Butternut Squash Soup
My Butternut Squash Soup recipe can be made with either chicken or vegetable stock and any variety of winter squash will work. Roasting the squash and carrots before making the soup adds another layer of depth to the soup and the nutmeg cream floating on top will melt into a creamy blanket, like a cappuccino.
The best way to remove the skin from a butternut squash is to first remove both ends of the squash with a large knife. Lay the squash down on the cutting board and cut the squash in half (width-wise), dividing the top skinny part from the rounded base with the seeds. Now you can use either a vegetable peeler, going over the squash several times to remove all of the skin, or a large knife, following the contour of the squash as it sits upright on the cutting board. In the photo below, you can see this technique using Delicata Squash from my garden.
TOOL TIP:
This handheld Immersion Blender is perfect for transforming a chunky simmering soup into a silky and creamy gem. The danger when blending hot soups in a traditional blender, is that they can blow the top off the blender and make a big mess and even cause injury. The immersion blender eliminates that danger and the bottom part of the wand is much easier to clean than an entire blender. It’s a win-win!
Butternut Squash Soup
Course: SoupsCuisine: FrenchDifficulty: Easy8
servings20
minutes40
minutesIngredients
2 1/2 pounds butternut squash, skin and seeds removed, roughly cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 medium carrots, peeled and roughly cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 Tablespoons canola oil
2 medium-sized yellow onions, peeled and roughly cut
1 rib celery, roughly cut
1 1/2 quarts chicken or vegetable stock
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon thyme leaves
Kosher salt and white pepper to taste
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 dash freshly grated nutmeg
2 teaspoons chopped chives
1/4 cup crisp croutons
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400-degrees F.
- Place the cut butternut squash and carrots on a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat and roast in the preheated oven for 1 hour.
- Heat the oil in a large (4-quart) saucepan. Add the onions and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in roasted squash and carrots, celery, chicken or vegetable stock, bay leaf and thyme. Bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer for about 30 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and discard the bay leaf. Blend the soup with either a handheld immersion blender or in a regular household blender until smooth. Season with salt and white pepper.
- To serve, whip the cream to stiff peaks and season with nutmeg, salt and white pepper. Ladle soup into serving bowls and top with a spoon of whipped cream. Sprinkle with chopped chives and crisp croutons.
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