Creamy, rich and comforting, this nourishing maple curry butternut squash soup will be your new favorite go-to fall and winter soup recipe! It requires only six simple wholesome ingredients, perfect for the holidays or just a simple healthy weekday dinner.
(This post was updated from an earlier version with new photos and an improved recipe)
I'm not sure there is a fall recipe more iconic than creamy butternut squash soup. IMHO it is the one recipe you should know how to make (and make well) this season because it is:
Easy.
Healthy.
Delicious.
Nourishing.
All. The. Things.
This particular version, a maple curry roasted butternut squash soup, is the version I have been making for 10+ years. It was a staple in my personal chef days, and a recipe that I have shared thousands of times with friends and family.
Ingredients needed for this luscious velvety soup:
Butternut squash – I prefer to buy this fresh and roast it. I know it is easily available pre-chopped in the grocery store which is WAY EASIER! But I honestly find that the flavor is muted, bland from the pre-chopped variety. If you do buy pre-chopped (which btw.. is totally ok and I 100% understand the convenience) you may want to add more salt and a bit more curry powder to amp up the flavor.
Coconut oil – I roast the squash with a bit of coconut oil to infuse coconut flavor into the early stages of cooking.
Curry powder – I would consider this a very mild curry soup, I love just a little hint of curry powder at the back of my throat, not an overpowering “that's all I taste” type of curry.
Coconut milk – A key ingredient for supremely creamy silky soup!
Maple syrup – I use just a hint of maple in this recipe. I personally cannot stand overly sweet butternut squash soup (hint: If you love Panera butternut squash soup then you will want to add a whole lot more maple syrup to this recipe. I find Panera's soup to taste like a bowl of sugar)
Veggie stock – You can use chicken stock instead without a problem.
Salt and Pepper – Obviously 🙂
I also garnished with a bit of cilantro but that is totally optional.
Ready to get cooking? You won't believe how easy it is!
How to Make Perfect Butternut Squash Soup:
- Start with a fresh firm butternut squash. My gramma always said that squash isn't good until the first frost. I think she was right 🙂 Go to your local farm stand or farmers market and purchase a gorgeous squash.
- Carefully peel the squash. I use a Y-peeler, which makes your life so much easier! They are super inexpensive and will peel a squash in no time! (I have a tutorial on how to peel a butternut squash highlighted on my Instagram page)
- Once peeled, use a sharp knife to cut the squash lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and then chop the squash into 1″ square pieces (approximately).
- Toss the squash with coconut oil, curry powder, salt, and pepper and spread out on a single layer on a baking sheet.
- Roast in a 425° oven for 25-35 minutes or until tender.
- In the last few minutes of cooking warm veggie or chicken stock in a small pan over medium heat.
- Remove squash from oven and add to a blender with coconut milk, maple syrup, and stock.
- Garnish with cilantro and a swirl of coconut milk (both totally optional, but I mean… look at that swirl!)
Bonus tip! Don't forget to save those seeds and roast them. Squash seeds are an abundant source of fiber and various nutrients and are so easy to roast and snack on. Here is a super easy recipe for roasted squash seeds!
What if My Butternut Squash Soup is Too Thick? (and other questions):
Here are some questions/concerns that have come up through the years
Concern: My soup came out too thick, too thin, or a weird consistency.
Solution: The consistency of your soup is going to depend on many factors including the size of your squash, the yield of your squash, power of your blender, the thickness of your stock, etc. Because there are so many variables I always err on the side of less liquid and then continue to add more liquid until I have reached my ideal consistency. I happen to like soup a bit thicker (i.e. if you turn over my spoon most of the soup will stay on the spoon). You may like your soup a bit thinner, you can absolutely add more liquid if that is the case. I used a 3 1/2 lb. squash for this recipe and needed exactly 3 cups of stock and 1 can of coconut milk to reach my desired consistency.
Concern: I think my soup tastes too bland
Solution: Add more salt, curry powder, and/or maple syrup. Remember that each squash is going to taste differently. Some are sweeter than others or blander than others. You may have to adjust seasoning to accommodate the state of your squash 🙂
Concern: My soup did not turn out as creamy and smooth as yours.
Solution: Blend it more, or cook your squash down more. I use a Vitamix blender, which I call the Cadillac of blenders. It has a very powerful engine that can break an apple down into applesauce/juice in about 10 seconds. The Vitamix turns roasted vegetables into silky, velvety, creamy soups with no effort. If you are using a stick blender you will not get the same results. If you are using a conventional blender you will also not get the same creamy results. Play around a little bit and blend more or add more coconut milk until you get super creamy goodness 🙂
If you have any other questions that come up comment below! I can't wait to see your version of this gorgeous soup!
If you make this be sure to tag #abraskitchen on Instagram. Don't forget to rate and review below 🙂
Nourishing Maple Curry Butternut Squash Soup
Ingredients
- 3 lb butternut squash peeled, and cubed
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 1/2 tsp curry powder
- 1 can full fat coconut milk (13.5 ounce can)
- 3 cups vegetable stock
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- fresh cilantro, for garnish optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°
- Toss butternut squash with coconut oil, curry powder, salt, and pepper on a large rimmed baking sheet. Roast in oven for 25-35 minutes until squash is very tender. Toss several times during roasting. (timing will depend on how small or large your squash cubes are)
- In the meantime heat vegetable stock in a small pot on stove.
- Remove squash from oven and place in a blender with maple syrup, coconut milk, and 2 cups of veggie stock. Blend until smooth. Continue adding stock until you reach desired consistency. I like my soup a bit thicker, so I tend to use less stock. If you like a thinner consistency just add more stock. You may not need all 3 cups of stock.
- Taste for seasoning and serve with fresh cilantro and a swirl of coconut milk
Notes
- Nutrition facts are an estimate
- You can easily substitute chicken stock for veggie stock
Nutrition
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