Thank you Nugget Markets for sponsoring this post!
Butternut squash is, by far, my favorite winter squash because it is a versatile ingredient. You can use it to make soups, salads, fried rice, cookies, and even mac and cheese! It is also quite easy to handle, compared to other winter squash with tough outer skin. All you need to do is trim the ends of the squash and peel off the skin with a vegetable peeler. If you are roasting them whole, you don’t even need to peel the skin at all.
HOW TO PREPARE PEEL & CUT BUTTERNUT SQUASH
BUTTERNUT SQUASH CURRY
This vegan butternut squash curry is the perfect weeknight dinner for the winter. It’s filling, flavorful, and comes together very quickly. I used curry powder, ground coriander, and red pepper flakes to flavor the dish, and you can find all of them in the spices section at Nugget Markets. I usually buy them from the bulk spices.
I also used fire-roasted crushed tomatoes to give acid and brightness to the butternut squash curry. The sweetness of the squash balances out the acidity of the tomatoes nicely. To finish off the dish, I tossed in several large handfuls of baby spinach. Honestly, I can never say no to more vegetables in my meals.
I know this vegan curry is a winner when my meat-loving husband won’t stop eating it. Try it sometime soon!
VARIATIONS
If you want to add protein to this butternut squash curry, I recommend adding chickpeas or pan-fried tofu. If you are not vegan, try pan-fried paneer, shredded chicken, or shrimp.
I served the curry with long-grain brown rice that I cooked in my Instant Pot. You can also serve it with white jasmine rice, quinoa, or millet. Honestly, any cooked grain (or even naan) that you have on hand will go well with the curry.
Vegan Butternut Squash Curry with Spinach
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons virgin or unrefined coconut oil, see note 1
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced into 1/4-inch pieces
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons minced ginger
- 2 teaspoons yellow curry powder, mild spice
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, see headnote about spice
- 4 cups diced butternut squash (1/2-inch dice), (about 18 ounces)
- 1 (14-ounce) can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
- 2/3 cup full-fat coconut milk, see note 2
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 to 5 cups baby spinach
To Serve
- chopped roasted peanuts for topping, optional
- 4 to 5 cups cooked brown rice, see note 3
Instructions
- Heat a pot over medium-high heat. Add the coconut oil, and then add the onions. Cook the onions for about 2 minutes, until they start to soften. Add the garlic and ginger and cook another minute.
- Next, add the curry powder, coriander, and red pepper flakes, and stir to coat the onions with the spices. Add the diced butternut squash, crushed tomatoes, coconut milk, water, and salt. Cover the pot with the lid and bring everything to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to medium and let the squash simmer for 15 minutes. Remember to stir the pot every 5 minutes or so to prevent the curry from burning on the bottom. After 15 minutes, pierce a piece of butternut squash with a fork to see if the squash is tender. If the squash is still very firm, keep cooking the curry for another 3 to 5 minutes.
- Turn off the heat. Add the baby spinach and stir the curry until the spinach starts to wilt. The spinach should start wilting in about a minute.
- Serve the curry in bowls with a side of brown rice or your favorite grain. Top with chopped peanuts, if desired.
Notes
- Virgin (or unrefined) coconut oil imparts the most flavor to a dish, so try to use that if possible.
- If you want more sauce, you the curry to be creamier, you can add another 1/3 cup of coconut milk.
- I cooked my brown rice in the Instant Pot. I added 2 cups of long-grain brown rice with 2 1/4 cups water to the the Instant Pot. Then, I cooked it on high for 23 minutes. Let the pressure naturally release before serving the rice. I set the rice to cook before I began cooking the curry so that the rice and curry finish cooking at about the same time.
Nutrition
LOOKING FOR MORE BUTTERNUT SQUASH RECIPES?
Thai-Spiced Butternut Squash Soup
Baked Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Nugget Markets, where you can find all the ingredients used in this recipe. Visit their website for more information or follow them on Facebook or Twitter! Click here find a location near you.
Amber says
Just made this tonight and I really enjoyed it! It has a great flavour and I certainly don’t mind adding more greens to my diet either 🙂 Next time the only thing I will change is using less red pepper flakes-it verged on the side of too spicy for my tastes, but then again I’m not the best with spicy foods.
Michele says
So yumm! Made ours with Butternut Squash, Shrimp, Broccoli and Red Bell Pepper (no spinach). Doubled the sauce recipe. Added juice from 1 lime at the end. Would’ve used the peanut butter addition if I had some (I love Massamun Curry). Delish, and thank you for posting
Lisa Lin says
Thanks for trying this, Michele!
Aaron says
I think the creator of this recipe needs to come up with a similar one that is much, much milder. Don’t get me wrong, I like things a little spicy, but my throat was on fire after just one spoonful of this.
