When the weather turns chilly, the first thing I crave is a piping hot bowl of homemade soup. Butternut squash is one of my favorite winter squash because it is so versatile. You can roast it, steam it, add it to salads, use it in a one pan oven dinner and even make a totally delectable soup! This soup has it all, rich, creamy, smooth, savory, herby and full of subtle flavors. Serve it topped with some shredded Romano or Parmesan Cheese for an extra punch of flavor. A nice slice of warm rustic bread is the perfect accompaniment for a tasty lunch.
Here’s what we’ll need.
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Roasting the squash cut side up results in a beautiful caramelization which adds a layer of flavor that baked or steamed squash can't offer. I picked 8 sage leaves from my herb garden. Some were large and some were small. Fresh sage has a strong aroma but cooking it mellows the scent and flavor. Use about 1 cup of chopped onion and don't hesitate to add salt and pepper at the end. This is a large amount of soup with some pretty bland squash and seasoning is key. We both love topping it with Romano cheese! This is pure comfort food! Thick, rich, smooth and creamy. If you like your soup a bit thinner, by all means add more cream or milk. You are the boss of your squash! One of my FB friends said they add curry powder to their Butternut squash soup and I think that is an excellent idea that I will try next time.
The squash I used varied considerably in size so I cut mine to more equal portions so they would roast about the same time. I ended up taking the squash "bowls" out of the oven first and had to let the "necks" cook about 15 minutes longer until very fork tender. Cooking is not an exact science and we have to adapt as we go. It turned out beautifully!
Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees.
Ingredients
- 4 LBS whole Butternut Squash halved lengthwise and seeded
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 medium tart apple
- 1 cup diced onions
- 8 fresh sage leaves
- 2-1/2 cups chicken broth
- 2-1/2 cups water
- 1-1/2 tsp salt plus more to taste
- 1/2 tsp Pepper plus more to taste
- 1/2-3/4 cup heavy cream
- grated Romano or Parmesan Cheese for serving
Instructions
- Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place prepared squash cut side up on the baking sheet. Melt 1 Tbsp butter and brush it all over the cut sides of the squash. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper.
- Roast at 425 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until fork tender. The squash really needs to be tender.
- Note the beautiful caramelization! Remove from oven to a wire rack and let cool enough to handle.
- Meanwhile, peel, core and dice the apple. Dice the onion. Melt the remaining 1 Tbsp butter in a large saucepan or soup kettle over medium heat. Stir in the apple, onion and sage leaves. Cook, stirring occasionally until softened, about seven minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Using a large spoon, scoop the cooked squash into a bowl being careful not to add any of the skin. I used a spoon and a knife to peel some of the squash. When cooking, you have to adapt as you go along.
- Add the squash to the kettle containing the apple, onion, sage mixture. Stir in the chicken broth, water, 1-1/2 tsp salt and the 1/2 tsp pepper.
- Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally to break up any large chunks of squash and to keep from sticking.
- