This Butternut Squash Carrot Ginger Soup is silky, spicy-sweet and made with roasted squash, carrots and a honeycrisp apple. It's ready in 35 minutes, it's vegan, and it freezes well.
Roasting the squash and carrots first is what gives this soup its flavor. The edges brown and the sugars concentrate. Then a sweet onion and a honeycrisp apple soften in the pot with a spoonful of ginger, and the whole thing gets blended with coconut milk. There's no flour and no cream. It's the soup I make when the grocery store has piles of squash and the forecast looks bad.
We can get through this winter, friend. All we need is a big pot of homemade soup. For more cozy options, try this easy Spicy Sweet Potato Soup or this hearty Creamy Chicken and Bacon Soup. Serve yours with a grilled cheese and a salad, and everyone will be happy.
Why You'll Love This Soup
- Silky without cream. Roasted squash and carrots blend into a thick, velvety soup, and the coconut milk finishes it.
- Made from whole foods. It's full of vegetables, which is exactly what I want on my table during flu season.
- A good soup to freeze. Make a double batch on Sunday and you have lunches ready for weeks. If you'd rather use a slow cooker, my Easy Crockpot Potato Soup is another set-it-and-forget-it option.
- Mostly hands-off. The oven does the work while you chop the onion and apple.
Ingredients for Butternut Squash Carrot Ginger Soup
You need 12 simple ingredients. Exact amounts are in the recipe card below.
- Butternut squash: I buy the pre-cubed squash in the produce section, because it saves me a lot of time. If you're cubing a whole squash, add about 5 minutes. Almost any roasted winter squash works here.
- Large carrots: Use full-size carrots, not baby carrots. They're sweeter and roast better.
- Fresh Ginger: This is the spicy backbone of the soup. I use pre-minced jarred ginger on weeknights, and freshly grated is great too.
- Honeycrisp Apple: It adds a little sweetness and brightness. Leave the peel on. It softens and disappears when blended. Granny Smith works if you want it less sweet.
- Sweet onion and garlic: These build the savory base. Jarred minced garlic works fine.
- Coconut milk: A 14-ounce can makes the soup creamy. Half and half or heavy cream work as swaps.
- Vegetable broth and dried rosemary: The rosemary is a small amount, but it makes the pot smell like fall.
- Olive oil, kosher salt and black pepper: Avocado oil or melted coconut oil work in place of the olive oil.
Equipment note: You need an immersion blender or a countertop blender. I use a Cuisinart Smart Stick, and it has lasted me over 10 years. You blend right in the pot and skip ladling hot soup into a blender. I use the same stick blender for my Roasted Cauliflower Potato Soup and Creamy Zucchini Soup, so it earns its spot in the drawer all winter.
How To Make It
Step One: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Peel the carrots and chop them into large chunks.
Time Saving Tip: Get the carrots and butternut squash in the oven right away, to start roasting. You can finish up your prep (chopping the onion and apple) while the veggies roast.
Step Two: Arrange the squash and carrot in a single layer on a baking sheet, and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Put the baking sheet in the oven and roast for approximately 20-25 minutes, until the veggies are soft and starting to turn golden brown at the edges.
Step Three: While the squash and carrots are roasting, chop the onion and apple into chunks. Drizzle olive oil into a large pot over medium heat. Cook the onion and apple for 4-5 minutes, until fragrant and softened. Stir in garlic and ginger for about one more minute.
Step Four: Add the vegetable stock to the pot, along with the rosemary, and bring to a simmer.
Once the squash and carrot are done roasting, carefully add them to the soup.
Step Five: Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until the squash and carrot is fully blended and there are no chunks.
Return the blended soup to the stove top over low heat, and add the coconut milk. Stir until well combined, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
I served this soup with a little swirl of coconut cream and croutons on top. We loved the crisp of the croutons in contrast with the creamy soup. This would also be good with a grilled cheese to dip!
Butternut Squash Carrot Ginger Soup
Equipment
- Immersion blender (or countertop blender)
- Rimmed baking sheet
- Large pot
Ingredients
ROAST THE VEGETABLES
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 16 ounces butternut squash cubed about 4 cups
- 4 large carrots
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt divided
BUILD THE SOUP BASE
- 1 small sweet onion
- 1 honey crisp apple
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
FINISH AND SEASON
- 14 ounces coconut milk
- Fresh ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Peel the carrots and chop them into large chunks.
- Arrange the squash and carrot in a single layer on a baking sheet, and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Put the baking sheet in the oven and roast for approximately 20-25 minutes, until the veggies are soft and starting to turn golden brown at the edges.
- While the squash and carrots are roasting, chop the onion and apple into chunks. Drizzle olive oil into a large pot over medium heat. Cook the onion and apple for 4-5 minutes, until fragrant and softened. Stir in garlic and ginger for about one more minute.
- Add the vegetable stock to the pot, along with the rosemary, and bring to a simmer. Once the squash and carrot are done roasting, carefully add them to the soup.
- Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until the squash and carrot is fully blended and there are no chunks. Return the blended soup to the stove top over low heat, and add the coconut milk. Stir until well combined, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
My Cooking Tips
- Roast first. Put the squash and carrots in the oven before you chop anything else. You'll finish the onion and apple while they roast.
- Use one pan layer. If the vegetables are crowded, they steam instead of browning. I use a second pan when the squash overflows. The browned edges are where the flavor comes from.
- Blend before the coconut milk. Get the soup completely smooth first, then stir in the milk over low heat.
- Taste at the end. Roasted vegetables soak up salt, so I always add a little more after blending.
Serving Suggestions
If you want something with more protein on the table, this soup is a good first course before a bowl of Kale Chicken and Green Beans Soup. For a creamier, richer dinner, try Creamy Marry Me Chicken Soup on the next cold night.
Storage and Freezing
Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days. This soup tastes even better the next day, once the flavors have settled together.
Freezer: Cool the soup fully first. Pour it into freezer-safe containers and leave some headroom at the top, since it expands as it freezes. It keeps for up to 3 months.
Reheat: Warm it gently on the stove over medium-low heat with a splash of broth or water if it has thickened.
Substitutions and Variations
- Other squash: Peeled, cubed and roasted kabocha, acorn or sweet potato all work.
- Dairy option: Swap the coconut milk for half and half or heavy cream.
- Fresh versions: Use 2 cloves of fresh garlic and 1 tablespoon of freshly grated ginger in place of jarred.
- More heat: Add a pinch of red pepper flakes or extra ginger.
- Chunkier soup: Blend only half, then stir it back into the unblended half.
Recipe FAQs
Can I use a regular blender?
Yes. Let the soup cool for a few minutes, then blend in batches. Vent the lid so the steam can escape.
Do I need to peel the apple?
No. The skin softens and blends right in.
Is this soup vegan?
Yes, as long as you use vegetable broth and coconut milk.
Can I make it ahead?
Yes. It keeps well in the fridge for several days and in the freezer for up to three months.
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