This gochujang butternut squash purée is creamy and spicy, making it the perfect addition to all your autumn dinners this year.
Fragrant, creamy autumnal butternut squash purée with just the right amount of heat
Butternut squash is coming into season, and I’m so excited to use this versatile veggie in every sort of way. I love it in soup, chili, salads, and pilaf, and I especially love butternut squash purée. It’s easy to make and works well with your favorite plant-based protein.
What is gochujang?
The flavor foundation of this purée is gochujang. Gochujang is a fermented Korean chili pepper paste with a robust flavor profile. It’s spicy, sweet, smoky, and savory. This makes it an excellent condiment for your pantry, allowing you to add oomph to sauces, salad dressings, soups, stews, and dips for your crispy tofu bites.
Is gochujang spicy?
Gochujang is spicy. However, these spice levels will vary from brand to brand, and the heat can range from mild to very spicy. The brand above delivered a moderate heat. It’s spicy, but once tempered with plant-based half-and-half and maple syrup, the spiciness becomes very subtle. You can use the heat indicator on the packaging to pick the spice level that’s right for you.
Is gochujang vegan?
Yes, most gochujang is vegan. However, if you’re on a vegan journey, you know how important it is to check the labels of everything, particularly if the packaging doesn’t explicitly state that the product is vegan. Sometimes, items that seem guaranteed to be vegan can be sneaky with animal-based ingredients. Gochujang is made from vegan-friendly ingredients, including glutinous rice, red pepper powder (gochugaru), soybeans, corn syrup, and salt. It’s fermented for anywhere from 60 days to 6 months or longer, giving it that deeply savory flavor profile.
As always, check the ingredient label of the gochujang before purchasing to ensure it fits into your vegan journey. I have yet to find a brand that uses animal derivatives!
Ready to make this butternut squash purée? Let’s dig in.
What you need
Fortunately, you don’t need many ingredients to make a show-stopping side dish.
- Butternut squash: The star of the show! You can make this with most squash varieties. It would be delicious with acorn, honeynut, or delicata squash. You could also use sweet potatoes instead.
- Sauce: The sauce has just four ingredients. It’s a sweet, spicy, nutty combination of gochujang, plant-based half-and-half, maple syrup, and sesame oil. I used Califia Farms Better Half, but your favorite plant-based cream or milk will work here. Try it with full-fat oat milk, plant-based heavy cream, coconut cream, or coconut milk instead.
- Garnish: The butternut squash purée is finished with a crunchy, fragrant garnish made with sliced almonds, sesame seeds, and minced scallions.
How to make it
This recipe is as easy as can be to make!
- Step 1: Boil the squash until fork-tender. To save time, you can use store-bought diced squash, but you can also peel, deseed, and dice a whole butternut squash instead. Drain the squash and return it to the pot.
- Step 2: Prepare the gochujang cream. Whisk together the gochujang, plant-based milk or cream, sesame oil, and maple syrup until smooth. Taste and adjust the flavors to your preference. Add more gochujang for heat or maple syrup if you like a sweeter finish.
- Step 3: Pour the gochujang cream over the squash. Blend with an immersion blender until smooth and creamy. Alternatively, you can use a food processor or traditional blender. Transfer the purée to a serving platter or bowl.
- Step 4: Make the garnish. Fry the sesame seeds and almonds in oil until lightly toasted. Add the minced scallions and cook until fragrant. Season with salt.
From there, you’re ready to serve it up! Spoon the crunchy garnish on top of the purée. You can finish with a shake of gochugaru to add some zing and color, but it’s not required. This would be delicious served with plant-based chicken or plant-based steak!
Gochujang Butternut Squash Purée
Ingredients
- 1 pound butternut squash peeled, seeded, and cubed; from 1 medium butternut squash weighing about 1½ to 2 pounds
- 1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- ½ cup Califia Farms Better Half or use coconut milk, whole milk, or heavy cream
- 1 to 2 tablespoons gochujang see Note 1
- 1½ tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
Garnish:
- 2 teaspoons neutral oil
- 2 tablespoons sliced almonds
- 2 teaspoons white sesame seeds
- 2 scallions trimmed and minced
- Pinch salt
- Gochugaru optional, for serving or use paprika
Instructions
Boil the butternut squash:
- Place the squash in a large pot and cover with 6 cups of water. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil. Boil for 15 to 20 minutes until the squash is fork tender.
- Drain the squash and return it to the warm pot. Let it stand for 5 minutes so the residual heat evaporates excess water.
Make the gochujang sauce:
- Whisk together the gochujang, plant-based or dairy-based cream, maple syrup, and sesame oil until smooth. Taste and adjust the ingredients to your preference, adding more gochujang for extra heat or more maple syrup for a sweeter flavor. Set aside.
Blend the squash:
- Add the gochujang sauce to the pot of drained squash. Blend until smooth and creamy using an immersion blender. Alternatively, you can use a traditional blender or food processor. Taste and add salt as needed.
Make the garnish:
- Add the neutral oil to a small saucepan over medium heat. Once hot, add the sesame seeds and slivered almonds. Sizzle them in the oil for 1 to 2 minutes, often turning, to lightly toast them.
- Add the scallions to the pot and cook, turning often, for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant. Turn off the heat and add a pinch of salt. Set aside.
To serve:
- Spoon the squash purée onto a serving platter and smooth it out with the back of your spoon, creating small wave shapes with the spoon. Spoon the almond garnish on top of the purée and finish with a sprinkle of gochugaru or a dusting of paprika if you like. Enjoy!
