Vegan Butternut Squash Carrot Ginger Soup

Name: Vegan Butternut Squash Carrot Ginger Soup
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 medium onion (yellow or sweet work well); 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced (to taste); 1 inch of ginger root, grated (to taste); 1 large butternut squash, peeled and cut in 1-inch cubes (approximately 8 cups diced); 2-3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped; 3 cups vegetable broth (I used low sodium vegetable broth); 2 teaspoons dried thyme, divided; Salt and pepper, to taste; 1 to 1 ½ cups canned coconut milk (see note 1 for substitutions); Roasted squash seeds, optional (see note 2 for roasting instructions)

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This rich and creamy Vegan Butternut Squash Carrot Ginger Soup is so cozy and delicious. Packed with nutrients, this soup is easy to throw together in your pressure cooker or stove top (instructions provided) and perfect for weeknight or a holiday spread.

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Hey Internet, is there any soup quite as autumnal as butternut squash soup? I truly love this butternut squash soup with carrot and ginger, which is why I’m sharing it with you, of course.

I LOVE soups and stews. My favorites for fall include pumpkin and sweet potato soup, vegan stew with dumplings, vegan beef stew, vegan cream of mushroom soup, vegan cream of chicken soup, vegan potato and leek soup, vegan gnocchi soup, and honestly way too many to list. Check out my listing at the end of this article for all my soups.

What’s funny is that I’m actually not a big fan of butternut squash. It’s too sweet and rich for me, and generally I prefer lighter flavors (thus my obsession with delicata squash, like in my air fryer squash recipe).

However, I first tried butternut squash soup at my brother’s place for Thanksgiving back in 2011. His girlfriend at the time made it and I fell in love with it. I think she put carrots in it, which add a nice earthiness and mellow the intense sweetness of the butternut.

The ginger is a nice little zing, and you can add however much you like. If you don’t like things spicy, add just a tiny bit of ginger root or powdered ginger.

I recommend adding some coconut milk (or sunflower seed cream or cashew cream) at the end, but it will be just as creamy without.

There’s something about this rich, creamy, soup that’s so comforting and just so… fall! Maybe it’s because it resembles the colors on the trees, or the fact that winter squash is just so cheap right now but I’ve made this soup several times already and it’s only early October.

This soup is also truly simple to make in either the Instant Pot or on your stovetop in a large pot or a Dutch oven. Just cook until everything is soft, then blend with either an immersion blender or pour into your countertop blender. That’s it!

Why This Recipe Works

The great thing about this recipe is that it is simple (yet delicious). I love how the flavor of the veggies really shine in this soup, and yet even if you're not their biggest fan (I would not eat butternut squash on its own!), the flavors in this soup just make everything really tasty and warming.

This soup is only 8 ingredients (plus salt and pepper) and that makes it easier since you don't need to go buy a thousand ingredients and spend forever chopping.

Speaking of chopping, the one daunting thing about this recipe can be the squash. Winter squash are notoriously hard to peel and chop.

Let's first talk about the peeling. I'm going to give you a little tip:

Get this great vegetable peeler I use. I swear, it makes vegetable prep so much faster and I can easily peel this squash myself (and usually I ask my hubby to do things like this). The peeler can also julienne veggies, but that's not relevant here.

For chopping, there are few tricks here.

One, be sure that you have a really sharp knife. I get my knives professionally sharpened (it's like 5 bucks a knife, totally worth it) twice a year and it makes a huge difference. If you're not cooking every day like I am, once per year should be good too. You can of course sharpen your knives at home, too.

Second, use the microwave trick. Just poke a few holes in your squash with a fork or something and microwave it for a few minutes to make it easier to cut.

If you really can't (or don't want to), most stores sell diced butternut squash (you'll want about 8 cups worth).

For flavoring, I recommend not skimping on the fresh garlic and ginger. Buy frozen cubes of it if you have to, but the fresh versions are the most flavorful in my opinion.

And for creaminess, also do not skip the canned coconut milk. If you have a coconut allergy or hate coconut, try my sunflower seed cream or some cashew cream. Or unsweetened unflavored plant based creamer or plant based heavy cream (I've started seeing this in stores). Something to make the soup extra creamy at the end is REALLY nice.

