There’s something about a warm bowl of butternut squash soup that instantly makes everything feel a little calmer. This vegan butternut squash soup is creamy, cozy, packed with flavor, and exactly the kind of meal I want waiting for me during busy fall and winter weeks.
And if you’ve ever bought a butternut squash only to use half and forget about the rest in the fridge… same. That’s why I love recipes like this one. It uses the whole squash, makes a big batch, and freezes beautifully so future you has dinner ready on low-energy days.
This soup is comforting without being complicated. You can prep it once and enjoy it for weeks, which is especially helpful when cooking every single night starts to feel exhausting. Done is better than perfect, and having a freezer stocked with soup absolutely counts as a win.
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Whenever I can, I like to make recipes that leave no ingredients behind. Meaning, I don’t want you to have extra squash, greens, or chickpeas that you don’t know what to do with. Food waste is not fun.
So yes, this recipe requires you to use an entire butternut squash. It makes six servings which is double the amount of servings than most of our recipes. But that’s the beauty of prep!
Why You’ll Love This Vegan Butternut Squash Soup
This soup is:
- Creamy and cozy without dairy
- Freezer-friendly for easy future meals
- Made with simple pantry ingredients
- Great for meal prep
- Flexible and easy to customize
- Packed with warm fall flavor
The cinnamon gives this soup a subtle warmth that makes it taste extra comforting. I originally added way too much cinnamon to my first batch — and honestly, I still love adding extra these days.
The flavors somehow get even better after sitting overnight, which makes this recipe ideal for meal prep.
Can you freeze this vegan butternut squash soup?
Absolutely! I like to freeze these in individual servings, but you can freeze it in whatever way makes sense for you. I love using SouperCubes (as seen below) to easily store frozen soup!
Once I reheated the soup, it tasted just as good as it did the day I whipped it up.
In fact, it may have tasted better after the flavors had time to develop. Speaking of flavor, this soup is packed with it.
I dumped SO MUCH cinnamon into my original batch but toned it down a bit for the recipe. These days, I just dump cinnamon in everything.
Originally, I wanted to add silken tofu instead of non-dairy milk to the soup to get more protein in, but I found that the addition of chickpeas was perfect.
Freezer Tips
- Let the soup cool completely before freezing
- Store in individual portions for easier reheating
- Leave a little space at the top of containers for expansion
- Label containers with the date
Once reheated, the soup tastes just as good — maybe even better after the flavors have had more time to develop.
How to customize butternut squash soup
- If you don’t feel like adding chickpeas on top, use tofu instead. Blend in silken tofu for a creamy texture and more protein.
- If you have pita bread, chop it roughly, season it with salt and pepper and paprika, and toast it in the oven to make some spiced pita chips to go with this soup.
- You can also replace the butternut squash with pumpkin or another type of winter squash if you’re feeling brave, or even just sweet potatoes.
- If you want, you can also roast the butternut squash for about 20-30 minutes (whole, not cubed) before peeling, chopping, and throwing it in the pot. It amplifies the flavor.
- Instead of chickpeas, cannellini or another white bean would go well with this. It can add creaminess without dairy, and it doesn’t change the taste of the soup too much, either.
- Also, feel free to leave the chickpeas out altogether. This soup still rocks without them
- You can also make vegan butternut squash soup with coconut milk! It takes the flavor to the next level!
Related: Sick Day Food: 14 Nourishing Recipes For When You’re Sick
How to store vegan butternut squash soup
This dish will last in the fridge for up to four days and in the freezer for around three months. If you make this, I recommend storing half of it in the freezer in individual portions so you have the ability to thaw only what you need. Store and eat the other half for your weekly meal prep. You’ll be so happy you froze some of this. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave until it’s totally hot all the way through.
Related: Weekly Meal Prep: 12 One-Pot Dinners Under 30 Minutes
Can you make butternut squash soup in a slow cooker?
Yes, you can! Follow the instructions from this butternut squash soup recipe for using a slow cooker, if you want to do that instead of using a standard stock pot. It will take about 6-8 hours on low and 3-4 hours on high.
FAQs
Yes! This soup freezes beautifully for up to 3 months. Individual portions make reheating especially easy.
Absolutely. Non-dairy milk works well, or you can skip it altogether for a lighter texture.
White beans, cannellini beans, or silken tofu all work well in this soup.
Blend in silken tofu, white beans, or coconut milk for a creamier texture without dairy.
Yes. Roasting the squash before adding it to the soup creates deeper, richer flavor.
And don’t forget to try out our other delicious free recipes!
- Thai Coconut Curry Soup With Chicken (One-Pot!)
- Veggie Meal Prep Ramen With Tofu & Marinated Eggs
- Pumpkin Pasta With Ground Turkey, Mushro & Kale
- The Best Slow-Cooked Beef Chili Recipe
- Budget-Friendly Chicken Noodle Soup
Delicious Butternut Squash Soup With Roasted Chickpeas
Ingredients
- 2 TBSP coconut oil or olive oil
- 1 yellow onion medium in size, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 3 carrot peeled and chopped
- 3 celery sticks chopped
- 1 butternut squash small or medium in size, peeled and diced
- 3 cups veggie stock or water, or chicken stock
- 1 cup water
- 1 tbsp cumin + 2 tsp more for chickpeas
- Salt and pepper to taste be generous!
- 2 tsp turmeric
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp cayenne optional
- 1 can of chickpeas rinsed and drained
- 2 cups non-dairy milk add more if needed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 F. Warm the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes, until they are translucent.
- Add the garlic, carrots, celery, butternut squash, veggie stock, water and spices to the pot. Turn up the heat and stir thoroughly.
- Once the mixture starts boiling, turn the heat down to a simmer and cover the pot. Let it cook for about 30 mins, until the squash is tender. (Note: If you roast the squash ahead of time this step will take half the time, or about 15 minutes).
- While the soup cooks, toss the chickpeas in a bowl with salt, pepper, cumin and a dash of oil. Pour them onto a baking sheet lined with foil, and bake for 15-20 minutes, until crispy.
- Once all the veggies in the soup are tender, transfer it to a blender with some nondairy milk (I used about 1/2 cup per batch in the blender) and blend until smooth. Repeat until all the soup is blended.
- Portion the meals you need in containers and top with chickpeas—as many as you want. Freeze the rest!
Francesca says
What type of nondairy milk do you recommend?
Talia Koren says
I’ve used oat milk and soy milk in the past for this!