Inspired by Thai cuisine, this roasted sweet potato and butternut squash soup is a little bit spicy and so flavorful. With flavors of coconut milk, ginger, garlic, paprika and lemongrass, it's slightly sweet, and is sure to warm you up from the inside out during the cold winter months. Vegan, dairy-free and low in fat.
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This recipe was first published in November 2017. It has been updated with an improved recipe, photographs and extra tips on how to make it.
It's no secret that I am a huge fan of Thai flavours, one of my favourite recipes on the blog are these Thai Mussels. The combination of sweet and spicy flavors are the perfect way to warm up on a chilly day.
Made from scratch with fresh ingredients, this is one tasty bowl of goodness! The combination of coconut milk, ginger, garlic, lemongrass and red chillies make this soup over the top tasty, and the addition of paprika adds a depth of flavor to each spoonful, and helps to create that beautiful colour.
Simple to make, this hearty, thick soup is sure to keep you feeling full and satisfied.
Be sure to try my Thai Coconut Chicken Curry and Thai Meatball Soup too!
Why you will love this recipe!
- Great for meal prep: I love making a huge batch of this soup on a lazy Sunday and then reheat it throughout the week for easy and quick lunches. The soup is also freezer friendly!
- Healthy: Made from scratch with fresh vegetables, this soup is packed with fiber, vitamins and minerals. Low in fat, and around 250 calories a serving, it's a great addition to a well balanced diet.
- Easy to adapt: It's easy to make this soup as spicy or as mild as you like, so it's a great option for the whole family.
- Dietary info: This roasted sweet potato and butternut squash soup is vegan, dairy-free and gluten-free.
Ingredients
- Vegetables: Butternut squash, sweet potatoes and onions.
- Aromatics and Seasonings: Salt, black pepper, garlic, ginger, Thai red chilies, lemongrass and paprika.
- Liquids: Vegetable stock and coconut milk.
How to make roasted sweet potato and butternut squash soup
Be sure to scroll down for the full recipe!
- Saute the onions, garlic, ginger and chilies (photo 1).
- Stir in the paprika and lemongrass (photo 2).
- Add the roasted sweet potatoes and butternut squash soup, and stir together with the stock and coconut milk (photo 3).
- Simmer, then blend til smooth (photo 4).
Recipe Variations
This roasted sweet potato and butternut squash soup is delicious as it is, but it's easy to make it exactly to suit your tastes:
- Make it more or less spicy: This soup is on the mild side, it has a slight kick, but nothing offensive. Use more or less chilies, or even a little cayenne, to adjust the spice levels.
- Make it sweeter: The coconut milks adds a subtle sweetness, if you prefer it sweeter, stir in a tablespoon of coconut sugar or brown sugar.
- Make it creamier: Replace some of the stock for more coconut milk.
- Add more veggies: You can really load this soup up with vegetables. Red bell peppers, carrots and mushrooms are all great additions.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can roast the sweet potatoes whole, there is no need to peel them. Once roasted, let them cool, and the skins are easy to peel off before adding to the soup pot.
Sweet potato skins are edible (and nutritious!), so, if you prefer to add the skins into the soup then that's just fine. Note that it may be harder to blend so that it's silky smooth.
Butternut squash has a mild flavor, and if you can't get one at your store, it is easily substituted with other squashes like acorn, delicata and buttercup. If there are no fresh squashes to be found, then canned pumpkin puree will also work great!
This is a thick and hearty soup. If you prefer a thinner soup, simply stir in some more stock after blending til you get the desired consistency.
Serving Suggestions
This sweet potato butternut squash soup is really hearty and filling, and a bowl of this is super satisfying. I like to garnish with a little fresh cilantro, but you can also add some sliced chilies or some garlic croutons.
Make Ahead, Storage and Reheating
You can roast the butternut squash and sweet potato two or three days ahead of time. Let them cool, scoop out the flesh and then keep covered and refrigerated til ready to use.
Once made, let the soup cool completely and store in air tight containers. It will keep well in the fridge for 4 to 5 days, or, you can freeze it for up to 6 months. Thaw the soup fully before reheating.
Reheat the soup in a pot on the stovetop, stirring occasionally til warmed through. You can also reheat it in the microwave for 3 minutes, loosely covered and stirring halfway.
Recipe Notes and Tips
- Let the sweet potatoes completely cool once they are roasted - they will be much easier to peel this way! Don't worry if small bits of skin are left as everything will get blended.
