Indian-Inspired Vegan Butternut Squash Bisque Recipe
Creamy, aromatic, and rich, this butternut squash bisque recipe outshines your typical squash soup recipe. Flavored with the tremendous flavor of garam masala and topped with crispy chickpeas and silky sautéed spinach. Serve with a slice of homemade focaccia or toasted naan.
- Do you long for a silky, creamy but still healthy soup?
- Are you bored with the basic roasted squash soup recipes?
- Do you crave the sophisticated flavors of Indian cooking?
I’m teaching you how to make a butternut squash bisque recipe. This is the best homemade squash soup recipe I’ve ever had and it’s 100% vegan and gluten-free! I make this soup whenever I get the chance and even brought a pot to our friends who just welcomed a baby. It’s velvety-smooth with simply outstanding flavor. Everyone will demand you make it on repeat.
And with this recipe, I guarantee you will never look at squash soup the same again.
Video Tutorial: Butternut Squash Bisque Recipe
Let’s start with a video tutorial:
Overview: How To Make This Easy Butternut Squash Soup Recipe
- Roast the squash. Continue below to learn more about an easy way to roast squash.
- Sauté the aromatics. Just like with our Thai-inspired butternut squash & carrot soup the onions, garlic, and ginger need a moment to caramelize.
- Add the garam masala. Toast the spices in the oil to bring out their flavors.
- Simmer the soup. Add the squash and simmer.
- Puree. Carefully blend until smooth then stir in the coconut milk.
- Make the garnishes. If desired, serve with crispy chickpeas and sautéed spinach.
As shown in the video tutorial, the soup gets pureed in a blender to a silky smooth texture. Please be careful when blending hot soup. You can also make the soup with an immersion blender, if you have one. It’s best to let the soup cool slightly before blending. Hot liquids can cause the blender top to pop off and hot soup shoot everywhere if you’re not careful.
If you’re looking for more vegan recipes, check out these 10 vegan tofu recipes, 16 easy and delicious vegan lunches, 17 vegan pasta recipes, and these 17 yummy vegan desserts!
What You Need To Make This Silky Soup
This delicious soup is incredibly rich and complex for such simple ingredients. The garnishes of course are optional but they really make all the difference between an everyday soup and something special. Here’s what you’ll need to make it:
- Butternut squash: The squash halves get roasted until soft and caramelized then added to the soup.
- Extra virgin coconut oil: Just like with our Jamaican curried cabbage recipe we use coconut oil instead of olive oil for sautéing the vegetables.
- Yellow onion: Buttery onions add to the rich flavor of the soup.
- Kosher salt: I always use Morton kosher salt unless otherwise noted.
- Garlic cloves & fresh ginger: The aromatic combination of garlic and ginger are the solid backbone to many recipes like my ginger hoisin tofu and also this soup.
- Garam masala: This is an Indian spice mix that is a mixture of warm spices like black pepper, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- Vegetable broth: Or vegetable stock or substitute chicken broth or chicken stock if you don’t care about it being vegan.
- Bay leaves: A lovely note of light anise.
- Coconut milk: Instead of heavy cream we are using a can of full fat coconut milk for added delicious coconut flavor and to keep the soup vegan while still maintaining a creamy soup.
- Chickpeas: These are an optional garnish that take a little time to make but definitely an added bonus.
- Olive oil: For roasting the chickpeas and sautéing the spinach.
- Turmeric & smoked paprika: For flavoring the chickpeas.
- Baby spinach: The spoonful of silky sautéed spinach turns this into a dinner party worthy soup.
The first step is to roast the squash.
Roasting it whole then scooping it out of the skin is way easier than peeling and dicing the squash while it is raw. For these images I cut the squash in half then scooped out the seeds and roasted it. Then I peeled the soft skin away with a sharp pairing knife and diced the flesh. You can do this method or just simply scoop the soft roasted squash with a large spoon into the soup pot.
Next, the onions, garlic, and ginger get caramelized in a large pot over medium-high heat. See my list of essential kitchen pots if you’re in need of a new soup pot. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer.
Blend the soup then return to the pot. Add the coconut milk and return the creamy bisque to a simmer in the large saucepan over medium heat.
How To Make The Crispy Chickpeas
I like to top the soup with crispy roasted chickpeas, they add an extra bit of flavor, protein, and texture to the soup. Drain a can of chickpeas and pat dry with a kitchen towel then rub off any loose skins. Roast in the oven until dry and crisp, about 20-30 minutes. Toss with a pinch of turmeric and smoked paprika.
Chickpeas stay crispy for one day at room temperature.
If you don’t want to make the chickpeas and sautéed spinach; roasted, salted pumpkin seeds make another nice garnish as would a dollop of sour cream if you don’t mind it not being vegan.
Make Ahead Option
Just like my German goulash soup and my slow cooker split pea and ham soup, this is a great soup to have in the fridge for a quick lunch or dinner throughout the week.
You can roast the squash up to 3 days in advance, scoop the flesh from the skin while it is still warm then refrigerate until you are ready to finish the soup.
Another option would be to make the butternut bisque from start to finish then refrigerate until you are ready to serve. The longer the soup sits in the fridge the better it tastes. It can last in the fridge for up to a week.
