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This Butternut Squash Soup is bursting with fall flavor! It’s made in one pot with creamy squash, tart Granny Smith apples, fresh herbs, and coconut milk for a warming meal or side dish for the holidays. Vegan and Gluten-Free, Oil-Free Option.
This Apple Butternut Squash Soup Recipe is one of my favorite fall staples. It’s velvety smooth, super creamy, and bursting with cozy fall flavors thanks to 10 seasonal, healthy ingredients. Just simmer everything in a pot, then blend and enjoy!
Table of Contents
A Creamy and Cozy Fall Favorite
To me, it just isn’t Thanksgiving if the butternut squash soup isn’t on the table. Our family friend would bring it to our dinner every year, and I’d always look forward to those luscious, warming slurps. Luckily, this Butternut Squash Soup Recipe tastes exactly like it, except it’s 100% dairy-free!
Now, this recipe is a little different from the version you might know. Like the classic, it’s packed with incredible flavor, fresh fall produce, and nutrients to nourish your soul from the inside out. But with a crisp and tart Granny Smith apple added to the mix, there’s an extra pop of flavor in each spoonful that I know you’ll adore.
What’s better is that this creamy soup is freezer-friendly, meaning you can make it ahead of time or whip up a double batch to enjoy for later! Talk about a win-win.
What You Need for This Apple and Squash Soup
This cozy vegan fall soup calls for 10 simple ingredients. Thanks to a mix of seasonal produce and everyday staples, it comes together quickly and is bursting with comforting flavors you’ll love on a chilly fall or winter day.
- Granny Smith Apple: no substitutes, please! Granny Smith apples have a nice, unique tart flavor that balances the sweetness in the butternut squash perfectly. I’ve tried other varieties, like Gala, Honeycrisp, or McIntosh apples, but they don’t seem to work as well.
- Fresh Herbs: this fall apple soup gets its warming, robust flavors from a mix of fresh rosemary and fresh sage. Dried herbs will work in a pinch, but you’ll need to reduce the quantities to 1 teaspoon of dried rosemary and 1/2 teaspoon of dried sage.
- Butternut Squash: this orange, nutty-tasting squash comes into season during fall and winter. It’s one of my favorite seasonal ingredients to use in cozy soup recipes, hearty warm salads, comforting family dinners, and so much more. Feel free to use fresh or frozen butternut squash here!
- Coconut Milk: canned full-fat coconut milk is your best bet for making the soup luscious and creamy.
- Vegetable Broth: any quality brand of vegetable broth or a homemade batch will do.
How to Make Vegan Butternut Squash Soup
- Sauté the onion and apple in a large soup pot until the onion is translucent.
- Add the garlic, rosemary, sage, and a pinch of salt and sauté for a few minutes. After, add the squash, coconut milk, and vegetable broth.
- Heat the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the squash is fork tender. Blend the soup with an immersion blender or regular blender to finish.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and serve while it’s warm. Enjoy!
Caitlin’s Cooking Tips
- Roast the squash to deepen its flavors: Sautéing and simmering the squash in the soup will always give you delicious results, but roasting it in the oven can caramelize and deepen its sweet and nutty flavors. If you’d like to try this, follow the roasting instructions in this Roasted Butternut Squash Salad recipe, then add the roasted squash to the pot during the last few minutes of simmering and blend as normal.
- Be careful when blending hot soup. Blending the soup in the pot with an immersion blender is the safest option since hot liquids expand in regular blenders. If you’re using a regular upright blender, use a venting lid and blend the soup in small batches.
Serving Suggestions
This creamy soup is always on my Thanksgiving menu. It’s a wonderfully warming way to start the meal and even makes for a great side dish next to this Rosemary Sweet Potato Gratin and this Vegan Lentil Loaf.
Outside of the holidays, a bowl of butternut squash soup is the perfect light meal or side dish to enjoy on a chilly day during fall and winter. It’s best served with crusty bread for dipping or a seasonal salad, like this Kale Apple Salad or this Fall Farro Salad. Or, go with the classic soup and sandwich combo by pairing your bowl with this Rainbow Veggie Sandwich or this Vegan BLT.
I always add a few garnishes on top to make every bowl that much more appetizing. Try a swirl of coconut milk, fresh or fried sage leaves, freshly cracked black pepper, toasted pecans, walnuts, or pumpkin seeds, or herby croutons (like the homemade croutons from my Creamy White Bean Soup).
If you’re looking for even more warm and creamy soups to try this fall and winter, you’ll love this Smoky Sweet Potato Soup, this Kabocha Squash Soup, and this Feel-Good Red Lentil Soup!