Lisa Lin says
Hi Aaron, sorry to hear that! Would you mind telling me what kind of curry powder you used for the recipe? It will help with the feedback.
Wendy Pendergraft says
Absolutely delicious…, I like medium to medium hot, spicy for a white girl.????. It was the perfect heat for my taste, I also added 2 cans of drained garbanzo beans and probably 1/4 of a cup more of coconut milk. I served it with quinoa boiled in chicken broth and the roasted peanuts on top…. I will make this again! Yum????
Amina bharwani says
Can I add some green veggies?
Lisa Lin says
Yes, absolutely!
Shelby says
Cannot wait to try this recipe! What type of pot did you use?
Lisa Lin says
I cooked this in my Le Creuset!
Stephanie says
Absolutely delicious! Made this last night, my husband loved it!
Rue says
I felt it was a little lacking and added peanut butter, which rounded out the flavor nicely.
Bourdain says
This tip is key and makes the dish.
Jes says
Made this for dinner this evening, and it was fantastic! A added chickpeas and served it over coconut cauliflower rice. Delicious.
Lisa Lin says
Hi, Jes! Thank you so much for trying out my recipe! I love that you served this with chickpeas and coconut rice!
Kristi says
Recipe turned out great! I modified it by using a little less oil, 1/4 the amount of cayenne pepper & adding navy beans. I might use a little more salt the next time that I make it. I also boiled the butternut squash before cutting it, which made dicing much easier.
Look forward to trying the butternut squash mac & cheese next.
Thanks!
Lisa Lin says
Kristi, thank you so much for trying out this recipe! I hope you enjoy the mac and cheese, too!
Kayla says
I found this recipe while looking for something that uses butternut squash, my parents have a small fresh produce farm (Toppled Barn Farm) and we were looking for good recipes to share with our customers. This recipe immediately caught my eye and I was so excited to try it. It far exceeded our expectations!! It is so simple to make, the flavors are so fresh and bright, and its surprisingly hearty and very filling. I am not even a vegetarian but after making this I have fallen in love and will be adding it to my collection of favorites.
Erika says
So simple and so delicious! Thanks for sharing!
Lisa Lin says
Thanks for trying this, Erika!
Emily says
The grocery store was out of peeled & cubed butternut squash (yes, I can buy a whole one but I know my limits), so I made it with sweet potatoes (which I lightly roasted first). HOLY YUM. The potatoes add carbs & calories, so I left out the chickpeas. This will definitely be in my rotation! So easy and flavorful… and I look forward to using squash!
Kathy says
I made this last night and served it with basmati rice. The yum factor was just right!.
I used less red pepper flakes to accommodate others. I used a full can of coconut milk and a full can of diced tomatoes and used much less water. I also substituted a beautiful Asian green from my CSA bag instead of spinach. Don’t you just hate when someone says the recipe was great and then they list all their modifications?
Liz says
Going to try this receipt tonight! Has anyone tried freezing left overs?
Lisa Lin says
Hi Liz, I think the curry should freeze well though I’ve never tried it. Let me know how it goes!
Dorret says
I tried this recipe because I had a butternut squash in the refrigerator I wanted to use. I added garbanzo beans to the squash for protein and used Jamaican curry powder for this recipe. Well, I must say my husband ( a meat eater) and I ( new to plant based diet) found this recipe to be delicious!!! This recipe shall be a staple if mine. LOVE, LOVE,LOVE it.
Thank you!
Lisa Lin says
Dorret, thank you so much for trying the recipe! Love that you added Jamaican curry powder here! I need to try that some time.
Sue says
Do you think you could use komboka squash ?
Lisa Lin says
Yes! It will work very well with kabocha!
Nik says
Hiya – would this freeze well? Xo
Lisa Lin says
Hi, Nik. I think it will! The spinach may get very watery when you try to reheat it, but other than that, I think this will reheat well.
Jim Pitman says
This was my first time making a true Vegan dish. This was awesome and delicious.
Victoria says
this is really really tasty i love me some butternut squash and love me a curry! the cooking end bit with all the ingredients took me about 25-30 mins rather than the 15 because they were still firm but other than that it came out perfectly thank you
Swathi says
Tried this today, was extremely tasty. A tip for those who want this like curry and not like a soup- add onion tomatoes first, after frying for a while blend them in blender so that you’ll know how much coconut milk and broth to add later to get the curry consistency. Also adding coconut cream instead of milk is better for this curry.. I added 1 spoon of tandoori BBQ powder and one spoon of egg curry powder for 2 ppl. U can also add a Small cinnamon with onions to fry. It will be very tasty .
