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Creamy Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Soup! Of all my recipes, I think I am most proud of my soups. Vegan soup is an underrated thing. They’re easy, they store well, and there are so many possibilities! More than any other dish, soups allow you to develop amazing flavors with minimal effort.

In this particular recipe that is perfect for autumn, the butternut squash is the star. What makes this soup great is that the squash is first roasted to bring out the delicious caramelization and then combined with potato, cashew cream, and a great combo of spices to give the soup body and the perfect balance of flavors.

Also, I made a video for this recipe too! Firstly, thank you for all the feedback on the last video. Doing that was a blast and you guys seemed to really like it, so I’m hoping to do many more in the future (at least 50% of my recipes will probably have a video moving forward). It’s a big challenge to produce these videos + music while also making a recipe, but I’m having fun with it! So, here’s the butternut squash soup video:

(By the way, you’re welcome to join EIGHT(!) others and subscribe to my YouTube channel as well. It’s still brand new, but I look forward to doing more over there as time goes on.)

Anyways, back to this soup! As you can see, it’s really easy to make and has some amazing flavors. I think my favorite part is the way I took the spices here. Instead of full-on “pumpkin pie,” this recipe is just using cardamom and nutmeg, which bring out a brighter (but still earthy) angle on the sweet squash – along with some herbs like sage and thyme to really drive the point home. In the end, it’s an amazing fall dish that makes an amazing meal in itself.

Makes: 4-5 Large Servings

Ingredients:

  • 1 butternut squash, cubed
  • 1 yellow onion
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 tablespoons grated ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon+ cardamom
  • 1/2 teaspoon+ nutmeg
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 quart vegetable broth
  • 1-2 tablespoons fresh thyme
  • 1-2 tablespoons fresh sage
  • 1 large grated potato
  • 1/3 cup raw cashews
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • Filtered water, as needed

Prep #1 Soak the raw cashews in water for at least an hour before blending into cashew cream.

Prep #2 pre-heat the oven to 375º F.

Step One

Roast the butternut squash. You can either cut the squash in half lengthwise and place face down in 1/4 inch of water and braise that way, or you can cut into cubes and simply roast them in a pan with some water. I like the second option because the outsides become more caramelized. But either way, get it into the oven and cook until the insides are soft (about 40-50 minutes). Meanwhile…

Step Two

Dice the onion, mince the garlic, and shave some fresh ginger. You don’t have to make things look pretty at this point (it will all get blended soon). Drop them into a large stockpot with a splash of water and a generous dash of salt, pepper, dried nutmeg, and dried cardamom. Simmer for 5-8 minutes until the onions are soft and translucent.

Step Three

This would be a good time to make the cashew cream. Drain the cashews of their soaking water and blend with about a cup of fresh water to form a cream, along with a drizzle of lemon juice and some salt. Blend until totally smooth and set aside. You can also make this ahead of time.

Step Four

Next, add in basically all the remaining ingredients: a whole carton of vegetable broth, some chopped fresh thyme + sage, and *almost* all of the cashew cream (save a little bowl for garnish), and a peeled / grated potato or equivalent of frozen hash browns. Let this simmer, covered, until the hash browns are cooked – and while the squash finishes cooking.

Step Five

Finish! When the squash is soft in the center and the hash browns are more-or-less cooked, transfer the squash into the stockpot and blend. If you have an immersion blender, you can use that. Otherwise, you can split it into two batches in a real blender (careful, it will be very hot). Once blended, taste the soup and feel free to adjust spices or liquid as needed. If it’s too thick, just add some water. You may also need some extra salt, pepper, nutmeg, or cardamom if it tastes a little bland. For best results continue to simmer for another 10-20 minutes if you have the time, for the flavors to really shine.

To plate, spoon into bowls, drizzle with the reserved cashew cream, add a little nutmeg and some herbs.

2 Comments

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  1. I made this! It’s pretty tasty but I put too much of something. I *think* it’s too much sage. I used all dried spices rather than fresh, so I might not have adjusted enough.

    It made so much! I am thinking about using some as a pasta sauce and maybe adding corn starch or something to thicken it.

    How long do you think it would last in the freezer?

    Thanks for the recipe!

    • Hey Meggs! Hmm, it could have been the cardamom too, which has a very bright and overpowering taste if used too heavily… that’s why I always recommend using such small amounts at first and adding more later because spices vary so much (and it’s much easier to add than subtract spices! haha).

      Ooh a butternut pasta sauce, that sounds interesting!

      I think it would be great in the freezer and could potentially last months if stored well.

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