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Thai Butternut Squash Soup (Vegan)

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A simple and healthy vegan Thai butternut squash soup recipe made with lemongrass and coconut milk! Tastes even better on day 2, is gluten- and dairy-free and easy to prep.

There is really nothing more satisfying than a nice bowl of smooth and creamy soup. Some of my family's favorites include this Ultra Creamy Butternut Squash Soup and this Thai Coconut Curry Soup. Another tasty Thai option is this Thai Butternut Squash Soup recipe which gets amazing flavor from lemongrass and lime leaves.

overhead shot of the Thai Butternut Squash Soup

While often Thai flavors can be bold and assertive, sometimes I crave something mellower. This Thai butternut squash soup is definitely on the mellower side, with creamy coconut milk and citrussy flavors from the lemongrass and lime leaves.

Not only that but it's loaded with butternut squash and carrots, is vegan, gluten- and dairy-free, and easy to prep.

Reasons you’ll ♡ this soup

  • it's dairy-free and vegan, and gluten-free
  • it's the kind of soup that tastes even better on day 2- perfect for meal prep!
  • it's not spicy and is great for kids

Recipe video

Wondering how this soup recipe comes together? Watch this 1 minute video to see how easy it is to prepare! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel.

Don’t forget to pin this recipe to save it for later!

ingredients required for this vegan butternut squash soup on cutting board

Let's talk ingredients!

  • Butternut squash - peeled and cubed. Use frozen cubed butternut squash as a shortcut!
  • Other veggies- onion, garlic, and carrots to add extra layers of flavor.
  • Vegetable stock- I've been making my own homemade veggie stock and will share the recipe soon!
  • Lemongrass- the long stalks you see in the photo above. Should be available in the produce section of your grocery store.
  • Lime leaves- we've been able to find fresh lime leaves in our produce section on occasion, but in this case I've used dried lime leaves which I found in the spice aisle. They should also be available at specialty Asian grocery stores.
  • Curry powder - go for a mild curry powder unless you want to up the spice level in this soup.
  • Coconut milk - you want high-quality and full fat coconut milk for the richest, creamiest soup base

Meal prep tips

Soup is one of my favorite things to use in meal prep as it stores great! Here's some tips for perfect soup:

  • Lemongrass- Peel off outer leaves and bruise the stem by hitting with the dull side of your knife. This helps release all the flavors! Chop into 2-3 inch long pieces to help you fish it out after the cook time is over.
  • Blender- I like to use an immersion blender to blend my soup, but a stand blender would also work. Be very careful so you don't burn yourself!
  • Thickness- you can totally customize how thick you want this soup to be by adding more or less stock. If you want it thicker than pictured, add stock to ½ inch below the butternut squash. For thinner like pictured, cover the squash.
  • Storage- this soup keeps for 4 days in the fridge and 6 months in the freezer! Find my favorite soup storage containers in my shop.

 

Can I swap out the coconut milk for something else?

The coconut milk really adds nice flavor to this soup, and I don’t recommend skipping it. It may be possible to use heavy cream in place; however, I have not tried and don’t know how this might affect the flavor. If you give it a try, let me know how it turns out in the comments!

Could I make this with chicken stock?

Yes, you can substitute chicken broth for veggie stock if you are not vegan. Try my homemade bone broth recipe!

I can't find lemongrass or lime leaves at a local store... Can I leave them out?

If you can't get locally, check Amazon for fresh lemongrass stalks and fresh lime leaves that are available to be delivered.

I don't recommend skipping these ingredients as they add so much of the citrussy flavor that is essential for flavor in this soup. You could try this Creamy Thai Curry Sweet Potato Soup, which is made with a red curry paste that's easily found in most grocery stores.

three bowls with thai butternut squash soup

More healthy soup recipes:

This post was originally published in 2015. It has been rephotographed and republished in 2020.

overhead shot of three blue and white bowls filled with thai butternut squash soup on gray background
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Thai Butternut Squash Soup

