A creamy, vegan butternut squash soup recipe made with chickpeas. Chickpea broth and a touch of shiro miso add gentle umami, turning light butternut squash into a deeply satisfying winter soup.
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☃️ From the Winter Kitchen
In my recipe book, there’s a rich pumpkin potage made with steamed Japanese kabocha squash. Its natural sweetness and starchiness create a thick, velvety soup—pure comfort food.
Butternut squash, even prepared the same way, turns out lighter,
with a cleaner, fresher finish.
That lightness can sometimes feel a little plain,
so in this recipe, I pair it with the umami-rich broth from dried chickpeas,
adding depth and a sense of quiet satisfaction.
A small spoon of white miso (shiro miso / 白味噌) at the end
brings gentle sweetness and saltiness,
drawing everything together into a potage that feels at home in winter.
If butternut squash has ever felt underwhelming to you,
this bowl might change the way you see it.
🧺 What Makes This Recipe Special
- One-pot pressure cooker recipe: From prep to cooking, everything happens in one pot—minimal cleanup.
- Perfect for using up butternut squash: An easy way to turn lingering squash into a comforting soup.
- Includes plant-based protein: Chickpeas add nourishment and quiet satisfaction.
- Vegan & vegetarian-friendly: Rich, full-bodied flavor without any animal products.
- Made from dried chickpeas for deeper flavor: The cooking liquid is fully used, capturing all the bean’s umami.
🍊 Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- Butternut squash – Simply peel, cube, and cook—no roasting or extra steps needed.
- Dried chickpeas (chana dal) – Split chickpeas shorten soaking and cooking time. Their broth forms the foundation of the soup.
- Onion – Used generously to add sweetness and depth.
- Olive oil – Just enough for aroma, without overpowering the vegetables.
- Unsweetened soy milk – Added at the end for gentle creaminess.
- Water
- Salt
- Black pepper
Optional: For Added Depth
- White miso (shiro miso / 白味噌) – Sweet white miso (such as Saikyo) adds richness and brings the flavors together.
- Ginger – Adds warmth and complexity, especially welcome in winter.
🥣 Equipment
- Immersion blender (or regular blender)
- Knife and cutting board
- Spatula or wooden spoon
- Pressure cooker (3.5 L size used here)
📖 Instructions
- Soak the beans
- Rinse the dried chickpeas and soak them in plenty of water for about 30 minutes.
- Drain and set aside.
- Prepare the vegetables
- Peel the butternut squash and cut into roughly 2 cm (¾-inch) cubes.
- Finely dice the onion.
- If using ginger, mince it finely.
- Sauté
- Heat olive oil in the pressure cooker over medium heat.
- Add the ginger and onion, stirring occasionally.
- Cook until the onion becomes translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the squash
- Add the butternut squash and cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring until lightly coated with oil.
- Cook under pressure
- Add the water and soaked chickpeas.
- Secure the lid and bring to pressure over high heat.
- Once pressurized, lower the heat and cook for 8 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and allow the pressure to release naturally.
- Finish
- When slightly cooled, blend until smooth using an immersion blender.
- Stir in the soy milk, then season with salt, black pepper, and white miso to taste.
- Gently reheat over low heat.
- Serve in bowls, finished with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of black pepper, if desired.
📘 Kitchen Notes｜Tips
➤ Choosing Chickpeas
- Split chana dal reduces both soaking and cooking time.
- Whole dried chickpeas require overnight soaking and about 15 minutes of pressure cooking.
🌿 More recipes with split chana dal: Chickpea & Root Vegetable Curry
➤ Adjusting Consistency
Adjust thickness by changing the amount of soy milk.
Add more for a thinner soup, or slightly less for a thicker potage.
➤ Storage
- Refrigerate for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
- Freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw and reheat gently over low heat.
📚 FAQ
Yes. Simmer the chickpeas and squash over low heat for 30–40 minutes until tender, adding water as needed.
Japanese kabocha squash makes a thicker, sweeter soup. Reduce the white miso slightly to balance the sweetness.
Lentils or pigeon peas could also work, but chickpeas provide a distinctive umami depth.
In addition to salt, try adding white miso or black pepper. Letting the soup rest also helps the flavors deepen. Spices like curry powder or ground coriander can be added if desired.
This can happen if the squash pieces are too large or undercooked. Before blending, check that the squash can be easily mashed with a wooden spoon.
🐈 Seasonal Vegan Recipes
🛷 Pumpkin & Squash Recipes
From sides to desserts—vegan recipes using pumpkin and squash:
🍲 More Vegan Soup Recipes
Vegan and vegetarian soup recipes:
✏️ Recipe Card｜Summary
Vegan Butternut Squash & Chickpea Soup
Equipment
- pressure cooker
- cutting board
- Knife
- Spatula or wooden spoon
- Immersion blender
Ingredients
- 230-280 g butternut squash (peeled and cut into 2 cm (¾-inch) cubes)
- 120 g dried split chickpeas (chana dal)
- 120 g onion (1 small size, finely diced)
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 500 ml water
- unsweetened soy milk (to taste)
- Salt (to taste)
- Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
Optional
- white miso / shiro-miso (白味噌) (to taste)
- 2 g finely minced ginger
Instructions
Soak the beans
- Rinse the dried split chickpeas and soak them in plenty of water for about 30 minutes.120 g dried split chickpeas
- Drain and set aside.
Prepare the vegetables
- Peel the butternut squash and cut it into roughly 2 cm (¾-inch) cubes.230-280 g butternut squash
- Finely dice the onion.120 g onion
- If using ginger, mince it finely.2 g finely minced ginger
Sauté
- Heat the olive oil in a pressure cooker over medium heat.1 teaspoon olive oil
- Add the onion and ginger, stirring occasionally.
- Cook until the onion becomes translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add the squash
- Add the butternut squash and stir for 1–2 minutes, until lightly coated with oil.
Cook under pressure
- Add the water and soaked chickpeas.500 ml water
- Secure the lid and bring to pressure over high heat.
- Once pressurized, reduce the heat to low and cook for 8 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and allow the pressure to release naturally.
Finish
- When slightly cooled, blend until smooth using an immersion blender.
- Stir in the soy milk, then season with salt, black pepper, and white miso to taste.unsweetened soy milkSaltFreshly ground black pepperwhite miso / shiro-miso (白味噌)
- Gently reheat over low heat.
- Serve warm, finished with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of black pepper, if desired.
Notes
-
About the chickpeas：
Split chana dal shortens both soaking and cooking time.
If using whole dried chickpeas, soak overnight and increase the pressure cooking time to about 15 minutes. -
Adjusting consistency：
Adjust thickness by changing the amount of soy milk.
For a thinner soup, increase the soy milk slightly; for a thicker potage, use a little less. -
Flavor balance：
Butternut squash has a lighter, more delicate flavor than Japanese kabocha.
White miso helps add gentle sweetness and depth without overpowering the soup. -
Storage：
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
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