Cold weather? No problem. We have a solution for you! Curried butternut squash & apple soup with cashew cream and roasted pumpkin seeds.
Drooling yet? That's what we thought.
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📖 About
Butternut squash should be the poster child for autumn. Seriously though, the vibrant, nutty, and sweet flesh makes it a no-brainer for soup, right?!
If you're not aware, we're both born and raised Canadians. Since the winters are cold, gloomy, and a little depressing here, we aim to serve foods that are bright and soul-warming. Take this bowl of soup as an example. It's like liquid sunshine in a bowl!
For that reason, we recommend serving this soup on cold autumn and winter nights when your toes feel like they are going to snap off. But, you could really serve this at any time of year because it's just that good.
In combination with the rest of the ingredients, you'll end up with a rich, creamy, and satisfying dish that's begging to be served with a slice of sourdough bread. Let's get to it!
🍲 Key ingredients
- Butternut squash: this variety of squash is smooth in texture and sweet as a nut, which is why it's called 'butternut' (who would have guessed). It makes the base of this soup ultra-rich & creamy without tons of unnecessary calories. Plus, butternut squash contains beta carotene, which keeps your eyes sharp.
- Coconut milk: to make this soup even creamier, we opt for coconut milk. It creates a velvety smooth dish and the flavor is out of this world. We usually go for full-fat coconut milk, but if you're trying to save on calories, you can also use lite coconut milk.
- Ginger: add in fresh ginger root to take this soup to the next level. It's full of sweet and spicy notes that work extremely well with the other seasonings like garam masala. In case you didn't know, ginger may help alleviate pain and inflammation (fantastic news).
- Apples: we use apples to add natural tang & sweet flavor. What says "fall" more than apples, squash, and carrots? Not much, that's for sure! You can use whichever variety you prefer, but we personally love macintosh, granny smith, or golden delicious.
🔪 Instructions
To begin this recipe, you'll need to heat some oil in a large soup pot over medium. Once hot, add in onion, ginger, and garlic. Wait for your house to fill with an intoxicatingly delicious smell.
Once fragrant, throw in the chopped butternut squash, carrot, and apple. Sprinkle in garam masala, red pepper flakes, turmeric, cinnamon and stir everything together.
Next up, pour in your coconut milk, vegetable broth, and coconut sugar. Bring this soup to a low boil, then simmer it with a lid on until the butternut squash is tender.
Using an immersion blender or stand-alone blender, purée the soup on high until creamy and smooth. You may have to mix it in a few batches if you're using a stand-alone blender. Once the soup is to your preferred consistency, transfer it back to the pot.
Season with salt and pepper, then taste and adjust seasonings. Add red pepper flakes for heat, salt to bring out the other flavors, or coconut sugar as needed. Continue cooking for a few more minutes over medium heat.
Serve this soup as is or with garnishes of your choice. We always serve it with a dollop of cashew cream and toasted pumpkin seeds on top.
🌡️ Storage
The leftover soup will keep in the fridge for up to 3-4 days or in the freezer up to 1 month in a freezer-safe bag or container. Allow the soup to cool completely before covering and transferring it to the fridge or freezer.
To reheat, transfer the thawed soup to a pot and heat over low-medium until warm. Serve with garnishes of choice.
💭 Budget tips
We think everyone should be able to eat better for less, so here are a few tricks to make this recipe even more affordable:
- Skip the squash and replace it with sweet potato
- Use one apple instead of two
- Add water instead of vegetable broth
- Don't add any of the optional ingredients, it's great on its own
🍴 Tasting notes
This is one of our favorite soups to enjoy on colder days. We hope you love this recipe! Its:
- Rich
- Creamy
- Warming
- Satisfying
If you try this soup, please rate it and leave us a comment below! Want to stay up-to-date with new recipes? Subscribe to our newsletter or connect with Broke Bank Vegan on social media. Happy eating!
📋 Recipe
Curried Butternut Squash & Apple Soup
Equipment
- High speed blender or immersion blender
- Peeler
- Large pot
- Chef knife
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive or coconut oil ($0.12)
- ½ medium yellow onion, chopped ($0.12)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced ($0.12)
- 1 ½ tablespoon fresh ginger, minced ($0.05)
- 1 large butternut squash, peeled & chopped ($5.29)
- 1 large carrot, chopped ($0.28)
- 2 small apples, peeled & chopped ($1.21)
- 1 ¼ teaspoon garam masala ($0.03)
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes ($0.05)
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric ($0.01)
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon ($0.01)
- 1 teaspoon coconut sugar ($0.05)
- 1 cup canned coconut milk ($0.54)
- 4-5 cups vegetable broth ($0.99)
- Sea salt & pepper to taste ($0.02)
For Serving optional
- Cashew cream
- Toasted pumpkin seeds
- Bread
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add onion, ginger, and garlic. Sauté for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add in chopped butternut squash, carrot, and apple. Season with garam masala, red pepper flakes, turmeric, and cinnamon. Stir to coat, then cover and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Pour in coconut milk, vegetable broth, and coconut sugar. Bring to a low boil over medium heat, then reduce to low, cover, and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until butternut squash is tender when pierced with a fork.
- Use an immersion blender or transfer soup to a blender, and purée on high until creamy and smooth. If using a blender, you may have to mix it in a few batches. Once smooth, return soup back to pot and season with salt & pepper.
- Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more garam masala, salt, or coconut sugar as needed. Continue cooking for a few more minutes over medium heat.
- Serve as is or with garnishes of choice, although we recommend cashew cream and toasted pumpkin seeds. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Notes
- Optional ingredients are not reflected in the price or calories of this recipe.
- For size reference of the butternut squash, ours weighed a little over 4 lbs before peeling & seeding.
- If you prefer a thinner soup consistency, add in more vegetable broth ½ cup at a time.
Nutrition
♻️ Similar recipes
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- Creamy ramen noodle bowl if you like slurping up warm, spicy broth.
- West African peanut stew for all you peanut butter fiends out there.
- Moroccan chickpea stew to introduce your palate to some bold and unique flavors.
💬 FAQ
What type of apples work best in this soup?
We personally used a macintosh variety from a local orchard, but we think something like golden delicious or granny smith would work well too. Or, try using a combination!
Absolutely! You can also roast the butternut squash for a variation of this soup. Cut the squash in half, brush with olive oil, and bake flesh side up at 400 degrees F for 40-45 minutes until tender. Scoop the flesh out into the pot with all other ingredients before blending.
Yes! Although the results may vary slightly, you can substitute with kabocha squash, pumpkin, or even yam.
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