Vegan Curry Butternut Squash Soup

This curry butternut squash soup is made with Hot Punjabi Masala for a sweet, spicy, complexly flavored vegan soup you’ll want on repeat.

This vegan curry butternut squash soup has the perfect balance of flavor and texture.

A fiery, creamy vegan curry butternut squash soup is topped with crispy, spiced chickpeas and pistachios for a soup that brings all the flavor and textures to the dinner table.

How to make curry butternut squash soup

What you need

The flavor base of this vegan curry butternut squash soup starts with Dil’s Hot Punjabi Masala, which brings a complex flavor and lots of heat from Carolina reapers. The result? A fiery, creamy soup with just the right amount of sweetness from coconut milk and roasted butternut squash. Not a fan of heat? You can use Dil’s Premium Punjabi Masala, which skips the Carolina reapers.

While I love Dil’s Hot Punjabi Masala, you can make it with your favorite masala. Try it with Garam masala for a warm, spiced flavor or with your favorite curry powder.

You can get the remaining ingredients together once you pick your favorite spice blend.

• Butternut squash: You’ll need about 1¼ pounds of diced butternut squash. You can buy a 20-ounce package of pre-cut butternut squash or start with a 2-pound squash. Once you peel and seed the squash, it should yield about 1¼ pounds.
• Red onion and Yukon gold potato: I roast the squash with onion and an extra potato to add flavor and body to the soup.
• Minced ginger: Ginger adds a nice piquant sweetness to the spicy soup.
• Coconut milk: I recommend using full-fat coconut milk for the best flavor and creamy texture.
• Chickpeas, pistachios, and Kashmiri chili powder: I roast chickpeas and pistachios in Dil’s Hot Punjabi Masala. I also add a pinch of Kashmiri chili powder for a bit of smoky heat, but that’s optional.
• Fresh cilantro: I serve the soup with fresh cilantro. I recommend a fresh herb of some kind to finish the soup. Cilantro or scallions would be ideal to add a herby, bright finish to this rich soup.

How to make it

• Step 1: Start by roasting the vegetables. Arrange the squash, onion, and potato on a baking sheet and season with salt, pepper, and hot Punjabi masala. Roast for 35 minutes or until the squash and potatoes are fork-tender.

• Step 2: Arrange the chickpeas on a second baking sheet with more of Dil’s Hot Punjabi Masala, salt, and a pinch of Kashmiri chili powder. Add chickpeas to the oven during the last 15 minutes of the squash roasting.
• Step 3: While the chickpeas roast, crush the pistachios. During the final 5 minutes of the chickpeas roasting, add the pistachios to the sheet pan with the chickpeas and toss to combine. Return to the oven for 5 minutes to lightly toast the pistachios.
• Step 4: Add the pistachios and chickpeas to a bowl and set aside.

• Step 4: While everything finishes roasting, heat neutral oil in a large pot over medium heat and sauté the ginger briefly. Add coconut milk and water and bring to a very low boil. Reduce the heat and simmer.

• Step 5: Add the roasted vegetables to the pot of coconut milk. Use an immersion blender to blend the soup until it becomes smooth and creamy. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Now it’s time to serve it up! Spoon the soup into bowls. I love these Tuscan Piccola Bowls from Arte Italica! Next, add minced cilantro or scallions and pile the roasted chickpeas and pistachios on top.

Vegan Curry Butternut Squash Soup

This vegan curry butternut squash soup is made with Hot Punjabi Masala for a sweet, spicy, complexly flavored vegan soup you'll want on repeat.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Inactive time: 45 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Calories: 670kcal

Equipment

• Sheet pans
• Large pot
• Immersion blender

Ingredients

• 2 pounds butternut squash peeled, seeded, and diced; see Note 1
• 1 red onion peeled and quartered
• 1 Yukon gold potato about ½ pound total, peeled and quartered
• 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons neutral oil divided
• 1 tablespoon Dil’s Hot Punjabi Masala see Note 2
• 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon minced ginger
• 15 ounce can full-fat coconut milk
• 2 cups water
• Salt and pepper to taste

Roasted chickpeas and pistachios:

• 15 ounce can chickpeas drained and rinsed
• 2 teaspoons neutral oil
• 1 teaspoon Dil’s Hot Punjabi Masala see Note 2
• ½ teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder optional
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ cup shelled pistachios crushed lightly

For serving:

• ¼ cup fresh cilantro minced, for garnish

Instructions

Roast the vegetables:

• Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Arrange the butternut squash, red onion, and potato on a baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of neutral oil. Season with 1 tablespoon Hot Punjabi Masala and 1½ teaspoons kosher salt. Toss to coat evenly with the spices.
• Transfer to the oven for 35 minutes or until the squash and potatoes are fork-tender. Flip the vegetables once midway through roasting.

Roast the chickpeas:

• Arrange the drained chickpeas, 2 teaspoons neutral oil, 1 teaspoon Hot Punjabi Masala, ½ teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder, and ½ teaspoon salt on a second baking sheet. Toss to coat.
• Transfer the sheet pan with the chickpeas to the oven during the last 15 minutes of the squash roasting.
• During the last 5 minutes of roasting, remove the sheet pan with the chickpeas and add the crushed pistachios. Toss to combine and return to the oven for 5 minutes.
• Remove both baking sheets from the oven and set aside.

Prepare the soup base:

• As the vegetables and chickpeas roast, prepare the soup base. Heat 2 teaspoons of neutral oil in a large pot over medium heat and add the minced ginger. Sauté for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the full-fat coconut milk and 2 cups of water. Turn the heat to medium. As soon as the coconut milk begins to bubble, reduce the heat to low and simmer as the vegetables and chickpeas finish roasting.

Finish the chickpeas and pistachios:

• Taste the chickpeas and add more salt if needed. Transfer to a bowl and keep warm.

Finish the soup:

• Add the roasted squash, onion, and potato to the pot of coconut milk. Use an immersion blender to blend the soup until completely smooth. Simmer for 10 minutes. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.

To serve:

• Spoon the butternut squash soup into bowls. Garnish with minced cilantro. Spoon the roasted chickpeas and pistachios on top. Enjoy!

Recipe notes

Note 1: You need about 1¼ pounds–or 4 cups diced–of butternut squash. A 2-pound squash, once peeled and seeded, should yield about 1¼ pounds. It’s okay if you have a little more or a little less. Alternatively, you can purchase a 20-ounce package of pre-diced butternut squash.
Note 2: While I love Dil’s Hot Punjabi Masala, you can make it with your favorite masala. Try it with Garam masala for a warm, spiced flavor or with your favorite curry powder.

Nutrition

Calories: 670kcal | Carbohydrates: 73g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Sodium: 1204mg | Fiber: 16g | Sugar: 13g