This roasted butternut squash soup is the one that went everywhere last fall, and this is the improved version. A whole butternut squash roasts on one tray with red onion, a bell pepper, carrots, two heads of garlic and a pile of cherry tomatoes until everything is soft and caramelized, then it all goes into the blender with broth and comes out silky. Coconut milk stirred in at the end makes it creamy without any dairy.

It is vegan, dairy free and naturally sweet from the roasting, with a chili oil swirl on top that everybody asks about. Answer: it is chili oil, and it is not optional in my house.

Why This Recipe Works

  • Everything roasts on one tray. No sautéing, no stirring a pot. The oven does the work while you do something else, and roasting is what gives the soup its deep, sweet flavor.
  • Two heads of garlic, roasted whole. Roasting turns garlic soft and buttery, so you get a lot of it without any harshness. Squeeze the cloves out and they melt into the soup.
  • The peppers and tomatoes are the twist. Most butternut squash soup is squash, onion and broth. The roasted bell pepper and burst cherry tomatoes add a little acidity and a savory edge that stops the soup from tasting flat or too sweet.
  • Coconut milk instead of cream. Full fat canned coconut milk gives the soup its body and richness, and the roasted vegetables are bold enough that you do not taste coconut.
  • It blends completely smooth. Because everything is roasted until soft, even a normal blender turns it silky. No straining, no lumps.

What You Need (and What to Swap)

  • Butternut squash. One medium squash, about 2½ lb (1.1 kg). Halve it lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and score the flesh so the seasoning gets in. Want it faster? Peel and cube it instead, or buy pre cut squash. The smaller you cut everything, the faster it roasts.
  • Red onion, bell pepper, carrots and cherry tomatoes. The red onion halves sit in the squash cavities so they steam and caramelize at the same time. The carrots add sweetness and body.
  • Two heads of garlic. Slice the tops off so the cloves are exposed. If you are worried about garlic strength, use one head.
  • Seasoning. Cumin, smoked paprika, thyme, rosemary, salt and black pepper. Chili flakes are optional and go on the tray. Chili oil is a different thing and goes on the finished soup.
  • Coconut milk. Canned, full fat, the kind you shake before opening. Carton coconut milk is much thinner and will not make the soup creamy.
  • Vegetable broth. Start with 1½ cups and add more to get the thickness you like. The soup is thick on purpose.
  • To serve. Chili oil (the red swirl), a little extra coconut milk, chopped parsley or cilantro, and toasted sourdough.

How To Make Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Here is the quick flow. Full measurements and instructions are in the recipe card below.

Halved butternut squash with red onion, bell pepper, carrots, garlic heads and cherry tomatoes in a roasting dish
Load the tray: Load everything into one roasting dish, drizzle with oil and season.
Caramelized roasted butternut squash, garlic, peppers and burst cherry tomatoes in a roasting dish
Roast: Roast until soft, golden and caramelized, with the tomatoes collapsed.
Spoon scooping soft roasted butternut squash flesh out of its skin
Scoop the squash: Scoop the soft squash flesh straight out of the skin.
Roasted vegetables and broth in a blender for butternut squash soup
Blend: Blend the roasted vegetables and broth until silky.
Thick blended roasted butternut squash soup being poured into a pot
Pour into a pot: Tip the thick blended soup into a pot over medium heat.
Coconut milk being poured into blended butternut squash soup in a pot
Stir in the coconut milk: Stir in the coconut milk and warm through until creamy.

Tips for the Creamiest Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

  • Score the squash and roast it cut side up. Deep crosshatch cuts let the heat and seasoning get into the flesh, and cut side up lets the top caramelize. At 425 F it takes 50 to 60 minutes. Check with a knife, it should slide in with zero resistance.
  • In a hurry? Cube it. Peeled and cubed squash roasts in 30 to 35 minutes. Pre cut squash from the store works exactly the same way.
  • Do not skip the salt. It was missing from the old recipe card and it is the difference between a nice soup and a great one. Season the tray, then taste and adjust at the end.
  • Watch the garlic. If the cloves have not turned golden and soft by the time the squash is done, they will taste sharp in the soup. Give them a few more minutes on their own, or wrap the heads loosely in foil from the start so they steam and soften.
  • Blend hot soup carefully. Fill the blender no more than two thirds full, take the center cap out of the lid, cover the hole with a folded towel and start on low. Or use an immersion blender straight in the pot, it just takes a minute longer to get smooth.
  • Thick is the default. Use the smaller amount of broth first. You can always thin it, you cannot un-thin it.

Swaps and Variations

  • No coconut milk. Use ½ cup of cashew cream, a splash of oat milk, or leave it out entirely. The roasted squash is creamy enough on its own, it is just a little less rich.
  • Nightshade free. Skip the bell pepper and tomatoes and add a second carrot and a small apple to the tray instead. You keep the sweetness and get a cleaner squash flavor.
  • More protein. Blend in a can of drained white beans with the vegetables, or simmer ½ cup of red lentils in the broth for 15 minutes before blending. Neither one changes the taste much.
  • Different squash. Kabocha and honeynut both work. Sweet potato works too, in the same weight, and makes it sweeter.
  • Make it curried. Add a tablespoon of red curry paste when you stir in the coconut milk, and finish with lime.
  • Make it spicier. Chili flakes on the tray before roasting, and more chili oil on top.

What To Serve With Butternut Squash Soup

The classic pairing is a grilled cheese, and half the comments on this recipe agree, so make a vegan grilled cheese on sourdough and dunk it. Toasted sourdough with olive oil is the simpler version and what you see in the photos. For a bigger meal, serve it as a starter before a bowl of pasta, or with a sharp green salad to cut the richness. A few of my readers have thinned it slightly and used it as a sauce over pasta or tortellini, which is a very good idea.

