Nothing is as comforting as a warm bowl of classic butternut squash soup on a cool fall day. This delicious soup is loaded with warm spices and wholesome ingredients that will soothe your body and soul.
Place the diced onion and carrots in a large stock pot with about 1/4 cup of the vegetable broth and saute over medium heat until the onions begin to turn translucent and brown a little bit. If needed, add more broth one tablespoon at a time to keep it from sticking. This should only take about 3-4 minutes.
Add another tablespoon of the broth and the minced garlic and cook for about 1-2 more minutes.
Next, add the cubed butternut squash, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and the rest of the vegetable broth and stir.
Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat to simmer. Cook until the squash and carrots are tender which should take about 25-30 minutes.
Add the cashew milk and carefully use an immersion blender to blend the soup until smooth. If it is too thick, add a little more veggie broth or cashew milk and blend until you get the desired consistency.
Season with more salt and pepper if needed. I like to swirl in a little more cashew milk on top to make it look pretty. Optional toppings include pepitas, toasted coconut flakes, or fresh parsley. If you would like to add a little spice, try a pinch of red pepper flakes. I have included other topping options below. Serve with crusty bread if desired.
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Notes
Tips for Success
The first time I made this soup, I used frozen cubed butternut squash because it was so easy and I didn’t need to cut up the squash, but the flavor just wasn’t as good as fresh squash.Be sure to cut the carrots thinly so they will cook faster. In my first batch, the carrots wouldn’t blend well with the immersion blender because they weren’t soft enough.Some recipes add diced apple and I tried that but didn’t care for it. It changed the texture of the soup, so I prefer it without apples.If you want to add cinnamon for more flavor, I suggest sprinkling it on top before serving. If you add it during the cooking process, the soup isn’t as bright and colorful.
Variations and substitutes
Roast your veggies – You can roast the squash, carrots, and onion before adding them to the soup to add even more flavor if desired. It doesn’t take that much time, about 25 minutes in the oven.
Carrots – If you prefer, the carrots can be replaced with more butternut squash.
Add grains – To make this soup more hearty, simply add brown rice, bulgur wheat, farro, or other favorite grain when it is cooking. Just be sure to add extra broth accordingly to accommodate for the grains.
Milk – Other plant milks can be used in place of cashew milk. Many recipes call for coconut milk, but I opted for a lower-fat version of soup.
Sweeten- 1/3 cup of maple syrup, date syrup, or agave nectar can be added to sweeten if desired.
Topping ideasThis soup is delicious and if you want to take it up another notch, try any of these extra topping ideas that make it look beautiful.