Vegan Butternut Squash Soup
Earthy, silky smooth, and deliciously warm, this vegan butternut soup delivers a lot of flavor! The warm spices of allspice, clove, thyme, and cinnamon pair perfectly with the butternut squash. It's perfect for the fall and winter season!
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 156kcal
Equipment
- large pot
- large bowl
- strainer
- food processor or blender
Ingredients
For The Soup
- 2 butternut squash, cut in half lengthwise
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 7 cups water
- ½ teaspoon allspice, whole
- ½ teaspoon black peppercorns, whole
- 6 thyme sprigs
- 3 cloves, whole
- 1 cinnamon stick
- ½ teaspoon Chinese spice
- 1 shallot, diced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- zest of ½ an orange
Optional Toppings
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
- ½ cup fresh cranberries, divided
- raw pumpkin seeds, for garnish
Instructions
- Cut 2 butternut squash in half, lengthwise. Using a spoon, remove the seeds and flesh from the squash and place in a small bowl. You're going to use those seeds so don't discard them.
- Next, peel the squash and dice into 2-inch cubes. Make sure you keep the peelings. Do not discard.
- Heat large pot or a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and swirl around to coat.
- Add in the cut butternut squash chunks, peelings, and seeds, and saute for about 7-10 minutes or until lightly brown.
- Add to the pot 7 cups of water, whole allspice, Chinese Five Spice, whole black peppercorns, thyme sprigs, whole cloves, cinnamon stick, and fresh whole cranberries. Bring to a boil and then cover. Reduce the heat and allow to simmer for 45 minutes.
- After 45 minutes, strain the homemade vegetable broth into a large bowl. Spoon out the squash cubes and put them in the pot with the broth. Set aside.You can now discard all the solid peelings, seeds, and spices.
- In the empty large stockpot, add the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil and heat on medium-high heat. Once hot, add in the chopped shallot and saute for about 3- 5 minutes, or until the shallot starts to turn brown.
- Return the homemade vegetable broth and the cooked butternut squash chunks back to the large pot. Cover and cook for 10 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add in the salt. Zest the orange and add zest to the soup mixture.
- Bring to a boil, cover, and allow to simmer on low heat for about 30 minutes.
- Once done, place the soup mixture in a food processor ensuring it's only halfway full. Puree until smooth. Expert Tip: Be very careful to not overfill the food processor. The soup contents will be extremely hot.
- Once pureed, pour the soup back into the large stock pot and add in the apple cider vinegar. Cook on medium-low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally with a large spoon.
- When done, ladle the soup into bowls. Top evenly with fresh chopped parsley, fresh chopped cranberries, and pumpkin seeds.
Notes
- Use a large sharp knife (at least 8 inches or longer) to cut the butternut squash in half, ensuring to cut lengthwise.
- Be patient and pace yourself when making this spiced butternut squash soup. The natural flavors need to slowly extract during the cooking process, so be patient. It's SOOO worth it!
- To switch things up, garnish with cilantro and pomegranate seeds. It's also great with goat cheese, chives, chopped bacon, or fresh ground pepper.
Nutrition
Calories: 156kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 311mg | Potassium: 703mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 20133IU | Vitamin C: 44mg | Calcium: 112mg | Iron: 2mg