This vegan butternut squash soup is a rich, plant based, classic fall soup. Full of seasonal vegetables, warming spice, and topped with decadent cashew cream, you’ll love diving into this cozy dish on a chilly day.
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Fall is in full swing and for my family that means it's soup season!
And this butternut squash soup is the ultimate fall classic. It is rich, creamy, and indulgent. And yet it is also low in calorie, packed with nutrients, and naturally soy, gluten, and dairy free!
So what’s the secret? This silky bisque gets its decadence from homemade cashew cream. Just like my tomato soup, this cream adds a velvety texture that replicated heavy creamer without any added flavor.
The result? The best ever vegan butternut squash bisque.
And best of all? This super is super simple to make! It comes together in just about 20 minutes for effortless vegan cooking.
Ingredients & Substitutuions
This butternut squash soup is naturally vegan, gluten free, and soy free. You only need a few fresh ingredients to make this great tasting soup. And nearly all of the ingredients are ones you probably already have on hand.
Here is everything you need.
Ingredient Notes
- Oil -To reduce calories and fat, feel free to swap out the oil with a tablespoon of water.
- Onion - Use a white, yellow, or sweet onion - whatever you have on hand.
- Butternut Squash - For a creamy pumpkin soup, substitute fresh pumpkin at a 1:1 ratio.
- Spices - You will need a blend of paprika, nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
- Cashew Cream - This is a blend of raw cashews, water, fresh lemon juice, and salt. It adds a rich creaminess to your soup without any added flavor. For a nut free option, substitute the cashew cream with coconut milk. Just note that coconut milk will give the soup a subtle coconut flavor.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step One - Make the Cashew Cream
Begin by making the cashew cream. When it comes to cashew cream, you really should use a high-powered blender (<<affiliate link) as it is the only blender that can make cream out of cashews.
Add all the ingredients for the cashew cream to the blender and blend for about 30-45 seconds until you have a smooth and delicious cream.
Pro Tip: If you don’t have a high-powered blender, you can soak the cashews for about 6 hours ahead of time and they will blend up fairly well.
Step Two - Prepare the Squash
Begin by preparing the squash. Do do this, first cut the squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and stringy membranes and cut off the ends.
Stand the squash up on a flat end. With a sharp knife, remove the skin by carefully cutting it away, trying to keep the knife as close to the flesh as possible. Once all the peel is removed, cut the squash into ½" cubes.
Step Three - Sauté the Veggies
In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes or until the onions are translucent. Next, add the minced garlic and sage and sauté for another minute until fragrant.
Finally, stir in the carrots, celery, butternut squash, and spices. Stir to fully coat the butternut squash.
Step Four - Cook and Blend
Pour in the vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes or until the squash is tender.
Pro Tip: Test this using a spoon to grab a piece of butternut squash and stab it with a fork. If it is easy to stab, it is ready to go.
Remove the soup from heat and stir in the cashew cream. Using an immersion blender to blend your soup until it is completely puréed.
If you don't have an immersion blender, you can do this in a food processor. If you are using a food processor, allow your soup to cool slightly before transferring it carefully to the food processor. Be sure not to over-fill your food processor. This is best done in batches.
Serving and Storing
Serving - Serve immediately with additional cashew cream, toasted pepitas, or freshly ground pepper. Pair this soup with toasted bread or buttermilk biscuits. You could also add homemade croutons and serve alongside your favorite sandwich or fall salad.
Storing - Allow leftover soup to cool to room temperature before ladling it into a large airtight container or several smaller containers. You can store it for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. You can also freeze the soup for up to 6 months. When you are ready to serve it, allow it to thaw in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours.
Reheating - To reheat, you can either place the soup in the microwave for a few minutes or pour it into a pot and reheat over medium-low heat until the soup has warmed through.
Tips and Tricks
- Make sure you make your butternut squash cubes as close in size as possible and around 1 inch wide. If they vary a lot, some will cook very fast while others will still be raw on the inside. If you make them bigger, you need to extend the cooking time slightly. Likewise, if you make them smaller, you can reduce the cooking time slightly.
