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Sunshine Soup: The Only Squash Soup Recipe You’ll Ever Need
Everyone needs a recipe for ‘Squash Soup’. It’s one of the most searched for recipes! Bring in our Sunshine Soup. It combines squash, carrot, and sweet potato, all the vegetables readily available at the market in the fall–into a silky-smooth, golden blend that’s as cheerful as it is delicious. It’s perfect for fall and winter, when local root vegetables are at their peak.
For this recipe we use the common & easy to find Butternut Squash, but definitely experiment with different types of squash, all readily available year round, and in abundance at local farmer’s markets in the fall!
We developed this squash soup recipe many years ago, and Jody coined it ‘sunshine soup’ as the colour was so brilliant and the feeling you get while enjoying a bowl in the colder months brings a burst of sunshine in your day! This recipe is one of our most requested at The Culinary Studio, and once you taste it, you’ll see why.
Fast Facts for this Squash Soup
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Texture: This soup should be blended until velvety smooth. If you think you’ve blended it long enough, give it another 30 seconds. A traditional blender works best.
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Colour: Thanks to turmeric, squash, and carrots, it has a gorgeous golden hue (hence the name Sunshine Soup).
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Nutrition: Naturally dairy-free, gluten-free, and packed with vitamin A and antioxidants. The combination of black pepper & turmeric is a ‘power couple’ in the spice world, lending natural anti-inflammatory benefits to this squash soup.
- It’s vegan! Not intentional, just naturally. The richness of this squash soup comes from coconut milk, and the natural creaminess you get from sweet potato.
Chef’s Notes from Jody & Kirstie
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Always season with salt at every step. Adding a pinch of salt as you go gradually layers the flavours and, with practice, leaves you with a perfectly seasoned pot at the end. We use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt for day to day seasoning.
- Have all of your vegetables chopped & ready to go ahead of time. When we used to make this soup in really large batches in our restaurant days, often we’d chop everything the day before, then the soup would whip up quick the next day.
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Don’t rush the blending: this soup’s “wow” factor is its silky texture.
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Have fun with garnishes: from a drizzle of good olive oil, to croutons, fresh herbs, toasted cashews, almonds or coconut, the world is your oyster here. Or smoked oysters lol. Or, just enjoy it on it’s own!
Cook With Us!
Like this recipe? You should try cooking with us! Start with an on-demand pre-recorded class, or jump in to the best experience with our live classes!
We have taken many classes over several years, and they never disappoint! Kristie & team always have great pointers and tricks to learn in the video. We love the Japanese burgers, and they are always a hit with guests. That's the thing: you make the recipe at home, it doesn't take a long time, and the result is so good that you want to make it again and again. Just try one, you'll see. 🙂I had such a fantastic experience at the cooking class! My daughter and I had an amazing time — our Bao Buns and Crispy Chicken turned out delicious, and we learned so much throughout the session. It was a fun, inspiring, and rewarding evening. I can’t wait to come back for another class. Highly recommend!Our virtual cooking class experience was top notch! Well organized, wonderfully communicated, and entertaining! A delicious outcome which boosted our confidence to try more challenging recipes in the future. Highly recommend!I have taken a few classes in the past - always find the products delicious, and I enjoy the challenge of trying to keep up 🙂
I subscribe the updates and get links to recipes - I recently made the Olive Oil Lemon cake. It turned out delicious – as you said in the description, very moist! My daughter has a birthday in strawberry season and typically she asks for strawberry shortcake with a traditional shortcake recipe… I served the lemon came this weekend with a bit of whipping cream and fresh strawberries (your picture was quite enticing) and her comment was that her birthday request this year would be to replace the traditional shortcake with this recipe!I've taken several on-line cooking classes from The Culinary Studio and have really enjoyed each one. The recipes are delicious and the instructions are very well laid out. I always learn new cooking tips and skills.It has been most likely a year and a half since I’ve made moussaka. Having the recording available was a godsend. So good and lots of leftovers! Having the recording is priceless!
I made Dan Dan noodles last month and again referred to the recording as it has been awhile. I was grateful for the reminders, tips and tricks. Not to mention, I love to cook with Kirstie and Jody. They make it so much fun!
