Spicy Chipotle Butternut Squash Soup
Chipotle peppers give this spicy butternut squash soup with black beans a smoky kick and heat. This is an easy vegan fall – winter soup recipe.
Currently, my counter is a total smorgasbord of squash. From acorn squash to delicata squash to spaghetti squash to pretty much everything in between, I think I might have all varieties represented.
Besides roasting winter squash, I love making soup. And the best of the bunch for the task is butternut squash.
With the right vegetable peeler, it doesn’t take too much effort to peel butternut squash and then cube it for any fall or winter soup recipe.
Then when you simmer the squash in broth until it’s tender, it easily blends into a silky and smooth soup.
Bringing The Heat To Butternut Squash Soup
The usual versions of butternut squash soup involve herbs like rosemary and sage. This spicy version is different.
The smoky heat comes from chipotle peppers. Canned chipotle peppers are spicy to say the least That’s why I limit it to chopping a single pepper plus a teaspoon of adobo sauce in the soup.
To go with the chipotles, I also stir in cumin and paprika.
The Ingredients
This is what you need for this easy butternut squash soup recipe:
- Butternut squash: Look for a butternut squash that feels heavy for its size. The skin should be smooth, and the squash should not have any soft spots. For the recipe, you will need a whole butternut squash that’s about 3 pounds before you peel it and cut it into cubes.
- Chipotles en adobo: To give the soup its signature smoky, spicy flavor, I chop a chipotle pepper from a can of chipotles en adobo. I also include a teaspoon of the adobo sauce.
- Onions: No surprise, the base of the soup starts with sautéing diced onions.
- Olive oil: The soup ingredients are sautéed in olive oil.
- Garlic: I include a minced garlic clove along with the blend of seasonings.
- Dried spices: The recipe is seasoned with a mix of cumin, paprika, salt and pepper.
- Vegetable broth: I always use low-sodium vegetable broth, so I can control the amount of salt.
- Black beans: With smoky chipotle peppers, black beans just make sense in this soup. Beans are a great way to add protein and bulk up any veggie puree soup.
- Cilantro: I stir in lots of chopped cilantro with the black beans and lime juice in addition to sprinkling on this herb to each bowl.
- Lime juice: Squeezing in lime juice adds such wonderful brightness to finish the soup.
- Yogurt: To keep the soup vegan, make sure to use a non-dairy yogurt. A swirl of yogurt is good to balance out the heat and spice.
- Pepitas: Also known as pumpkin seeds, pepitas are a crunchy final garnish for this healthy fall soup.
How To Make Spicy Butternut Squash Soup
- Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the onions and sauté until they start to turn soft and translucent.
- Stir in the chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, garlic, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper. Continue sautéing until fragrant.
- Add the butternut squash to the saucepan.
- Pour in the vegetable broth. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the butternut squash is tender, about 15-20 minutes.
- Puree the soup. You can use an immersion blender in the pot or carefully transfer the soup in batches to a blender to puree.
- Stir in the black beans, cilantro and lime juice. Warm the soup over low heat for a couple minutes.
- Divide the soup into bowls. Top each bowl with a dollop of yogurt and sprinkle on pepitas and chopped cilantro.
Storing Spicy Butternut Squash Soup
Before you put the soup in the refrigerator, let it cool off. You want it to be at room temperature. Then spoon it into an airtight container.
You can store the soup in the refrigerator up to 5 days.
Can You Freeze Butternut Squash Soup?
Yes! Let the soup cool to room temperature before you transfer it to a container to freeze. I love these silicone freezing trays because they are divided into individual portion sizes, and they come with a lid.
Freeze the soup before you add the yogurt or pepitas for garnish. These should only top each bowl right when you are serving them.
More Fall Soup Recipes
Turmeric Butternut Squash Apple Soup
Golden Beet Soup
Slow-Cooker Moroccan Chickpea Stew
Tomato Carrot Lentil Soup
Rosemary White Bean Tomato Soup
Black Bean Chili
Slow-Cooker Lentil Tortilla Stew
Spicy Chipotle Butternut Squash Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 white onion roughly chopped
- 1 chipotle pepper finely chopped, plus 1 teaspoon adobo sauce, from a can of chipotles en adobo
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 butternut squash about 3 pounds, peeled and diced
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 15- ounce can black beans drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro plus more for serving
- Juice of 1 lime
- Plain yogurt and pepitas for serving
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the onions until they start to soften, about 4 minutes.
- Stir in the chipotle peppers and adobo sauce, garlic, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper. Continue sautéing until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add the butternut squash to the saucepan. Then pour in the vegetable broth. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the squash is tender.
- Carefully, use an immersion blender to puree the soup. You can also transfer it in batches to a blender to puree, and then return it to the saucepan.
- Stir in the black beans, cilantro and lime juice. Warm the soup over low heat for 2-3 minutes.
- Divide the soup into bowls. Top with a dollop of yogurt, pepitas and chopped cilantro before serving.
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