This vegan curried butternut squash sweet potato soup is so flavorful thanks to roasting the butternut squash in either the oven or air fryer. And the sweet potato and a little coconut milk make it smooth and creamy.
And if you want an easy way to peel butternut squash, check out the below section after meal prep tips!!
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It's officially soup season. And here's a hot tip for you. Any time you want to make a puréed vegetable soup smooth and luscious, add sweet potatoes. It's like magic. I learned that cooking rule when I first made this carrot and sweet potato soup. I've made lots of butternut squash soups - such as this Coconut Curried Butternut Squash Soup and Butternut Squash Soup with Apple Cider & Crème Fraîche, but this soup is a little different from either of those. Seriously, it might be the best butternut squash soup you've ever made. And it's great served with these Bisquick muffins made with cheddar cheese and French's Crispy Fried Onions.
For more of my favorite fall soups, and readers' favorites, check out my 10 Cozy Vegetarian Soups Perfect for Fall.
❤️ Why you'll love this delicious soup
- It has a smooth and creamy texture without the addition of heavy cream.
- Super flavorful from roasting the butternut squash.
- This soup is all about fall flavors.
- The tips make it so easy to cut and peel butternut squash for any recipe.
🧅 Main Ingredients + Notes
The secret to faster and easier meals often lies in the ingredients. For example, store-bought items and ingredients you make ahead and store in the refrigerator (or freezer) can turn a 60-minute recipe into a 30-minutes meal or less.
For the all of the ingredients, measurements and directions, go to the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post.
- Butternut squash - a small butternut squash, approximately 2 pounds or a little less is all you need for this recipe. If your squash is larger, reserve the rest for other recipes, or just roast for a side dish.
- Yellow onion
- Sweet potato
- Warm spices - ground cinnamon, curry powder, ground ginger
- Vegetable broth (vegetable stock) - or Better Than Bouillon Roasted Vegetable Paste
- Coconut milk - either full fat or light coconut milk are fine in this recipe. You can even use coconut cream, for a super creamy soup. It's personal preference.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links to products and foods I use in my kitchen. This means that at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. To view my entire storefront of recommended kitchen tools and equipment, check out my shop on Amazon.
🔪 Recommended Equipment
Having the right equipment for recipes makes prepping soooo much easier. If you want more fuss-free prepping and cooking, check out my updated list of favorite kitchen tools and equipment.
- Chef's knife
- Vegetable peeler
- Air fryer (optional, for roasting the butternut squash)
- Large Dutch oven or other large pot suitable for making soup
- High speed blender, food processor, or handheld immersion blender (to puree the soup)
📝 Instructions Overview
Detailed instructions for making this easy butternut squash soup recipe are in the recipe card below, but here's an overview!
Step 1
Prep and roast the butternut squash. Peel and dice the butternut squash. I have instructions in the below section for the easiest way to do this.
Either roast the butternut squash in a 400˚F air fryer (the fastest way) or a 400˚F oven, until tender and lightly caramelized.
Step 2
Sauté. Warm up some extra virgin olive oil (or coconut oil) in a large pot. Dice the onion and add to the pot. Sauté until softened.
Peel and dice the sweet potato, and add it to the onions, along with all of the spices. Sauté for a few minutes until fragrant, and add the vegetable broth.
Step 3
Simmer. Simmer the soup until the sweet potato is tender. Add the roasted butternut squash when it's tender.
Step 4
Purée. Purée the soup using a high speed blender, food processor or handheld immersion blender (stick blender). Add the coconut milk and continue to purée.
Return the soup to the pot over medium-low heat.
Step 5
Correct for seasoning. Correct for any seasoning to suit your personal preferences. For a little umami, add a little optional soy sauce or tamari sauce.
Serve with an apple chutney for a topping.
⏰ Meal Prep Tips to Simplify and Save Time
- Purchase butternut squash already cut up. If your market carries this, it will be in the produce department.
- Use your air fryer to roast the butternut squash. The preheat time is much faster, as is the roasting time.
- Whether you use an air fryer or oven, smaller diced squash cooks faster than larger pieces.
- Using a high powered blender is the fastest, most efficient way to purée soup, and you can do this soup all in one batch.
👩🍳 Best Way to Peel Butternut Squash
- First slice off the top and bottom of the squash using a sharp knife. If the squash is too tough for your knife, microwave it for 3 - 4 minutes before trying to slice. Since you won't be microwaving it for long, there's no need to puncture the squash in advance.
- Once the top and bottom is removed, scoop out the pulp and seeds using a spoon.
- Stand the squash up on end, so it stands on a flat bottom, and slice it in half, lengthwise.
- Peel using a vegetable peeler. I prefer my Y-shaped peeler. You can also use a sharp chef's knife, but it can take longer because of the hourglass shape, and waste more of the butternut squash.
🧊 What's the best way to store this soup?
This soup can be stored in either the refrigerator or freezer. I often make it ahead as the flavors are even better the next day. Here are some simple guidelines:
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
- Freeze in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months.
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Vegan Curried Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup
Equipment
- Chef's knife
- Air Fryer (optional, for roasting the squash)
- Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot or other large pot for making soup
- high speed blender or food processor
Ingredients
- 2 pounds butternut squash about 4 cups when peeled and ¾" diced cubes
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided (see Ingredient Notes)
- 1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt, divided (or ¾ teaspoon sea salt)
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 large yellow onion, peeled and diced, about 2 cups
- 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into ½" cubes, about 2 cups
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon curry powder
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 3 ½ cups vegetable broth or 3½ cups water plus 1 tablespoon Better Than Bouillon Roasted Vegetable Paste
- ½ cup coconut milk see Ingredient Notes
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce or Tamari sauce (optional)
- apple chutney, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 400˚F if using to roast the butternut squash. Otherwise, preheat your oven to 400˚F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Peel and cube the butternut squash according to the post (see "Best Way to Peel Butternut Squash section), and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil or coconut oil. Arrange in the air fryer basket (or on the prepared baking sheet for roasting in the oven), and spread the diced pieces out as much as possible. Lightly dust with salt and pepper. Air fry for 10-12 minutes (or for 20 minutes in the oven) until the squash is tender and the edges are lightly caramelized.
- Warm the remaining tablespoon of oil in a heavy bottomed pot, such as a Le Creuset, over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion, and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the sweet potato cubes, cinnamon, curry powder, ginger, and remaining salt. Sauté another 3 - 4 minutes until the mixture is fragrant.
- Add the broth or if using Better Than Bouillon, add water and the bouillon paste, and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the sweet potato cubes are tender. Add the roasted squash from the air fryer or oven when it's done.
- Purée for a few minutes in a high speed blender until completely smooth. Add the coconut milk and pulse a few times. Pour back into the pot oven medium low heat.
- Correct for any seasoning for your own personal preferences. If you like a little touch of umami, add a splash of soy sauce or tamari sauce.
- Serve with a dish of apple chutney for garnishing.
Arnold Müller
It was absolutely delicious.
Thank you for sharing.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I'm so glad you liked it!!