Name: Sunshine Soup: The Only Squash Soup Recipe You’ll Ever Need
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: PT-488562H48M47S
Total time: 45 min
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; ½ 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

Sunshine Soup: The Only Squash Soup Recipe You’ll Ever Need

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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

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.
Colour: Thanks to turmeric, squash, and carrots, it has a gorgeous golden hue (hence the name Sunshine Soup).
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

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.
Don’t rush the blending: this soup’s “wow” factor is its silky texture.
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!
Feel free to double or triple this recipe. It freezes like a dream.

Author: Culinary Studio
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30-40 Minutes
Total Time: 45 Minutes
Yield: 4-6 Servings

Ingredients

Units Scale

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

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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.

Oil: Use olive oil or butter if you don’t have coconut oil.
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.
Spices: Add curry powder for a more complex spice note, or smoked paprika for depth.
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.
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!
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.
Meal prep tip: Portion into mason jars for easy grab-and-go lunches!

Find it online: https://blog.theculinarystudio.ca/recipes/squash-soup-recipe/