THE WELLNEST • Food • Recipes

An RD’s Easy Vegan Butternut Squash Soup Recipe

By Miriam Jacobson, MS, RD, CNS • November 12, 2020

Miriam Jacobson, MS, RD, CNS, shares a vegan butternut squash soup recipe that’ll promote good health and delight your tastebuds all winter long. Like most winter squashes, butternut squash is very healthy for you and a great addition to your winter meal plan. Here’s how to make vegan butternut squash soup to stay warm and nourished as the temperatures drop.

Nutrition Highlights

Before getting to the vegan butternut squash soup recipe, let’s first look at the nutrition highlights of the star ingredient of this savory cold-weather staple. Butternut squash contains a ton of different carotenoids, which are antioxidants that help reduce cellular stress and damage. Squash also contains pectin, a type of fiber that helps to improve satiety. Additionally, pectin supports digestion and healthy sugar metabolism. Lastly, squash is remarkably high in B-complex vitamins, which are depleted with alcohol consumption and stress. B-complex vitamins improve your energy levels and mood.

Best butternut squash variety next to ingredients for a healthy vegan butternut squash soup recipe

How to Pick Butternut Squash

First things first: We need to pick out a good butternut squash. Make sure to look for a squash that:

is firm and feels heavy for its size
is a dark shade of beige
has matted (rather than glossy) skin

How to Cut Open Butternut Squash

Next, butternut squash are notoriously difficult to open. Here’s how to open one safely:

Slice the ends off with a sharp knife.
Peel the skin off with a Y-shaped vegetable peeler.
Cut off the bulbous end of the squash. Slice it in half and scoop out the seeds.

I like setting the seeds aside so that I can clean and then roast them. They make a delicious garnish!

Vegan Butternut Squash Soup Recipe

This easy butternut squash soup recipe is perfect to whip up in cooler weather.
Also, while many squash soups are made with milk or heavy cream, this version is vegan. So not only is it friendly for vegetarian and plant-based eaters, but it can also help reduce congestion that’s often associated with eating dairy.

PREP
20 min

COOK
1 hour

SERVES
6

INGREDIENTS

2 cups vegetable stock
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 white onion, peeled and roughly chopped
1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
1 medium butternut squash (about 3-4 lbs), peeled, sliced, and diced
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 pinch of cayenne (optional)
1/2 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
Roasted squash seeds for garnish (optional)

SUPPLIES

Large stockpot
Sharp knife
Veggie peeler

INSTRUCTIONS

In a large stockpot, mix the veggie stock, garlic, onion, carrot, squash, and all of the spices.
Cook on medium-high until it starts to simmer. Cover the pot and allow to simmer for 25 minutes until veggies are tender and can be easily mashed. (While your squash is cooking, this is a great time to clean and cook your seeds. See below for steps.)
Add the coconut milk.
Using an immersion blender or high-speed blender, puree the soup until completely smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste, as well as any extra spices to your liking.
Serve warm topped with roasted squash seeds.

How to Roast Squash Seeds

Preheat your oven to 200° F.
Rinse the goop and fiber off the seeds, then dry them on a kitchen towel.
Spread the seeds on a baking sheet. Lightly oil and season with salt and pepper.
Cook for about 20 minutes, or until the squash seeds become golden brown.

A Final Tip
The butternut squash soup will keep in your fridge for five days.
If you have leftovers, consider freezing them as soup cubes. I personally love this hack so that I don’t get bored of eating the same meal back to back. When frozen, the squash soup will keep for six months.