Butternut & Red Pepper Soup (w/ Coconut Milk)

This easy butternut squash and red pepper soup recipe is so smooth, creamy, and is made with simple ingredients like butternut squash, jarred roasted red pepper, and coconut milk. Plus I’ve streamlined things by skipping any pre-roasting, so this creamy, dreamy soup comes together in under 30 minutes on the stovetop, or with no pre-browning in the slow cooker.

Roasted Red Pepper & Butternut Squash Soup Just Got Easier!

Okay, I feel like there’s really nothing better than a comforting, creamy bowl of butternut squash soup to warm you up from the inside out (take my classic butternut squash & apple soup for example)! And, since I’m all about putting a delicious twist on the classic everyone knows and loves by adding some fun extra ingredients but keeping things ultra simple, I mixed things up with this twist on butternut squash soup and included roasted red peppers, tomato paste, red chili flakes, coconut milk and smoked paprika.

I also skipped the step of pre-roasting the butternut squash or the red peppers (jarred roasted reds for the win!), and everything simmers together until the vegetables are tender and flavorful, followed by a quick blend with some creamy coconut milk. The result is a smooth, creamy, velvety, squash and red pepper soup that tastes like it took you all day to make.

It’ll be our little secret that you threw it together with such little effort with just some simple pantry staples. Bonus: I include instructions for making this red pepper and butternut squash soup on the stove-top in under 30 minutes (hello, easy weeknight dinner idea), or in the slow cooker without any pre-cooking. Love that!

Tip: My secret for adding creaminess to vegetable soups is to use full-fat coconut milk from a can. Personally, I don’t think it adds any discernible coconut flavor, but you can definitely use heavy cream in its place if you prefer!

Butternut & Red Pepper Soup Simplified

The beauty of this butternut squash and red pepper soup recipe is that you can make it on the stovetop in under 40 minutes or as a more hands-off, easy slow cooker recipe (either way comes out super tasty!). I often go the slow cooker route because all I have to do is add everything to my crockpot and let it work its magic (and I do dump and go slow cooker recipes so well!).

As for ingredients, I went for ultra-convenience with this recipe, leaning on pre-chopped butternut squash (I used Trader Joe’s butternut squash zig-zags) and jarred roasted red peppers, keeping this recipe super easy, effortless, and fast. You can, of course, chop your own butternut squash for this recipe, or by any type of pre-chopped butternut squash as well. For quick prep time, I used jarred roasted red pepper, but if you prefer to make your own roasted red peppers, you’ll need about 3 large bell peppers for this recipe.

Tip: If you happen to live near a Trader Joe’s, this recipe uses 2 (12-oz) containers of butternut squash zig zags and 1 (16-oz) jar of roasted red peppers. So easy!

Customize the Spice Level to Your Taste

As-is, this easy soup recipe is mildly spicy from the red pepper flakes (I really love that bit of warming heat with the tomato and red peppers in this recipe). For a spicy butternut squash and red pepper soup, double or triple the red pepper flakes to ½ or ¾ teaspoon. However, if you’re sensitive to heat, feel free to leave the red pepper flakes out altogether.You can also serve this soup with an easy side salad with a simple salad dressing recipe, like this apple cider vinaigrette or 3-ingredient pesto salad dressing for a fun soup & salad night!

Ingredients Notes & Substitution Ideas

Butternut squash: The chopped butternut squash is the star ingredient of this soup. Buy pre-chopped, or chop your own using a whole butternut squash.

Roasted red peppers: Jarred roasted red peppers are a great shortcut ingredient. They have tons of flavor but save you time by not having to roast them yourself first. You can use your own roasted red peppers if you have them, too.

Tomato paste: Tomato paste is a super convenient pantry staple and adds great concentrated tomato flavor to this soup without watering it down.

Stock: I used homemade chicken stock for this recipe but you could also use vegetable stock in its place. For a vegetarian and vegan option, be sure to use vegetable stock.

Red chili flakes: Red pepper flakes are spicy, so if you’re very sensitive to heat, feel free to leave them out. However, if you love heat, you can double the amount called for in the recipe. 