Course: Soup
Cuisine: Thai
Calories: 131kcal
Author: Denise Bustard
Servings: 4
A simple and healthy vegan Thai butternut squash soup recipe made with lemongrass and coconut milk! Tastes even better on day 2, is gluten- and dairy-free and easy to prep.
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time30 mins
Total Time45 mins

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 onion (diced)
  • 3 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 4 cups butternut squash (peeled and cubed)
  • 2 carrots (peeled and sliced)
  • 2 cups stock (or more; enough to cover the veggies)
  • 2 stalks lemongrass (outer leaves removed and cut into 2-inch pieces)
  • 2 lime leaves
  • 1 teaspoon curry powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 coconut milk (full fat)

To serve

  • yogurt or coconut yogurt (to swirl in)

Instructions

  • Heat oil in a medium pot over medium heat.
  • Add the onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 5-7 minutes.
  • Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
  • Add the butternut squash, carrots, stock, lemongrass, lime leaves, curry powder and salt.
  • Cook for 15 minutes, or until butternut squash is soft.
  • **Remove the lemongrass and lime leaves from the pot**
  • Stir in the coconut milk, and puree using an immersion blender until smooth.
  • Reheat gently (do not boil) and serve!

Storage

  • This soup may be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Notes

  • you can control the thickness of this soup. If you want it thicker, do not fully cover the butternut squash (½- 1 inch below). If you want it thinner as pictured, fully cover the squash
  • make sure you remove all lemongrass and lime leaves as they have an unpleasant texture in soups

Nutrition

Serving: 1/4 batch | Calories: 131kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 3g | Sodium: 789mg | Potassium: 657mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 20230IU | Vitamin C: 33.9mg | Calcium: 88mg | Iron: 1.5mg
Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @SweetPeaSaffron or tag #sweetpeasandsaffron

About Denise Bustard

Denise Bustard is the creator of Sweet Peas and Saffron, a meal prep-focussed food blog. With a PhD in biochemistry, Denise takes a scientific approach to perfecting her recipes. You can find Denise's work featured on Huffington Post, MSN, Self and more. read more

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Comments

  1. Laura

    Hey Denise
    What kind of Stock are you putting in the soup? Veggie/ chicken?

    Reply

    • Denise

      Hi Laura! You can use either! I typically use chicken stock since that's something I always have in my pantry 🙂

      Reply

  2. Denise

    Hi Joyce! This soup shouldn't be spicy, unless you have hot curry powder. My medium curry powder was not spicy at all 🙂

    Reply

  3. Denise

    You and me both!! Thanks, Jessica!

    Reply

  4. aimee @ like mother like daughter

    I love this twist on traditional butternut squash soup! I'm sure the coconut, curry and lemongrass just make it so delicious!

    Reply

    • Denise

      Thanks so much, Aimee! I don't think I've ever tried a traditional butternut squash soup, which is kind of crazy considering how obsessed I am with it 🙂

      Reply

  5. Jen | Baked by an Introvert

    This is the perfect fall soup! Love the lemongrass in here.

    Reply

    • Denise

      Thanks, Jen! I love lemongrass 🙂 🙂

      Reply

  6. Sarah @Whole and Heavenly Oven

    I still have yet to fill my soup pot with butternut squash soup this fall, and I think that's changing right now! Um, this soup is freaking gorgeous, Denise! I can only imagine how perfectly the lemongrass and coconut compliment the squash!

    Reply

    • Denise

      Thank you so much, Sarah! I was totally surprised by how well these flavors went together. For once I nailed it on my first try! 😀

      Reply

  7. Regina

    This looks like a soup after my own heart! I just took a Thai cooking class and I don't know how I'll ever make soup without lemon grass and kaffir lime leaves again? The flavors are just so amazing!

    Reply

    • Denise

      I took an 'unofficial' Thai cooking class aka: Ben's mother in law taught me (she used to run a restaurant in Phukket). I just can't get enough of Thai flavours!

      Reply

  8. Rachel @ Bakerita

    Oh my goodness, this soup looks so creamy dreamy and heavenly. The lemongrass sounds like a perfect addition. Love this!

    Reply

    • Denise

      Thanks so much, Rachel! I am craving all things soup these days 😉

      Reply

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