On top: a spoonful of chili oil, a drizzle of coconut milk, chopped parsley or cilantro, and toasted pumpkin seeds if you have them. If you want to make the chili oil yourself, my garlic chili oil with peanuts is the one in the photos.

Frequently Asked Questions

Chili oil. Specifically a garlic chili oil with a bit of crunch in it. It adds heat and a savory, toasty flavor against the sweet squash. Store bought chili crisp works just as well.

Canned, full fat. Carton coconut milk is a drink, it is mostly water and will not make the soup creamy. Light canned coconut milk works but the soup will be thinner.

A whole halved squash is dense, and at 390 F it can take well over an hour. Roast at 425 F, score the flesh deeply, and keep it cut side up. If you are short on time, peel and cube it, which brings the roasting down to about 30 minutes.

Yes, it freezes very well for up to 3 months. Cool it completely, freeze in portions, and thaw overnight in the fridge. Whisk it as it reheats, since coconut milk can look slightly separated after freezing and comes back together with a stir.

It is better the next day. Make it up to 4 days ahead, keep it in the fridge, and reheat gently with a splash of broth or water.

This version is. Each serving is around 160 calories, with 4 g of fiber, a full day’s worth of vitamin A and most of your vitamin C, and the only fat comes from olive oil and coconut milk. It is vegan, dairy free and gluten free.

Yes. Leave them out and add an extra carrot and a small apple to the tray. The soup will taste more purely of squash, which some people prefer.

Yes. Put the roasted vegetables and broth in the pot and blend until smooth, then stir in the coconut milk. It takes a little longer than a stand blender to get completely silky.

Storing Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Fridge: up to 4 days in an airtight container. It thickens as it sits, so loosen it with a splash of broth or water when you reheat it, on the stove over medium heat or in the microwave in bursts, stirring between them. Freezer: up to 3 months in portions. Add the chili oil and fresh herbs after reheating, not before freezing.

More Vegan Soup Recipes

Sourdough bread dipped into a bowl of vegan roasted butternut squash soup with coconut milk and chili oil swirl

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Coconut Milk (Vegan)

4.75 from 81 reviews
A creamy roasted butternut squash soup made with coconut milk instead of cream. Squash, red onion, bell pepper, carrots, garlic and cherry tomatoes all roast on one tray, then blend silky smooth. Vegan, dairy free and freezer friendly.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Cooling and blending 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Calories: 165

Ingredients
 
 

For roasting
  • 1 medium butternut squash about 2½ lb / 1.1 kg, halved lengthwise and seeds removed
  • 1 red onion halved
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 2 carrots peeled
  • 2 heads garlic tops sliced off
  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp dried rosemary
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp chili flakes optional
For the soup
  • 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth plus up to ½ cup more to thin
  • 3/4 cup canned full fat coconut milk plus more to drizzle
  • 1 tsp grated fresh ginger optional
To serve
  • chili oil or chili crisp
  • chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
  • toasted sourdough

Method
 

  1. Prep the squash. Preheat the oven to 425 F (220 C). Score the cut sides of the squash in a deep crosshatch and place the halves cut side up in a large roasting dish. Set an onion half, cut side down, into each seed cavity. Want it faster? Peel and cube the squash instead. The smaller you cut everything, the faster it roasts.
  2. Load and season the tray. Add the bell pepper, carrots, garlic heads (cut side up) and cherry tomatoes around the squash. Drizzle everything with the olive oil, then sprinkle over the cumin, smoked paprika, thyme, rosemary, salt, pepper and chili flakes if using. Rub the seasoning into the squash flesh.
  3. Roast. Roast for 50 to 60 minutes, until a knife slides into the thickest part of the squash with no resistance, the garlic is golden and soft, and the tomatoes have burst. Cubed squash is done in 30 to 35 minutes. If the garlic is still pale, give it 5 to 10 more minutes on its own.
  4. Blend. Let the tray cool for 5 minutes. Scoop the squash flesh out of the skin into a blender, discarding the skin. Squeeze the garlic cloves out of their papers and add them, along with the onion, pepper, carrots, tomatoes and all the juices from the dish. Add 1½ cups of the broth and the ginger if using. Blend until completely smooth, working in two batches if your blender is small.
  5. Finish with coconut milk. Pour the soup into a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the coconut milk and warm through for 3 to 4 minutes. Add more broth until it is as thick or thin as you like it. Taste and adjust the salt.
  6. Serve. Ladle into bowls and top with a swirl of chili oil, a drizzle of coconut milk and chopped herbs. Serve with toasted sourdough.

Nutrition

Calories: 165kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 3gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 520mgPotassium: 705mgFiber: 5gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 14500IUVitamin C: 60mgCalcium: 86mgIron: 3mg

Notes

Timing: Allow about 1 hour 30 minutes, including prep, roasting, a short cooling period, blending and warming the soup. This is an estimate: squash size and ovens vary. Continue roasting until the flesh is completely tender, even if it takes longer than 60 minutes.
Faster roasting: Halved squash takes 50 to 60 minutes at 425 F. Peel and cube it (or buy pre cut) and it is done in 30 to 35 minutes. The smaller you cut everything, the faster it cooks.
Blending hot soup: Fill the blender no more than two thirds, remove the center cap of the lid, cover with a towel and start on low.
Coconut milk: Use canned, full fat. Carton coconut milk will not make the soup creamy.
Freezing: Freezes well for up to 3 months. Freeze without the toppings and whisk as it reheats.

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