Garlic cloves: Since we’re using so few fresh ingredients, I like using fresh garlic cloves in this recipe. But you could also use granulated garlic powder in its place.

Smoked paprika: The smoked paprika adds some delicious depth and smokey flavor to this soup. It pairs super well with the red peppers and tomato paste. 

Coconut milk: Canned coconut milk is another convenient pantry ingredient in this recipe. Wait to add at the end to give this soup lots of creaminess (without a drop of cream). You can also use traditional heavy cream in its place if you prefer.

Red wine vinegar: Adding vinegar at the end of the cook time is one of my favorite tricks for crockpot soups. It lifts up all the flavors and brightens everything up. You can also use fresh lemon juice or apple cider vinegar if you prefer.

Olive oil: I like the flavor of olive oil in this recipe but you could also use another cooking oil in its place – like avocado, coconut, canola or vegetable oil.

Tips for Storing & Freezing Leftovers

This roasted red pepper butternut suqash soup tastes even better the next day, and leftovers make a great lunch! It keeps well in the fridge for up to 3-4 days, in a sealed container. This soup also freezes beautifully, either in a gallon ziploc bag, or individually in mason jars. You can store it in a sealed freezer friendly container for up to 2-3 months.

4.91 stars (10 ratings)

Butternut & Red Pepper Soup (w/ Coconut Milk)

by Robyn Conley Downs

Servings: 4

Prep: 5 minutes mins

Cook: 20 minutes mins

Total: 25 minutes mins

This easy butternut squash and red pepper soup recipe is so smooth, creamy, and is made with simple ingredients like butternut squash, jarred roasted red pepper, and coconut milk. Plus I've streamlined things by skipping any pre-roasting, so this creamy, dreamy soup comes together in under 30 minutes on the stovetop, or with no pre-browning in the slow cooker.

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Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 8 cups chopped butternut squash, about 1 ½ pounds
• 16 ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained and roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 cups chicken stock, or vegetable stock for vegetarian + vegan

To Add at the End

• ¾ cup coconut milk, or heavy cream (if not vegan)
• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

Equipment

• Slow Cooker
• Chef's Knife
• Cutting Board
• Immersion Blender

Instructions 

Stovetop Instructions

• Heat the olive oil over medium low heat in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the red pepper flakes, garlic, and smoked paprika. Cook, stirring constantly until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Turn the heat to medium high, add the butternut squash, roasted red peppers, tomato paste, and salt. Cook, stirring constantly for another 1-2 minutes.
• Add the stock, stir until well combined, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, until the squash is tender, about 20-25 minutes.
• Add the coconut milk or cream and red wine vinegar. Using an immersion blender, blend until very smooth and creamy. Alternatively, working in batches, ladle the soup into a blender. Blend on high until smooth, then return to the pot.
• Taste and add additional salt or vinegar if desired.

Slow Cooker Instructions

• Heat the olive oil over medium low heat in a small pan. Add the red pepper flakes, garlic, and smoked paprika. Cook, stirring constantly until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add a splash of water, then scrape the cooked spices into a 6-quart slow cooker.
• Add the butternut squash, roasted red peppers, tomato paste, salt, and stock stirring until well combined. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours, or low for 5-6, or until the squash is tender. Do not uncover during this time.
• Add the coconut milk or cream and red wine vinegar. Using an immersion blender, blend until very smooth and creamy. Alternatively, working in batches, ladle the soup into a blender. Blend on high until smooth, then return to the pot.
• Taste and add additional salt or vinegar if desired.

Notes

Nutrition information calculated using low-sodium chicken stock and coconut milk.

For vegetarian and vegan, be sure to use vegetable stock.

Use coconut milk to keep this recipe dairy-free/vegan.

For more information, see the full blog post above.

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1 (of 4), Calories: 300kcal, Carbohydrates: 43g, Protein: 9g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Sodium: 670mg, Potassium: 1498mg, Fiber: 8g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 30759IU, Vitamin C: 114mg, Calcium: 203mg, Iron: 5mg

Nutrition disclaimer

Did you make this recipe?If you do, be sure to share it on Instagram and tag me at @realfoodwholelife so I can see!

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