This veggie-loaded soup celebrates all things fall: butternut squash, carrots, onions, garlic, ginger, turmeric, apples and fresh rosemary all get blended together into a thick, creamy, savory soup. Roasted cauliflower lends some texture and extra veggie goodness to this vegan-friendly, 30-minute meal. 
I made this soup on a whim last week in an attempt to:
1. warm us up on a chilly night,
2. use up the excessive bounty of fall produce we picked up at Atlas Farm the week before,
3. give our immune systems a boost (thanks ginger, garlic, and turmeric!) because literally everyone we know has a cold right now.
The soup ended up so warming, filling, and satisfying that Kevin requested we add it to the weekly dinner rotation for the rest of the winter. The rest of the winter.
Hello, it’s not even winter yet and he’s already decided we need to eat this soup every week for the next five months straight.
If that’s not a glowing recommendation, I don’t know what would be.
While this soup may require lots of chopping, it’s really quite simple: cauliflower roasts in the oven while squash, carrots, onion, garlic, turmeric, ginger, and spices boil in a pot of broth. The soup gets transferred to a blender or food processor (<–affiliate links) and pureed with raw cashews (for creaminess), an apple (for a hint of sweetness), and fresh rosemary (because I think it’s flavor is best FRESH as opposed to boiled in the soup).
The creamy, veggie-loaded soup gets poured into bowls, topped with a big scoop of roasted cauliflower, and you’re done. Don’t let the long list of veggies fool you; If you know your way around a cauliflower and a butternut squash (adding this to my resume right now) you can make this soup in less than 30 minutes, easily. We made it last night for dinner with a side of cheesy garlic bread (so good) and still had it on the table in under 30.
If you’re in need of a warm, hearty, seasonal produce filled meal, this soup is going to get you very excited. Try it out and let me know what you think! Leave a comment below, or take a picture of your golden soup and share it with me on Instagram; I love seeing my recipes in your kitchen!
- 1 medium head cauliflower
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 4 cups broth (veggie or chicken both work)*
- 1 large butternut squash (or about 4 cups peeled +diced)
- 2 large carrots
- 1 medium red or yellow onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2-inch piece of fresh turmeric**
- 1-inch piece of fresh ginger**
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 cup raw cashews
- 1 large apple, preferably a sweet variety like gala, honeycrisp, etc.
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- optional: 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes or a few shakes of your favorite hot sauce, for a little heat
- 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut the cauliflower into small, bite-sized chunks (roughly 1-inch pieces), and place on a sheet pan with olive oil and salt. Roast for 20 minutes, until golden and tender.
- 2. While cauliflower roasts, pour broth into a large soup pot and place on the stove over high heat.
- 3. Cut the bulb (round, seed-filled end) off of the butternut squash and either place it in the fridge to use later or stick it into the oven with the cauliflower to roast and use mashed in future dishes. Stand the length of the butternut on its cut end and use a chef's knife to cut off the skin, then dice the butternut into 2-inch cubes. Add butternut to the pot of broth.
- 4. Cut the carrots and onion into large chunks and add to the pot along with the whole peeled garlic cloves, ginger, turmeric, salt, pepper, and cumin. If the outer skin on your ginger and turmeric is tough, cut it off with a knife before adding to the pot. Once broth is boiling, reduce to medium-low heat, put a lid on the pot, and let cook for 10 minutes.
- 5. Cut the apple into quarters and slice out the core (no need to peel) and remove the leaves of rosemary from the tough stem and set both aside.
- 6. One soup finishes cooking, turn off heat and let cool slightly before carefully scooping all of the chunks and as much broth as will fit into a high powered blender or food processor. Add in the cashews, apple, rosemary, and chili flakes or hot sauce (if using) and carefully blend until completely smooth and creamy. Pour back into the pot and stir with any remaining broth, then taste and add more salt or pepper, if needed. Serve immediately, topped with a generous spoonful of roasted cauliflower in each bowl.
- 6. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 1 week; reheat in the microwave or in a small pot on the stove until hot.
- *This soup can be made with water instead of broth if you don't have any; you'll find that your soup needs significantly more salt and paper this way, but is still quite tasty! Alternately, I've had success using Better Than Bouillon's low-sodium vegetable stock base (it's a paste that comes in a tiny jar and is added to water to create broth).
- **Fresh turmeric and ginger are both sold in the produce section of most major grocery stores, and while they're expensive per pound, you can break off a small piece and only buy what you need, which should only cost you a few dollars, at most. Alternately, either or both can be substituted for dried, ground ginger or turmeric. I'd recommend using 1 teaspoon of turmeric and 1/2 teaspoon of ginger.