Kathryn says
I have been on the hunt for an easy vegetable based curry recipe and this was just perfect! I used a full teaspoon of red pepper flakes and it was exactly the right amount of spice for my taste. After simmering the sauce thickened to a great consistency – and it is pretty guilt free! An ideal healthy go-to when I am craving curry takeout 🙂
Lisa Lin says
Hi Kathryn, thank you so much for trying the recipe! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Brian Stevens says
I’ve made this twice so far and love it. The first time I stuck to the recipe. The 2nd time, I tweaked it a little by adding: 1 can rinsed chickpeas, a full tablespoon of red pepper flakes and 2 tablespoons of peanut butter. This is now a new favorite!
Lisa Lin says
Oh, that peanut butter addition sounds delicious! I need to give that a try next time!
Kirsty says
Amazing! Blended up for young daughter and we all loved it. Didnt add pepper flakes as only had medium curry powder. This made it perfectly mild for child. Will definitely be a regular tea in my house. Thank you.
Lisa Lin says
Hi, Kirsty. Thank you so much for trying the recipe! I’m so glad you and your daughter enjoyed it!
Tammy says
Tried this last night, and it was ahhhhh-mazing!!! I amended the recipe a tad by subbing 1 tsp green curry paste for the yellow curry powder, simply because I didn’t have it. I did add the chick peas for added protein. The family loved it!! Thanks!! It will be a regular on our rotation!! 🙂
Nela says
One of the yummiest dinners I ever had. I’m obsessed!!!!
Lisa Lin says
Thanks for trying this out, Nela!!
zetti says
Can you substitute curry paste for curry powder?
Thank you?
Lisa Lin says
Yes, absolutely! I’d use at least 1 tablespoon of the paste.
Lauren says
This was so delicious and so easy to make, has become a favourite recipe of ours! Thanks so much 🙂
Lisa Lin says
Thanks, Lauren!
Krystina says
I made this for dinner last night with my boyfriend and it was incredible! For protein we cooked green lentils separately with a bay leaf and added them to the pot st the end. We also had some russet potatoes we needed to use up so we added them at the same time as we added the butternut squash and doubled the amount of spices. This recipe is definitely in our top favorites now! Thank you!
Krystina says
I also forgot to mention we doubled the amount of water and coconut milk too!
Alta Dreyer says
Best food I had all lockdown long!! Had to improvise here and there but boy oh boy!
Thanks for this, wil definitely make it again!
Carolina Mouzinho says
This is FIREEE!! I’ll be honest I didn’t realize the first time how spicy a little bit of red pepper flakes were but it was still so delicious I had to take sweat breaks lol! I made it again and used collard greens but it’s definitely better with spinach, it’s softer in my opinion. GREAT FREAKING DISH! about to make it again with pasta
Beverly S Bratcher says
Loved it!! It’s a little spicey, but so am I. I froze the left overs, I’ll let you know how it turns out. Thanks for the great recipe!
Sam Willis says
Hey, I was thinking of freezing leftovers and saw you were, how did they turn out defrosted??
Yummy recipe for sure.
Ed says
Love this recipe. I make it in a crock pot and it makes the house smell great all day. I cook it on low for 8 hours or high for 3-4. Then I smash some of the cooked squash cubes to add to make the curry thick and creamy.
We literally eat this once a week during the winter.
Jen says
This was delicious! This wasmy first time cooking with butternut squash. My husband has the allery where corriander tastes like soap, so I used garam masala insteady, otherwise stuck to the recipe. It’s a keeper. Thank-you for sharing!
Kim says
Lisa, this looks like the perfect dish for this time of the year. I am always looking for a good curry, and this really fits the bill. This dish will keep me warm for sure.
Sophia says
This was so YUM!! So easy and absolutely delicious. I have so many butternuts that come in a bundle and I never know what to use it with. This hit the spot completely. I added extra coconut milk and water to make sure I had enough liquid, and I added red split lentils for extra protein. Everything else I followed and it was divine. I even added a dollop of coconut cream and ground up roasted peanuts to sprinkle on top — seriously unreal flavors. I ate it on top of a bed of homemade cauliflower rice. 🙂 WILL be making this again!! Thank you so very much for my new go-to dinner recipe. 🙂
Ashli Roberts says
Thank you for posting. We enjoyed this for dinner tonight 🙂 It was delish!.
Lisa Lin says
Thanks, Ashli!
Brenda says
Could this recipe be canned? It think it could if you leave off the spinach until ready to cook and eat. Give me your thoughts.
Shaen says
Made this recipe tonight and added mushrooms, butter beans and lemon juice. Had it with basmati rice, steamed brocolli and toasted sesame, pumpkin and sun flower seeds on top. It was so delicious. I used a pinch of chilli flakes rather than red pepper flakes and a medium curry powder. It was delicious. An easy go to comforting stew. Thank you for the recipe.
