As soon as September hits, this creamy fall harvest soup is the first cozy recipe I make.
It’s a combo of all the cozy fall vegetables, like kabocha squash, sweet white onion, bell pepper, and garlic. It’s creamy and sweet, with just a hint of heat and umami from the pepper and nutritional yeast.
And yes, I did try to replicate Trader Joe’s fall harvest soup. But in my opinion, this version is so much better! Unlike the Trader Joe’s version, this autumn harvest soup recipe uses all whole foods, it’s dairy-free, sugar-free, and preservative-free.
Ok, enough said. Let’s get into how to make this fall harvest soup!
Fall Harvest Soup Ingredients
Here’s everything you’ll need to make this fall harvest soup.
- Kabocha squash
- Carrots
- Red bell peppers
- Sweet white onions
- Garlic cloves
- Cashews
- Lemon juice
- Nutritional yeast: I love Bragg’s nutritional yeast!
- Spices: Dried oregano, dried parsley, sage, cumin and pepper.
- Kosher salt
Tips and Tricks
Just a few tips from me to you to make this fall harvest vegetable soup perfectly!
- Roast the veggies until they get slightly charred for added flavor. Trust me, the soup has so much more flavor when you char the veggies slightly.
- Roast the garlic with the skin on. The garlic gets so sweet when it’s roasted with the skin on.
- Use half the water to blend the soup. My Vitamix is pretty big, but it can’t handle an enormous volume of soup. So I blend the veggies with half of the water (3 cups) and add the remaining 2 cups of water later. That way my blender doesn’t break and I don’t have soup splattered on my kitchen cabinets haha.
- Use cayenne pepper for a hint of heat. Optional, but I like adding ½ tsp of cayenne pepper to the soup for a little kick of heat. It makes this soup extra cozy.
- Add fried pumpkin seeds and sage as a crunchy soup topping. Recently started doing this and can’t believe I didn’t try this sooner. Just fry some pumpkin seeds with a drizzle of olive oil on medium-low heat. Make sure to stir them frequently. Once they start browning a little, add in a handful of fresh chopped sage. Continue to fry the seeds until they pop and the sage leaves have wilted.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I use any type of squash? Butternut squash would be the best substitute. But if you can, use kabocha squash because it has the best flavor.
- Can I substitute the cashews? Coconut cream is a great substitute. Make sure to use just the cream part, not the liquid at the bottom of the can.
- How long does this soup stay good? I’d say about 5 days in the fridge.
- Can I freeze this soup for later? Absolutely, let the soup cool down completely before storing it in large freezer bags. Don’t freeze the soup in a Tupperware, it’s a nightmare to defrost.
Even More Healthy Soup Recipes
If you like this autumn soup, you’ve got to try the soup recipes out below.
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PrintCreamy Fall Harvest Soup
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Additional Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: American
Description
This fall harvest soup is a combo of kabocha squash, sweet white onion, peppers and garlic. It’s sweet and creamy, with just a hint of umami.
Ingredients
- 2 cups kabocha squash flesh
- 2 large red bell peppers, sliced into quarters
- 2 large carrots, chopped into small pieces
- 1 medium sweet white onion, chopped into quarters
- 5 garlic cloves
- 5 cups water, divided*
- ½ cup raw cashews
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp nutritional yeast
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp sage
- ½ tsp Cayenne pepper (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Slice the kabocha squash in half and place it face-down on the baking sheet, along with the red bell peppers, carrots, onion and garlic cloves. Drizzle with olive oil and bake the veggies in the oven for 45 minutes or until the squash is super tender and falling apart and the veggies are slightly charred. I like to bake the veggies in the middle rack of the oven and then for the last five minutes, move the pan to the top rack and broil the veggies on high.
- Once the veggies are done, scoop out the kabocha squash flesh, squeeze out the garlic and add to a blender, along with the rest of the veggies. Add any juice from the pan; don’t waste that flavor. Pour in 3 cups of the water, along with the cashews, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, salt and spices. Blend on low and slowly ramp the speed up to medium-high, blending for about 3-4 minutes until the soup is super smooth and creamy.
- Once the soup is blended, pour it into a large pot and add in the remaining 2 cups of water. Heat the soup on medium-low until it reaches a soft boil. Adjust seasoning, add more water if needed, and enjoy with toasted sourdough bread or fried pumpkin seeds.**
Notes
*My Vitamix is pretty big, but it can’t handle an enormous volume of soup. So I blend the veggies with half of the water (3 cups) and add the remaining 2 cups of water later. That way my blender doesn’t break and I don’t have soup splattered on my kitchen cabinets haha. Also, feel free to add an additional 1-2 cups of water if you like your soup on the thinner side.
**Add fried pumpkin seeds and sage as a crunchy soup topping. Recently started doing this and can’t believe I didn’t try this sooner. Just fry some pumpkin seeds with a drizzle of olive oil on medium-low heat. Make sure to stir them frequently. Once they start browning a little, add in a handful of fresh chopped sage. Continue to fry the seeds until they pop and the sage leaves have wilted.
Amber says
Will an immersion blender solve the issue?
Yasmeen Mariyah Ali says
Absolutely, both work great! Just a tip, I’d cut the veggies (peppers, onion, etc.) into smaller pieces so it’s easier on the immersion blender + it’ll be faster!
Candace says
Amaaazing! This soup is perfect comfort food, with lots of warm textures and zing. Thank you! Make this soup!
Yasmeen Mariyah Ali says
So happy you liked it Candace! Thank you so much for sharing a review!!