Description
Warm butternut squash soup brings comfort from autumn’s first whispers, blending rich seasonal flavors with creamy smoothness. Hearty ingredients and simple techniques combine, offering soul-satisfying nourishment you’ll crave through chilly evenings.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1.5 kg (3 lb 5 oz) butternut squash, peeled and deseeded, cut into cubes
- 1.5 liters (2.5 pints) vegetable stock
- 1 large onion, roughly chopped
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
Supplementary Ingredients:
- 1 red pepper, deseeded and cut into cubes
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 5 centimeters (2 inches) fresh root ginger, peeled and chopped
Seasoning:
- 1 tablespoon clear honey (optional)
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to a high temperature, preparing it for roasting the vegetables to enhance their natural sweetness and develop deep, caramelized flavors.
- Drizzle the butternut squash and accompanying vegetables with olive oil, then generously season with salt and pepper, ensuring an even coating that will promote uniform roasting.
- Spread the prepared vegetables on a baking tray, arranging them in a single layer to allow proper heat circulation and optimal caramelization during roasting.
- Roast the vegetables for approximately 40-45 minutes, creating a golden-brown exterior and tender interior. If desired, drizzle honey during the final 10 minutes to introduce a subtle sweetness.
- In a large pot, warm the remaining olive oil and introduce freshly grated ginger, sautéing for a brief moment to release its aromatic oils and enhance the soup’s flavor profile.
- Pour the vegetable stock into the pot, bringing the liquid to a gentle boil and creating a flavorful base for the soup.
- Transfer the roasted vegetables into the simmering stock, allowing them to infuse the liquid with their concentrated, caramelized essence.
- Use an immersion blender or standard blender to puree the mixture until completely smooth, creating a velvety texture with no vegetable chunks.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding additional salt and pepper as needed to balance the soup’s flavors.
- Warm the soup gently before serving, ensuring it reaches a comfortable eating temperature without further cooking.
Notes
- Customize sweetness by adjusting honey amount or using alternative sweeteners like maple syrup for a different flavor profile.
- Enhance nutritional value by adding protein-rich ingredients like cooked quinoa or roasted chickpeas as a topping.
- Achieve silky smooth texture by straining blended soup through a fine-mesh sieve for extra refinement.
- Transform into a vegan version by substituting vegetable stock and using plant-based oil for roasting.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 130 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 320 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 16 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg