Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup

A creamy, cozy butternut squash and carrot soup you can make in 45 minutes. 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, minimally processed 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! (Just like our coconut red lentil soup and our Indian tomato 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 and make sure it’s as comforting as possible.

And we absolutely love that it all comes together in just one pot, about 45 minutes, and makes plenty of food for an easy dinner for two with leftovers.

Why We Love This Recipe

Key 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 ginger and garlic cloves, 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.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

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.

We love having soup for dinner by itself, but if we’re looking to add some protein, or just want to change it up, adding a half sandwich or salad is a great option. This soup would go well with a harvest salad or a savory sandwich, like this chicken and goat cheese sandwich with sun dried tomatoes, a perfect grilled cheese sandwich, or even a veggie pita pocket to make it a fuller meal.

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.