Curried Butternut Squash Soup

Curried Butternut Squash Soup that is MEGA creamy without any heavy cream, mega healthy and mega flavorful!

This Curried Butternut Squash Soup is infused with red curry, ginger, garlic coconut milk, and sriracha – the layers of flavor are SO comforting and positively ADDICTING!  This will easily be the best butternut squash soup recipe you have ever tried!

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Curried Butternut Squash Soup Recipe

I hope you don’t think it’s too early for soup season because I am just too in love with this Curried Butternut Squash Soup to wait to share it with you!  I LOVE creamy, vegetable soups that are healthier but taste decadently delicious like my Creamy Cauliflower Soup, Broccoli Soup, Tomato Basil Soup and now this Curried Butternut Squash Soup!

So even though it’s barely Fall, I decided waiting to share this recipe would be selfish on my part because the sooner I share this creamy butternut squash soup recipe, the sooner you could savor it and fall in love with soup all over again!

This Thai butternut squash soup was inspired by traditional butternut squash soup but I decided to make it Thai-style because its rich, creamy texture demands bold flavors.  I’ve infused this butternut squash soup recipe with red curry, coconut milk, ginger, basil and Sriracha.

This soup is mega creamy (without any cream!), mega healthy and mega flavorful.  It is one of those soups that gets better the longer the flavors meld – so you can even prepare this easy butternut squash soup recipe a day or two in advance and it will be even more scrumptious – as will any leftovers!

This Curried Butternut Squash Soup is is delectable on its own  – but it’s even more outrageously delicious with Honey Sriracha Squash Seeds!

As I was cutting my butternut squash, I thought it would be such a shame to not use the seeds, so I decided to roast them in honey, Sriracha and cumin.  They are DELISH!  I had to smack Patrick’s hand from eating them all or I wasn’t going to have any left to adorn the Curried Butternut Squash Soup.

I’ve also garnished this Curried Butternut Squash Soup with roasted peanuts which adds the perfect balance and interest of texture to the creamy soup.  So for me, the crunch of the peanuts are a must, for Patrick the roasted honey Sriracha seeds are a must – so I added them both and this Thai Butternut Squash Soup Recipe is doubly delish!   

Curried Butternut Squash Soup Ingredients

This creamy butternut squash sweet potato soup comes together easily! Here’s what you’ll need to make it:

• Coconut oil: You can substitute with your preferred cooking oil if you wish.
• Sweet onion: One yellow onion will do the trick.
• Red curry paste: You can add more curry paste to taste once the soup is simmering or add sriracha to taste at the end of cooking.
• Fresh ginger: I highly recommend using fresh ginger rather than dried in this recipe as it adds flavor without overpowering the soup.
• Butternut squash: If you have more or less squash than the recipe calls for, it’s not a huge deal, it just might affect the consistency slightly which you can easily adjust.   
• Sweet potato: You’ll need 1 large sweet potato for this recipe.
• Carrots: I used regular carrots, but substitute baby carrots if that’s all you have.
• Chicken or veggie broth: I prefer chicken broth over vegetable broth because it has more flavor.
• Coconut milk: Use full-fat canned coconut milk, not the kind that comes in a carton.
• Fish sauce: A must for any Thai-inspired dish!
• Dried basil: Fresh may be substituted, if desired.
• Red pepper flakes: Adds a little kick of spice.
• Lime juice: Freshly squeezed will deliver the best flavor.
• Peanuts: For garnish. Omit if you’re allergic.

How to Make Thai Butternut Squash Soup

1. SQUASH SEEDS:  Rinse squash seeds and pat dry. In a small bowl, whisk together honey, coconut oil, Sriracha, salt and cumin.   Add seeds and stir until evenly coated. Spread seeds out evenly on baking sheet in a single layer. Cook for 25-30 minutes (or longer) depending on how “crunchy” you like your seeds.
2. COOK VEGGIES:  Meanwhile, melt coconut oil in a large sauté pan (may use large soup pot or Dutch oven), over medium heat. When oil is hot, add, onions and sauté until onions are soft, about 3 – 5 minutes. Add red curry paste, red pepper flakes, ginger and garlic; stir to combine with onions; saute for 3 minutes. Add squash, sweet potatoes, carrots and chicken stock. Season with 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, then reduce heat to medium. Simmer for 15-20 minutes or until vegetables are soft.
3. BLEND VEGGIES:  Once vegetables are soft, turn off the heat and get out a second pot (large enough to hold soup). Pour half of the vegetable mixture into blender/food processor. Puree until soup is smooth, taking care to not cover the blender completely or it will explode (I use a paper towel), then transfer to the clean pot. Repeat with remaining soup.  You can also use an immersion blender but I find a traditional blender gets the soup even creamier. 
4. ADD-INS:  Add coconut milk, fish sauce, and basil to the soup and cook until soup is heated through (2-5 minutes). When ready to server, stir in 2 tablespoons lime juice. Taste soup and add desired amount of Sriracha, salt and pepper to taste.
5. SERVE:  To serve, squeeze fresh lime juice onto individual bowls for a fresh pop and garnish with roasted seeds, peanuts and cilantro.