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Ingredients and Substitutions

1 medium onion: Use any type of onion you like. Yellow and sweet onions are the best choice in my opinion. White onion has a little more bite to it. Red onion will be sweeter once it's cooked, but it may mess with the color of your soup (if you care about that).
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced: Use less (or more) to taste. I think 4 is the perfect number of garlic cloves in this soup. If you need to use granulated garlic, use 1 teaspoon.
1 inch of ginger root, grated: I like to grate fresh ginger with a microplane. You can peel ginger with a spoon, but it's actually not necessary to peel it. Just give it a good wash and grate it. Frozen ginger will also work (use 2 cubes, around 2 teaspoons). If you need to use ground ginger, use about ½ teaspoon.
1 large butternut squash (approximately 8 cups diced): You can actually use any winter squash for this recipe. Pumpkin is fine, but don't use a huge pumpkin that's meant for carving (they have less flesh and flavor). Use a sugar pie pumpkin instead.
2-3 medium carrots
3 cups vegetable broth: I use low sodium vegetable broth so I can control the amount of salt in my soup more easily (I salt at the end, to taste). But feel free to use what you like.
2 teaspoons dried thyme: I didn't use any other herbs in this soup, but you certainly could if you like.
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 to 1 ½ cups canned coconut milk: I love the creamy and rich flavor this gives the soup, but you can substitute sunflower seed cream, cashew cream, a thick non-dairy milk (like unsweetened unflavored plant based creamer), or vegan heavy cream if you can find it in your local grocery stores. If you're watching your fat intake, try blending up a cup of white beans with a little water and adding that to the soup, or you can skip it.
Roasted squash seeds, optional: Don't throw them away! My favorite topping for this soup is roasted squash seeds. I'll give you my tips on making them later on in the article.

How to Make Butternut Squash Carrot Ginger Soup

Instant Pot Method

Note: this recipe will work in any pressure cooker, but buttons may be called by other names on non-Instant Pot brand pressure cookers (and in some cases on other models of the Instant Pot brand!). Consult your manual for any questions based on your specific brand of pressure cooker. The Instant Pot I’m using is an Instant Pot Duo 6qt. You will need a 6qt or larger to make this soup.
If your Instant Pot has a Sauté function (there should be a button on the front panel), sauté your onions for 3-4 minute or until they start to soften. If you use oil, you're welcome to add a tablespoon of that first. I just add a tablespoon or two of water or broth anytime my onions start to stick. (If your pressure cooker does not have a sauté button, you can either sauté onions, garlic, and ginger on the stove top and add them in, or skip this step and the next one.)
Add the garlic and ginger and sauté for another minute, adding a splash of water or broth if necessary.
Now add the cubed squash, chopped carrot, the broth, and half the dried thyme. Stir well, close the lid, set the pressure valve to ‘SEALING’ and cook on high pressure (or manual) for 12 minutes.
Allow the pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes after the pressure cooker is done. Then, using a cooking spoon, carefully switch the pressure valve to ‘VENTING’ and allow the rest of the pressure to release. (Your pressure cooker may use different words or buttons. Please consult your manual.
When it is safe to open the lid (for my Instant Pot, that's when the pressure indicator is in the "down" position, but consult your pressure cooker manual), do so carefully. There will be steam, so try not to stand too close.
Either use an immersion blender to blend until smooth, or carefully transfer the soup to a countertop blender (you may have to blend in batches).
Add the coconut milk (or whatever your substitution is), the remaining thyme, and salt and pepper. Stir well and taste, adjusting the flavors as needed.
Serve your finished butternut squash carrot ginger soup with roasted squash seeds (see instructions below if needed) or try my quick vegan croutons.

Stove Top Method

Heat a large nonstick pot over medium high heat. If you cook with oil, feel free to add a tablespoon or two of a neutral cooking oil (or vegan butter) at this time. If you do not cook with oil, simply proceed with the next step and add a splash (1-2 tablespoons) of water or broth anytime the veggies start to stick to the bottom of the pot.
Add the onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes, until they begin to soften.
Add the garlic and ginger and sauté for another minute, adding a splash of water or broth if necessary.
Now add the cubed squash, chopped carrot, the broth, and half the dried thyme. Stir well.
Bring the soup to a boil, then turn the heat down to medium and place a lid on top of the pot. Cook for 20-30 minutes or however long it takes for your squash to be fork-tender. (Use a cooking spoon to remove a cube of squash. If it is pierced easily with a fork, the soup is ready for the next step.)
Either use an immersion blender to blend until smooth, or carefully transfer the soup to a countertop blender (you may have to blend in batches).
Add the coconut milk (or whatever your substitution is), the remaining thyme, and salt and pepper. Stir well and taste, adjusting the flavors as needed.
Serve butternut squash carrot ginger soup with roasted squash seeds (see instructions below if needed) or try my quick vegan croutons.

How to Roast Squash Seeds

You can easily roast up the squash seeds. It doesn’t take long to separate them from the membrane while the soup cooks, and it’s honestly so worth it.

