Over medium high heat, coat the bottom of a soup pot with olive oil. Add onions, carrots, and garlic. Cook stirring often, until onions have a slightly translucent appearance and carrots are slightly soft (about 2 minutes).
Add broth, butternut squash, dried thyme, bay leaves, ginger, and nutmeg and bring to a simmer (note: it may seem like there isn’t enough liquid, but don’t add more liquid to achieve the right consistency and have a thick soup rather than a watery soup). Cover and allow to simmer, stirring occasionally, on medium-low heat until carrots and squash are soft and easy to stab with a fork (about 10-15 minutes).
Remove from heat and remove the bay leaves. Use an immersion blender to blend the soup directly in the pot until the contents are smooth. (Or carefully spoon all the contents into a blender, blend until smooth, and return the blended soup to the pot).
Stir in the coconut milk. Garnish with fresh thyme and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.
Notes
The prep time includes cutting the butternut squash and other vegetables. If using pre-cut butternut squash the prep time is about 5 minutes.
I drizzled heavy cream on top of the soup for the white swirl effect. You can also use coconut milk to keep it vegan.
The natural sweetness that comes out from the squash, carrots, ginger, and coconut milk without having to add any sweeteners.
Add herbs and spices according to personal taste.
Substitute the fresh ginger with 1/2 teaspoon of dried ginger.
Substitute the coconut milk with ½ cup to 1 cup of heavy cream.
Swap the olive oil for butter.
Substitute the vegetable broth with chicken broth.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in an airtight freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to 3 months.