This vegan butternut squash soup is seasoned with five spice powder, which compliments its sweet and savory flavors. Cashew cream gives it an especially creamy texture. The soup is simple and easy to make, and it’s perfect for fall.
As I was writing this post, I realized that I actually have very few butternut squash soups on the blog. It’s a strange oversight, because I love butternut squash recipes.
And butternut soup is probably my most reliable “go-to” when it comes to an easy fall or winter appetizer.
This creamy vegan butternut squash soup with five spice features a unique flavor addition of star anise, cloves, cinnamon, Sichuan pepper, and fennel seeds–the characteristic blend known as Chinese five-spice powder.
My best friend and her husband recently brought vibrant peppercorns back after a trip to China. They inspired me to start cooking with five spice more often.
I’ve found that it’s wonderful with roasted vegetables, in stock, and in stir fry dishes.
Here, it is a perfect compliment to the sweet and savory notes of the vegan butternut squash soup. And sweet and savory flavor combinations are my favorite kind!
The silky smooth texture of this soup will be easier to come by if you have a powerful blender. I’ve used a Blendtec in the past. Nowadays, my go-to blender is the Breville SuperQ.
Otherwise, it’s so easy to prepare this soup. Sauté, blend, and enjoy.
The creamy quality of the soup is of course thanks to my beloved cashew cream. However, you could use full-fat, canned coconut milk instead. Here’s the recipe.
Now that I’ve tried this squash and five-spice combination, I have a lot of other ideas for ways that I might pair them!
It’s easy to make this soup as part of a meal prep routine, and it can be frozen for up to six weeks.
The soup is perfect for fall—nourishing, creamy, warming—and I’m happy to have discovered it.
I hope you can all cozy up to a warm, vibrant bowl very soon. Enjoy!
xo
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Have been in love with that twisty jar since I first laid eyes on it. What an amazing invention. Want, want, want! I would probably finally make my own nut butter since I loathe cleaning out the mess from the vitamix or even the food processor. But I am a soup gal so no doubt the first thing I’d make with a new Blendtec would be some kick ass soup.
I would definitely be making cashew cream with this! I always forget to soak in advance.
This soup looks amazing! It would probably be the first recipe I tried in a blendtec.
What an amazing soup! Love butter nut squash soup 🙂
I would try making cashew cream with unsoaked nuts, just to see if it really works and gets smooth and creamy! I usually soak them for hours first (or sometimes boil) before blending in my trusty KitchenAid.
I will be making a Mocha Smoothie, using fresh, chilled coffee, frozen bananas, and raw cacao!
this soup is lovely! I am super into trying it out with the Chinese 5 spice – so cool! loving your photos as always <3
What a fun giveaway, Gena! I’m glad to hear your thoughts about the Blendtec versus a Vitamix. If I won, I’d make this soup, of course. It’s been so cold where I live, and my soup consumption has gone way up.
I’d make soup, for sure.
My last blender died in fantastic smoky manner, so I’d love to replace it with this!
I’ll probably try my hand at making soup in the Blendtec. I’ve never owned a Vitamix or Blendtec before but have always been curious with all the things they can do.
I’d make a cashew-based cheeZy sauce
What a fabulous soup. I love the plating, too!
The first recipe I’d make with this baby would likely be almond milk. I’d also love to try my hand at making chocolate and hazelnut butter with that fabulous twister jar!
Thank you for hosting this giveaway, Gena!
Thanks for the giveaway! I’d make coconut mylk first if I won.
I’d love to try out the twist canister for maple almond chia seed butter – my favorite!
I would love to make a creamy soup, like this one. It is beautiful. 🙂
I love really thick smoothies I can eat with a spoon so that would be the first thing I would make.
Lovely give away. I love your blog. I especially look forward to the Weekend Reading blog post. The first thing I would make would be banana nice cream. I haven’t eaten dairy ice cream in 15 years and like the idea of creamy cold nice cream in my mouth. Thanks!
I know this is basic, but I’d love to finally make a kale smoothie that I don’t have to chew!
Nut butters!
Nut butter, ice cream, or soup!
Beautiful soup! I will definitely try this recipe!
My daily smoothies would be so much smoother in a Blendtec!
