Give your taste buds a treat with this savory but sweet, tangy but earthy Curried Butternut Squash Soup. Each bite is filled with a blend of coconut milk, butternut, and heaps of flavorings for the ultimate cozy vibes.
You know what they say… a bowl of soup a day keeps the doctor away! Okay, I know they don’t say that, but it’s what I tell myself when I’m on my fourth soup recipe of the week.
But who can blame me? When the weather starts to get chillier and I officially begin my annual 200-Day Countdown to Summer, I have to take my warmth where I can get it. Which in this case is an overflowing bowl of creamy, herby, curried butternut squash soup.
This soup, like my Easy Pumpkin Soup with Parmesan Popcorn Crunch, is an autumn go-to because it’s just so cozy. The flavors (red pepper flakes, ginger, garlic, curry paste) provide such a yummy yet unique result.
I love that it’s jam packed with vegetables because I can enjoy it rest assured that I’m getting all of the nutrients I could need! Oh, and that slight hint of spice? YES.
Ingredients in this vegan butternut soup
Cooking soup calls for one thing and one thing only: lots of different flavoring ingredients! In this Thai-inspired curry butternut squash soup we’re going heavy on the spices to create a blend of flavors that are equal parts savory, sweet, earthy, and tangy. Oh, and everything is vegan!
- White Onion: Our first vegetable is 1 cup of diced white onion, which will require about ½ of a medium onion. Feel free to use yellow onion if that’s what you have.
- Red Bell Pepper: Add 1 diced red bell pepper (you can also use green, yellow, or orange if that’s what you have).
- Red Curry Paste: This Thai curry paste brings major flavor. We’ll use 2 Tbsp, but the spice lovers can add a bit more!
- Ginger and Garlic: The flavorful base to any Asian-inspired curry.
- Butternut Squash: Finally, the most important ingredient… the squash! For this recipe you will need ½ of a medium squash, which should be peeled, deseeded, and cubed (here’s how to cut it).
- Vegetable Broth: We will mix everything with 2 cups of vegetable broth to create the soup consistency.
- Coconut Milk: 1 14-oz can of coconut milk will add a creamy texture as well as a hint of sweet coconut flavor.
- Cilantro: A handful of finely chopped cilantro for an herby touch.
- Lime Juice: Fresh squeezed lime juice cuts through the sweet butternut, lightening up the flavors.
- Soy Sauce: Finally, soy sauce for salt (or use tamari for a gluten-free option).
How to make curried butternut squash soup
This recipe comes together faster than you can say “curry butternut squash soup” 5 times fast. In total you’ll only need about 10 minutes for prepping, and then 20 minutes for cooking. Dinner in 30 minutes or less? I’ll take it.
Step 1: Prepare the base
Heat oil in a large saute pan or pot over medium heat. Add onion and pepper, cooking until vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Add curry paste, ginger, and garlic, continuing to cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Step 2: Cook the fillings
Next, add the cubed butternut, broth, and coconut milk to the pan. Cover and let simmer until the butternut is fork-tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.
Step 3: Blend together
Using a handheld immersion blender (or working in batches with a countertop blender), carefully blend the mixture until smooth.
Step 4: Add the flavorings
Finally, stir in the cilantro, lime juice, and soy sauce. Taste and adjust as needed (if you like it spicy, you can add more curry paste). Serve warm, optionally topped with fresh cilantro, cashews, and limes.
Thai butternut soup variations
Feel like switching things up a bit? There are a number of ways you can tweak this recipe to fit your taste, whether you’re looking for something a bit spicer, extra creamy, or with more vegetables.
- Spicy: For extra spicy soup, add extra curry paste or include a dash of sriracha into the mix. Additionally, slice up a couple of jalapeños and throw them on top.
- Extra Creamy: In the mood for extra creamy butternut soup? Easy! Omit ¼ cup of the broth, and replace it with an extra ¼ cup of coconut milk.
- More vegetables: For a soup extra rich in veggies, toss in chopped zucchini, carrots, celery, or whatever you’d like!
- Use pumpkin: You can make a pumpkin variation of this recipe using this Thai Inspired Pumpkin Curry recipe!
More soups to make your heart swoon
Soups are just… *chef’s kiss.* They’re cozy, delicious, and evoke a weirdly calming sense of warmth. If you’re like me and go crazy over all things soup in the fall and winter, here are some more recipes that you’re going to love.
- Fresh Tomato Soup with Basil
- Easy Slow Cooker Cauliflower Soup
- Mung Bean Soup
- Romesco Roasted Red Pepper Soup with Lentils
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil 15 mL
- 1 cup diced white onion about ½ of a medium onion
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 2 Tbsp red curry paste
- 2 tsp fresh grated ginger
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ medium butternut squash peeled, deseeded, and cubed
- 2 cups vegetable broth 472
- 1 14-oz can coconut milk 415 mL
- ¼ cup cilantro finely chopped
- 1 Tbsp lime juice 15 mL
- 1 tsp soy sauce 5 mL
- Top with: cilantro, cashews, limes
Instructions
- Base: Heat oil in a large saute pan or pot over medium heat. Add onion and pepper, cooking until vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Add curry paste, ginger, and garlic, continuing to cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Fillings: Add cubed butternut, broth, and coconut milk. Cover and let simmer until butternut is fork-tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Blend: Using a handheld immersion blender (or working in batches with a countertop blender), carefully blend the mixture until smooth.
- Serve: Stir in cilantro, lime juice, and soy sauce. Taste and adjust as needed (if you like it spicy, you can add more curry paste). Serve warm, optionally topped with fresh cilantro, cashews, and limes
GW says
This soup is fantastic. It was so creamy we also used it as a topping over veggies..
Lisa says
Sarah, I made this as our soup for Thanksgiving and although I must say the ingredients are STELLAR, it was too hot for us. It might be that my Thai red paste is different from yours – and I didn’t even use the entire amount – but my son sweated through the soup course, and nobody took 2nds, and I made a LOT! If you could cut down on the heat or qualify it with “start with this much Thai paste”…and then go up based on your tastes, I think a lot more people would love this recipe!
Yours forever,
Lisa
Sarah Bond says
Thanks for the recommendation, Lisa! Indeed, some Thai curry pastes can be much spicier than others. I’ll add a note!