This rich and luxurious vegan soup recipe is a creamy taste of autumn. I love to make it on chilly fall days, because it always makes me feel so warm and cozy. It is reminiscent of pumpkin pie, but sweet and savory. It’s surprisingly quick and easy to make and full of vitamins and antioxidants, especially beta-carotene which helps to protect the cells in the body from free radical damage and strengthen the immune system. The allium family of vegetables including garlic and onion are the most potent cancer fighting vegetables we can eat. They add a savory component along with health benefits to this warming fall soup. Healthy and delicious!
Carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes and butternut squash are added to the pot after sauteeing the onion and garlic.
Then, I add a quart of Imagine Foods No-Chicken Broth, autumn spices, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. The vegetables get nice and tender. Mmmmm!
Then, I scoop the cooked soup into my Vitamix and blend until silky smooth. I can fit almost all of it in the big blender pitcher. Then, I just stir in a can of light coconut milk and garnish each serving with a sprinkle of cinnamon, a drizzle of unsweetened soy yogurt and a sprinkle of fresh chopped chives.
How can you get that pretty drizzle of yogurt? It’s easy! Just stir the container of yogurt until creamy and spoon into a squeeze bottle. During the fall and winter, I make soup often and garnish with yogurt all the time, so it’s handy to keep a squeeze bottle of yogurt in the fridge. I also use squeeze bottles for strawberry sauce, but of course the possibilities are endless.
This creamy butternut squash soup is one of our family favorites and is so pretty for company. I hope you love it as much as we do. Please give it a try and let me know what you think in the comments below. I look forward to hearing from you!
INGREDIENTS
1 large sweet onion, diced
4 small or 3 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced (about 4 cups)
1 sweet potato or yam, peeled and diced (about 2 cups)
3 medium carrots, peeled and diced (about 1 ½ cups)
2 parsnips, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
1 quart (32 ounces) Imagine Foods No-Chicken Broth) or vegetable stock
1 (14-ounce) can light coconut milk
½ teaspoon fine sea salt (or to taste)
Freshly ground black pepper
Optional Garnishes: Minced fresh chives, a sprinkle of cinnamon and a drizzle of unsweetened soy yogurt.
INSTRUCTIONS
In a large Dutch oven, sauté onions in 2 tablespoons of water over medium heat until slightly golden, soft and translucent. Add more water, 2 tablespoons at a time to prevent sticking. Add garlic and cook for another minute. Do not let garlic brown.
Add squash, sweet potato, carrots, parsnips, poultry seasoning, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, allspice, ground ginger and No-Chicken Broth, increase heat to high and cover. When pot begins to boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Puree soup in batches in a blender or with an immersion blender. Stir in coconut milk, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, warming through and adjusting seasonings to taste. Garnish and serve.