Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup

A creamy, cozy butternut squash and carrot soup you can make in under an hour. It’s the perfect fall dinner, especially paired with freshly baked bread!

We’re always on the lookout for healthier comfort food recipes that use in season, wholesome ingredients. One of our favorite ways to health-ify our diets while keeping those cozy vibes is by making flavorful soups, like this butternut squash and carrot soup!

We’ve tried other butternut squash soup recipes in the past that were either too mild in flavor or not the right texture for us. After some trial and error, we landed on our perfect version of this traditional fall soup – one that involves plenty of fresh sage and creamy coconut milk to amp up the flavors and textures.

It’s ready in about 45 minutes and it makes a big batch of about 5 to 6 servings. We love having it for dinner and then heating up the leftovers for an easy lunch the next few days.

What This Recipe Entails

You can make this soup in just one pot in under an hour! Quick, easy, and minimal cleanup.

• Ready in: 45 minutes
• Serves: 5 to 6 people
• Great for: Cold autumn nights when you’re craving an easy, cozy meal
• Flavor profile: Nutty, slightly sweet, rich flavor with herbal notes and warm spices
• Why we love it: It’s a warm, comforting, and nutritious option for lunch or dinner that truly feels good for the body and the soul!

Ingredients

• Butternut squash – Slicing up a whole squash can be difficult and time consuming, so we recommend buying cubed squash if you can find it! Most grocery stores will have this available during the fall when squash is in season. We like to use Olivia’s Organic butternut squash.
• Carrots – We like to dice up whole carrots (no need to peel them), but you can also use baby carrots if that’s what you have in the fridge! This soup calls for 3 medium carrots, which is about 1.5 cups when diced.
• Onion – Yellow onion works best for soup, especially as an aromatic. It’ll add a bit of sweetness that complements the butternut squash well.
• Garlic and ginger – Minced garlic and ginger add warm spice notes and depth of flavor to this soup. We like to buy the jar of minced garlic and the little tube of minced ginger at the store (usually found in the produce section) to save ourselves the effort of mincing it fresh, but if you want to use fresh go for it!
• Ground turmeric – Turmeric adds a nice pop of color and some earthiness to the flavor of this soup. We like to add it to the aromatics with a few pinches of salt before stirring in the broth to help the flavors bloom.
• Vegetable broth – This soup uses a standard 32 fluid ounce box of vegetable broth, so no worrying about what to do with any leftover broth (and no measuring required!).
• Fresh herbs – Fresh sage and thyme leaves make such a difference in the flavor of this soup! You’ll want a good amount of sage for it to come through. Thyme is a much more potent herb, so you won’t need as much of it.
• Coconut milk – Make sure to buy full-fat canned coconut milk for this recipe. It adds a rich flavor and creamy texture to the soup that we find absolutely necessary for best results.

How To Make Carrot Butternut Squash Soup

1. Sauté the mirepoix and aromatics – Add cooking oil, carrots, onion, garlic, and ginger to a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook until softened, then stir in the ground turmeric and salt and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
2. Build the soup – Add the butternut squash, vegetable broth, and fresh herbs to the pot. Stir to combine and increase the heat to medium-high to bring to a simmer.
3. Simmer – Once simmering, lower the heat and cover the pot. Cook until the squash is tender and easily pierced with a fork, about 10 minutes.
4. Add the coconut milk – Stir in the can of coconut milk until it’s well combined with the soup.
5. Blend – Puree the soup with an immersion blender until it’s smooth and creamy. (Alternatively, carefully transfer the soup to a traditional blender, working in batches if needed). 
6. Adjust and serve – Adjust salt to taste, then serve hot. Optionally garnish with crispy sage.

Serving Suggestions

Wondering what to serve with butternut squash soup? Our favorite side dish for any creamy soup is homemade bread! We love dipping it into the soup for a Panera style meal at home.

This soup would also go well with a harvest salad or a savory sandwich, like this chicken and goat cheese sandwich with sun dried tomatoes or a perfect grilled cheese.

Storing, Freezing, and Reheating

You can store this soup in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat single servings in the microwave for about 2 minutes, stirring halfway through. Or, reheat a larger batch on the stove in a covered pot over medium-low heat until steaming.

You can also freeze butternut squash soup if you want to batch prep or save it for later. We love freezing soup in our Souper Cubes (we use both the 1-cup and 2-cup trays). Then you can either defrost it in the fridge overnight and reheat as normal, or reheat straight from frozen by popping the cubes in a covered saucepan over medium-low heat.