A creamy, satisfying, and invigorating butternut squash and carrot soup with hints of ginger and a generous dose of turmeric. The flavors here are warming, energizing, and vibrant. Top with some zaa’tar, a light drizzle of olive oil, and a dollop of labaneh or greek yogurt for a bowl of pure joy. And while this recipe makes for about 4 servings, I often have a couple of servings as a meal. It is that good. Undoubtedly one of the best winter soups for the soul.
INGREDIENTS/ SERVES 4
3 tablespoons olive oil + more for drizzling
1 large onion, chopped
small pinch dried chili flakes
4 large cloves garlic
2 teaspoons grated ginger
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon paprika, sweet or smoky, to your taste
1 butternut squash (about 920 gr.), cubed
6 carrots (about 620 gr.), sliced
5 cups/ 1.175 liters hot (low sodium) vegetable or chicken stock*
salt, to taste
good grinding freshly ground black pepper
juice of 1 lemon
zaa’tar, for garnish
labaneh, for garnish
fresh cilantro/coriander, for garnish
METHOD
1. Sauté the onion and chili flakes in the the olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat for 6-8 minutes until soft and tender. Add the garlic, ginger, bay leaf, turmeric, and paprika. Cook for another 2 minutes while stirring.
2. Pour the vegetable stock into the pot and stir in the squash and carrots. Add salt and pepper to your taste. I used 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and a good grinding of freshly ground pepper. Bring to a simmer, cover, reduce heat to low, and leave to cook for about 35 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
3. Carefully blend the soup using a hand blender or a regular blender in 2 batches. Check for salt and add to your liking. Squeeze in the juice of 1 lemon for extra tang, if you like. Serve and garnish with lots of fresh cilantro, a drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of zaa’tar, and a dollop of yogurt. Chill any leftover soup for up to 3 days.
NOTES
* If you do not have liquid stock, I recommend using a low-sodium and organic vegetable stock cube and 5 cups of water. Otherwise, liquid vegetable or chicken stocks are my favorite options. Not using any stock at all, however, will result in less flavor.
hanadykitchen.com 
This recipe looks absolutely perfect for the cold we’re having here in London! The flavors look so warming and delicious and the colors are brilliantly appetizing! Looking forward to making this soup! Yum!
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Hi Aurora! So lovely having you here all the way from London! Thank you so much for your kind words. I hope you’ll love this! – Hanady Xx
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This looks so delicious. Thanks you so much for sharing this. I am definitely trying this.
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Hi there! Thank YOU for your comment, dear! Look forward to learning about how you liked this recipe! – Hanady Xx
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Thanks for this! Yummy.
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Hope you enjoy this recipe, Rianne! – Hanady Xx
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Looks amazing! Will be trying this soon!
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Hi Jenn! Thank you, dear! I hope you love it! – Hanady Xx
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Looked delicious…
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Thank you! It is so yummy! X
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Beautiful, the picture alone makes me want to have it now. Thank you
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Hi there! Thank you for your kind words! I hope you’ll try this recipe! 🙂 X
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Butternut squash soup is one of my favorite winter entrees. I prefer it to be thicker than most people make.
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I completely agree with you! Butternut squash soup is absolutely divine, especially when combined with the right flavors. This recipe is in the middle when it comes to thickness, but you can lessen the liquid broth to get your desired consistency. – Hanady X
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This looks so delicious. 🙂
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Hi Malini! Thank you for your comment! It is, indeed, delicious! 🙂 – Hanady Xx
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Sounds delicious… Will be trying this soon.
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Hi Nate! Thank you! I hope you’ll love it! 🙂 – Hanady X
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I’ve been looking for a good butternut squash soup recipe and this looks divine! Thanks for posting. Can’t wait to try it!
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Hi Cate! Thank you for your lovely comment! I’m so glad that this recipe interested you! I hope you love it! – Hanady Xx
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I just discovered your blog, and I’m already so excited to try some of these recipes. As a fairly new vegetarian who grew up in a family that wasn’t big on veggies, I definitely need some ideas about to incorporate more of them into my meals. Thanks so much!
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Hi Chris! Thank you so much for your comment, dear. And welcome! I’m so excited and grateful to have you in this space. You will definitely find many vegetarian options here, particularly with Mediterranean influences. I hope you love the recipes and look forward to your feedback! – Love, Hanady Xx
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Sweet
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🙂
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This soup is awesome! I usually add a bit too much of liquid to my cream soups, so I will definitely try the amounts you suggest. Thanks for the recipe!
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Hi there! Thank you for your comment! Everyone is particular about how they like their soup. Thick or thin, it can still be full of flavor, so I think you should stick with what you enjoy the most. The soup can always be thinned down by adding more broth. I hope you love the recipe and look forward to your feedback! 🙂 – Hanady Xx
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very good food
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Do you think leaving the garlic out would create a large vacuity in flavor? I know it sounds odd, but I can’t eat garlic; sensitive digestion (thanks for putting gf recipes up on your site, btw 😉 I can always try! Am used to doing without it “)
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Hi Lara! I don’t think that eliminating the garlic will sacrifice the taste very much as the soup already has so many flavors. However, I would suggest using liquid vegetable stock or an organic stock cube as mentioned in the recipe. If you haven’t tried already, I’ve also heard that roasting the garlic helps for those who experience difficulty digesting it. I hope you love the soup. And, I’m so glad that you liked the gluten-free section. There is plenty more where that from on the way! – Love, Hanady Xx
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Thank you! Appreciate all that 🙂 And looking forward to more recipes (yes, gf especially). Have a warm morning, afternoon, or evening – whichever you’re in at the moment:)
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