Vegan Butternut Soup

The autumn leaves are in full color and the jack o'lanterns are popping up on every doorstep. That can only mean one thing! It's time for some Vegan Butternut Soup!

Wait a minute!

Isn't ALL Butternut Soup Vegan you ask?

It is, however sometimes chefs will stir a little cream into their soup, or they will roast their veggie in oil, and this recipe does neither.

It is 100% completely Vegan AND oil-free.

All you need is a nice-sized butternut squash, a few veggies, an oven to roast them in, and a blender to make it smooth. Seriously, that's it and nothing could be simpler.

My mother-in-law (who is adamantly NOT Vegan) was here last week and she absolutely LOVED it. In fact, between her, my wife, AND my daughter, I had to make it TWICE.

Good thing it's so easy to make!

Now to be 100% honest, you WILL see a little cream swirled into mine in the photo. That is Cashew Cream and is completely optional as it will add a bit of fat, so don't think it's necessary because it's not.

It's warm, it's comforting, it's easy to make, and it tastes delicious, so what are we waiting for?

Easy Vegan Butternut Soup

To start, you'll need to peel and quarter a large white onion and place it on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Scrub a couple of carrots and chop them into 3 or 4 pieces and lay them alongside the onions too. And for some extra flavor, peel 5 or 6 cloves of garlic and thrown them on there as well.

Now... the star of the show - the butternut.

I used about a 3 ½ lb squash. CAREFULLY cut the squash into 2 equal halves, lengthwise. The skin is kinda of tough, so take it slow. It helps to cut through the neck first, then stand it up and push down through the round part.

Once the squash is cut - remove the seeds and pulp and lay them cut-side up beside the veggies. Sprinkle a little salt, and then place your tray into a 400° F oven to roast for 1 hour.

After an hour, check your squash by inserting a fork - it should pierce the flesh easily. If it doesn't, continue to roast for an additional 5 -10 minutes or until a fork pierces easily with no resistance.

Let the squash rest for a bit after you remove it from the oven until it is cool enough to handle.

Then you can take a large spoon and scoop out the flesh and add it to a large soup pot or dutch oven along with the rest of the roasted veggies.

Add 4 cups (an entire 1 qt carton) of low sodium veg broth, 2 cups of water, the seasoning listed below in the recipe box, and 1 Tbs of Maple Syrup and bring your pot to a boil.

Reduce the heat to a steady simmer and let it simmer for 30-45 min. If any of the squash was still a little hard in the center, this will finish cooking it.

To blend you can transfer small batches to your blender, or do what I do and use an Immersion Blender until it is smooth and creamy.

Here is the blender I use and I'll post an affiliate link below. Remember, as an Amazon Associate I do earn from qualifying purchases but at no extra cost to you.

Kitchen Aid Immersion Blender

I honestly use my Immersion Blender about as much as I use my Instant Pot - and that's a lot.

Once the soup is blended we will probably need to adjust the seasonings. Stir in 2 Tbs of Apple Cider Vinegar (which nicely balances the sweetness) and then salt to taste.

At this point you can either adjust your cooking time to let it reduce if it seems too thin, or add a little water if it seems too thick.

Once the consistency and seasoning are to your liking, serve with whatever garnish you like. Cashew cream, pumpkin seeds, parsley, chives, or in my case - and I know this sounds weird, I like a little Cholula Hot Sauce.

Hope you enjoy my recipe this week. If so please let me know in the comments below.

Happy Autumn and we'll see you next week.

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