Butternut Squash Soup
Halloween has come and gone, which means we are well entrenched in soup season! There are so many different kinds of soup, it’s hard to pick a favorite. Luckily, you don’t have to pick just one to enjoy! As all Minnesotans know, winter is long and cold, so we have plenty of time to enjoy all the soup we want.
It actually snowed a little this week; and as soon as I saw the flakes flying, I knew I wanted to make soup this weekend. Then came the hard part: deciding what kind to make! I went with butternut squash soup, which to me is a fall classic.
I first made this soup a few years ago, and it’s as good as I remember. To start the soup, the squash is roasted in the oven. This helps intensify the flavor of the butternut squash, and creates a great base flavor.
Roasting the squash is a very simple process – you just need to cut it in half, brush the cut side with butter, season with salt and pepper, and then pop it into the oven!
The squash takes about an hour to cook; once it’s done cooking, it just needs to rest until it’s cool enough to handle and scoop out.
Apple, onion and sage are the next component of the soup, and they add a wonderful depth of flavor. While the squash roasts in the oven, dice up the apple and half of the onion, and roughly chop the sage.
You don’t have to worry about getting a uniform dice on the apple and onion, they’ll all be blended up eventually. After everything is chopped, they are sauteed in some melted butter in a large sauce pan or Dutch over, just until softened. After 7-10 minutes, remove the pan from the heat and set aside until the squash is done.
Doesn’t that look appetizing? Maybe not quite yet! When the squash is cool enough to handle, scoop out the cooked flesh and put in in the same pot as the apples/onion/sage. Add to that some vegetable or chicken stock and a little water. Simmer for 30 minutes, and you’ll have that delicious looking mixture pictured above.
Next comes the fun part – the Immersion Blender! The soup is blended until it is silky smooth, then finished with just a little cream. Stir in the cream until it’s all combined.
It looks so pretty as the cream swirls into the soup. The only step left is to ladle the soup into a bowl and enjoy!
This soup is perfect for warming you up on a cool day; so throw on some sweats, grab a bowl and enjoy!
- 4 pounds whole butternut squash about 2 medium
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 medium apple Honeycrisp or Granny Smith
- 1/2 medium yellow onion
- 8 fresh sage leaves
- 2 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken broth low sodium
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- Heat the oven to 425F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Cut the squash in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, and place cut-side up on the baking sheet.
- Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter and brush all of it over the tops and insides of the squash halves. Season generously with salt and pepper.
- Roast until a knife is easily inserted into the squash, about 50 minutes to 1 hour.
- While the squash cooks, peel and core the apple. Cut both the apple and onion into a medium dice, and slice the sage.
- Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in a large sauce pan or Dutch oven.
- Add the apple, onion, and sage, season with salt and pepper. Cook until softened, stirring occasionally (about 7-10 minutes).
- Remove the pan from heat and set aside.
- When the squash cooked, set the baking sheet on a wire rack until the squash is cool enough to handle.
- Using a large spoon, scoop the flesh into the saucepan with the apples and onions.
- Add the broth, water, and salt and pepper to the squash/apple/onion mixture; stir to combine and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Remove from heat and blend with an immersion blender until smooth.
- Stir in heavy cream; taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if needed.
** Cardinal Rule** If you don't have an immersion blender, fear not! A regular blender works just as well. Remove the small cap from the blender lid and cover the space with a kitchen towel while blending. This will allow steam to escape and prevents the lid from popping off. Puree the soup in batches, until smooth.
Recipe source: Chowhound