How to Store Leftover Butternut Squash Soup
Wait for the soup to cool to room temperature, then transfer it to an airtight container. It will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator or up to 1 month in the freezer. Allow the frozen leftovers to thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
To reheat butternut squash soup, zap it in the microwave in 30-second intervals or add it to a saucepan and warm over medium heat. Feel free to add a splash of water or broth if the consistency thickened at all after chilling.
Substitutions and Variations
- Oil-Free Option: Instead of sautéing the onion and apple in olive oil, use a splash of vegetable broth or water for an oil-free variation.
- Coconut Substitute: If you have a coconut aversion, use an equal amount of cashew cream or store-bought vegan creamer instead. Unsweetened plant milk will also work, but your soup will be less creamy.
- Butternut Squash Substitutions: The squash can be replaced with another winter squash, such as peeled and chopped pie pumpkin, acorn squash, or kabocha squash. The overall texture and flavor of the soup will be slightly different depending on the variety you use, but it will still be sweet and nutty.
Recipe FAQs
Continue simmering the soup for an additional 10 minutes after blending if you find it to be too thin for your liking. Alternatively, stir in a cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons of water) at the end of cooking to help thicken.
Yes! Unlike other squash varieties, such as delicata squash or acorn squash, butternut squash skin is tough and doesn’t blend well. Always remove it for the silkiest soup.
No, you do not need to peel the apple. The peel actually adds texture and flavor, and since Granny Smith apples have a tart flavor, their peel won’t affect the taste negatively.
I have only tested this recipe on the stovetop, but it should work in the slow cooker. Sauté the aromatics and herbs on the stove, then add them and the rest of the ingredients to a crockpot. Cook on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours or on LOW for 5 to 6 hours, or until the squash is tender. Blend, serve, and enjoy!
Enjoy! If you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I would also love it if you could leave a comment below with a recipe rating! Thank you for the support 😊
Butternut Squash Apple Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 2-3 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 Granny Smith apple diced
- 1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary or 1 tsp dried
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh sage or 1/2 tsp dried
- 1 small butternut squash peeled and diced (about 5–6 cups/800 g)
- 1 13.5 ounce can full-fat coconut milk
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Aromatics: Warm the oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion and apple and sauté until the onion is translucent, 3 to 5 minutes Add in the garlic, rosemary, sage, and a pinch of salt. Sauté for an additional 1 to 2 minutes, until fragrant.
- Bring to a Boil: Add in the squash, coconut milk, and vegetable broth. Stir well, then bring to a boil over high heat.
- Simmer: Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 10 to 12 minutes, until the squash is fork-tender.
- Blend: Carefully use an immersion blender to blend the soup until smooth. You can also transfer the soup to an upright blender with a venting lid; blend on high speed for 14 to 60 seconds, until creamy.
- Serve: Serve as desired; leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or can be frozen for up to one month.
Recipe Notes
- Oil-Free: Sauté the vegetables in step 1 in 1/4 cup (60 ml) of water or additional vegetable broth instead of oil.
- Apples: I would not recommend substituting another variety of apple here; Granny Smith provides a nice, unique tart flavor
- Coconut Milk Swirl: If you’d like to garnish your soup with a coconut milk swirl (as seen in the blog post photos), simply set aside ~1/4 cup (60 ml) of coconut milk before adding to the pot in step 2. Use a spoon to drizzle the milk over the bowls right before serving.
HOW MANY QUARTS DOES THIS MAKE? ABOUT 2 QUARTS?
The recipe yields approximately 4 to 6 servings. The specific quantity in quarts isn’t provided in the recipe, but it should make roughly 4 to 6 cups of soup, which is equivalent to 1 to 1.5 quarts. The exact amount will depend on the serving size and how much you’d like to prepare. If you need a specific quantity in quarts, you may need to adjust the recipe accordingly.
This was so wholesome and delicious. I volunteer at a community kitchen that provides free lunches for anyone in need. Last week I brought in your recipe and we served over 50 servings of this soup. People loved it, and several asked me for the recipe. I did pre-roast the squash the night before to save time and it worked just fine. Thank you for a great dish!
So happy you loved it and thank you for sharing it with everyone, Lynette!
OMG this was delicious – I wish I had taken a picture first because it did look very pretty – I’ll have to do that next time. I cut the squash in half and roasted in the oven for 1 hour until tender and used the meat from the roasted squash to make the soup. I did use about 3 tbps of red wine vinegar to deglaze the bottom of the dutch oven after sauteeing the onion/apple/spices mix and then add little cinnamon and a little cayenne pepper at the end after blending it all in a blender. Lastly when serving I topped the soup with some honey goat cheese and toasted pecan bits. Soooooo delicious!
