This Vegan Butternut Squash Soup Recipe Is easy to make with roasted garlic and squash. Nothing better on a cool fall or winter day than cozying up with a bowl of creamy, diary-free butternut squash soup. This one is easy to make, full of flavor, nourishing, and made with just 8 simple ingredients. The spiced pepitas just take it one step further on your journey to rockstar soup maker status!
This post was updated from the original dated November 14, 2017.
Jump to:
- Why you’ll love this recipe
- Soup Ingredients and Substitutions
- Spiced Pumpkin Seeds Ingredients
- How to peel and dice butternut squash
- How to make Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
- Debra’s Pro Tips
- Butternut Squash Soup Toppings
- Meal Prep and Storage
- What to serve with Butternut Squash Soup
- Vegan Butternut Squash Recipes
- 📖 Recipe
This is my go-to butternut squash soup recipe. It’s so easy to make and tastes incredible! I love the creamy texture, the cozy spices and the vibrant color. It’s so sweet and buttery there’s no need for actual dairy or maple syrup. This butternut soup recipe is for sure one of our fall favorites.
OMG..that roasted garlic adds so much flavor to this simple recipe. I’d say it was my favorite part of this creamy vegan soup…BUT…those roasted and spiced pumpkin seeds. Fabulous. They’re crunchy, salty, spicy…totally addictive….and just the right garnish for this vegan butternut squash soup. Trust me…and make extra.
I serve this easy butternut squash soup recipe every year on Thanksgiving Day. I make it ahead and freeze it. Then, keep it warm in my crock pot so everyone can serve themselves when they get hungry and it’s not yet time for the big meal. A great addition to our Thanksgiving traditions.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Perfect for meal prep. It tastes even better the next day.
- Freezer Friendly. Reheats like a dream.
- Sweet and also Savory. Butternut squash is naturally sweet, there’s no need to add any maple syrup.
- Naturally Vegan. A dairy-free soup that’s super creamy and delicious without any heavy cream, coconut milk or coconut cream….though I wouldn’t say no to a swirl of vegan sour cream.
- Those spiced pumpkin seeds…so delish! Good luck having enough left for garnishing the soup…sneaky little hands may steal some.
- Easy. Throw it together for an easy weeknight vegan meal.
- Impressive. Rich and creamy…just what you want to serve for Thanksgiving Day Lunch.
- Nut free: Creamy and dairy-free, with no nuts!
- Nutrient dense. Low in calories and high in vitamins A and C, plus potassium!
- Healthy comfort food. So satisfying, you can serve this easy vegan butternut soup as a main course.
Soup Ingredients and Substitutions
- Butternut squash: High in Vitamins A and C, more potassium than a banana, and a healthy dose of calcium too, butternut squash is Falls’ super star veggie. Substitute with any winter squash like delicata, hubbard, buttercup or acorn squash.
- Vegetable broth: There’s no need for chicken broth when it’s so easy to make homemade veggie broth. I keep it in the freezer so it’s conveniently available for making soup and lets me control the ingredients. If you buy already made vegetable stock, be sure to read the label. Avoid brands that use heavily processed oils or too much added sodium.
- Garlic: The roasted garlic is really what makes this butternut squash soup better than all other recipes.
- Onion: Another great flavor builder. Saute in vegetable broth to release their natural sugars, allowing them to soften and caramelize.
- Fresh Rosemary: Fresh sage thyme or oregano would also be good options for this savory squash soup.
Not only are winter squash great to use in this soup recipe, but you can easily make mashed acorn squash, or roasted delicata squash for delicious vegan side dishes.
Spiced Pumpkin Seeds Ingredients
How to peel and dice butternut squash
First wash the entire surface. When you cut through the outside of the squash, you don’t want any chemicals being dragged onto the flesh.
Step 1: Cut through the stem all the way down vertically so you have two halves. If the bottom of your butternut isn’t flat, cut off a very small sliver to it will sit flat on your cutting board without wobbling.
Step 2: Push down on the knife until squash is in two equal halves. A sharp chef’s knife and wooden board will make this task so much easier.
Step 3: Scoop out the seed cavity. I use a grapefruit spoon, which grabs the seeds and all the stringy mess. Then turn each half cut side down. Use a vegetable peeler to peel both halves.
Step 4: Cut into ½″ vertical strips. Then, cut across to make ½″ cubes.
How to make Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Step 1: Place the squash cubes, garlic cloves (with their skins still on) and fresh herbs onto a large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Step 2: Roast in preheated 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes. Squash is done when easily pierced with a fork.
Step 3: While waiting for the squash to roast, make some toasted and spiced pumpkin seeds. First place pumpkin seeds into dry heavy skillet that’s been heating over medium-high heat. Shake the pan so they don’t burn, and don’t be alarmed if the pumpkin seeds start to pop.
Step 4: When pumpkin seeds are roasted, turn off the heat. Drizzle on the 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil and then sprinkle with spices. Mix until all seeds are well coated with spice mixture and set aside.
Step 5: Heat large pot or dutch oven over medium heat, swirl in 1 Tablespoon vegetable broth. Add diced onions and saute until translucent. If pan becomes dry, add another 1-2 Tablespoons broth.
Step 6: Add roasted squash cubes to soup pot. Squeeze the pulp from the garlic skins into the pot too. Stir well. It’s ok to include any of the rosemary leaves into the pot, but discard the woody stems.