Tip: Read my post on Classic Butternut Squash Soup for tips and tricks on how to prepare butternut squash, how to store it, and more.

Tips for the Best Butternut Squash Soup

Pre-Cut Vegetables:  You can purchase pre-cut butternut squash in order to save time. It won’t have the seeds with it to roast, but will be delicious with the peanuts – you will just have to try the seeds another time!

Fish Sauce: Please don’t skip!  I feel like fish sauce has a bad rap  – or maybe it’s just with Patrick who I have to hide the bottle of fish sauce from the second after I use it any recipe. What he doesn’t realize is the that fish sauce is completely necessary for authentic Thai flavor in most dishes.  It adds a nutty, rich, savory, salty taste.  

In fact, I added fish sauce to the butternut squash soup because it was missing a big “something”  ah ha – fish sauce!  So if you’ve never used it (it can be found in the Asian isle of any grocery store), just don’t smell it   – and you are good to go!

Red Curry Paste:  Some Curry brands are spicier than others.  If you are using a more mild brand like Thai Kitchen, then I would start with ¼ cup curry paste. If you are using a spicier brand like Mae Ploy, I would start with 2 tablespoons. You can add more curry paste to taste once the soup is simmering or add sriracha to taste at the end of cooking.

Creamy Butternut Squash Soup Variations

• Roast the squash:  Feel free to roast the butternut squash for an added nutty flavor. You could also roast the fennel and onions (sliced into thin wedges) with the squash, but take care to use an extra-large pan so you can space everything apart or they will steam and not roast. 
• Mexican version:  replace the seasonings with 1 ½ teaspoons chili powder, 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin, 1/2 tsp EACH chipotle chile powder (more or less to taste), smoked paprika, dried oregano, and a pinch of cinnamon.  Add 2-4 tablespoons lime juice to taste and garnish with cilantro.
• Italian version: replace the seasonings with ½ tablespoon dried basil, 1 teaspoon dried parsley, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, ¼ teaspoon dried thyme and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Stir in ½ Parmesan until melted.

CAN YOU MAKE Curried BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP IN ADVANCE?

Butternut Squash Soup reheats beautifully, so it is perfect to make in advance. You can even meal prep by adding serving size portions into separate containers for the week (or up to 5 days). You can reheat individual servings in the microwave or heat larger quantities on the stove or crockpot until warmed through – see detailed instructions below.

HOW DO I REHEAT BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP?

• Microwave: For smaller batches or individual servings, transfer Butternut Squash Soup to a microwave-safe dish, cover with a microwave-safe lid or paper towel.  Microwave for 2 minutes, stir, then continue to microwave for 30-second intervals, if needed.
• Stove:  reheat large batches of soup in a Dutch oven on the stove over medium low heat, stirring occasionally until heated through.
• Crockpot: Transfer soup to crockpot and heat on low for 1-2 hours.

HOW LONG CAN YOU KEEP BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP?

This Curried Butternut Squash Soup will last about 4-5 days in the refrigerator. 

CAN YOU FREEZE Spicy BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP?

YES!  This Thai Butternut Soup freezes well because it does not contain any dairy, potatoes, rice or pasta.

1. Cool. Cool the Curried Butternut Squash Soup completely before freezing.
2. Package:  Transfer soup to a freezer safe container. You can use sandwich size plastic bags for individual soup portions, quart size bags or freezer bags. To easy fill these bags, place them in a container that you can wrap the top around the edge of – for example, place a sandwich size bag in a mug then cuff the edges around the mug. This keeps the bag open and prevents it from collapsing when you are pouring in your soup. Squeeze out any excess air then seal and label.
3. Freeze. Freeze Thai Butternut Squash Soup for up to three months
4. Defrost/Reheat. The easiest way to thaw your soup is in your refrigerator overnight then reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.

What to Serve with Butternut Squash Soup

I love serving Butternut Squash Soup with simple sides to make it a meal. Try it with:

• BREAD.  I love mopping up soup with a hearty piece of bread. This soup is delicious with grilled cheese (try Gruyere or Gouda!), garlic bread, breadsticks, dinner rolls or. sweet moist cornbread.
• ROASTED VEGETABLES. Although this Butternut squash Soup boasts veggies, its soothing warm creaminess is delightfully complimented  by nutty, crisp tender roasted veggies such as roasted cauliflower, roasted broccoli, roasted carrots, Brussels sprouts or roasted asparagus.
• SALAD. Soup and salads are a match made in heaven!  I love pairing this Butternut Squash Soup with Fall Salad, Apple Salad, or Pear Salad.

