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Butternut Squash Soup

Active Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Dairy Free
  • Gluten Free
  • Low Carb/Paleo
  • Vegan
  • Vegetarian
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Why we love it:

I’ve included a few variations in the substitutions box to make this soup faster or more traditional so be sure to check there!
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Ingredients

  • 1 Yellow Onion
  • 1 teaspoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
  • 1 Butternut Squash (medium in size, about 2-3 pounds. Peeled, seeded and diced)
  • 4 cups Vegetable Stock (or chicken stock)
  • 2 cloves Garlic (minced)
  • 1 Carrot (small dice)
  • 2 Apples (fuji or Granny Smith)
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon Dried Thyme
  • 1⁄4 teaspoon Black Pepper (freshly ground)
  • 1⁄4 teaspoon Cinnamon
  • 1⁄8 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper (optional)
  • 1⁄2 Lemon (juice)
  • 1 can Coconut Milk (a standard can is usually 13.5 ounces)

Cooking Instructions

  • 1. ONION

    Peel and dice the onion. Heat a heavy bottomed pot with tall sides over medium high heat. Add the olive oil, onion, and the salt. Sauté, stirring occasionally, while you chop the squash.

  • 2. BUTTERNUT SQUASH

    Peel the squash with a sharp vegetable peeler. It’s actually ok to leave a little bit behind if you can’t quite get it all - the peels are edible. Trim the stem end off and discard. Then slice where the squash changes shape. Dice the top part into small cubes - aim for at least 1” to as small as ½ an inch. Add to the pot with the onion as soon as you chop it.

    Cut the bottom, rounder, part of the squash in ½. Use a heavy spoon to scoop out the seeds. Dice the squash and add to the pot.

  • 3. STOCK

    Add the stock to the pot and turn the heat to high. Cover the pot so it heats up more quickly.

  • 4. GARLIC + CARROT + APPLE

    Mince the garlic. Wash the carrot and small dice.

    Slice the fruit from the apple, leaving just the core behind. It’s ok to leave the skin on. Take ⅔ of the total apple and dice it in small cubes, add these to the pot.

    Slice the other ⅓ of the apple into very thin julienne strips - reserve these for garnish. If you aren’t serving soup today, you can leave this part uncut for now so it doesn’t turn brown.

    To the pot, also add the dried thyme, freshly ground black pepper, cinnamon, and if using, the cayenne pepper.

  • 5. SIMMER

    Simmer the soup for about 20 minutes, return to stir occasionally.

  • 6. BLEND

    When time is up, everything should be quite tender. Test the squash cubes with a fork to be sure they’re ready to fall apart. If not, cook another 10 minutes.

    Transfer to a blender, or use an immersion blender and puree until quite smooth.

  • 7. COCONUT

    Return to a simmer and stir in the lemon juice and the can of coconut milk. Taste and add more salt if needed.

  • 8. SERVING

    Serve hot in large bowls and garnish with the julienned apples.

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Substitutions

  • INSTANT POT:
    you can add everything directly into the Instant Pot (but reduce the stock to 2 cups) and power it on the Soup setting. When you release the pressure, puree it, then add the coconut milk and possibly more stock, to taste
  • SLOW COOKER:
    also works well with all ingredients in the slow cooker for about 6 hours on low
  • MAKE IT FASTER:
    use a bag of frozen butternut squash cubes. You’ll only have to simmer these for about 5 minutes and they’ll be soft enough to blend!
  • ROASTED:
    a great way to make this ahead is to roast the squash. No need to peel it, cut in ½ and remove the seeds. Roast at 350 for about 45-50 minutes until caramelized and super tender. Let cool until you can touch it and scoop the flesh out of the skin. Sauté the other veggies then add this to the pot. Add the liquid and spices and simmer for just 10 minutes. Puree and add cream as written. If you roast and scoop a day ahead, the soup comes together very quickly
  • STOCK:
    you can use chicken or vegetable stock
  • COCONUT MILK:
    sub for heavy cream

Kid Friendly Version

How to Tweak This Recipe for Kids:

  • if your kids won’t try soups, you could roast some butternut squash fries - try dusting with either garlic powder and salt, or cinnamon and butter while roasting at 425 until browned and tender. Serve with slices of apple and perhaps simple noodles or garlic bread to round out the meal

Prep Ahead & Use It Up

  1. Use pre-cut butternut squash cubes
  2. OR use frozen cubes and the whole thing goes much more quickly
  3. This soup can be made ahead and reheated for a week – it holds very well
Rate this recipe:
2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 52 votes, average: 5.00 out of 52 votes, average: 5.00 out of 52 votes, average: 5.00 out of 52 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5 (2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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