Smoky Vegan Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Nothing says the coming of fall like the smell of butternut squash roasting in the oven.
This is a staple in our house pretty much any time of year, but nothing is quite like it when the weather turns.
The rich golds and silky texture make this a joy to look at, and it’s just as perfect gulped down in a big cup on a cold day as it is dressed up for guests as a starter. That deep golden color can be made to look very fancy with shakes of paprika or a scatter of herbs or seeds!
Of course, the most wonderful thing as always with roasted-butternut-squash-anything is that it’s even better the next day.
You can freeze then reheat the soup no problem, and I usually have leftovers to fill a gap in the day if I’m home with some crunchy greens and a squeeze of lemon to brighten it up.
This particular vegan butternut squash soup recipe calls for coconut milk to give it the cream-less creaminess, paprika and chili for that one-two smoky-warmth, toasted pumpkin seeds for a bit of crunch and rosemary and apple to give a bright-but-earthy glow on the palette.
I’ve used some florets of cauliflower with the squash to give the soup a bit more body. This worked beautifully when making a creamy, smoky vegan cheese for mac and cheese, so I see no need to stop!
If you’re feeling daring (or just want to surprise someone with a bit more of a kick in the soup!) you can add some grated fresh ginger while blending instead of the paprika and chili flakes. I tried this once at Christmas with a touch of nutmeg and it works wonderfully with the coconut milk. That’s right, at Christmas – what did I say about any time of year?
A bowl of creamy, smoky and warming vegan butternut squash soup coming right up…
- 1 large butternut squash
- 5 florets cauliflower
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots or yellow onion
- 2 cloves garlic cut in half
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 2 cups of vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 1 small apple peeled and diced
- A few sprigs / leaves of Rosemary or sage
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Toasted pumpkin seeds to garnish
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Heat oven to 380 degrees.
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Cut the squash in half lengthways down the middle and place on a shallow, foil-lined baking dish.
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Throw in the garlic and some sprigs of rosemary or sage leaves and cover with foil.
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Roast for 40 minutes or so with the cauliflower (or have cauliflower separate, lightly oiled and salted, for a more charred flavor), until soft enough that you can cut through the flesh easily with a knife. Scoop out and set aside.
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Heat the oil in a pan and saute the shallots or onion with the paprika on a medium heat for 8 minutes or until soft and sweet. Be careful not to brown.
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Add the apple, broth and squash, bringing the heat up to a simmer for 10 minutes or until the apples are soft.
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Time to blend! Squeeze out the garlic and along with other ingredients in the pan. Put into a blender carefully and in batches, taking care to puree until silky smooth.
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Add back to the pan and heat up to a simmer, stirring in the coconut milk.
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Season generously with salt and pepper. Leave to stand for an hour or two to let the flavors settle before serving. Bon appetit!