Looks wonderful so I just would make it easy on myself … I would make this gorgeous soup! Thank you for sharing all you do Gena <3 xo
i would make a big batch of homemade salsa
Vegan Yogurt is the first magic I will make. The next will be vegan creamy potato soup. Yumtastic.
Sounds delicious. Would also be good with pumpkin.
Would love the Blendtec. Have a Nutribullet but not butters and very thick mixtures are always an issue
Definitely want to make this butternut squash soup! Looks delicious.
Gena, this is beautiful! What stunning photos! I love the “yin yang” presentation of the orange soup and the black rice. You really outdid yourself. And the flavor combination looks delicious! Thanks. xo
I would start with almond milk , then pecan butter and cream of broccoli.
WOWEE YOWZA!!! I’d first make a super delicious, mega-smooth banana green smoothie for the entire family with that humongous blending jar! Then I’d make some frozen banana ice cream in the twister jar! Thank you so much!!!
I’m not big on squash soups as they are usually too sweet for my tastes. But with enough seasoning, they can be good.
This soup sounds SO good! Soup would definitely be the first thing I would try. Thanks for the great recipe and giveaway!
I’ve been curious about the blendtec as well! The twister jar sounds like a great solution to a common problem! My first recipe would probably be a green smoothie immediately followed by a cashew Alfredo sauce served over steamed broccoli and brown rice pasta. 🙂
This soup sounds so delicious Gena! I’d definitely whip this up in the BlendTec, along with a host of smoothies and nut butters, should I win this amazing giveaway! Thank you for hosting!!
I would make creamy cashew based nacho sauce, I have been craving it!
I would make some hummus first! Or homemade butter.
I would make avocado chocolate mousse!
I’d make a nut butter with a combo of different kinds of nuts and seeds!
So both my blender and smoothie maker have decided they deserve the death sentence and have hung themselves (I don’t think they want to make any more green smoothies or soups or oat flours). I have been craving a green smoothie for breakfast every morning now for the past week and what do I do to relieve myself? I go and visit your smoothie recipe page to salivate over al the wonderful concoctions there, especially the black and blue smoothie and the green kingdom avocado and banana ice cream. And now after the photos of your butternut squash soup (which I have a soft spot for and its my one soup weakness), I really feel as if I will go mad. The yummiest is just too much to keep only in my day and night dreams.
I love these pureed vegetable soups, and will make a beet, coconut, and ginger version.
Probably the first thing I would make would be the cashew cheeze sauce for my mac ‘n cheeze. My current blender does ok, but the sauce could definitely be smoother and thicker.
Thanks for having many ways of entering. I don’t have instagram or a pinterest account and so it’s nice that you offer plenty of other options. 🙂
I just started trying to make raw vegan desserts but its hard with a cheap blender. This would be amazing to win!!!
great! always looking for butternut squash recipes. wouldn’t mind the blender too 😉
Green smoothies!
Hmm difficult to decide, but after reading about the yam, kale, peanut stew – maybe that!
I’ve been using a hand-blender to make a sunflower seed-miso-white bean sauce-ish concoction; I bet it would be even tastier (and less grainy) with a high-powered blender!
Wow, Gena, thank you! That soup just glows. I love the use of the rice with the five spice blend. That’s one of my favorite combos right now too. This giveaway is truly stellar. I’d have to say that the first thing I’d make in this gorgeous blender and the Twister jar would be a new smoothie recipe and my first homemade hummus recipe which I’ve yet to do! Thank you for hosting it!!
My first recipe to make with the blender would probably be this soup, actually! Love this giveaway!
Borscht.
With the new blender I will do the best raw smoothies in New Zealand ….. with many greens and fruits like bananas, apricots, plums and nectarines, Chia seeds, nuts, raisins and ginger!
I was wondering what to do with that butternut squash I have on the kitchen counter. All I need is the Blendtec to make it in!!!
One of those green smoothies I keep reading about.
We have a Vitamix that’s on its way out. This would be a great replacement!
I love making smoothies and milkshakes, but I’d be super excited to try some things my cheap blender can’t do, like hummus and soups.
oh man what I would do for a blender!!
The first thing I would make is almond butter!
Mac and cheese
My first recipe, statistically, would likely be an old favourite – some kind of smoothie featuring oats, banana, nut milks, and either cocoa or chai spices!
