Butternut Squash Soup with Coconut Milk
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A rich and creamy roasted butternut squash soup with coconut milk, roasted garlic, peppers, onions and tomatoes, woodsy rosemary and thyme and just enough miso for a deep layer of umami brimming in every bite. Good for you cozy comforting vegan food to enjoy and nourish you all winter long.
Butternut Squash Soup with Coconut Milk
This perfect fall and winter soup must be added to your holiday menu and kept on rotation all winter long. Make it festive with a garnish of fried sage leaves for that magical Thanksgiving and Christmas aroma that is not to be missed. Although it contains coconut milk this butternut squash soup recipe is rich and savory and does not actually taste like coconut, I used it for its richness and creaminess and to add depth and complexity to the flavor profile. Easy, deeply satisfying and the oven does all the cooking for you.
About the Butternut Squash
‘Tis the season for winter squashes so by all means start from scratch here and use a fresh small butternut that weights about one pound or so, don’t worry too much if it’s a little more or less. You’ll want to peel it first, cut it in half lengthwise then using a spoon simply scoop and discard the seeds or save them for roasting. Cut the flesh into big chunks, season and roast away. If you don’t have access to fresh you are free to use the frozen one and it will be delicious. No need to defrost it, simply season and roast with the rest of the aromatics until soft.
Ingredient Notes + Tips
- Onion – An important aromatic in most dishes you’ll want to use a medium size sweet yellow onion here and quarter it before roasting. By keeping the chances large it will prevent burning and instead caramelizing and developing a natural sweetness as it roasts.
- Bell Pepper – Use a large one of any color you might have, it acts as an aromatic and brings a unique roasted flavor to your soup once blended, don’t skip it.
- Tomatoes – A cup full of cherry tomatoes is all you need to add some balance to the earthy flavors predominant in this soup. All I care about really is that they are juicy tomatoes (so no grape tomatoes if possible), they could be sliced up Romas or any garden tomato you can find this time of the year depending on where you live in the world. They will concentrate their flavors and sweeten as they roast and release their beautiful delicious juices.
- Roasted Garlic -Start with one large head of garlic and slice off the pointy end to expose the cloves. Season it well with the rest of the veggies and make sure to place it cut side down in the middle of the pan surrounded by the veggies. This method will help it steam and cook on the inside without drying out and burning, yielding a buttery soft texture with a mildly sweet aroma and no pungency. So good you could slather it on toast and call it a day. DON’T SKIP IT!
- Rosemary + Thyme – Two woodsy herbs I absolutely love having in this soup, you can use dry or fresh but remember to discard the stems before blending.
- Miso + Nooch – Savory goodness packed with micronutrients and brimming with umami flavor, use both, you’ll be happy you did.
- Fried Sage – My favorite garnish this time of the year that tastes and smells like the holidays. Simply fry dry sage leaves in some melted vegan butter until crispy and sprinkle with some fine sea salt. You can even spoon some of that sage butter over the top for a little divine indulgence worth all the calories.
The Coconut Milk
Although I’m using it for lusciousness and creaminess I like to reach for the low fat cans because it’s more than enough and nobody needs that extra saturated fat. Do as you please! The most important part is to use real organic coconut milk that contains only 2 ingredients: coconut + water. No gums, no preservatives, no extras and is certified fair trade.
On Storage + Reheating
This soup is fabulous made ahead and reheated the following day after all the flavors got a chancy to marry. Reheat on the stove top until bubbly hot. It can be refrigerated up to 5 days (just because I’m not the FDA) and frozen in freezer proof lidded containers up to 4 months. Thaw out in the fridge overnight before reheating.
What to Serve With
- Focaccia Potato Bread Rolls
- Tofu Naan Bread
- Vegan Focaccia
- Vegan Italian Sausage
- Roasted Broccoli
- Vegan Chorizo
- Seitan slices
- Fried Oyster Mushrooms
- Potato Flatbread
- Homemade Bread.
How to Make Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Coconut Milk
Butternut Squash Soup with Coconut Milk
Ingredients
- 1 lb butternut squash peeled & cut into 2 inch cubes
- 1 large carrot peeled & cut into 2 inch pieces
- 1 yellow onion peeled + quartered
- 1 bell pepper cut into 2 inch pieces, core discarded
- 1 head garlic
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika
- 1 pinch red chili flakes
- 15 oz can coconut milk low fat
- 3 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 tbsp white miso
- 1-2 cups water or as needed
Garnish Ideas
- fried sage or fresh basil leaves + red chili flakes, sesame seeds, toasted pumpkin seeds, a drizzle of chili crisp, bruschetta chunks, scallions etc
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400”F and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Peel then dice the butternut squash into 2 inch cubes or so (scoop and discard the seeds).1 lb butternut squash
- Peel the carrot and cut it into 2 inch pieces.1 large carrot
- Add all the butternut, carrot, onion, bell pepper and tomatoes to the prepared baking sheet.1 lb butternut squash, 1 yellow onion, 1 bell pepper, 1 cup cherry tomatoes, 1 large carrot
- Slice the pointy end off of the garlic bulb and add it to the tray with the veggies.
- Drizzle everything with a generous pouring of olive oil, add the rosemary, thyme, paprika, chili flakes and a good pinch of salt then give everything a toss to coat. Make sure to place the garlic cut side down in the middle of the pan to prevent it from burning.1 lb butternut squash, 1 sprig fresh rosemary, 1 tsp dried thyme, 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika, 1 pinch red chili flakes
- Roast everything together for 25 minutes, give it a toss and continue cooking another 20 to 25 minutes until the veggies have softened.
- Discard the rosemary sprig and set the garlic head aside for a few minutes until cool enough to handle.
- Transfer all the roasted veggies into your Vitamix blender together with the nooch, miso, coconut milk and a cup of water. Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of the paper straight into the blender.15 oz can coconut milk, 3 Tbsp nutritional yeast, 2 tbsp white miso, 1-2 cups water
- Process everything on the hot liquid setting until silky smooth adding more water to achieve a thinner consistency if desired.
- Adjust seasonings to taste with extra salt and pepper and serve hot with your favorite garnishes and a grilled pice of garlic rubbed bruschetta.fried sage or fresh basil leaves + red chili flakes, sesame seeds, toasted pumpkin seeds, a drizzle of chili crisp, bruschetta chunks, scallions etc
Video
Notes
- The Coconut Milk - Although I'm using it for lusciousness and creaminess I like to reach for the low fat cans because it's more than enough and nobody needs that extra saturated fat. Do as you please! The most important part is to use real organic coconut milk that contains only 2 ingredients: coconut + water. No gums, no preservatives, no extras and is certified fair trade.
- Roasted Garlic -Start with one large head of garlic and slice off the pointy end to expose the cloves. Season it well with the rest of the veggies and make sure to place it cut side down in the middle of the pan surrounded by the veggies. This method will help it steam and cook on the inside without drying out and burning, yielding a buttery soft texture with a mildly sweet aroma and no pungency. So good you could slather it on toast and call it a day. DON'T SKIP IT!
- Miso + Nooch - Savory goodness packed with micronutrients and brimming with umami flavor, use both, you'll be happy you did.
- Fried Sage - My favorite garnish this time of the year that tastes and smells like the holidays. Simply fry dry sage leaves in some melted vegan butter until crispy and sprinkle with some fine sea salt. You can even spoon some of that sage butter over the top for a little divine indulgence worth all the calories.
This soup turned out outstanding, all the ingredients compliment each other beautifully and super easy to make.