Freezing instructions: Freeze the soup in an airtight container for up to 6 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator then warm on the stove or in the microwave.
What To Serve With The Creamy Butternut Squash Bisque
- Turn the soup into a main course and serve with my no-knead whole wheat green olive bread
- Follow up with my iced pumpkin molasses cookie ice cream sandwiches (not vegan)
- Start the meal with veggies and blue cheese bacon dip (not vegan)
- Serve with one of these festive rum punch recipes
- Make a complete Indian feast and serve with my vegetable biryani
- This roasted beet salad with cracked green olives would make a great side with this soup
- Or this lentil barley salad is simple and delicious
- Warm pita and homemade hummus would be great accompaniments
Another great thing is to top the soup with a spoonful of spicy tomato & bell pepper chutney and a handful of crunchy sunflower seeds. A simple salad of cucumber and tomato is always a good side as is my cornbread with cheddar, rosemary & corn for dipping.
This soup is ideal for a cold day with a hearty wild rice and kale salad. I can’t wait for you to try it! It’s silky, luscious, and packed with savory-sweet flavor—the best butternut squash bisque recipe you’ll ever have!
3 Success Tips
- Be patient when caramelizing the onions. Low and slow is the key to developing deep flavor. Stir occasionally to prevent burning.
- If you have a local Indian market, search out high-quality garam masala. They may have more interesting and fresher selection. Leftover spices can be used to make these delicious chicken skewers.
- Taste the soup throughout the cooking process and adjust seasonings as needed.
My final piece of advice? If you don’t want to mess with the whole squash, don’t let that stop you from making this soup. Substitute a package of frozen butternut squash. Check out this post for other recipes you can make with frozen butternut squash.
Indian-Inspired Vegan Butternut Squash Bisque Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 medium butternut squash
- 2 teaspoons olive oil, for roasting the squash
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
- cracked black pepper, for seasoning
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin coconut oil
- 2 small yellow onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 14.5 ounce can full-fat coconut milk
For Garnish:
- 1 15.5 ounce can chickpeas, drained
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 8 ounce bag baby spinach
Instructions
- Heat oven to 425°F. Remove the stem from the butternut squash and cut squash in half vertically. Scoop out the seeds. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay the squash on the baking sheet. Rub the flesh with the 2 teaspoons olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Lay the squash cut side-down and roast until very tender and a fork can easily go through the skin, about 45 minutes to an hour. Let cool.
- Meanwhile, heat the 3 tablespoons of coconut oil in a medium soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the two small chopped onions and season with the 2 teaspoons of salt. Let cook, stirring occasionally, until they start to become tender and are beginning to caramelize.
- Add the 4 cloves chopped garlic, the 1/4 cup chopped ginger, and continue cooking for a minute more. Add the 1 tablespoon garam masala and toast the spices in the oil, stirring constantly.
- Add the vegetable broth and bay leaves and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat so the soup is gently simmering.
- Once the squash is cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh into the soup pot and discard the skin. Let soup simmer until onions are very tender. Remove from heat and let soup cool slightly. Remove bay leaves.
- Transfer to a blender and carefully blend the warm soup, starting on low, then gradually increase the speed until the soup is very smooth. You can also use an immersion blender right in the soup pot if you have one of those.
- Return the soup to the pot and add the coconut milk. Cover and keep warm over low heat while you make the garnishes.
For the Garnishes:
- Heat oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the can of drained chickpeas out into a single layer on a kitchen towel and rub off any loose skins.
- Transfer chickpeas to the baking sheet and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with the 1/2 teaspoon salt.
- Roast for 20-30 minutes or until crispy. If they are not crispy, keep roasting until they are.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the 1/4 teaspoon each turmeric and smoked paprika while still warm.
- For the spinach, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large frying pan. Add spinach, little by little, letting it wilt, then adding more until all is added and toss in the hot oil until just wilted, but not overcooked. Sprinkle with salt.
To Serve:
- Taste soup and season with more salt if needed. Ladle soup into bowls and top with spoonful of spinach and a roasted chickpeas. Add a drizzle of olive oil if you'd like and serve with warm naan bread.
Notes
- Testing for Doneness: The squash is ready when a fork easily pierces the skin and the flesh feels very soft, about 45 minutes to an hour.
- Crispy Chickpeas: Ensure the chickpeas are dry before roasting for optimal crispiness. Roasting time may vary depending on your oven.
- Toppings: Get creative with toppings! If you don’t want to make the chickpeas and spinach, try toasted pumpkin seeds, a dollop of yogurt, or a drizzle of chili oil.
- Reheating: Leftover soup can be stored in the fridge for up to a week. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave.
This was very fun to make and so delicious! I made it with the roasted garbanzo garnish and will try the leftover soup with pumpkin seeds. I served it with chicken breasts rubbed with a mixture of garlic, ginger and Garam Marsala powders and then marinaded with coconut crème white balsamic vinegar. Yummy!
That’s fantastic! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe and got creative with the garnish and sides. The chicken with garlic, ginger, garam masala, and coconut crème white balsamic vinegar sounds absolutely delicious! 😋