- Take the time to finely slice and dice all the onions, garlic, ginger and chilies to really get the most of the flavours.
- I prefer to use fresh garlic, ginger and chilies, but you can use pastes if they are more convenient.
- I used my stand blender to blend the soup. Take care when transferring the soup from the pot to the blender as it will be piping hot. An immersion blender will also work well.
- Make sure that the soup is cooled before refrigerating or freezing.
Perfect to warm you up on those chilly days, this Thai inspired roasted sweet potato and butternut squash soup is delicious and nutritious! A little spicy, a little sweet, it's sure to to keep you feeling full and satisfied!
More soup recipes:
- Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Soup with Blue Cheese
- Thai Chicken and Rice Soup
- Ground Beef and Tomato Soup
- Carrot and Orange Soup
- Lentil and Turmeric Soup
I love hearing from you!! If you have tried this roasted sweet potato and butternut squash soup, be sure to scroll down, give them a star rating and let me know what you thought!
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Roasted Sweet Potato & Butternut Squash Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 medium butternut squash
- 3 pounds sweet potatoes (1.3kg / about 5 medium sweet potatoes)
- 1 tbsp oil
- salt & pepper
- 2 onions finely diced
- 4 garlic cloves finely diced
- 1 inch fresh root ginger finely diced
- 3 red chillis finely diced (more or less depending on how spicy you like it)
- 1 lemongrass stalk
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 6 cups vegetable stock (1.4 litres)
- 13.5 ounces coconut milk (400ml) (1 can)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 225ºc / 440ºf
- Cut the butternut squash in half lengthways and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Lightly score the flesh with a sharp knife and brush over a little oil with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Place in a baking tray, skin side up.
- Place the whole sweet potatoes on the baking tray next to the cut butternut squash.
- Roast in the oven for 45-60 minutes until the flesh is soft. Take out and leave to cool.
- Put a large pot on the hob on a medium heat. Add in the olive oil, onion, garlic, ginger and chillis. Cook until the onions have become translucent, you don't want to colour them.
- Stir in the lemongrass and paprika.
- Peel off the skins off of the sweet potatoes and roughly chop the flesh. Scoop out the flesh of the butternut squash and add to the pot along with the sweet potato.
- Pour in the vegetable stock and coconut milk into the pot. Stir well, turn the heat to high and bring to the boil. Let the soup simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.
- Use an immersion blender or stand blender to blend the soup til smooth.
Notes
- Let the sweet potatoes completely cool once they are roasted - they will be much easier to peel this way! Don't worry if small bits of skin are left as everything will get blended.
- Take the time to finely slice and dice all the onions, garlic, ginger and chilies to really get the most of the flavours.
- I prefer to use fresh garlic, ginger and chilies, but you can use pastes if they are more convenient.
- I used my stand blender to blend the soup. Take care when transferring the soup from the pot to the blender as it will be piping hot. An immersion blender will also work well.
- Make sure that the soup is cooled before refrigerating or freezing.
- Nutritional values are based on one of eight servings and are an estimate only.
Lynne says
There’s no lemongrass in my store , can you use powdered lemongrass
Slow The Cook Down says
Hi Lynne, yes, you can use powdered if that's what you have to hand (you can also skip it, but I love the flavor!) 1 teaspoon of powdered should be plenty for this recipe.
Healthy World Cuisine says
Loving the Thai Flavors in this soup! Cozy and delicious. Wishing you a super holiday season.
Christine | Mid-Life Croissant says
Oh Betty. You really got me with the lemongrass. It's one of my favorite flavors and I don't use it nearly often enough. YUMMMM.
Slow The Cook Down says
I love lemongrass too! I'm a sucker for those Thai flavours!
Sarah says
I've got a whole collection of squash in my kitchen right now, sitting there and looking pretty! I'm cooking them down one by one, and this needs to be one of the things that happens!!!
Marlee says
This soup is perfect! I love sweet potato soups and butternut squash. This is a perfect medley of both!
Dini @ The Flavor Bender says
I love my soups in winter!! Loving the flavors in this one too, especially the lemongrass! I'm going to have to switch to soups very soon too 🙂
Slow The Cook Down says
Thanks Dini! Soups become the number one food this time of year!
Tracy says
The best thing about winter is DEFINITELY all the delicious, warm soups! This sounds so perfect for those cold day! And it was approved by the not normally soup loving Mr? Winner!