This creamy vegan butternut squash soup is a fall favorite!  It’s gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut-free, but so creamy and delicious you won’t be able to get enough!  Easy to make in your instant pot or slow cooker too!

A close up of a white bowl filled with creamy vegan butternut squash soup with some vegan sour cream and ground pepper swirled on top.

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I haven’t met anyone yet who doesn’t love this soup.  This soup even won over my husband who previously thought that he hated squash. He now loves my vegan squash risotto, squash casserole, and butternut squash curry too.

Why you’ll love this recipe

  • You only need a few basic ingredients.
  • It’s packed with nutrients!  There’s over 200% of your RDA of vitamin A!
  • You can make a big pot for only about $2.00 when squash is in season.
  • It’s rich, creamy, slightly sweet, and savory.
  • Kids love this soup and eat bowl after bowl!
  • Perfect for Fall or your vegan Thanksgiving Feast!

Made this yesterday for a dinner party with friends and it was a huge hit! It’s was so easy and tasted amazing! I am so glad I discovered it! Will make it again soon ♥️

—Angela

Ingredients and substitutions

  • Butternut Squash – the classic light orange squash you see in most stores in the fall.  You could also use any other winter squash like Hubbard, acorn, buttercup, or even pumpkin if you wish.
  • Onion – for flavor. You can also add garlic or use a few cloves of garlic instead of the onion.
  • Oil – to saute the onion.
  • Vegetable Broth – to flavor the squash as it cooks. (I like the Not Chick’n cubes to give it a nice savory flavor, but you can also use water and extra salt if you don’t have any soup broth).
  • Plant-Based Milk – to make it creamy.  I like soy milk, but you can use any plain flavored milk or a can of coconut milk for a richer soup.
  • Sage – or poultry seasoning for flavor. Fresh herbs like rosemary or fresh sage leaves also make a pretty garnish.
  • Salt and Pepper – for flavor. Fresh ground black pepper is best.
  • Vegan Sour Cream – to make it creamier and to swirl in to look pretty.  You can buy vegan sour cream or easily make your own vegan sour cream with tofu.

Helpful tools

  • Immersion Blender – a metal immersion blender aka a stick blender is the best tool for this soup, but if you don’t have one, you can transfer the soup in small batches to a blender to puree it.  Just be very careful to not overfill the blender and allow hot liquid to leak out when you turn it on. 

How to peel butternut squash

The trickiest part of making this soup is peeling and cutting the squash. Since it is very hard, I cook the squash with the skin on first to make it soft and easier to work with. You can do this in 2 ways, steam it in an Instant Pot with a little water in the bottom for 8 minutes or roast the squash in the oven at 300° F for about 30 minutes. Either way works well to soften it and make it very easy to peel and cut.

A collage of 2 pictures showing how to peel a butternut squash.

How to make creamy vegan squash soup

Step 1 – Peel and cut the prebaked squash into about 1-inch cubes.

Step 2 – Dice onion and sauté on low heat in the saucepan in the olive oil.

Step 3 – Sprinkle with salt and herbs and sauté slowly until translucent.

Step 4 – Add the water and broth cube (or vegetable broth) and the diced squash. (Use just enough broth to barely cover the squash).

Step 5 – Simmer for about 15 minutes until the squash is very soft. (This will vary depending on how much you pre-cooked the squash and the size of the cubes that you cut it into).

A series of 4 pictures showing sauting the onions, adding broth and squash, pouring in the soy milk, and pureeing it all with an immersion blender to make this creamy vegan squash soup.

Step 6 – Add plant-based milk of choice like plain soy milk or a can of coconut milk.

Step 7 – Puree with an immersion blender until very smooth and creamy. 

Step 8 – Salt and pepper to taste and serve with vegan sour cream or vegan heavy cream and fresh ground pepper. (optional)

This soup tastes great the next day too!  Make it ahead and have it ready to heat and serve.

