Dairy-free Butternut Squash Soup

Dairy-free Butternut Squash Soup
gluten-free | grain-free | dairy-free option | tree nut free | egg free
by Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | Nov. 10, 2022
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Dairy-free butternut squash soup is one of my favorite fall soups to make from scratch on the homestead! My family had their doubts when I said I wanted to make butternut squash soup, but now they are begging me to make it again and again. You are going to love this smooth, flavorful, dairy-free butternut squash soup! I know I did, and I am not even a huge butternut squash fan. It is a wholesome soup that is bursting with flavor and perfect for fall! Even if you are not a huge squash fan, I guarantee you will at least like squash when it is mixed with bacon and in soup form!

Modern Pioneer Recipe

This dairy-free butternut squash soup is a modern pioneer recipe! It uses simple, wholesome ingredients to create a flavorful and nutritious soup that will quickly become a staple on your fall homestead menu. I love that even though this recipe uses minimal ingredients, it is still bursting with flavor and so delicious!

What makes this soup even more of a modern pioneer recipe is that a lot of the ingredients can be sourced right from your homestead! If you are able to grow your own butternut squash, this recipe is the perfect way to use up extra squash from your harvest. Making homemade bone broth is super simple and a great way to further make this soup from scratch.

Onions, sage, and garlic can easily be grown in the homestead garden too! While I have yet to successfully grow my own onions, I do enjoy putting homegrown garlic and homegrown sage in my butternut squash soup! The one ingredient you may not be able to source from your homestead is the milk, especially if you are using a dairy-free milk, like coconut milk. However, you can make a lot of dairy-free milks from scratch in your homestead kitchen using water and whatever dairy-free alternative you choose (e.g. whole oats for oat milk, shredded coconut for coconut milk).

Speaking of dairy-free milk, this butternut squash soup is also super allergy-friendly! It is gut healing, bursting with nutrition, and all-around a delicious and healthy meal that can be enjoyed by all modern pioneers! This soup is….

• dairy-free
• gluten-free
• grain-free
• tree nut free
• soy free
• egg free
• sugar free

If you like this butternut squash soup, you will definitely want to try this dairy-free cheesy cauliflower soup recipe or this dairy-free broccoli soup recipe!

How to Meal Prep Butternut Squash Soup

Preparing for this soup may look a little lengthy, but trust me, it’s totally worth it! When I first made this soup, it took me so long to get everything prepped. The squash had to be peeled and cut, the bacon had to be cooked, the onion had to be chopped, everything had to be pureed….let’s just say it was a lengthy process.

In fact, I’m not sure if I would have made it again if it hadn’t tasted so good! Luckily for you, I have simplified the soup preparation to just a few steps!

How to Cook Butternut Squash:

This soup uses pre-cooked butternut squash. There are two ways to do that, one is quick and easy, the other is time consuming. When I first made this soup, I did it the time consuming way. First I washed my butternut squash, then I proceeded to peel off all the skin and dice it into cubes. If you have ever tried to peel a butternut squash, you know how long it takes! Then I would bake the squash cubes with my bacon and other ingredients.

However, here is a much quicker and less time consuming method that I now use:

Step 1: Wash & Cut

Wash the butternut squash and cut it in half. You can cut it lengthwise or in the middle, it does not matter. If your butternut squash is small enough, you may not even need to cut it in half! Cutting the squash in half just reduces the cooking time and ensures that it cooks all the way through.

Step 2: Bake

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Make sure the baking sheet has edges so that no squash juices run off the sheet and into your oven. Place the squash (flesh side down) on the parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350° F.

Bake the butternut squash for 45-60 minutes, depending on the size of the squash. This step can be done the day before you plan on making the soup. The squash is done when you can easily insert a fork into the squash.

Step 3: Deseed & Remove the Flesh

Once the squash is cooked, remove the seeds and scoop out the flesh. Set aside the flesh to use in the soup! Note: If you have chickens, they would absolutely love the leftover seeds and squash skins!

If you’re not sold on the butternut squash soup yet, then you may want to check out this grain-free chicken noodle soup or this creamy dairy-free potato soup recipe!

Cooking the Bacon & Onion:

Step 1: Prep the Pan

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Again, the baking sheet should have sides so that the bacon fat doesn’t run off the pan.

Step 2: Cut & Bake

Cut up the bacon strips and place them in the baking sheet. Slice up the onion and place it in with the bacon. Bake for 20-30 minutes. You can do this right after the butternut squash has been cooked or even at the same time! If you do bake the bacon and onion at the same time as the squash, remember that the bacon and onion will cook faster than the squash. Don’t get your timers mixed up!

Once the bacon and onion are done, set the baking sheet aside until the butternut squash is ready.

Butternut Squash Soup Assembly

Blending all the ingredients together can get tricky too! You can use a Vitamix or a food processor for blending everything together. If you fill up your Vitamix or food processor too full, everything won’t get blended properly. Also, the butternut squash can get really thick and clog up the blending process.

Here are some tips to overcome blending issues:

• Small Amounts– Do a 1/4 of the butternut squash at a time along with a little bit of the bacon and onion mixture and a splash of moisture.
• Add Moisture– Add 1/2 cup of the broth or coconut milk to each batch you blend. This will help keep the butternut squash from becoming too thick.
• Separate Batches– Alternately, you can do everything in separate batches. First blend all the butternut squash to get it smooth. Then, blend the bacon, onion, and a 1/2 cup of coconut milk or broth. This will ensure that the bacon and onion gets pureed enough.

Serving Tip! I also like serving a bread product side with my homemade soups! These Grain-free Herb Cheese Rolls or Gluten-free Chocolate Chip Muffins make a great additional side dish for this butternut squash soup!

Butternut Squash Soup Recipe Tips

I have already given you some tips for how to simplify the process of making butternut squash soup, however, there are a few more tips I’d like to share that might make this soup even more simple!

• Leftover Time!– You can easily make this soup from leftovers! This is especially helpful after Thanksgiving if you have lots of leftover buttercup squash.
• Bacon Swaps– Along with using leftover squash, you can also substitute out the bacon for whatever leftover meat you have on hand! You can choose to puree the meat or just chunk it, depending on what your texture preferences are.
• Thick or Thin– This soup is naturally a thick soup. If you like your soup thinner, just add more homemade broth or coconut milk.
• Pre Prepped- Having all of the ingredients made up ahead of time will really help simplify this soup. I like to have homemade chicken broth on hand in the freezer to use in this soup. Butternut squash can even be cooked up ahead of time and frozen.
• Freeze It!– This soup is really easy to make in big batches and freeze for later. I love having a few pints of this soup on hand in the freezer for a breakfast option or easy lunch idea.
• Milk Swaps– The coconut milk in this recipe can easily be replaced with any dairy-free milk of your choice.

Dairy-free butternut squash soup is the perfect fall and winter menu option! It can be pre-made and heated up for a quick dinner or it can even be whipped up quickly from leftovers. Either way, this smooth, creamy, and flavorful fall soup is going to be a hit on your homestead!

Where to Find the Ingredients:

• Pacific unsweetened coconut milk beverage
• Supplies: Vitamix (black), 9×13 baking sheet, 6 qt. slow cooker

I love having this dairy-free butternut squash soup as a cozy and warm fall dinner and even as a warm and nutritious breakfast! It has amazing flavor and a smooth, creamy texture. Even though I’m not a huge fan of eating butternut squash plain, this butternut squash soup has be hooked. This is one of the only ways I will eat butternut squash! I love how the bacon and mild onion flavor pair perfectly with the butternut squash and homemade bone broth flavors. This soup is truly is a fall comfort food!

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