Rinse your seeds, dry them well (the wetter they are, the longer they will take to cook) and toss them in salt and any desired spices. I like to use granulated garlic and dried thyme. You can use oil if you wish.

Spread them out on a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper and bake at a low temperature. I like to bake mine at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (170 degrees Celsius).

Roast the seeds for about 5-15 minutes, stirring and tasting halfway through until they’re as crunchy as you like them.

These will last for about a week on the countertop, however they never last that long in my house because we eat them.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How to serve butternut squash carrot ginger soup

I highly recommend topping the soup with a little fresh thyme and those roasted butternut squash seeds we just talked about. They’re crunchy and packed with nutrients. But you can also top your soup with homemade vegan croutons, vegan cheese, toasted nuts, crunchy roasted chickpeas, crackers, or even crispy t o fu cubes.

Can I roast the veggies instead of boiling them?

Yes, feel free to roast your butternut squash and carrots until soft. I would still recommend sautéing your onions, garlic, and ginger to release the flavors. When the veggies are soft, add them to the blender with your broth and blend until smooth.

Is it possible to cook this in a slow cooker?

Yes, you can cook butternut squash in a slow cooker. Add the onion, garlic, ginger (I still recommend sautéing these three first, if you can, but it's not necessary), cubed squash, chopped carrot, broth, and half the thyme to your slow cooker. Stir and add the lid. Set the slow cooker to low and cook for 4-6 hours, or set it to high and cook for 2-3 hours. You can then follow the instructions for puréeing the soup.

Do you have to peel the butternut squash?

Yes, the skin is too thick otherwise. If you'd like to switch up your squash, though, delicata squash has a much thinner skin and can be cooked and blended (but still cut it and scoop out the seeds).

I don't have an immersion blender. How do I blend the soup safely?

You may need to blend in batches. Have someone help you (or slowly use a ladle to fill the blender) pour soup into the blender. Do not fill the blender more than ⅔ of the way full. It's OK to blend in batches. Leave the cap of the blender very slightly open so the steam can escape. Stand away from the blender when opening the lid after you're done blending. Remove this batch from the blender and place in spare pot or a large bowl. Repeat with the remaining soup, then you can add the coconut milk and season as needed.

Can I leave it somewhat chunky?

Of course! It's your soup, so do what you like. Butternut squash soup is typically served smooth and blended, but you can blend half or even just a cup of it if you prefer it chunky. You could even add some cooked rice or pasta to bulk it out.

Pro Tips for Success

This vegetable peeler will make peeling the butternut squash a breeze. It really is one of my favorite budget kitchen tools.
Cutting the butternut squash: Use a really sharp knife. A big knife helps, but a sharp knife is what makes the difference. Slice off the stem and root. I like to cut the squash right above the bulb shape. I cube up the long neck part of it, then slice the bulb part in half. After scooping the seeds (I'll get to that in a minute), I cube up the rest of it.
If you're having trouble cutting the squash, use the microwave trick. Just poke a few holes in your squash with a fork or something and microwave it for a few minutes to make it easier to cut. It's all getting cooked and blended up anyway.
If you really can't (or don't want to), most stores sell diced butternut squash (you'll want about 8 cups worth).
For scooping out all the membrane and seeds, I like to use a grapefruit spoon. The serrated edge really helps dislodge all the bits of stringy unappetizing flesh. Then I just separate the seeds from the membrane and the membrane can go in the compost heap.
Make sure to wash and really dry your seeds. The drier your seeds, the faster they'll roast. You can drizzle your seeds with a little oil (or spray them) if you like, but I just add the seasonings while they're just barely damp and they stick fine. Oil will encourage browning, but they'll turn out crispy and delicious either way.

What to Serve With Butternut Squash Soup

Honestly, anything and everything. But since it’s fall and this is my favorite time of the year, I have a few relevant suggestions for you.

First and foremost, mashed potatoes and gravy (either mushroom gravy or my super quick vegan gravy). Also maybe my lentil mushroom loaf or Beyond Meat meatloaf. Now this sounds like a comfort meal for sure!

If you’re more into soup and a salad, try this soup with my pomegranate salad featuring oranges, pecans, and an incredible tahini mustard dressing.

Need a protein? Try my Instant Pot Seitan on the side or in a fun sandwich like a vegan Philly Cheesesteak. Or try crispy tofu or tofu schnitzel or any of my tofu recipes. Or any of these fun soy curls recipes. If you like meat alternatives, try my list of over 100 vegan meat recipes.

More Recipes Like This

I really love soup. It’s just easy, warm, comforting, healthy, and satisfying. Here are some of my favorite soup recipes!

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