Butternut Squash Vegetable Soup
Recipe Key
This immune boosting butternut squash vegetable soup has a variety of tastes and textures guaranteed to strengthen your body from the inside out. It’s a hearty soup made with creamy butternut squash, antioxidant rich cauliflower rice and nutrient dense kale but completely grain and gluten free. Herbs and spices enhance the flavor of the vegetables and boost your overall health.
As the weather gets colder I crave warm soups with lots of vegetables. In the past I’ve always made delicious, creamy blended butternut squash soup. I love my Thai Style Butternut Squash Soup.
While eating in the incredible restaurants of Paris a few weeks ago I was impressed by the variety of tastes, textures and colors in every dish. It makes eating even more exciting. I am incorporating what I learned in this recipe.
Table of contents
This basis of the recipe is sweet creamy butternut squash. Then I add cauliflower rice to give it body and texture while still keeping it grain free. Kale provides a beautiful green color, mild bitter taste and slightly crunchy texture. Carrots have a firm texture and earthy flavor. The herbs and spices, garlic, ginger, rosemary and sage enhance the flavor of the broth and vegetables.
Why You’ll Love This Soup
- Full of nutrient rich vegetables, butternut squash, cauliflower, kale and carrots
- Delicious herbs and spice give it a rich flavor and boost your immunity
- Full of vibrant textures and tastes
- Easy to make, ready in 45 minutes
- Chunky and hearty, but grain and gluten free
- Has just the right amount of healthy carbs to satisfy you
- Can easily be made vegan using vegetable broth
- Allergy friendly; dairy free, nut free, no tomatoes, no coconut milk
Immune Boosting Ingredients
This delicious butternut squash vegetable soup tastes great and will boost your immunity. Here is what you need and the health benefits.
Butternut Squash – This orange squash has a sweet and nutty flavor and is loaded with vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants. It has lots of Vitamin A and C that act as powerful antioxidants in your body.
Cauliflower Rice -This very nutritious vegetable gives the soup a hearty rice like texture but without any grains. Cauliflower helps improve digestion, increase iron absorption, improves bone health and can help detoxify your body (Source). Riced cauliflower can be purchased in many supermarkets.
Kale – I use chopped baby kale because it’s easy to use. It gives the soup a beautiful green color. It provides a crunchy texture along with extra flavor and nutrients. If using regular kale remove the stems and finely chop. Kale is a nutrition superstar full of of vitamins A, B6, C, K, folate, fiber. It’s a good nondairy source of calcium, which is needed to maintain the health of your bones and teeth.
Celery – The high amounts of minerals and water in celery helps reduce acids in you body. It contains anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compounds and supports digestion and reduces inflammation.
Carrots – I add carrots for another texture and earthy flavor. The Vitamin A you get from the carotenoids which give carrots its orange color promotes healthy vision.
Bone Broth – I choose bone broth in this recipe. If you are a vegetarian/vegan you can swap out the bone broth for vegetable broth. It’s easy to make your own bone broth. I make a pot every week with the leftover bones from a roasted chicken. Click here for a recipe. Bone and vegetable broths contain minerals that are easy for the body to absorb and are known to support the immune system. Bone broth also contains collagen a protein which helps keep your bones and joints healthy, helps your skin stay smooth and helps you build muscle.
Garlic gives the soup a sweet and savory flavor. It provides an immune system boost to help prevent colds. It also has antifungal and antibacterial properties
Ginger has a spicy warm taste that stimulates digestion. The anti-inflammatory antioxidants and compounds found in ginger help protect your brain as you age.
Rosemary – Strong, pungent rosemary is hearty enough to flavor the broth while it cooks. It’s high in minerals and has anti-microbial properties and antibacterial effects.
Sage – This is a fragrant, evergreen herb with a robust, earthy flavor. It’s full of vitamins and antioxidants. Sage also has anti-microbial effects.
Onions, olive oil, salt and pepper give the soup flavor and balance.
How To Make Step By Step
Detailed instructions are included in the recipe below for how to make butternut squash vegetable soup but here is a brief overview with photos:
Step 1: Saute: In a large soup pot, saute the onions and celery.
Step 2: Add vegetables and herbs: Add butternut squash and saute 4 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, sage and rosemary. Saute 30 seconds until fragrant
Step 3: Simmer: Add stock and simmer 10 minutes.
Time Saving Tip
To save time, buy already riced cauliflower and already peeled and cut butternut squash. Use baby kale, no need to trim the stems or wash it!
Step 4: Add cauliflower rice and carrots. Stir and simmer until just tender, 4 minutes.
Step 5: Add kale, mix and simmer until just wilted. 2 minutes. Taste to adjust salt and pepper.
Serving Suggestions
I love serving big bowls of this Butternut Squash Soup with a side of homemade gluten free bread. It makes a great lunch or breakfast. Pair it with your favorite protein for dinner.
This soup reheats beautifully, the flavors get even better, so it’s an ideal dish to prepare in advance.
Frequently Asked Questions
It’s key to have sharp a high-quality peeler. Slice 1/4 inch off both the stem end and the bottom. Then cut the neck from the bulb so it is easier to handle. As you remove the skin, it will become slippery, so having it in two smaller pieces makes it easier to hold.
Peel the squash.Then cut the neck end into slabs and then into cubes. Cut the bulb end in half and scoop out the seeds. Cut the bulb end into cubes.
Yes, it’s best if it’s cut into chunks not small pieces. If the pieces are small cook the squash less time so it doesn’t get mushy.
Yes! This recipe can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
I hope you love this butternut squash soup as much as I do. It’s warm and cozy with lots of delicious tastes and textures. The nutrient rich vegetables boost your immunity, strengthening your body from the inside out. You’ll feel so satisfied.
If you like this recipe you may also enjoy these other delicious healthy soups:
- Cozy Mushroom Vegetable Soup
- Soothing Ginger Turmeric Carrot Soup
- Peruvian Quinoa Soup
- Easy Thai Butternut Squash Soup
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Butternut Squash Vegetable Soup
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Simmer
- Cuisine: Paleo, Vegan, Gluten Free, Dairy Free
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion chopped (about 2 cups)
- 1 cup celery sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
- Fresh pepper
- 6 cups butternut squash, cut into 1” cubes (about 3-pounds) (see notes above on how to cut)
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh sage
- 1/2 Tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
- 4 cups bone broth or vegetable broth
- 1 cup carrots sliced
- 1 1/4 cups cauliflower rice
- 2 cups chopped baby kale or regular kale, stems removed
- balsamic vinegar for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add onion, celery, salt, and several grinds of fresh pepper. Sauté until onions begin to soften, 5 minutes.
- Add the squash and cook for 4 minutes stirring occasionally.
- Add the garlic, ginger, sage, and rosemary. Stir and cook 30 seconds to 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Add broth. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until the squash is beginning to get tender, 10 minutes. Don’t let the squash get too soft here.
- Add carrots and cauliflower rice and simmer until squash is just tender about 4 minutes.
- Add kale simmer 3 minutes until kale is cooked.
- Taste to adjust salt and pepper.
- Serve in bowls with a splash of balsamic vinegar before serving, if desired.
- Store soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Notes
To make things easy buy already cut butternut squash, riced cauliflower and baby kale.
Nutrition information is with bone broth