fall and even my picky eater kids loved it! Thanks for a great recipe.
Claire Cary says
Thank you Lisa! Glad everyone loved it ❤️