All cooked in one pan for an easy autumn or winter meal this butternut squash and white bean soup is cosy and comforting!

The seasonal ingredients really shine in this butternut squash and white bean soup. And the bright colour, I think, brings a bit of cheer to these colder darker months. It’s also rich, creamy, warming and hearty and absolutely packed with flavour.

Confession though, I totally cheated with the croutons. The soup is thick and creamy and I wanted a really crunchy contrast but didn’t want to put the oven on just for croutons. So I simply chopped up toast! I normally make croutons with some stale bread, a drizzle of oil, garlic powder and dried herbs before baking for a few minutes. Are these cheat croutons as good as ‘proper’ ones? Not really. BUT they passed the crunch test, they were a whole lot quicker and the soup packs enough flavour that the croutons didn’t need to bring any extra to the party!

Vegan soup ingredients

Butternut squash – one of my favourite autumn/winter ingredients. I love its sweet, nutty flavour and that it’s as nutrient dense as it is.

Carrots – they add natural sweetness, vibrant colour and a subtle earthy flavour. They’re also a rich source of nutrients, offering essential vitamins like A and C, plus fibre.

Sweet potato – comforting and hearty, their natural starch helps thicken soups, making them extra velvety and cosy! Lots of fibre, potassium and vitamins A and C

Leeks – these bring a milder onion flavour to vegan soups, offering depth without overpowering the other ingredients. Nutritionally, leeks are a great source of vitamins A, C, and K, as well as antioxidants.

Garlic and ginger – the garlic for flavour and too many health benefits to list, ginger for subtle heat, unique flavour and anti-inflammatory qualities. Both ginger and garlic are good ‘coughs and colds’ season ingredients.

Turmeric – antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant I’ve been using dried turmeric more and more. Plus that lovely colour!

Smoked paprika – one of my pantry essentials, I love it’s subtle smoky flavour and ability to enhance almost any dish (well, maybe not your cornflakes but you never know!)

White beans – I’ve used butterbeans but you could sub with cannellini or haricot beans. Or even navy beans which, ironically, are not blue coloured.

Kale – another nutritional powerhouse. I’ll be honest, I’m not generally a fan of kale, too chewy, and prefer spinach when I want to add extra greens to a dish. But when warmed in this soup it becomes lovely and soft.

How to make Butternut Squash Soup

Start with all the veggies. Peel and dice the squash and sweet potato, scrub and dice the carrot. Slice and wash the leek.  Peel and crush the garlic, peel and grate the ginger.

Phew!

In a large saucepan heat a drizzle of oil and saute the squash, potato, carrot and leek for around 10 minutes until the leeks are just softened. Add the garlic, ginger, herbs and spices and cook for a further minute.

Add the stock and bubble gently for 20-25 minutes until the veg is tender.

You have a couple of options here – you can blitz all the soup in a blender or, as I did, blitz half. This gives it a thick creamy consistency but you still have chunks of veg in your soup.

Once blended, pour back into the pan stir in the butterbeans and kale and heat through. Season to taste.

Pour into warmed bowls and enjoy!

I topped mine with a spoon of vegan yoghurt, some toasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas), flat leaf parsley and my cheats croutons.

How to store and reheat any leftover soup

Store in airtight containers and once cooled, store in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat on the stove or in a microwave.

Can these soups be frozen?

YES! Almost all soups can be frozen making them a great staple to have on hand in the freezer. Store in an airtight container or freezer bag. Thaw in the fridge and reheat as normal.

Looking for even more cosy vegan soup recipes? I have a whole post dedicated to them here!

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