I have been struggling with some challenging digestive issues and also need extra nutrition at this time. Those supermarket nutritional shakes get old fast and it is so hard to find vegan ones! Plus, they only come in one flavor: sweet! I can wait to whip up some hearty soups, hummus, dips, dahls, purees, pesto, pureed rice dishes (they are good, trust me!), guacamole, tapenade, chutneys, nut butters of all kinds (and nut butter blends!), tahini, cashew nooch “cheese” sauce, cashew cream, nut milks, and more!
I would love to try this blender! I’ve been holding back on getting a vitamix because of the weight and storage issues. I would definitely try this soup first if I won!
Thanks for the giveaway! I’d make homemade almond butter first if I won.
Almond milk
Oh, the fun things I could do with a Blendtec!
This outrageously simple and gorgeous butternut squash soup!
This looks so yummy. I love a warm soup, so comforting. I’d make my very own almond butter or cashew butter first.
Sweet giveaway! I’ve been dying to recreate this smooth soup I had in Thailand — lots of pumpkin, coconut milk, lime, garlic, and chiles, among MANY other things. Sounds like a cousin to this Chinese-inspired squash soup! I don’t own a heavy-duty blender yet, though…this would be awesome!
That soup looks delicious! Now I just need to get some butternut squash so I make it myself
Hi Gena,
What a great recipe and a great giveaway!!
I would love to win this Blendtec blender and, although I do love a good soup, I think I’d first make a stack of Blender Pancakes!
Thanks for the opportunity!
Susan
The single serve icecream sounds great for my 8 year old. …and my diet! Plus I can make spa water in the summer with ginger and turmeric!
I think I’d give hummus a try — I’ve never had good luck making it at home, but you make it sound like it might finally be possible!
A green smoothie!
A smoothie! But would be excited to try different things!
Does any body else pretend they are presenting a cooking show when doing anything in the blender? I know I’d sing come on let’s twist tonight when I read the words twisty jar
The first thing I would make with the twister jar is cashew butter!!!
My first recipe in the blender would be creamy smooth raw nut butter. I hear it can be done, but I’m skeptical … Can’t wait to be proven wrong!
I will probably make some homemade hemp milk and then a soothie!!
This soup is stunning Gena! The first blended soup I made was butternut 😛
The first recipe that I will make, using my new Blendtec Designer 625, is a Chocolate Almond Butter smoothie. Might sound boring, but it will be perfect and nourishing.
For some reason, I always order butternut squash soup in restaurants but have never made it. Thanks for the recipe and giveaway!
I like to make soups with my blender, and Blendtec is awesome for it.
I love the idea of making soup in the blender. So that’s the plan!
I’d make a creamy sauce without having to soak my cashews first!
Ohhhhh! Cashew cheese! That’s the first thing I would make. Love the idea of a more lightweight high speed blender!
I would totally make hummus with this, Love the twister jar!
that looks delicious!! i’d love to make a creamy tomato or cauliflower soup!
Soups are amazing when pureed in hihj speed blenders. Excited to enter for a chance to win this updated Blendtec!!
Going to have make a smoothie. Mainly so I can tell the difference between my current (10+ year old) blender that I have to stop and start 20 times to stir everything by hand so it gets mixed up.
First things first, coconut ice cream!
I’d make this butternut squash soup ASAP!
I have a great curried carrot soup I’d love to try using this blender!
I’ll try the butternut squash soup!
I would definitely make some soup. I love the idea that you can just put the ingredients in the bowl and have it blend and heat it up at the same time! Hummus, too, for sure.
thanks for this giveaway!
The first thing I make with my Blendtec will be homemade almond mylk!
I will definitely be trying out this soup recipe first! I love that you can make soup in a blender
I’ve always wanted to try to make Baba Ganoush, so that would be my first recipe to attempt with the Blendtec Designer 625. Great, now I’m hungry…
Perfect winter soup!:)
I’ve been so disappointed with my Ninja, which never manages to get pureed soups super smooth. I’d make this, and every other pureed soup in my arsenal, for every meal for months on end with the Blendtec! 🙂
Nut butter!! Love making nut butters, and the Blendtec with twister jar would be AWESOME!!
I can’t wait to make this! It looks amazing!