This vegan curried butternut squash soup is ultra creamy yet dairy free, with a silky texture you'll want to swim in (or maybe that's just me...). The soup gets its richness from roasted butternut squash and coconut milk, and is flavored with curry, warming spices and ginger. Serve it as an elegant starter to a special occasion meal, or curl up with it on the couch for an easy, cozy dinner.
Ingredients and swaps
- Squash: You can use butternut squash in this soup or another winter squash variety such as buttercup squash (buttercup is similar to butternut but is slightly richer and sweeter).
- Coconut oil: Coconut oil gives the soup subtle flavor, but you can use olive oil instead.
- Leeks: I love the mild, sweet flavor of leeks in this soup but you can swap them out for diced onion.
- Ginger and serrano chile: Fresh ginger gives the soup lovely kick while serrano chile lends a subtle spice (you can use jalapeno pepper instead if you prefer, or even just a pinch of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes).
- Curry powder, cinnamon, allspice: The soup is flavored with warming spices, giving it an incredible aroma.
- Brown sugar: Brown sugar lends a hint of sweetness, balancing the flavors. You can swap it out for maple syrup or coconut sugar.
- Coconut milk: I prefer full-fat coconut milk for its rich texture, but you can use light coconut milk if you prefer. You can swap out the coconut milk for heavy cream, if you prefer.
- Water: I prefer to use water instead of vegetable broth or chicken broth in this soup, as it allows the sweet flavor of the squash to shine through.
- Lime juice: A spritz of fresh lime juice brightens up all the flavors (if you don't have a lime you can use lemon juice instead).
How to make curried butternut squash soup
This is an easy, flexible soup. To turn it into a quick and easy weeknight dinner, roast the squash a day or two in advance.
- Roast a halved butternut squash on a large baking sheet until tender, then scoop out the flesh (if you do this ahead, refrigerate the squash until needed).
- Cook leeks, ginger and serrano chile in a large pot over medium heat until tender, then add curry powder, cinnamon, and allspice. Cook for 1 minute, then scrape in the roasted butternut squash puree. Add brown sugar, coconut milk and water, and bring the soup to a simmer. Cook, covered, for 20 minutes.
- Working in batches, puree the creamy soup in a blender or using an immersion blender. Squeeze in fresh lime juice and adjust the seasonings as desired.
Serving suggestions
I love to swirl a bit of coconut milk or cream into this soup before serving, as well as to sprinkle it with toasted coconut flakes and fresh cilantro (they're optional, however). Toasted pumpkin seeds are also a lovely garnish. Serve the soup on its own, or with bread for dunking - naan bread is especially delicious.
Vegan butternut squash soup
Coconut milk not only lends this vegan butternut squash soup creaminess, but it's also the perfect complement to the curry spice. It's a dairy free soup, but nobody will know it!
Recipe tips:
- You can roast the squash several days in advance, which turns this into an easy weeknight meal.
- For an ultra silky texture, use a high-speed blender (like a Vitamix) to puree the soup. For a slightly coarser texture, use a regular blender or a stick blender.
- Don’t feel tied down by the measurements in this recipe. Feel free to adjust the flavors and seasonings according to what you like and/or have!
- Like all soups, this roasted squash soup tastes even better with time and can be made a few days in advance.
- For slow cooker soup ideas, check out my book, Fresh Flavors for the Slow Cooker!
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FAQs
Pair butternut squash soup with grilled cheese sandwiches, cornbread, or a large green salad for an easy weeknight meal. You can also serve the soup as an elegant first course to just about any meal - it's perfect for the holidays!
Butternut squash soup can be refrigerated for up to 5 days (or it can be frozen!).
Yes! The soup can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Butternut squash pairs perfectly with sweet and spicy flavors, such as curry powder, cinnamon, ginger and chiles (or chili powder). A touch of brown sugar or maple syrup rounds out the flavors.
Other healthy, easy soups to try:
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Curried Butternut Squash Soup Recipe (Vegan)
Ingredients
- 1 3 ½ to 4 pound butternut or buttercup squash
- ¼ cup virgin coconut oil or neutral vegetable oil
- 2 large leeks, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
- 1 serrano chile, seeded and minced
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 13.5- ounce can coconut milk
- 3 cups water
- Juice of half lime
For serving
- Coconut cream or coconut milk, for swirling (optional)
- Fresh cilantro leaves (optional)
- Toasted coconut flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cut the squash in half lengthwise. Spoon out and discard the seeds. Drizzle the squash flesh lightly with olive oil, then place the halves, cut sides down, on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until the flesh is tender when pierced with a small knife, 45 minutes-1 hour. Let cool, then scoop out the flesh (you should have roughly 4 cups). Do Ahead: The cooked squash can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.
- In a large saucepan, heat the coconut oil over medium-low heat. Add the leeks, ginger and serrano chile, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 8-10 minutes, or until the leeks are tender but not browned. Add the curry powder, cinnamon and allspice, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the cooked squash and brown sugar, and season with salt and pepper. Pour in the coconut milk and water. Stir, breaking up any large chunks of squash with a wooden spoon. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, covered, 20 minutes.
- Working in batches, puree the soup using a blender or hand blender. Pour the pureed soup into a clean saucepan. If the soup is too thick, thin it with water. Squeeze in the lime juice, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook until warmed through.
- Ladle the soup into serving bowls. If you'd like, drizzle the soup with coconut cream and garnish with cilantro leaves and toasted coconut flakes.
Notes
- You'll need a large butternut squash soup for this vegan squash soup recipe. Buttercup squash also works wonderfully (it's slightly sweeter and denser than butternut).
- You can roast the squash several days in advance, which turns this into a quick and easy weeknight meal.
- For an ultra silky texture, use a high-speed blender (like a Vitamix) to puree the soup. For a slightly coarser texture, use a regular blender or a stick blender.
- Don’t feel tied down by the measurements in this recipe. Feel free to adjust the flavors and seasonings according to what you like and/or have!
- Like all soups, this roasted squash soup tastes even better with time and can be made a few days in advance.
- For slow cooker soup ideas, check out my book, Fresh Flavors for the Slow Cooker!
Allie says
Hey, I made this for supper tonight, it was amazing. Thank you. I found it a little too sweet so I may omit the brown sugar altogether next time. Oh yes, there WILL be a next time. Next time I also plan to add another chili!
Nicki Sizemore says
Thank you so much, Allie!! I sometimes omit the brown sugar as well, depending on the sweetness of my squash. Happy holidays!
Millie | Add A Little says
Looks amazing Nicki - I love the flavours!