Pro Tips

  • If you have a smaller squash, reduce the broth to use enough to just barely cover the squash cubes.
  • Use a metal stick blender to puree hot soups right in the pot. It’s the safest and easiest to make creamy soups.
  • You can also transfer it in small amounts to a blender – make sure to be careful not to overfill the blender or it could spill out and burn you.
  • You can throw your squash in the oven earlier in the day when you have time.  It will stay fine for hours until you are ready to make your soup.
  • Buy butternut squash very inexpensively in the fall and store it in a cool place like your basement.  They will keep for months!

What to serve with vegan squash soup?

Turn this soup into a meal with some homemade vegan focaccia bread, vegan cornbread, drop biscuits, or vegan Cheddar Bay biscuits!

If you are looking for some great gluten-free options try it with socca or chickpea flour bread.

An overhead shot of a bowl of vegan butternut squash soup with vegan sour cream swirled into it.

Instant Pot instructions

  1. Put a small amount of water in the bottom of the instant pot with the steaming rack.
  2. Place the whole unpeeled squash in the Instant Pot and set it to high for a minute then release the pressure.  It will now be soft to peel and cube.
  3. Saute the onions in oil in the pot then add the broth and cubed squash.
  4. Put on the lid and set to high pressure for 3 minutes.
  5. Allow the pressure to release on its own, then add plant-based milk and puree in the pot with an immersion blender.

Crock pot instructions

  1. Peel and cube the squash according to the above instructions.
  2. Put all of the ingredients into the Crock-Pot except for the plant-based milk and set to high for 4 hours or set to low for 6 hours.
  3. When you are ready to eat, add the plant-based milk and puree with an immersion blender.
A close up of a bowl of vegan squash soup with a spoon on the side.

Storage

Store your leftover squash soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.

More fall soups

Try this delicious creamy vegan pumpkin bean soup, vegan green chile stew, vegan pozole, or this red lentil soup with pumpkin and kale!

You’ll also love my butternut squash risotto and my vegan squash curry recipes.

Vegan butternut squash soup recipe

A bowl of vegan butternut squash soup with vegan sour cream swirled into it.
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5 from 6 rating

Creamy Vegan Butternut Squash Soup

Yield: 8
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 50 minutes
Total: 1 hour
Author: Monica Davis
Creamy gluten-free, vegan butternut squash soup!
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Ingredients

  • 1 large butternut squash, or about 4 cups squash cubed
  • 1 tablespoons olive oil, optional
  • 1 medium onion
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons sage , or poultry seasoning
  • 3-4 cups water, (or vegetable broth if not using a bouillon cube)
  • 1 cube Not Chick’n bullion cubes
  • 1 1/2 cups plain flavored soy milk, or any plain plant-based milk (or a can of coconut milk for extra rich and creamy soup).
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/4 cup vegan sour cream, for swirling in on top.

Equipment

Instructions
 

  • Precook squash to soften. (Place in oven at 300°F (150°C) for 30 min. Or cook in an instant pot on steam for 8 minutes)
  • Peel and cut the squash into about 1-inch cubes.
  • Dice onion and sauté on low heat in the saucepan in the olive oil.
  • Sprinkle with salt and herbs and sauté slowly until translucent.
  • Add the water and broth cube (or vegetable broth) and the diced squash. (Use just enough broth to barely cover the squash).
  • Simmer for about 15 minutes until the squash is very soft. (This will vary depending on how much you precooked the squash and the size of the cubes that you cut it into).
  • Add plant-based milk of choice like plain soy milk or a can of coconut milk.
  • Puree with an immersion blender until very smooth and creamy. 
  • Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with vegan sour cream and fresh ground pepper. (optional)

Notes

  • If you don’t have an immersion blender, transfer to a blender in small amounts and blend – be careful not to overfill or contents can overflow and burn you.
  • Reduce the broth slightly for a thicker soup or increase the broth for a thinner soup. 
  • The amount of broth needed may vary depending on the size of your squash. 
Serving: 1cup, Calories: 92kcal, Carbohydrates: 14g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 3g, Sodium: 416mg, Potassium: 435mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 10215IU, Vitamin C: 25.1mg, Calcium: 140mg, Iron: 1mg
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*Updated on 10/9/19 with new images.