This cozy and warming Butternut Squash and White Bean soup is here to help you through the winter blues! The extra addition of crispy kale and toasted seeds are a little bonus flavor bomb that will help keep you full, and your tastebuds satisfied.
I love to serve this vegan soup in mid-winter when I need a bit of a lift. With it's glorious uplifting colours and silky flavours, this cozy soup will calm your soul and help you head out to face whatever it is that needs to be done, whether it's at home, or out and about.
For an extra hearty meal, this comforting soup is delicious served with some Vegan Garlic Bread to scoop around and mop up the last of the soup in the bowl. This soup is deliberately left a little chunky, so if you want a smoother soup, try my Pumpkin Soup without Cream. Or if you're wanting less of a soup, and more of a stew, check out my Vegan Bean Stew made with Borlotti Beans.
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🍲Ingredients
This butternut squash soup recipe is built simple ingredients that are all in season during Fall and Winter.
- Butternut Squash: Choose to use a fresh whole squash, or if it's easier for you, you can also use frozen or pre-cut.
- White Beans : Pre-cooked beans, either canned or beans you have cooked yourself. Choose butterbeans (also known as Lima Beans) or cannellini beans
- Onion: A small onion adds sweetness and balances the flavour.
- Garlic: You'll need 3 or 4 for the soup, plus an extra clove for the garlicky kale topping.
- Vegetable stock (powder or real vegetable broth): Choose your favourite vegetable boullion or stock. Homemade is delicious, however I also use Marigold boullion or stock cubes.
- Fresh or dried thyme: For added flavour and fragrance.
- Fresh rosemary: fresh rosemary is best as it has lovely oils that permeate the soup, but use dried if you need to.
- Kale: Choose curly kale or cavolo nero. You can also use spring greens, swiss chard or cabbage.
- Pine nuts and/or pumpkin seeds: These get toasted to add on top of the soup. If you're using a fresh butternut squash, rinse the seeds and use those for a no-waste option.
- Optional chili powder (if you like a little kick!)
- Flakey Sea Salt and pepper to taste.
See recipe card for quantities.
👩🍳Instructions
First, peel and chop the onion and garlic, and chop the squash into chunks.
1 Sautee the onion and garlic in a little oil over medium heat.
2. Add the squash, seasonings and sautee for a minute. Add the vegetable broth (or stock cube mixed with 2 cups water) and the beans.
3. Simmer the squash and beans in the broth until the squash is softened. Add the rosemary and simmer a few more minutes.
4. Roughly mash the squash and beans to create contrasting smooth and chunky textures.
5. Toast the seeds in a hot pan. Remove from heat then toast torn up pieces of kale with a little oil and the garlic. Season.
6. Serve the soup hot in bowls with the kale and seeds to top the soup. Be sure to have some crusty bread on hand to mop it up!
Hint: if you want to add extra seasonings such as chili or curry, add them at the same time the squash is sautéing in the pan. This enhances their flavours.
🌶️Substitutions & Variations
This butternut squash and white bean soup is very versatile, and can be switched up according to what you have or what you love to eat, all through soup season!
- Other Beans: Choose Great Northern Beans, navy Beans, Adzuki beans or even chickpeas.
- Other squash types: try Kabocha, Queensland Blue or any other full flavoured squash or pumpkin in place of the butternut.
- Extra Spicy: add cumin, chili powder or some smoked hot paprika to bump up the flavour.
- Curried: Add some garam masala or curry paste to the soup after you cook down the onions.
- Smooth and Creamy: For a silky smooth texture, blend the soup thoroughly, either with a stick immersion blender or (carefully) in a regular blender. You can also add a little vegan heavy cream if you're feeling fancy.
- A little extra acidity: Add a squeeze of lemon juice or a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to make the flavours ping.
- A little cheesy: Many soups will ask you to add a parmesan rind, but being as that's not vegan, instead add a tablespoon of nutritional yeast for the same umami effect.
🔪Equipment
If you're making this with a whole butternut squash, you'll need a good sharp knife. Otherwise all you need is a large pot or dutch oven and a masher to gently mash up the soup.
🥫Storage
This delicious soup stores in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. The toasted seeds can be kept separately in an airtight container in a cool dry place. To freeze, put into airtight containers in one or two person portions and freeze for up to 3 months. You can cook straight from frozen, but you might need to add a little extra water. Perfect for this time of year when you sometimes need a cozy soup in a hurry!
❗Top tip
If you're using a fresh squash and it's a little tricky for you to cut, try microwaving it for a few minutes until it softens, then cut it.
FAQ
Unless you have a powerful blender, then yes it does need to be peeled. I suggest using a potato peeler to easily peel the skin off.
This butternut squash soup is very healthy. It contains no dairy or cream, is made with whole foods and a good source of fibre and Vitamin A from the butternut squash.
More soups and stews!
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Sides and more
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📖 Recipe
Cozy Butternut Squash and White Bean Soup with Kale
Equipment
- Potato masher
Ingredients Note:
For accuracy, I measure all ingredients in metric as standard, then convert and test the recipe for American cup measurements etc.
(Heads up Aussie and UK readers- your measurements in cups are sometimes different, so please use metric or check you have the correct cup and spoon type!!)
Ingredients
- 1 small onion (finely chopped)
- 4 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 450 g (1 lb) butternut squash (about 5 cups cubed)
- 240 g (1½ cups) cooked white beans (1 standard tin/can eg. Cannelini or Butterbean)
- 750 ml (3¼ cups) vegetable stock (or a good quality vegan stock cube or boullion dissolved in same amount of water)
- 2 teaspoon rosemary or thyme (finely chopped)
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the Crispy topping
- 100 g (1 cup) kale
- 40 g (¼ cup) pine nuts (You can also use pumpkin or squash seeds)
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Sautee the onion and garlic with the olive oil in a large pan until translucent.1 small onion, 4 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Add the squash and veggie stock. (You want the stock to cover the veggies - add more water if needed) .450 g butternut squash, 750 ml vegetable stock
- Simmer for 10 mins & add the beans & herbs.240 g cooked white beans, 2 teaspoon rosemary or thyme
- Simmer for another 10 mins until the squash is completely soft and all the veggies start to collapse.
- Add a little extra water if needed, then squish with a potato masher or partially blend with an immersion blender. You want the texture to be creamy, but with some satisfying chunks.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
For the crispy topping
- Finely chop the kale and saute in a pan for around 3 minutes with the olive oil & garlic.100 g kale, 40 g pine nuts, 1 garlic clove, 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Add the pine nuts and sautee for a few more minutes until the kale is crispy and the pine nuts are toasted.
- Remove the garlic before serving.
Video
Notes
🌶️Substitutions & Variations
This butternut squash and white bean soup is very versatile, and can be switched up according to what you have or what you love to eat:- Other Beans: Choose Great Northern Beans, navy Beans, Adzuki beans or even chickpeas.
- Other squash types: try Kabocha, Queensland Blue or any other full flavoured squash or pumpkin in place of the butternut.
- Extra Spicy: add cumin, chili powder or some smoked hot paprika to bump up the flavour.
- Curried: Add some garam masala or curry paste to the soup after you cook down the onions.
- Smooth and Creamy: For a silky smooth texture, blend the soup thoroughly, either with a stick immersion blender or (carefully) in a jug blender.
- A little extra acidity: Add a squeeze of lemon juice or a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to make the flavours ping.