Glad you enjoyed it, Kathleen! And yes, take a picture the next time you make it! ♥
Can I use an alternative to sage? I am allergic.
Thyme would work as well!
Had this or very similar at a hotel one year. They put a few pumpkin seed on top for appearance. It was amazing. Can’t wait to make this.
Loved, loved this soup, will make it regularly going forward. Thank you
You’re so welcome, Karin!
What are your thoughts about roasting the butternut squash first?
Hi Amy, this could work. I would still simmer the other veggies and the apple for about 10 minutes and add in the roasted squash just before blending to avoid over cooking. Let me know if you try this out!
I roasted then peeled and cubed butternut. I followed recipe except instead of broth, I used about a cup to a cup and a half of apple cider. After blending, I added cinnamon and nutmeg and it was delicious.
I love how creamy and thick this soup is; it’s like a bisque! Don’t skip on the fresh herbs – they make it!
I wanted to like this recipe more, however I found the coconut milk a pronounced flavor. I roasted 6 cups of butternut squash first, used leeks and a shallot instead of an onion because that’s what I had. Next time I’ll leave out the coconut milk and add more broth.
Hi Heather, thank you for your feedback. If you would still like the soup to have a creamy component, you can substitute the coconut milk for any other plant-based milk you prefer, just make sure it’s an unsweetened variety. You can also blend 1/2 a cup of cashews in about 1 1/2 cups of water for a creamy cashew milk and add this in place of the coconut milk, as it would be more neutral in flavor. Let me know if you try this out!
Delicious and would have never thought to combine the ingredients this way! I love pumpkin soups and squash soups and love trying different variations. Thank you!
Happy you found the combination delicious, Marin!
I used only about half the quantities of herbs called for, and I still found them really overpowering. The apple, squash, and coconut milk are all relatively delicate flavors; the herbs were just too much.
I always say my love language is food. I do all the cooking in our house and love coming up with new ideas and finding new recipes. Every night I am so eager to ask my boyfriend or friends what they think of the food, hoping they love it.
I made this soup last night because I had a squash I needed to use up. I did not have rosemary or sage and I used a Pink Lady Apple instead of a Granny Smith but it added the perfect sweetness to the soup.
When we sat down to eat, I didn’t even have to ask, my boyfriend, after one bite, told me he thought it was really good and part way through commented on how good the apple was.
This recipe was so easy to make and a hit in our household!
I really love the flavors in the soup and how it feel so comforting and seasonal. Is this a good recipe to freeze? I love soup for a couple of days, but prefer to freeze the rest !
Hi Kelly! Yes, it’s freezer-friendly.
WOW. very unique, delicious combination of flavours. such a wonderful sweetness. made for (canadian) thanksgiving and it’s perfect for the season!!! thank you
Glad it turned out great, Ani! Happy Thanksgiving!
Made some adjustments (as we always do when adopting a recipe)… fantastic base for a recipe! Thanks for sharing. I hope someone I know will make this “as is” so I can compare to the changes that I made.
Thank you for trying the recipe, Jen! Glad you liked it!
Excellent!! My family begs me to make this soup; even in the middle of summer. Thank you for sharing
You’re welcome. I appreciate the feedback, Cin! I’m glad you and your family loved it! ♥
My family loves this! Getting my husband and son to eat vegetables almost impossible, but even they ask for this soup. I do a bit of sweet curry to mine to cut the strong butternut squash flavor.
Can I use Almond milk instead of coconut milk in this soup.
Coconut milk can be substituted for almond or soy milk, but the final soup will be less creamy.
Thisnis my Go To recipe I share with everyone! It is delicious everytime! Thank you!
Thank you for sharing, Brie! Glad you enjoy it!
Delicious!
Thank you!
Made this for lunch today, really comforting and tasty.
Thank you!
Absolutely loved this soup. Trying to eat more vegan friendly food and this is a keeper ty
Glad you loved it, Lisa. Thank you for leaving a feedback!
My non-vegan boyfriend loved it! I haven’t tried it yet so I can’t say much but he was licking the serving spoon and getting the last bit out of his bowl ???? he said he can taste all the herbs (which he loves) but probably could use less sage and more apple (ours was kind of small). Can’t wait to try it with some bread tomorrow! Thanks Caitlin!
Love it! Thanks so much for sharing!
Could I substitute dry sage & rosemary? As that’s all I have. If so, how much of each? Thank you.
Hi Astaff, yes, you can. You can sub 1/2 tsp dried rosemary and 1/3 tsp dried sage for the fresh. This is because dried herbs tend to be more concentrated in flavor than fresh.