Curried Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup

Nov 20, 2019 (Last updated Jan 5, 2023) by Hannah Sunderani

Curried Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup

Hi guys! Today I’m sharing an ultra cozy soup recipe with ya! This warming, cozy curried butternut squash and sweet potato soup is thick and creamy, and full of curry flavour. It’s a nourishing homemade soup that’s great for lunch or a light dinner. Or, enjoy it as a starter to your holiday gathering. Option to top the soup with roasted peanuts or crunchy kale chips.

In fact, I did exactly that and served this soup at our Canadian Thanksgiving with my in-laws. And it was a huge hit! One thing I love about soup recipes is that everyone loves them, vegan or not.

It’s no surprise that I love to make homemade soups from scratch! (Store bought soups just don’t do it for me – they always too watery and lack flavour). My Vegan Tomato Basil Soup and Vegan Potato Leek Soup are flavourful soup recipes that I love to whip together in a flash. But I really love this butternut squash and sweet potato soup when I’m craving something a little sweet and curry flavoured!

What’s more is that this sweet potato squash soup makes for a great meal-prep recipe to feed you through the week. Reheat for lunches, or prep in advance of your holiday gathering so you’re not so stressed on the big day.

Now, let me tell you exactly how to make this Curried Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup, so that you can be slurping up this cozy bowl in no time.

Curried Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup

The ingredients

The ingredients for this recipe are simple and straight forward. And if your spice rack is well stacked, it’s likely you already have the ingredients at home. But if you don’t have them handy they are ingredients that can be found at any general grocery store.

For this Curried Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup you will need:

• 1 butternut squash
• 2 sweet potatoes
• avocado oil (or other neutral oil, like coconut or canola)
• 1 onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 can coconut milk
• curry powder
• cumin
• paprika
• ginger
• chilli flakes (optional)

As you can see, there is nothing strange or intimidating about the ingredients here. It’s vegan and gluten-free and full of curry flavours.

What flavours go with Butternut Squash?

Butternut squash is so versatile! It has a lovely sweet and creamy texture, which is a great base for adding flavour (and why it’s so beloved in soup).

For this recipe, we’ve spiced it up using warm and bold flavours like curry powder, paprika, ginger, and chilli flakes! I truly love the spiced notes for flavouring this butternut squash soup.

But like I said, Butternut squash is versatile, so it can also take on more delicate and earthy flavours like apple, sage, thyme, cardamom and bay leaf! If these delicate flavours sound of interest to you then you’ll love my Butternut Squash Apple and Sage Soup from the The Two Spoons Cookbook.

How to make Curried Butternut Squash and sweet potato soup

Watch the how-to video on my YouTube Channel! Or, follow the details below.

Making this sweet potato squash soup is SO easy! Which is why I have given it my newbie cook stamp of approval.

Here’s what you do:

• Preheat oven to 400F/200C. Peel and chop butternut squash into small bit sized cubes. Chop sweet potato into bite sized cubes. Add veg to a baking dish and drizzle with oil. Sprinkle generously with sea salt and pepper and cook for 30 minutes, or until cooked through.

• Dice onion and garlic and add to a large pot with pinch sea salt. Drizzle with 1 tbsp oil and bring to medium-low heat. Simmer on low, until onion turns translucent in colour (10 mins). Add roasted squash and sweet potato and pour in vegetable broth. Bring to simmer and add spices: curry powder, cumin, paprika, ginger and cayenne. Cook for another 10-20 minutes.

• Puree soup with hand mixer, or transfer to blender to puree in batches. (Optional to add splashes more broth if needed for blending if it’s too thick, but I didn’t need to).
• Finish by adding canned coconut milk into the pureed soup and stir to combine.

• Optional for topping: In a skillet toast peanuts on medium-high heat until browned and fragrant (approx. 5 minutes). Make kale chips for garnish (recipe link in notes. Takes 5 minutes).
• Pour soup into bowls and top with roasted peanuts and kale chips. Season with sea salt and pepper.

How do you cut butternut squash?

You might find that the hardest part about this recipe is cutting your butternut squash! They can be a doozy, especially if you have small wrists like me. Lucky for you I’ve got a blog post for my method on how to cut a butternut squash.

Get the whole step-by-step for how to cut a butternut squash here. Or, watch the video below for a the quick tutorial.

Recipe FAQ’s

More tips for making Vegan butternut squash soup:

I recommend to add your coconut milk last, after pureeing the soup. This is because if your coconut milk gets too hot it might curdle. You can still keep the soup on a low simmer after adding, but it’s best not to heat at very high temperatures.

For pureeing soup: It’s optional to use a hand blender or stand mixer. A hand blender is nice because you can keep it all in one pot. However I find it doesn’t come out as silky smooth as when using a blender.

If you want your soup to be silky smooth than I recommend transferring to your blender. (I use my Vitamix for this, but any blender will do). Start by blending on a low setting and then increase as you go. Hot soup can be a bit explosive if you go directly from zero to high, (and it’s a drag trying to clean soup off the ceiling), so it’s best to blend on low and slowly increase the speed to high.

How to garnish Curried Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup

I like to add roasted peanuts and kale chips to this soup for garnish. It’s a unique addition that’s so tasty! This salty and crunchy combo makes a great healthy alternative to croutons, and keeps the recipe gluten-free.

Of course you can add any garnish of your choice. Here’s some other favourites I like:

• Toasted pepitas or pumpkin seeds
• Crunchy roasted chickpeas (great if you’re gluten-free)
• Fresh parsley
• Croutons

What should I serve with Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup?

For me, there is no better companion to sweet potato squash soup than BREAD! Which is why I love serving this recipe with my homemade spelt bread recipe. Slather with some cashew cheese and it’s a true comfort. This recipe also pairs nicely with my Vegan Caesar Salad.

Or, serve this as a starter for the Holidays gatherings, like Thanksgiving or Christmas. Here are some other festive ingredients you can add to your menu to serve this soup with.

• The Best Vegan Mashed Potatoes
• Nut Roast
• Spiced Roasted Pumpkin with Hazelnut Hummus
• Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts
• Stuffed Mini-Pumpkins with Wild Rice and Kale
• Maple Roasted Carrots

Shop my kitchen

I’m often asked what items I like to use in the kitchen. So, I’ve included my favourites for making this Curried Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup. You can find more of my favourite kitchen items on my shop page.

(Commissions earned as an affiliate. I only recommend products I know and love).

Cuisinart Easy Grip Bakeware 13-Inch by 9-Inch Cake Pan

This is the baking dish I used to roast the squash and sweet potato. Any baking dish will do.

Cuisinart Chef’s Classic Enameled Cast Iron 7-Quart Round Covered Casserole, Cardinal Red

This is the pot I use to make soups. You can use any pot, but I really like this one as it’s a quality pot and so pretty.

Vitamix A2500 Ascent Series Smart Blender, Professional-Grade

This is the blender I have. Which I used to puree the soup. Although, any standard mixer will work for this recipe

So there we have it. An ultra cozy Curried Vegan Butternut Squash Soup that’s vegan, gluten-free and perfect for the fall and winter months. Whether you want to serve as a starter, or enjoy for a light lunch/dinner, this warming bowl is sure to be a favourite.

And, if you do make this recipe please let me know in the comments below what you think! I love hearing from you. And of course, tag me on Instagram with the hashtag #twospoons. Nothing makes me happier than to see your recreations.

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