I love Butternut Squash! It is sweet and almost has a creamy nutty flavor to it, making a great addition to so many dishes. I first made this recipe when I was on a very long butternut squash kick in some of my earlier meat-free days. I sliced it, diced it, roasted it & mashed it. My favorite was in recipes like this one where I balanced that sweetness with spicy or smoky flavors. That combo gets me every time!

This recipe is one of my favorites because it’s a little bit of everything. The sweet, rich and creamy butternut squash complements the smokiness from the paprika and spiciness from the chipotle peppers. Unlike many other butternut squash recipes I’ve seen, this soup is rich and hearty with a fun kick!

This recipe does not require lots of fancy dinglehoppers and dohickeys, but boy does it make things a heck of a lot easier.

Notes & Substitutions:

Partially Cook with Pressure Cooker: Partially cook squash in pressure cooker, then finish cooking by roasting. Cook whole small butternut squash on high pressure for 8 minutes and quick pressure release. Once ready, cut squash into quarters, scoop out seeds, then scoop out ‘meat’ from the skin. Lightly coat in oil & finish cooking by roasting until it starts to brown.
Pan Roasting: I recommend cutting into cubes with skin removed. Lightly coat in oil and roast on 350 until it is tender & starts to brown.
Food Processor or High-Powered Blender: If you have one of these, you will save yourself a bunch of time & effort!
Without Food Processor: This is actually how I made it the first few times. You can mash the cooked squash with a fork or potato masher if you do not have a food processor or high-powered blender.
Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce: You will find these in small cans near the taco seasonings and enchilada sauces. A little of this goes a long way! If you are not into a lot of spice, only use a little bit of the adobo sauce in your soup until you reach a level of spice for you. If you enjoy lots of spice, add in ½ - 1 pepper at a time until you’ve reached a level of heat you enjoy. It is easier to add more heat than to take it away, so I recommend baby steps.
Garnishes & Toppings: Level up this dish by topping with a drizzle of cream or a dollop of sour cream. Top with crispy fried onions or croutons.
Leftover Hack: Get this...Vegan. Smoky. Butternut Squash. MAC ‘N CHEESE! Whaaaaa?? I would have posted a pic of this deliciousness but someone in the household got into it when my back was turned. Super easy...mix your leftover soup with your favorite cheese (I really like to use vegan mozzarella shreds for my dairy-free days and gruyere for my dairy-phile days.)

Ingredients: See ‘A Pinch, A Dash & A Smidge’ for measuring references.

1 Small or Medium fresh Butternut Squash
A mug or so of veggie broth
1 Sweet onion (roughly chopped)
1 head of garlic (roughly chopped)
1 can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
A couple dashes of ground nutmeg
A pinch of ground cloves
A couple dashes of allspice
A couple dashes of smoked paprika
Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:

Cook your butternut squash! See my notes & substitutions on how to cook with different equipment.
While squash is cooking, saute chopped onions & garlic until it begins to caramelize but still has some shape to it.
Pulse cooked squash, onions & garlic in food processor adding a little bit of veggie broth at a time until fully incorporated.
Add in the nutmeg, cloves, allspice and smoked paprika along with the chipotle peppers (see the notes & substitutions section before adding).
Add salt & pepper to taste and enjoy hot!