Vegan Butternut Squash Soup
This insanely creamy vegan butternut squash soup is loaded with sweet butternut squash, coconut milk, and aromatics such as shallots, garlic, and black pepper. It's easy to make and so comforting during Fall and Winter. Serve it with a drizzle of coconut milk and French baguette!
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp oil
- 2 medium shallots minced
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- 2.8 pounds butternut squash
- 4 cups water
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 and 1/4 tsp salt adjust to taste
- 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp each: dried rosemary, dried oregano optional
- 1/3 cup full-fat coconut milk
- 1/8 tsp mushroom seasoning or 1/16 tsp MSG (optional)
Instructions
- Peel and chop the squash. Start by slicing the squash in half lengthwise. Next, use a spoon or ice cream scoop to scoop out the seeds and fibers. Next, cut the squash crosswise into 1-inch slices. Carefully peel each slice using a sharp knife and discard the peels. Chop the squash into 1-inch cubes.
- Sauté the aromatics. Heat the oil over medium heat in a deep pot or Dutch oven. Once hot, add the minced shallots and garlic, and cook for 3-5 minutes or until the shallots are soft. Note: if you have time on your hands, I highly suggest caramelizing the shallots. Cook them until they are golden brown and slightly charred. This will add even more flavor to the soup!
- Add the butternut squash. Next, add the diced squash to a pot sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring regularly.
- Cover with water. Pour the water into the pot, making sure all of the butternut is submerged. I used 4 cups of water but you may need to add more depending on the size of your pot. Season with a generous pinch of salt.
- Let simmer. Bring to a boil, cover, and let simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the squash is fork-tender. Remove from the heat and let it cool for about 15 minutes.
- Transfer to a high-speed blender. Next, using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked butternut squash and aromatics to a high-speed blender. Scoop out 1/3 to 1/2 cup of the cooking broth and add it to the blender.
- Blend. Blend on high speed for 20-30 seconds or until very smooth. At this point, you can add a bit more of the cooking broth if you find the soup too thick.
- Season. To the blender, add the sugar, ground black pepper, dried herbs and mushroom seasoning (if using), full-fat coconut milk, and half of the salt.
- Blend again. Blend for another 5-10 seconds and taste the soup. Depending on how much of the cooking liquid you used, you may need to add more salt. Taste and adjust the seasonings to your liking. Note: Do not be scared to add more salt – the soup should be sweet and salty. I usually use 1 and 1/4 teaspoon of salt in total.
- Serve the soup hot with crusty baguette or croutons! This soup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The leftovers taste even better the next day as flavors have time to merge.
Notes
Adjust the sweetness to taste.
Depending on your preference and the sweetness of your butternut squash, you might have to adjust the sweetness. I recommend starting with only one tablespoon of sugar and adding more if needed.Adjust the consistency.
You can easily play with the consistency of your soup by using more or less of the cooking broth when blending the squash. Remember that the more water you add, the more salt you might have to add to season it properly.Double it to feed a crowd!
This recipe serves about three so feel free to double it to serve more people or to have leftovers.Nutrition
Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 345 kcal | Carbohydrates: 69.3 g | Protein: 5.6 g | Fat: 9.1 g | Saturated Fat: 4.4 g | Sodium: 1189 mg | Potassium: 1792 mg | Fiber: 10.1 g | Sugar: 19.7 g | Calcium: 248 mg | Iron: 4 mg