True Food Kitchen Butternut Squash Soup (Copycat)
Description
This creamy copycat True Food Kitchen butternut squash soup is made in the slow cooker with coconut milk. It’s dairy-free, vegan, gluten-free, and almost completely hands-off.
Ingredients
- 1 medium butternut squash, about 3 pounds, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes (about 8 cups)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, optional, for sautéing
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
- 3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 13.5 ounces coconut milk, full-fat coconut milk, plus extra for drizzling
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, to taste
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, to taste
- 1 to 2 teaspoons maple syrup, optional
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Toasted pepitas, for topping
Instructions
- Step 1: Prep the squash. Peel the butternut squash, scoop out the seeds, and cut it into 1-inch cubes. Add the cubes to a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Step 2: Sauté the aromatics (optional). Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 to 6 minutes until soft. Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook 1 minute more, then add everything to the slow cooker. For a dump-and-go version, add the raw onion, garlic, and ginger straight to the slow cooker.
- Step 3: Slow cook. Pour in the broth, then add the cinnamon, nutmeg, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Stir, cover, and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, until the squash is very tender.
- Step 4: Add the coconut milk. Stir in the coconut milk, cover, and cook on HIGH for 10 to 15 minutes more, until heated through.
- Step 5: Blend. Purée the soup in the slow cooker with an immersion blender until completely smooth. Or blend in batches in a countertop blender, leaving the lid vent open so steam can escape.
- Step 6: Adjust and serve. Taste and add maple syrup, salt, or a splash more broth if it’s too thick. Ladle into bowls and top with a swirl of coconut milk and toasted pepitas.
Equipment
- 6-quart slow cooker
- Immersion blender (or countertop blender)
- Skillet (optional, for sautéing)
Notes
- Coconut milk: Use regular full-fat canned coconut milk, not coconut cream, which makes the soup too rich. Avoid the thin carton coconut milk too.
- Add the coconut milk last: Long cooking can make it separate and turn grainy.
- Deeper flavor: Roast the squash cubes at 400°F for 20 minutes before adding them to the slow cooker.
- Shortcut: Use two 20-ounce bags of pre-cut butternut squash.
- Storage: Refrigerate up to 5 days or freeze up to 3 months. Reheat on the stove and whisk in a splash of broth if it separates.
Nutrition
Serving: 1ServingCalories: 225kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 3gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 402mgPotassium: 624mgFiber: 4gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 13306IUVitamin C: 29mgCalcium: 82mgIron: 3mg