Butternut Squash Carrot Soup

This is the best Butternut Squash Carrot Soup you’ll ever try! Made completely plant-based with roasted vegetables, simple ingredients, and even simpler instructions, this recipe is almost too good to be true. Serve it warm on a cold winter evening or you can even enjoy it cold in the summer!

I’ve been seeing so many requests for plant-based recipes! I thought I’d start off with a bang giving you guys a completely vegan meal. When I hear concerns about plant-based diets, it’s always the same three things: they’re are expensive, lack flavor, and they’re not filling. Time to change that mindset!

While I don’t plan on completely transitioning to a plant-based diet, I think it’s a fantastic idea to include more meals like this and have a few meat-less nights during the week. This soup is made with inexpensive ingredients, each bite is packed with layers of deep flavor, and, wow, is it ever filling. All your concerns are vanishing right before your eyes; I can see it.

Ingredients

Click “Jump to the Recipe” at the top of the page or keep on scrolling for the recipe card to get ingredient amounts and full instructions. Below you’ll find substitutions, extra info, and helpful tips!

• Butternut squash – Between 2-3 pounds is perfect. We want enough to give the soup its gorgeous flavor and texture, but not too much that it makes the soup extremely thick.
• Carrots – Any type you have handy, peeled if needed.
• Onion – I prefer yellow or white onion for this recipe. If you only have red onion, don’t worry! The color won’t be affected much, if at all.
• Salt & pepper – Season to taste.
• Olive oil – For both roasting and sautéeing. Other oils you can use are avocado, sunflower, safflower, or vegetable.
• Garlic – Freshly minced; as much or little as you like.
• Ginger – Fresh is best for this soup. Use s Microplane to grate the ginger.
• Broth – I used veggie broth to keep this soup 100% plant-based, but you can use whatever type of broth you have on hand.
• Apple – This will add some sweetness to the soup, so pick your apple accordingly! I used a medium-sized Macintosh apple. A variety like Red Delicious will be sweeter, while something like Granny Smith will be more tart.
• Coconut milk – Make sure you’re grabbing coconut milk, or even coconut cream, from a can. The milk replacement carton style coconut milk will not be quite the same.
• Pepitas – Aka, pumpkin seeds. See below for instructions on how I roasted mine.

How to make butternut squash carrot soup

1. Roast: Preheat the oven to 375F. Toss the butternut squash, carrots, and onion with 1 1/2 tbsp of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place the veggies on a large baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes, or until the edges of the vegetables have browned and the squash is fork-tender.
2. Sauté: Heat a large pot on the stove over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, garlic, and ginger. Sauté for 1 minute, or until lightly browned and fragrant.
3. Simmer: Add the vegetable broth, roasted vegetables, cumin, and apple to the pot. Stir everything together and let the mixture come to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the pot with a lid, and cook for 10 minutes, or until the apples are tender.
4. Blend: Remove the pot from the heat. Working slowly and very carefully, use an immersion blender to blend the soup until it’s completely smooth.
5. Serve: drizzled with coconut milk and roasted pepitas.

If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can use a regular blender. Work in batches if needed, and pulse the soup until it’s completely smooth. Be extremely careful as the soup will be very hot. The same goes for that immersion blender! I pulsed it and worked slowly to get everything smooth. This type of soup is thick and has a tendency to splatter.

How to make roasted pepitas

Also known as pumpkin seeds, this simple garnish is a game-changer when you’re serving butternut squash carrot soup. They’re roasty, crunchy, and salty. I always end up making extra for snacking purposes! Adjust the amount of spices used to suit your own preference.

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Toss ~1/2 cup pumpkin seeds with 1/4 – 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/4 – 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp olive oil, and salt to taste.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the seeds in an even layer. Roast for 10 minutes, or until crisp and crackling.

Tips for making perfect butternut squash soup

• The roastier the better. Make sure the squash, carrots, and onion have a bit of color on them from the oven. This browning Maillard reaction is what makes the soup so special.
• We’re looking for silky-smooth soup. Test a few large pieces of squash to make sure they are tender before removing the pan from the oven.
• Use homemade stock! Stop tossing away veggie scraps and save them to make a ridiculously easy and intensely flavorful stock.
• Work slowly and pulse the immersion blender. This soup will splatter and it is hot!

How to store leftovers

Transfer leftovers to an airtight container and store your soup in the fridge for 4-5 days. Reheating is a cinch! You can microwave the soup, stirring every minute or so until it’s hot, or you can reheat it on the stove. Keep the heat around medium, and stir often to avoid the soup sticking to the bottom of the pot.

You can also store your soup in the freezer for up to 2 months. Reheating will be a lot easier if you let the soup thaw overnight in the fridge. If not, it will reheat easiest straight from the freezer if you use the microwave.

Loving this easy plant-based recipe? Try these!

• Oregano Pesto
• Creamy Polenta
• Watermelon and Feta Salad
• Greek Salad
• Basic Risotto with Peas (Using veggie broth instead of beef)

[ss_social_follow]