Carnival Squash Soup with Turmeric

Don’t you love a creamy squash soup? This healthy recipe for Carnival Squash Soup with Turmeric is completely plant-based (vegan) and gluten-free. The sweet carnival squash pairs so well with the warm, earthy, spiciness of turmeric root in this scrumptious soup. The color of this autumn squash soup is a fabulous amber-chartreuse shade, which depends a bit on the color of your squash. Each time I make this soup, the color is slightly different—such is the variety found in Mother Nature! The turmeric adds a truly intense color to the soup, too. The squash lends a potent nutritional profile to this soup, such as fiber, vitamin A, and phytochemicals. Squash soup is particular good in the fall and winter, when this seasonal vegetable is available.

What is carnival squash?

If you see this colorful winter squash at the supermarket or farmers market, you can’t miss it. It’s a beautiful, scalloped squash in “carnival” shades of yellow, orange, cobalt, and green—as splashy as it is delicious and nutritious. You can also swap out another type of winter squash for this recipe, such as turban, delicata, acorn, or butternut. Cook up the squash, puree it, and make up this luscious soup, which is great served with a pita sandwich or hearty salad, or as an elegant start to your dinner. It’s great warmed up the next day, too. And try this recipe for your holidays, such as Thanksgiving or Christmas.

The nutrition value of this soup is off the charts, thanks to the carotenoids found in the squash, and the curcumin compounds found in turmeric. This recipe is great featuring fresh turmeric root, which is increasingly available at markets and natural food stores. Read more about cooking with fresh turmeric on my blog. When you use fresh turmeric, you will get a more intense flavor and color. However, if you don’t have fresh turmeric, try ground, dried turmeric.

While this recipe is so impressive, it is deceptively simple, with only 7 ingredients (not including pantry staples) you can whip this up in under 30 minutes. I’m in the habit of decorating the top of my creamy soups, as it’s a fun way to make these soups even more appealing! In the photos here, I garnished the soup with a drizzle of olive oil, marjoram flowers (which are edible) from my garden, and additional freshly grated turmeric.

Carnival Squash Soup with Turmeric

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(54 votes, average: 4.19 out of 5)
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4.2 from 54 reviews

• Author: The Plant-Powered Dietitian
• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Diet: Vegan

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Description

This easy plant-based (vegan), gluten-free creamy Carnival Squash Soup with Turmeric is packed with the health and flavor of Carnival squash and turmeric root.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 carnival squash (about 2 pounds)*
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 (2-inch) turmeric root, shredded (or 2 teaspoons dried turmeric)
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• Pinch sea salt (optional)
• 1 cup plant-based milk, plain, unsweetened
• 2 cups vegetable broth

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Instructions

1. Slice squash in half, scoop out the seeds, slice into quarters, leaving peel on. Place in a medium pot, add water, cover, and cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes, until flesh is tender. Drain water, and cool slightly until you can handle it.
2. While squash is cooking, heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven and sauté celery, onion, and garlic over medium heat for 5 minutes.
3. Add the turmeric (reserving some for garnish), black pepper, and salt (optional) to pot or Dutch oven with vegetables, and sauté for an additional 5-8 minutes, until vegetables are tender.
4. Scoop out cooked squash flesh from the peel with a spoon and add to the pot or Dutch oven with vegetables.
5. Add plant-based milk, and vegetable broth to the pot or Dutch oven and cook for 3-5 minutes, until mixture is warmed through.
6. Using an immersion blender, blend mixture in the pot until very smooth. Alternatively, transfer the soup to a large blender container and blend until very smooth. May need to process in batches to avoid spilling over.
7. If necessary, reheat soup in the pot or Dutch oven until heated through.
8. Ladle into soup bowls or large soup tureen. Garnish with remaining fresh or dried turmeric and drizzle of olive oil, as desired.
9. Makes 4 servings (about 1 1/2 cups each).

Notes

*Carnival squash may vary in size. You may need to buy 1-2 squash to provide 2 pounds (weigh it with the peel) for this recipe.

Instant Pot Directions: Peel and chop squash. Place squash, oil, celery, shallot, garlic, three-fourths of turmeric root, black pepper, sea salt (optional), plant-based milk, and vegetable broth in the container of the Instant Pot. Press “Soup” setting. Cook according to manufacturer’s directions. Remove soup from pot and place in large blender. Process until blended and creamy (may need to process in small batches). Serve immediately. May garnish with remaining turmeric as desired.

Slow Cooker Directions. Peel and chop squash. Place squash, oil, celery, shallot, garlic, three-fourths of turmeric root, black pepper, sea salt (optional), plant-based milk, and vegetable broth in the container of the Slow Cooker. Cook on high for 4-6 hours or on low for 8-12 hours. Cook according to manufacturer’s directions. Remove soup from slow cooker and place in large blender. Process until blended and creamy (may need to process in small batches). Serve immediately. May garnish with remaining turmeric as desired.

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Category: Soup
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 serving
• Calories: 137
• Sugar: 2 g
• Sodium: 396 mg
• Fat: 3 g
• Carbohydrates: 23 g
• Fiber: 4 g
• Protein: 5 g

Check out more plant-based recipes using squash:

Squash Filled with Herbed Quinoa and Cranberries
Butternut Squash Salad with Barley and Kale
Balsamic Butternut Squash and Brussels Sprouts with Farro
Stuffed Squash with Sage Lentils and Wheat
Black Lentils with Delicata Squash and Mushrooms
Butternut Squash Lasagna with Sage Walnut Sauce
Delicata Squash Soup with Five Spice

Learn more about how to use turmeric root in my blog.

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