This is a comforting Vegan Butternut Squash Soup recipe with straightforward ingredients! I let the maple roasted butternut squash shine and added just a couple savory flavors to this recipe for the ultimate comforting fall and winter soup. Make it in the blender and savor every creamy bite!

Sticky-sweet caramelized maple-roasted butternut squash brings incredible, robust flavor to this Vegan Roasted Butternut Squash Soup. I always think that butternut squash is a bit of everything: a little bit nutty, a little sweet, buttery, kind of savory. It's got a flavor for everyone, and they're all here in this Creamy Vegan Roasted Butternut Squash Soup! I added roasted garlic, sautéed shallot, and cashew cream to make this blended soup perfectly creamy and flavorful. Slide on your slippers, turn on your favorite podcast, and let's make some comforting and ultra-creamy Vegan Butternut Squash Soup!

How to Roast Garlic for Soup

Roasting garlic gives it it a rich and nutty flavor that perfectly complements this Butternut Squash Soup. It's totally worth the extra time to roast your garlic cloves. Raw garlic can overpower soup but roasting garlic makes it slightly sweet and more mellow. Once you try it you won't go back! Start with your oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit and slice to top off of an entire head of garlic. You want to see the tops of the cloves exposed. Wrap the garlic bulb in a piece of foil (cut side up) and place it in a small ramekin (make sure it's oven safe!). Drizzle the head of garlic with olive oil, sprinkle it with salt, and cover it all tightly with foil so the garlic isn't exposed. Cook it for an hour, then remove it from the oven and let it cool to room temperature. The roasted cloves become tender and buttery and will squeeze easily out of the skin. You can discard the skin and reserve the roasted garlic cloves for this soup and other dishes. I usually roast a couple heads at once and use in hummus, dressing, soups, pasta, sauces and mashed potatoes. You can see a 30 second video of how to roast garlic here.

Vegan Creamy Butternut Squash Soup

I added my favorite Cashew Cream for some extra plant-based protein and perfectly creamy texture. If you're nut-free you can omit this ingredient and the soup will still be delicious! I almost always have a batch of this Cashew Cream in my refrigerator because it's so versatile and makes a really nice soup garnish in the colder months. It starts with soaked cashews! Learn all about How (and Why!) to Soak Cashews in this post. Cashews are an excellent source of copper and a good source of magnesium, manganese, vitamin K, phosphorous and zinc. It has a neutral flavor that works wonderfully in this soup so the maple roasted butternut squash can really shine.

I didn't end up using any broth or stock in this soup! It's so flavorful that you can just use water. This also maintains the flavor of your soup a little better since stocks and broths can vary so much in flavor and sodium levels. I always suggest starting with just a bit of water and adding until you have your ideal consistency. I didn't use an immersion blender for this recipe. Instead, I opted to transfer the soup into the blender for a perfectly smooth and creamy consistency. It is worth it for an ultra-luxurious texture in every spoonful.

All About Butternut Squash

I can't stop cooking with butternut squash this season! It's colorful, nutritious, and of course...it tastes amazing. I always choose butternut squash that feel heavy for their size and store them in a cool, dry place. Once you cut into a butternut squash it can be stored in the refrigerator. I don't recommend buying pre-cut squash from the store. In my experience, they get slimy so quickly. Freshly cut butternut squash is so much sweeter and has the best butternut flavor. In a dish like this, it makes a huge difference to buy it whole and chop it up yourself. Butternut squash is a good source of fiber, potassium and magnesium and it's loaded with vitamins A and C. It also contains phytochemicals (natural plant chemicals) that support vision, heart and gastrointestinal health.