Miso Butternut Squash Soup, dairy-free 味噌南瓜汤

Sometimes, a dish can be "discovered" in unexpected ways: when the fridge is almost cleared of perishables such as milk and leafy greens before going on a short vacation; then just after you have returned and have not even get the time to stock up on some fresh produce/groceries to replenish the fridge, you suddenly realized you need to start cooking!

So here comes this dairy-free Creamy Roasted Butternut Squash Soup made using soft tofu and miso.


Miso being fermented soy beans contains good bacteria so it is best not to boil them in soups as the beneficial bacteria would be killed. What I usually do is to dissolve the miso in boiled hot water, and stir into simmering soups at the last few minutes, as a flavor enhancer to soup.

This recipe was developed due to a relatively empty fridge with (1) frozen squash cubes in the freezer, (2) a pack of about-to-expire soft tofu and (3) organic red miso.

I did not intentionally avoid using heavy cream in this soup. Hey, I have not even replenished the whole milk in the fridge!

No cream to use, not even milk?! But there was some good-quality soft tofu, so I thought...why not pulse the soft tofu into the squash soup for the "creamy" texture? And it worked really well. So those of you who are lactose-intolerant and wants your creamy soup dairy-free, simply try this way of pureeing your soup.


Miso Roasted Butternut Squash Soup, dairy-free 味噌南瓜汤
With 1/2 butternut squash, peeled and cubed, roast in preheated oven at 400F for about 45mins.

Alternatively, you can use frozen squash but make sure to thaw, drain off the water, before roasting. Add the roasted squash in a soup pot, add vegetable stock (or water) to partially submerge the cubes (Note: do not add to much water/stock or the soup will be too watery. You can always add water to adjust the texture of the soup later).

Add 6 oz of soft silky tofu to the pot. Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat and allow to cool. You can either pour the mixture into a food blender to puree the soup or directly puree the soup in the pot if you have a handheld blender e.g. Cuisinart Smart Stick . Allow the soup to simmer for about 5min till warm. Dissolve about 1/2 tbsp miso in hot water by the side, then slowly stir in the miso into the warm soup without boiling.


I have a little chicken stock left, so decided to use it up in this soup. If you are making a vegetarian version, use vegetable stock or water then stir in some miso to flavor the soup.

Sharing this with Souper Sunday and Hearth and Soul

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