Vegan Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
It is fall tradition to have a pot of my vegan butternut squash soup heating up on the stove at least once a week. I use butternut squash, shallots, and coconut milk for a silky soup with a rich and naturally sweet flavor. This comforting meal is ready in 45 minutes and requires very little hands-on work.
Servings: 4
Calories: 183kcal
Ingredients
- 5 cups chopped butternut squash (a small squash about 1.75 lbs)
- 1 cup chopped shallots
- 5 cloves garlic , medium sized (adjust for your preferred garlic flavor)
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 10-12 sprigs thyme , about a 1 inch diameter bunch (see note)
- 2 ¼ cups lite coconut milk (about 1 1/2 13.6 fluid ounce/403 ml cans)
- 2 cups veggie broth , low sodium if needed
Optional topping:
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 F/ 230 C
- Mix the squash, shallots and garlic with the smoked paprika and salt.
- Put the mixture on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Top with the thyme sprigs.
- Bake for 35 minutes until the squash is cooked and brown on the edges.
- Remove the thyme sprigs, and put the rest into a blender with the coconut milk.
- Blend until smooth.
- If your blender is big enough, add the broth and blend until hot.
- If your blender is not big enough, pour the mixture into a pot and add the broth to the pot. Heat on the stove over medium low heat until warm.
- Serve, add toppings and dippers too!
Notes
- My #1 Secret Tip for this vegan butternut squash soup recipe is to roast the squash until the edges are lightly charred instead of just tender. Those golden brown edges develop natural sweetness and a rich roasted flavor that give my soup a more complex flavor after blending.
- Same size: I cut the butternut squash into similarly sized pieces so everything finishes roasting at the same time.
- Keep intact: I leave the garlic clove whole instead of cutting it up before adding to the roasting tray. They become sweet and mellow without burning.
- Blend well: I blend the soup for an extra minute after it looks smooth. That extra blending creates a silky texture.
- Adjust slowly: Adding the vegetable broth slowly and a little bit at a time gives me better control over the consistency without me accidentally thinning it out too much.
- Taste last: I always taste the soup after blending before adding more salt. Roasting naturally concentrates the flavors, and the broth may also add more saltiness.
Nutrition
Calories: 183kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Sodium: 607mg | Potassium: 669mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 19215IU | Vitamin C: 41.9mg | Calcium: 101mg | Iron: 1.9mg