Beth says
Made this for four non-vegans last night for dinner and everyone loved it and asked for the recipe. What a winner! Can’t wait to make again next week as a meal prep dish, which I’ll planning to eat with flatbread from a ‘Rebel Recipes’ recipe instead of rice.
Couple of minor changes – I used a tin of cherry tomatoes, added a tablespoon of brown sugar with the spices to caramelise, and doubled the amount of curry powder. Also added some tenderstem broccoli.
So delicious – thank you, Lisa!
Lisa Lin says
Thank you for trying the recipe, Beth!
Diane says
I have made this vegan curry numerous times. I just love it! I add extra veggies, extra broth and usually a cup of uncooked quinoa or farro. I also add a little cornstarch to thicken it up a bit since I don’t eat it over rice.
I have also found that it freezes well.
Good stuff!
Lisa Lin says
Thanks for the notes, Diane!
Lisa Lin says
And for cooking the recipe!
Claire says
“Hi Lisa,
I must commend your effort on this. As a vegan, it’s almost a daily fight to get in our essential nutrients. This Vegan Butternut with spinach will be a great addition to my menu. What do you think about adding some broccoli to it?
“
Lois says
I made this last night exactly as the recipe stated and it was just ok. I think my curry spice was old or too weak. I’ll have to find a good brand. Let me know if anyone has a recommendation.
vanilla124 says
Turned out great! If I wanted to make this in the Instant Pot, how long would I set it to pressure-cook?
Anna says
Quite good. Too much red pepper, so go easy on that, and I wish I’d added more curry. But it was delish. I also added chick peas. I’ll be making this again!
Ashley says
Perfect comfort food for a fall evening! My kids and I absolutely loved this dish! We added chickpeas as the author Lisa Lin suggested and served it over rice. It was incredibly satisfying. 🙂 Thank you for sharing!
Lisa Lin says
Thanks for trying the recipe, Ashley! Glad you enjoyed it!
Karen says
Curry is so warm and comforting in the cold winter months. I can’t wait to try this out on my teens!
Chris Clark says
Loved this recipe! I made this for myself though my son and 2 of his friends liked it on New Years Eve. The 1 kid said it was too spicy. The meal was very tasty and recipe easy to follow. I used a full can of coconut milk and cut the water to a little over a cup to make it more creamy. I also took the suggestion and added 3 tbsp of peanut butter (made double portion).
It may become a new years eve tradition along with fish sticks and mac & cheese that my kids had.
YesNoSpin says
I love this vegan butternut squash curry with spinach! It’s so flavorful and healthy. I can’t wait to try it out!
Jessica says
I’m about to make this for the 4th time – my favourite curry recipe I’ve found so far!
Lisa Lin says
Thank you, Jessica!!
Barbara Gross says
My refrigerator had butternut squash from my garden that was going bad. I went on the internet and your recipe came up. It is delicious and simple! Thank you for sharing, I’m looking forward to trying some of your other recipes.
Lisa Lin says
Thank you, Barbara!! Glad you enjoyed it.
akterja says
i love your blog
Sauce Grandmaster says
So delicious and healthy. Have to make this
isaimini says
great I like it
moviesda 2023 says
Just made this tonight and I really enjoyed it! It has a great flavour and I certainly don’t mind adding more greens to my diet either 🙂 Next time the only thing I will change is using less red pepper flakes-it verged on the side of too spicy for my tastes, but then again I’m not the best with spicy foods.
Rezzie says
This is delicious Lisa! I did make a bit of substitutions but I really enjoy the taste of this recipe! The substitutions I made were kale instead of spinach and ground cumin instead of ground coriander (it’s what I had on hand), and instead of coconut milk, I used a third cup of soy milk with a teaspoon of cornstarch and a half teaspoon of coconut extract to make it lower fat. Then I added a cup of cooked chickpeas along with the kale at the end and topped it off with a teaspoon of garam masala 😋 Enjoying it right now with some quinoa, roasted eggplant and mushrooms and slice cucumbers!
Lisa Anglesea says
So tasty! Very easy recipe and such good flavor. Thank you!
Lisa Lin says
Thanks, Lisa!
Gill says
I made this today and it was delicious and easy. I added the chickpeas for the extra protein. I like spicy food so added extra chili after tasting the curry. I also added a little bouillon powder with the water and a little lemon juice. I served it with brown basmati rice, brinjal pickle and a spicy raw vegetable side salad. I have printed and saved the recipe and filed it in my “make again” folder. Thank you for a great recipe!
Lorenza says
Spinach and squash: a very nourishing, colourful, flavourful combination. Thanks for the nice recipe!
Kim says
My husband says he doesn’t like squash or curry but he loved this dish. I used Kale because it’s what I had. Air-fried the squash and then added it to the remaining ingredients.
Lisa Lin says
I’m so glad you and your husband enjoyed it!!