'Ultra creamy, deeply savory, and super delicious' is how I would describe this vegan Butternut Squash Leek Soup! It is made by roasting leeks and butternut squash to bring out their natural sweetness and rich flavor, then blending everything together and adding a bit of coconut milk for amazing creaminess. This is an easy, nutritious favorite cold-weather soup. Give it a try!
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Butternut Squash Leek Soup
If you need a good Fall or Winter soup, this butternut squash soup is it. It is loaded with nutritious veggies, it is very easy to make, and is tastes so unbelievably delicious for a humble butternut soup! The secret here is roasting the butternut squash and chopped leeks until they are caramelized. This brings out their sweetness and flavor.
Roasting the vegetables also helps cut down on the active "check on the soup" time during cooking. The soup spends all of 5 minutes on the stove. The rest of the time is completely hands-off in the oven.
More Fall and Winter soup recipes: Miso Sweet Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 2 pounds butternut squash, peeled and cubed into 1-inch pieces
- 2 leeks (use only the white and light green parts. The tougher green parts can be used to make a delicious soup stock)
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted (or use avocado oil)
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon salt, or as needed, to taste
- ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- ½ cup canned coconut milk (I like to use full-fat coconut milk here, stir the components of the can together to get a rich and smooth milk)
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
- fresh herbs for garnish (such as parsley)
More amazing vegan soups to try: Vegan Zuppa Toscana
Equipment
- Large baking sheet (or 2 medium baking sheets)
- Parchment paper (for easy cleanup)
- Salad spinner (I use this to clean leeks and spin them dry)
- Soup pot (2.5-4 quart)
- Immersion blender (or a regular blender)
More delicious vegan soups to make: Pureed Parsnip Soup
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Peel and cube the butternut squash into 1 inch pieces. Chop the leek into 1-2 inch pieces and separate them a bit. Rinse the leek thoroughly several times, discarding the water in between every rinse. Spin the leeks dry in a salad spinner, or lay them out on a cutting board and pat them dry with a paper towel. The dryer they are, the better they will caramelize in the oven.
On your large baking sheet, spread the cubed butternut squash and chopped leek. Drizzle oil all over and sprinkle the smoked paprika, salt, and pepper all over. Spread the seasonings and oil all around. Roast at 400F for 15-20 minutes, or until the leeks start to caramelize and brown. The butternut squash won't be fully cooked yet, and that's OK.
Transfer the roasted butternut and leeks to your soup pot. Add the vegetable stock and thyme. Bring to a boil, then let simmer for about 5 minutes, or until the butternut squash is very soft.
CAREFULLY puree the soup with an immersion blender, or CAREFULLY transfer to a blender and blend until smooth.
Add the coconut milk and blend to combine. Carefully taste and season with salt and pepper, if needed. Serve hot, garnishing with fresh herbs and a drizzle of coconut milk.
More vegan soup recipes to try: Vegan Taco Soup
Recipe tips and variations
- Oven-free soup: You can sauté the chopped leek in the soup pot until caramelized, then add the broth and butternut squash. Bring to a boil then let simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the butternut squash is fully cooked.
- Try adding some red lentils and extra broth, then cooking until the lentils are cooked. It makes for a hearty soup!
- Try adding a tablespoon or two of curry powder or curry paste for a little extra flavor.
- Save a little coconut milk for that gorgeous drizzle on top.
- Leftover coconut milk can be used to make a delicious roasted red pepper pasta sauce or this vegan stroganoff.
- Serve the soup with toasted bread for dipping. So good!
If you enjoyed this recipe, let me know with a comment and a star rating below. And don't forget to share it on Facebook and save it on Pinterest for later!
Recipe
Vegan Butternut Squash Leek Soup
Ingredients
- 2 pounds butternut squash, peeled and cubed into 1-inch pieces
- 2 leeks, use only the white and light green parts. The tougher green parts can be used to make a delicious soup stock
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted (or use avocado oil)
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon salt, or as needed, to taste
- ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- ½ cup canned coconut milk, I use full-fat coconut milk here, stir the components of the can together to get a rich and smooth milk
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- fresh herbs, for garnish, such as parsley or scallions
Special equipment
- Large baking sheet or 2 medium baking sheets
- Parchment paper (for easy cleanup)
- Immersion blender or a regular blender
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Peel and cube the butternut squash into 1 inch pieces. Chop the leek into 1-2 inch pieces and separate them a bit. Rinse the leek thoroughly several times, discarding the water in between every rinse. Spin the leeks dry in a salad spinner, or thoroughly dry them.
- On your large baking sheet, spread the cubed butternut squash and chopped leek. Drizzle oil all over and sprinkle the smoked paprika, salt, and pepper all over. Spread the seasonings and oil all around. Roast at 400F for 15-20 minutes, or until the leeks start to caramelize and brown. The butternut squash won't be fully cooked yet, and that's OK.
- Transfer the roasted butternut and leeks to your soup pot. Add the vegetable stock and thyme. Bring to a boil, then let simmer for about 5 minutes, or until the butternut squash is very soft.
- CAREFULLY puree the soup with an immersion blender, or CAREFULLY transfer to a blender and blend until smooth.
- Add the coconut milk and blend to combine. Taste and add salt or pepper, to taste as needed. Serve hot, garnishing with fresh herbs and a drizzle of coconut milk.
Kate Vaynshteyn
This creamy butternut squash soup is a favorite of ours! I love the flavor of roasted leeks here. I hope you give it a try and like it as much as we do.