I’m such a fan of this dairy-free butternut squash soup. It’s our go-to soup when we want something comforting and warm. It also happens to be a doddle to make. I make it on our hob in about 30 mins or pop it in our slow cooker if I am not in a rush. The beauty of this recipe is that the ingredients are flexible – if you only have small butternut squash, then add more carrots and potatoes. My girls love this soup; it is substantial enough for a quick evening meal after school. Served with lots of crusty bread it fills them up and with cheap ingredients, this has to be a win. This Autumn and Winter will be all about cheap dairy-free meals in this house!
- Flexible recipe – can adjust ingredients depending on what you have
- Easy dairy-free meal
- Great for an elegant dairy-free starter
- Cooks in around 30 minutes
- It can be cooked in the slow cooker
- Suitable for freezing
- Serves 4-6 people depending on portion size
Favourite dairy-free soup
I’m not exaggerating when I say this is a family favourite. On some days, I feel like a taxi driver in the evenings after school, so it’s always great when you can have a meal ready without too much effort and know that everyone will eat it and be satisfied. This one ticks all the boxes for me. I love dairy-free soup as you can make them ahead and they are often a substantial meal, with minimum effort. I love to double up and put some in the freezer. It’s also great if I manage to plan ahead and use my slow cooker, being mindful of our ever-increasing energy bills! You could also make this in a soup maker or an instant pot if you have one.
How I prepare butternut squash
If you have avoided butternut squash because it might be difficult to prepare then don’t be put off. With the use of a large kitchen knife and chopping board, it’s not as hard as you might think. Before you start, give the squash a good wash and pat it dry. Then with a large kitchen knife, cut off the top and bottom of the squash and discard. Once you have done this then lay the squash down on its side and cut it into slices about 2cm thick. This will make it easy to remove the outer skin and cut it into cubes.
Once you have cut the squash into discs, put the flat side of a disc down on the board. Take a smaller sharp kitchen knife and you should be able to easily trim the skin off, working your way around the disc of squash. To de-seed, cut the discs of squash containing seeds in half, and use a spoon or your fingers to pull out the seeds. Discard the seed and skin and the butternut squash is ready to be cubed for the soup. You can use the same method for preparing the squash for other recipes or just for roasting in the oven.
Dairy-Free Butternut Squash Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 large butternut squash (approx 3 lbs or 1.4 kg)
- 1 large onion
- 2 large carrots
- Approx 2 kg white potatoes
- 1 tablespoon of plant butter
- 2 tablespoons of sunflower or olive oil
- 1 litre of chicken or vegetable stock
- Salt & Pepper
- Plant cream
- Dried chilli flakes (optional)
Equipment
- Stick blender or liquidiser
Method
Peel the onion, carrots and potatoes and cut them into chunks. Peel and cut the butternut squash. De-seed and cut into chunks. Add one tablespoon of plant butter and two tablespoons of oil into a large saucepan and add all the vegetables. Gently sautee for a few minutes. Add the stock and bring it to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook gently for approximately 20-25 minutes or until all the vegetables are cooked through and soft.
Allow the soup to cool a little before blending with a stick blender or transferring to a blender, being careful to avoid hot splashes. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve with a swirl of plant-based cream. Add a pinch of dried chilli flakes for a touch of warmth. Our youngest does not like anything very spicy so we just omit the chilli flakes for her.
Serving suggestions
I like to enjoy this dairy-free soup with freshly baked, crusty bread. Quite a lot of part-baked baguettes are dairy-free so might be a good option. Just good old sliced bread and butter works just as well. Last Christmas we were gifted a breadmaker and we use this a lot to make dairy-free bread. Of course, you don’t need a breadmaker to make your own bread, but I enjoy the freedom to load it up and just let it do its own thing. Also, given the increasing cost of energy, if you do have a breadmaker, you may find it cheaper to use that than use an oven to bake bread.
Dairy-Free Butternut Squash Soup
Ingredients
- 1 large butternut squash (approx 1.4 kg / 3lbs)
- 1 large onion
- 2 large carrots
- 2 kg white potatoes (approx weight)
- 1 tbsp plant butter
- 2 tbsp sunflower or olive oil
- 1 litre chicken or vegetable stock
- Plant cream (to serve)
- Pinch dried chilli flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Peel the onion, carrots and potatoes and cut them into chunks.
- Cut off top and bottom of butternut squash and discard.
- Peel the butternut squash and cut into slices approximately 2cm thick.
- De-seed and cut into chunks.
- Add one tablespoon of plant butter and two tablespoons of oil to a large saucepan and add all the vegetables.
- Gently sautee for a few minutes.
- Add the stock and bring it to a boil.
- Reduce to a simmer and cover.
- Cook gently for approximately 20-25 minutes or until all the vegetables are cooked through and soft.
- Allow the soup to cool a little before blending with a stick blender or transferring to a blender, being careful to avoid hot splashes.
- Blend until smooth.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Serve with a swirl of plant-based cream and a pinch of chilli flakes for a touch of warmth.
Notes