Most of the meals I make are from your repertoire. I think I have close to 60!Love these ladies! Classes are easy to follow, informative, filled with all kinds of tricks & tips and best of all DELICIOUS!! This is our "night out" dining adventure that we can re-do & show off to our family & friends.My husband and I joined the Valentine's Day Date Night cooking class. Very enjoyable experience full of informative tips and thorough explanations followed by a delectable meal. Thank you Kirstie & Jodie. We'll be back!I recently did an online Lamb Briyani class. It used some cooking techniques I wasn't familiar with and produced a dish that was as tasty as the best Indian food I've ever had the pleasure of enjoying.I have done a few classes with the Culinary Studio and always enjoy the classes and the fabulous meals. They deliver the food to my door all prepped for the class if I like (which I do!). Highly recommended.We did a virtual zoom cooking class. It was better than cooking classes we have done in a actual class. We really enjoyed our ourselves. We have made the meal a couple of times since the class. We have friends over for the session and have great restaurant quality mealsThe Culinary Studio is an wonderful online chef duo!
You will learn delicious recipes taught in real time from start to end by two good friends who want nothing more than to teach you how to cook and and have fun doing it. Class presentation is practical and encouraging with one chef starting and one playing 'catch up' so you do not miss anything and no question will go unanswered!
The recipe with food pack is perfectly packaged and always arrives on time to make it easy so you do not have to shop!
Several recipes from the Culinary Studio are in our regular rotation!
Excited to keep cooking with you Kirstie and Jody!Online classes have allowed me the convenience to open my computer and learn in the comfort of my home and to do the class on my own schedule rather than missing out due to life's interruptions. Classes are paced well and the chef's are ready to answer your cooking questions even if they are unrelated to the class. I have used the recipes frequently in my day to day life and recently at an event where I overhead participants raving about the soup and cookies I had prepared, which were from Culinary Studio class recipes.
I was at the Studio for the very first class they held and I have continued to take classes for the past 13 years. While some things have changed over the years, the quality, knowledge and skills Jody and Kirstie bring to each class has not.The skills I learned through the their instruction have been used daily.To Chefs Kirstie & Jody! My family and I have thoroughly enjoyed the recipes and techniques we have acquired by following your live sessions and on-demand courses available on your website. You have a casual and an informative style that is very appealing. Most importantly both of you thrive on good food and beverage as much as we do! Bravo - we hope your future includes many more years of teaching and developing new dishes. Thank you. 🙂 - Feel free to double or triple this recipe. It freezes like a dream.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30-40 Minutes
- Total Time: 45 Minutes
- Yield: 4-6 Servings
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp coconut oil or canola oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 large clove local garlic, minced
- 1-2″ piece fresh ginger, peeled & minced
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 carrots, peeled & roughly chopped
- 1 small sweet potato, peeled & chopped
- 2 cups butternut squash, peeled & chopped
- 1 can coconut milk (we like Aroy-D)
- 3 cups water, or as needed
- Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat a large soup pot over medium-high heat.
- Add coconut oil to melt, and then add the onions. Season with good pinch of salt (this helps draw the water out of the onions). Sweat until soft and translucent, but not brown (the veg are sweet enough, we don’t need to add anymore sweetness).
- Add garlic and ginger and sweat for a couple of minutes before adding spices.
- Cook spices for 30 seconds to bloom their flavours.
- Stir carrots, sweet potato and squash. Season with a pinch of salt.
- Add coconut milk and water, bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer
- Simmer until vegetables are very soft, and then blend soup in a blender. When you think that you are done blending…blend a longer. Finished soup should be silky smooth!
- Taste for seasoning and serve!
Notes
Sunshine Soup Substitutions etc.
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Oil: Use olive oil or butter if you don’t have coconut oil.
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Vegetables: omit sweet potato & double up on the squash if you like. Soup will be just a little thinner. This recipe uses the common butternut squash, but our dear chef friend Sarah LOVED kabocha squash.
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Spices: Add curry powder for a more complex spice note, or smoked paprika for depth.
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Creaminess: If you don’t have coconut milk, use heavy cream or cashew cream.
Squash Soup Storage & Make-Ahead tips:
- As noted above, feel free to chop everything a day ahead of time (especially if you are making a double batch) to make cook time a breeze.
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Fridge: Keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days. Flavours actually deepen after the first day. Take a look at this recipe for our Fun Facts on why one-pot dishes taste better the next day!
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Freezer: Freeze in airtight containers for up to 3 months. Freezes like a dream. Reheat gently, adding a splash of water if it thickens too much.
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Meal prep tip: Portion into mason jars for easy grab-and-go lunches!
Just working away with a bowl of Sunshine Soup!
