This hearty and comforting Ginger Turmeric Squash Soup packs a punch and is guaranteed to warm you up, whether you enjoy it hot or cold!
Yes, I know, I’ve been on a squash kick lately. You might be thinking, “Enough with the squash already!” But here’s the thing: I bought a trio of big squashes the last time I went grocery shopping—one huge spaghetti squash and two good-sized butternut squashes. With the current situation, I’m trying to minimize my trips to the store, so it’s been almost two weeks since I last shopped for food. Squash keeps for a long time, so they were among the last items to be used. When their turn finally came, I decided to bake all three at once. So yeah, I’ve got a ton of leftover cooked squash in the fridge!
What better way to use up leftover squash than by turning it into soup? It’s super easy, and in just minutes, you can enjoy a delicious, steaming bowl of soup. Even if you don’t have cooked squash in the fridge, you can still make this soup with uncooked, cubed squash. Let me show you how…
Before we get started, a little warning: this soup packs some serious heat! Ginger has quite a kick, and combined with black pepper and turmeric, you can definitely feel the heat. If you’re not a fan of spicy, you might want to use less ginger and consider leaving out the black pepper. You can always add more later if you wish—it’s easier to add than to remove!
To begin, heat a few tablespoons of olive oil (or your preferred cooking oil) in a large pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the chopped onion, garlic, carrots, and ginger.
If you’re wondering about the carrots, they’re right there! Carrots come in all sorts of colors, which we tend to forget. This time, I used yellow carrots. Or to be honest, that’s all I had left.
Cook the vegetables until they are slightly softened and fragrant, then add the salt, black pepper (if using), and ground turmeric.
If you’re using uncooked squash, add about 4 cups of it now. Be sure to cut it into small cubes so it cooks faster. Don’t feel like you have to stick with butternut squash—feel free to improvise!
Stir well to coat and continue cooking the vegetables for a minute or two to develop the flavors.
Add the vegetable broth and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook gently until the carrots are tender, about 5 minutes.
Now add the leftover cooked squash and continue cooking for about one minute, just until the squash is heated through.
For my soup, I used a combination of oven-roasted butternut squash and oven-baked spaghetti squash, but practically any squash variety would work just fine.
Carefully ladle the soup into a high-speed blender; depending on the size of your blender, you might have too much soup to process at once. If that’s the case, be safe and process your soup in batches!
NOTE: If you don’t have a high-speed blender, you can use a regular blender, food processor, or even a stick blender. Your soup won’t be quite as silky and creamy, but it will taste just as good!
Blend the soup until it’s smooth and creamy and serve!
Garnish with a few drops of toasted sesame oil, a sprinkle of sesame seeds, some chopped cilantro, and finely chopped carrots, if desired.
I strongly recommend the toasted sesame oil as it complements the flavor profile of this soup perfectly. Keep in mind that sesame oil has a very strong flavor, so don’t overdo it—just a few drops will do. If you use too much, it will completely take over.
Also, know that this soup is super delicious served cold or at room temperature, so feel free to experiment and decide which version you like best
Enjoy your Ginger Turmeric Squash Soup!
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 2 large cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1-2 tbsp chopped fresh ginger*
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper, optional
- 3-1/2 cups vegetable broth
- 4 cups leftover cooked squash**
*Optional Garnish*
- Toasted sesame oil
- Sesame seeds
- Chopped cilantro and carrots
EQUIPMENT
- High Speed Blender
INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil (or other cooking oil of your choice) in a large pot over medium-high heat; once hot, add the onion, garlic, carrots and ginger. (If you are using fresh cubed squash, you will want to add it to the pot now as well)
- Cook until slightly softened and fragrant, then add the salt, pepper and ground turmeric and stir well; continue cooking for a minute or two, to develop the flavors.
- Add the vegetable broth, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook gently until the carrots are tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add the cooked squash and continue cooking for about one minute, until the squash is heated through.
- Carefully ladle the soup into a High-Speed Blender and process until smooth and creamy; work in batches if you have to.
- Serve promptly, garnished with a few drops of toasted sesame oil, sesame seeds, chopped cilantro and finely chopped carrots, if desired.
- This soup is also delicious served cold or at room temperature; feel free to experiment and decide which version you like best!
NOTES:
*Ginger does have a bit of an intense bite to it, and combined with the black pepper and turmeric, it gives this soup a serious kick! If you’re not a fan of heat, you might want to start with less ginger and maybe consider leaving the ground black pepper out. You can always adjust later, if needed.
**You could also use uncooked squash, peeled and cut into small cubes. You’ll need about 4 cups. I used a combination of butternut and spaghetti squash, but practically any squash variety would work just fine.
NUTRITION INFORMATON: calories: 198kcal, carbohydrates: 34g, protein: 3g, fat: 7g, saturated fat: 1g, sodium: 468mg, potassium: 942mg, fiber: 6g, sugar: 8g, vitamin a: 29013iu, vitamin c: 52mg, calcium: 127mg, iron: 2mg
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