This butternut squash soup is made with coconut milk, ginger, and seasoned with maple syrup and lime juice. We’re baking a whole butternut squash for this soup which ensures it has lots of flavor. This soup is really easy to make and requires just a couple of ingredients.
If you like butternut squash soup, you may also like this butternut squash apple soup (without coconut milk) and pumpkin ginger soup with orange (can also be made with butternut squash puree).
Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make this delicious soup:
- butternut squash – you can also use pumpkin puree (preferably homemade), here I have a detailed post about how to make a pumpkin puree or butternut squash puree
- aromatics – ginger, onion, garlic
- coconut milk – from a can – for the best flavor use coconut milk with a high coconut amount and no stabilisers, full fat milk will taste better but light coconut milk can also be used
- broth – you can use vegetable broth or chicken broth
- spices – cinnamon for warmth and cayenne pepper (the soup won’t be spicy, this small amount of cayenne pepper just adds some flavor)
- maple syrup – to sweeten the soup slightly and for flavor
- lime juice – to balance the sweetness of the soup, adds a nice tang, lemon juice can also be used but lime juice is much better
What you could also add to this soup:
- curry powder
- 1 sweet apple (peeled and cored)
- swap a part of butternut squash for sweet potatoes
- make it spicy by adding hot sauce or chopped fresh chilis
- a Thai twist – add red curry paste and lemongrass
Step by step instructions
STEP 1+2: Cut butternut squash in half lengthwise and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roast it for about 40 minutes to 1 hour at 400°F (200°C) or until fork-tender. When the squash is soft, I like to turn on the fan setting (or you can place it under the broiler) and bake it until is nicely browned and caramelized. The baking time will depend on how large the pieces of squash are. If you cut your squash into smaller chunks, it will bake quicker (about 20 minutes).
When the butternut squash is done, scoop out the seeds using a spoon and discard them. Scoop out the flesh. You can discard the skin.
For the best flavor, you could peel raw butternut squash and cut it into 1-inch (2.5 cm) chunks, then roast it at 425°F (220°C) until browned on all sides. Make sure the chunks are not overcrowded on the baking sheet. This is much more work than just cutting the squash in half, but the brown bits on all sides of smaller chunks will add lots of flavor to the soup.
If you have raw cubbed butternut squash you can also cook it directly in a pot with broth and coconut milk until tender but it tastes better roasted.
STEP 3: While the squash is baking, dice your onion and finely chop ginger and garlic.
STEP 4: Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes or until soft and translucent. Add the ginger and garlic, cook for 30 seconds, stirring from time to time. Take the pot off the heat.
STEP 5+6: Add roasted butternut squash to the pot. Add the coconut milk, broth, cinnamon, and cayenne. Bring to a boil and simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes.
STEP 7: Puree the soup in a blender until smooth (you can use a stand blender or a hand/immersion blender).
You can add more broth if you want the soup less thick.
STEP 8: Season the soup with salt, pepper, maple syrup, and lime juice.
Enjoy!
Serving suggestions
- I served the soup with cheese croutons, swirls of plain yogurt, and roughly chopped pecans.
- Another great option are crushed pretzels.
- My kids also like it with cooked pasta.
Storage
You can keep this soup in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
Recipe FAQ
It makes it creamy and adds subtle coconut flavor.
Add a small amount of maple syrup to intensify its sweetness and to add flavor then balance the sweetness with lime juice. Lime juice is absolutely necessary for this soup. Fresh ginger and a touch of cayenne pepper also add lots of flavor to the soup.
Not really, it just adds creaminess and a subtle flavor.
The best flavors to pair with butternut squash are ginger and cinnamon.
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Butternut Squash Soup with Coconut Milk
Ingredients
- 1 medium butternut squash 3 ½ lbs (1.5 kg)
- 2 tablespoons frying oil or clarified butter
- 1 medium/large onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1- inch piece of ginger 2.5 cm
- 1 (15-oz/400ml) can coconut milk, full-fat
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 4 teaspoons lime juice
- salt and pepper to taste
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Instructions
- Cut butternut squash in half lengthwise and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roast it for about 40 minutes to 1 hour at 400°F (200°C) or until fork-tender. When the squash is soft, I like to turn on the fan setting (or you can place it under the broiler) and bake it until is nicely browned and caramelized. The baking time will depend on how large the pieces of squash are. If you cut your squash into smaller chunks, it will bake quicker (about 20 minutes).
- While the squash is baking, dice your onion and finely chop ginger and garlic.
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes or until soft and translucent. Add the ginger and garlic, cook for 30 seconds, stirring from time to time. Take the pot off the heat.
- When the butternut squash is done, scoop out the seeds using a spoon and discard them. Scoop out the flesh and add it to the pot. You can discard the skin.
- Add the coconut milk, broth, cinnamon, and cayenne. Bring to a boil and simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes.
- Puree the soup in a blender until smooth (you can use a stand blender or a hand/immersion blender).
- Season the soup with salt, pepper, maple syrup, and lime juice.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Serving suggestions: I served the soup with cheese croutons, swirls of plain yogurt, and roughly chopped pecans. Another great option are crushed pretzels. My kids like it with cooked pasta.
- For the best flavor, you could peel raw butternut squash and cut it into 1-inch (2.5 cm) chunks, then roast it at 425°F (220°C) until browned on all sides. Make sure the chunks are not overcrowded on the baking sheet. This is much more work than just cutting the squash in half, but the brown bits on all sides of smaller chunks will add lots of flavor to the soup.
- You can also use pumpkin puree for this soup (preferably homemade, it just tastes much better than canned).
- You can add more broth if you want the soup less thick.
- If you have raw cubbed butternut squash you can also cook it directly in a pot with broth and coconut milk until tender but it tastes better roasted.
- Calories = 1 serving (1/8 of the recipe). This is only an estimate!
2 Comments
Anna
25 September 2023 at 16:08Delicious. I didn’t have enough squash so I added some roasted sweet potato and an apple. We didn’t taste the coconut milk; it gave rich texture.
Aleksandra
25 September 2023 at 19:11I’m glad to hear that, thank you for leaving the comment!