Thai Butternut Squash Soup

This Thai-style vegan butternut squash soup with coconut milk is perfect for cold winter nights bringing plenty of warmth and satisfaction without being heavy or overly filling. It’s a tasty soup made with roasted butternut squash and flavored with heat from the chiles and light sweetness from the coconut milk – it’s sure to be a hit.

Nothing screams fall more than a cozy butternut squash soup! It makes a hearty, warming meal that’s perfect for a chilly night.

This vegan butternut squash soup recipe is quite a bit different than most! It has plenty of spice, is perfectly creamy, and is packed with tons of flavor.

Are you a Thai food lover? If so, you’ve got to try this Easy Thai Basil Tofu, Tofu Pad Thai, and this Vegan Thai Pizza Recipe.

Why This Recipe Works

• Great flavor! The combination of sweet, spicy, and creamy is truly divine!
• Easy to make ahead of time and reheat.
• Easily adjust the flavors to your own liking. 

What Goes Into This Recipe

What comes to mind when you think of Thai flavors and ingredients? There are so many characteristic elements in the beloved Thai cuisine! Let’s look at the highlights of what you need to make this sweet and spicy soup.

• Butternut squash: This lightly sweet winter squash is roasted in the oven before being pureed into a silky smooth soup. 
• Aromatics: Onion, garlic, and ginger provide the first layer of flavor to this vegan butternut squash soup.
• Lemongrass: Another emblematic ingredient in Thai cuisine, lemongrass is a long leek-like herb with a strong lemon aroma which gives Thai dishes a very unique flavor. 
• Coconut milk: This creamy plant-based milk is a true staple when it comes to Thai cuisine and it is what makes most of its dishes creamy and brings all the flavors together. 
• Tomato paste: Adds depth of flavor and more umami to the soup.
• Thai bird chiles: Thai bird chilis are small, red, very hot, and widely used in other Thai dishes (and other Asian cuisines). If you can’t find them you can use serrano peppers instead.
• Lime juice: Use freshly squeezed lime for a bit of brightness to the soup that rounds out all the other flavors.
• Garnish: Cilantro leaves, finely chopped scallion, olive oil, and sriracha all work great for garnish. Use them all or pick your favorites.

How To Make Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Here’s an overview of the steps for making this tasty Thai butternut squash soup. Get the details in the recipe card further down the page.

• 1) Roast the butternut squash. Cut the butternut squash in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds and stringy bits, prick the skin of each half a bunch of times with a fork, and give all sides of each piece a quick spray with cooking spray or brush lightly with oil. 

TOP TIP: Microwaving the squash for a minute or two helps soften the squash and make it easier, and safer, to cut in half. Be sure to give the skin a few good stabs with the tip of your knife before microwaving so nothing ends up exploding all over the inside of your microwave.

• 2) Place the squash cut-side down on the baking sheet, and bake for 40 minutes. 

• 3) Remove it from the oven, let it cool, and scoop the flesh out of the skin. Place the flesh in a bowl and set it aside.  

TOP TIP: You only need half the squash for this recipe, but it never hurts to have half a cooked squash on hand for recipes like these Butternut Squash Sage Biscuits, Butternut Squash Mac n’ Cheese, and this Creamy Curried Butternut Squash Lentil Soup.

• 4) Heat the oil in a pot over medium-high heat and add the onion. Cook for 5-8 minutes or until soft. 

• 5) Add the squash, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, coconut milk, and tomato paste to the onions. Bring it to a boil, and simmer until everything is heated through about 10 minutes. 

• 6) Transfer to a blender (in batches, if necessary), add the chiles, lime juice, salt, and water, and puree until smooth. 

• 7) Return the blended soup to the pot. Give it a taste and adjust the seasoning as desired. Reheat if needed and then transfer to bowls.
• 8) Garnish with cilantro leaves, chopped scallions, and drizzles of olive oil and sriracha.

Expert Tips and FAQs

• Add some crunch. Top with toasted squash seeds or some pumpkin seeds.
• Store leftovers in the fridge for up to five days or in the freezer for up to three months. Reheat the leftovers in a saucepan on the stove.
• For less spice, reduce the amount of chilies and make sure to remove the seeds and membranes which contain most of the heat.

More Butternut Squash Recipes

• Butternut Squash Sage Biscuits
• Butternut Squash Mac N Cheese
• Roasted Curried Butternut Squash
• Butternut Squash Curry

Photos by Alfonso Revilla