- Use fresh carrots for the recipe. Frozen carrots are often softened from the freezing process and don’t taste as fresh or good as ones you can find in the produce aisle.
- To reduce sodium, use a low-sodium vegetable broth. They taste almost identical but often contain a fraction of the amount of salt.
- Feel free to swap out the oil with a tablespoon of water to reduce the calories and fat.
- If you have a nut allergy, substitute the cashew cream with full-fat coconut milk. Just note that coconut milk will give the soup a subtle coconut flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! My butternut squash soup does not use any flour. It is naturally thick and the creaminess comes from cashew cream.
Yes, you can! This recipe is a stove top recipe, but you can use the Instant Pot to cook the soup. Skip sautéing the aromatics and throw it all into the pot at once. Then set the pot to manual pressure for 8 minutes and do a quick release. You then follow the steps to add cashew cream and blend the soup using an immersion blender.
Yes! Butternut squash soup is super good for you! It is loaded with Vitamin A, B, and C, important minerals, and antioxidants. This recipe is also high in fiber, low calorie, and filled with healthy fats. For a fat-free version, use water instead of oil and omit the cashew cream.
More Fall Soup Recipes
- Creamy Carrot and Orange Soup
- One-Pot Chickpea Vegetable Noodle Soup
- Loaded Baked Potato Soup
- Maple Bourbon Instant Pot Chili
Make sure to check out all my vegan soup recipes for more inspiration.
Vegan Butternut Squash Soup
Ingredients
Butternut Squash Soup
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, sliced thin
- 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
- 3-4 fresh sage leaves, minced
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped
- 1 stalk celery, chopped
- 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and chopped into 1" cubes
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 cups vegetable broth
Cashew Cream
- ½ cup raw cashews
- ¼ cup warm water
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Begin by making the cashew cream. In a high-powered blender, such as a Vitamix, combine all the ingredients for the cashew cream, placing the water at the bottom. Blend on high until completely smooth. Set aside.
- Next, prepare the butternut squash. Do do this, first cut the squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and stringy membranes and cut off the ends.Stand the squash up on a flat end. With a sharp knife, remove the skin by carefully cutting it away, trying to keep the knife as close to the flesh as possible. Once all the peel is removed, cut the squash into 1″ cubes.
- In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté for 3-5 minutes, until onions are translucent. Add minced garlic and sage and sauté for another minute until fragrant. Stir in the carrots, celery, butternut squash, and spices. Stir to fully coat the butternut squash. Add vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
- Remove from heat. Stir in the cashew cream. With an immersion blender, blend your soup until it is completely puréed. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can do this in a food processor. If you are using a food processor, allow your soup to cool slightly before transferring it carefully to the food processor. Be sure not to over-fill your food processor. This is best done in batches. Serve immediately with additional cashew cream, toasted pepitas, or freshly ground pepper.
Notes
- To reduce sodium, use a low-sodium vegetable broth. They taste almost identical but often contain a fraction of the amount of salt.
- Feel free to swap out the oil with a tablespoon of water to reduce the calories and fat.
- If you have a nut allergy, substitute the cashew cream with full-fat coconut milk. Just note that coconut milk will give the soup a subtle coconut flavor.
Hi, I’m Sarah. I’m a 14-year (and counting) vegan, professionally trained photographer, former pastry chef, founder of My Darling Vegan, and author of the
Rachel says
I want to make this ahead and freeze for Xmas. Can I make the cashew cream ahead or should I make it on the day?
Jill says
Lovely recipe, however I never peel butternut squash just top and tail and remove seeds. It's edible and if your going to liquidise it why bother?!!
Patricia Downey says
So delicious! Since I did not have fresh sage, I used a heaped teaspoon of dried sage. And I used low-sodium vegetable broth because it is the only kind I buy. I am not sure it can serve 6 people, though -- I would say, 4 people. Maybe it's because it's so good that I served very generous portions...
I had prepped the butternut squash on Sunday, the day I bought it. As a result, making the soup was very quick. Bonus: while it simmered for 20 minutes, I had a chance to take my dog out on his after-dinner walk:-)
Thank you for this lovely recipe!