Check out my easy vegetable broth recipe for tips on storing so it’s always conveniently available when you need it.
Step 7: Cover with 6 cups vegetable broth and cook. It’s OK to add broth straight from the freezer, it will melt quickly in the hot pot.
Step 8: Cook for 10 minutes and then turn off the heat.
Step 9: Puree unti la creamy butternut squash soup emerges. I think the best way is to use an immersion blender . You can also transfer in batches to regular blender or food processor to puree and then transfer back to the pot. If the soup is too thick, use up one extra cup of broth to thin it out.
Serve warm, garnish with fresh herbs and roasted pumpkin seeds. Swirl in a dollop of vegan sour cream if desired.
Debra’s Pro Tips
- Use an immersion blender. It’s quick and easy and way less messy.
- For a silky-smooth soup, I use my Vitamix and transfer in batches.
- Save time: Buy already peeled and cubed squash.
- Save money: Buy whole butternut squash. Peel and cube it yourself.
- For a thicker soup, serve as is. BUT…if you like your soup a bit thinner, use an extra cup of broth.
Butternut Squash Soup Toppings
- Spiced and roasted pumpkin seeds. See recipe card for ingredients measurements and detailed instructions.
- Fresh herbs: chopped sage, thyme or oregano are wonderfully savory.
- Sprinkle with dried spices: paprika, crushed red pepper, cinnamon.
- Swirl in some diary-free sour cream.
- For a sweet treat, drizzle on some maple syrup.
Meal Prep and Storage
- Meal prep: Roast the squash and garlic up to 5 days in advance.
- Store: Store in an airtight container or glass jar. Vegan butternut squash soup will stay good in the fridge for 5 days or freezer for 3 months.
- Reheat: Leftover soup can be heated on the stove stirring over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, until heated through.
- Freeze: This soup freezes beautifully. Make sure it’s totally cool before ladling an individual serving size into a quart sized zip top bag. Lay flat and push out the extra air before sealing. These will stack nicely in your freezer and pack easily while still frozen in your lunch bag.
What to serve with Butternut Squash Soup
- Vegan Corn Bread goes well with pureed vegetable soups.
- My family loves to dip vegan dinner rolls into this thick and creamy soup.
- Soup for dinner is a great idea, if you pair it with a simple green salad.
- Garlicky Baby Broccoli is an awesome side dish that compliments this squash soup well.
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Butternut Squash Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Butternut squash 3 lb squash/ 4 ½ cups cubed
- 6 cloves garlic skins on
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil divided
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large onion diced
- 6 cups veggie stock
Spiced Pumpkin Seeds
- ½ cup raw pumpkin seeds
- 2 teaspoons olive oil extra virgin
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400
- Prepare squash for roasting. Cut in half lengthwise. Use a grapefruit spoon to easily scoop out seeds. Place cut side down on a wooden board and use a y-vegetable peeler to take skin off. Cut into cubes and place on large rimmed baking tray. Add garlic cloves, with the skin still on, and a couple sprigs fresh rosemary. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and mix well. Roast for 20 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a fork. Timing will depend on how big squash cubes are.
- Heat soup pot or dutch oven over medium heat, swirl in 1 Tablespoon olive oil. Add onions and saute until translucent (about 5 minutes). Remove the woody stems to the rosemary (whatever leaves have fallen off are ok to include in the pot) and add the cooked squash to pot. Squeeze garlic pulp out of skins onto the roasted squash. Stir in veggie stock and cook for about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the pumpkin seeds. Heat heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the seeds to DRY pan and toast, shaking pan once in awhile. Pumpkin seeds will start to pop as they cook, When they are toasted, but not burnt, remove from heat, drizzle with olive oil and mix until they're all coated. Sprinkle on spices and mix until evenly distributed.
- Use an immersion blender (or transfer in batches to a regular blender) to puree soup to smooth and creamy consistency.
- Serve warm, garnished with spiced pumpkin seeds, fresh herbs, a crack of black pepper and a dollop of vegan sour cream.
Notes
Nutrition
Note
The nutrition calculations were done using online tools. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients you used. You are ultimately responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information is accurate, complete and useful.
Cecilia
Oh my, this looks so good. I’m not good at making soup from scratch but this looks supereasy 🙂
Debra Klein
It is easy….you can do it. Even the veggie stock is simple….though if you prefer to buy from a box, make sure it is reduced sodium and the ingredient list is clean.
Taylor
My new go too anytime of the year.Super easy and fast. I love that you can freeze it,but there’s never any left!!!
I made the roasted beet salad last night and it was a hit as well.I added a few carrots I had left over. It was yummy ,I love balsamic vinegar.
You have quite a few recipes I’m going to try so I’m looking forward to trying. Everything looks so Good!
Debra Klein
Thanks so much Taylor! Keep cooking and don’t forget to have fun in the kitchen.
Lori
I want to make this, but have a question. After removing the woody stem of the rosemary, do you add the rosemary leaves to the soup?
Debra Klein
Yes, if any of the leaves have fallen off their woody stems, it’s fine to include them into the pot. I updated the post to include that bit of info.
Menucha
This is my family’s favorite soup! I have been making it for a few years, and it’s always a hit. I’ve made it with both home-made and store-bought vegetable broth, and both come out delicious. It’s also super easy. Thank you!
Debra Klein
You’re welcome….glad it’s working well for you.