Looking for more Butternut Squash Recipes?

• Butternut Squash Risotto
• Butternut Squash Salad with Cranberries, Caramelized Pecans and Goat Cheese
• Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta
• Roasted Butternut Squash with Cashews
• Slow Cooker Thai Butternut Squash Soup
• Slow Cooker Thai Chicken, Wild Rice, Butternut Squash Soup Recipe
• Roasted Maple Dijon Brussels Spouts and Butternut Squash

 You might also like these Asian recipes:

• Slow Cooker Thai Coconut Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
• 30 Minute Sticky Thai Peanut Orange Chicken
• Pumpkin Coconut Chicken Fall Curry
• Peanut Pineapple Thai Chicken Satay
• Tom Kha Gai (Chicken Coconut Soup)
• Better Than Takeout Secret Ingredient Beef and Broccoli 
• Asian Sweet Chili Shrimp

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Tools Used in This Recipe

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BlendTec Blender

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Ground Ginger

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Curried Butternut Squash Soup Recipe

This Curried Butternut Squash Soup is MEGA creamy without any heavy cream, mega healthy and mega flavorful! It is infused with red curry, ginger, garlic coconut milk, and sriracha - the layers of flavor are SO comforting and positively ADDICTING!  This will easily be the best butternut squash soup recipe you have ever tried!

Servings: 6 -8

Total Time: 55 minutes mins

Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Cook Time: 35 minutes mins

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Ingredients

Thai Butternut Squash Soup

• 3 tablespoons coconut oil (may substitute olive oil)
• 1 sweet onion, diced
• 2-4 tablespoons red curry paste see note
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 8 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 cups uncooked butternut squash peeled, cut into 1”cubes, seeds separated
• 1 large sweet potato peeled, cut into 1”cubes
• 3 medium carrots peeled and chopped
• 4 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 14 oz. can quality coconut milk (I like Chakoah)
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• Sriracha/Asian hot chili sauce to taste (optional)

Honey Sriracha Butternut Squash Seeds

• Reserved butternut squash seeds
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/2 teaspoon coconut oil
• 1/2 teaspoon Sriracha/ Asian hot chili sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

Garnish

• Freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 cup roasted peanuts, chopped (a must! unless you're allergic)
• 1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped (optional)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a baking tray with a slip mat, parchment paper or foil sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Rinse squash seeds and pat dry. In a small bowl, whisk together "seed ingredients;" add seeds and stir until evenly coated. Spread seeds out evenly on baking sheet in a single layer. Cook for 25-30 minutes (or longer) depending on how “crunchy” you like your seeds.
• Meanwhile, melt coconut oil in a large sauté pan (may use large soup pot or Dutch oven), over medium heat. When oil is hot, add, onions and sauté until onions are soft, about 3 - 5 minutes. Add red curry paste, red pepper flakes, ginger and garlic; stir to combine with onions; saute for 3 minutes. Add squash, sweet potatoes, carrots and chicken stock. Season with 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, then reduce heat to medium. Simmer for 15-20 minutes or until vegetables are soft.
• Meanwhile, dry roast peanuts (even if they are already “dry roasted”) in a medium skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally until golden. Transfer to you food processor or blender and rough chop. Transfer to a bowl or plate.
• Once vegetables are soft, turn off the heat and get out a second pot (large enough to hold soup). Pour half of the vegetable mixture into blender/food processor. Puree until soup is smooth, taking care to not cover the blender completely or it will explode (I use a paper towel), then transfer to the clean pot. Repeat with remaining soup.
• Add coconut milk, fish sauce, and basil to the soup and cook until soup is heated through (2-5 minutes). When ready to server, stir in 2 tablespoons lime juice. Taste soup and add desired amount of Sriracha, salt and pepper to taste.
• To serve, squeeze fresh lime juice onto individual bowls for a fresh pop and garnish with roasted seeds, peanuts and cilantro.

Notes

*Red Curry Paste:  Some Curry brands are spicier than others.  If you are using a more mild brand like Thai Kitchen then I would start with ¼ cup curry paste.  If you are using a spicier brand like Mae Ploy, I would start with 2 tablespoons.  You can add more curry paste to taste once the soup is simmering or add sriracha to taste at the end of cooking.

This soup can be ready in a snap if you prep all your vegetables in advance. You can also buy pre-cut butternut squash in order to save time. It won't have the seeds with it to roast, but will be delicious with the peanuts - you will just have to try the seeds another time!

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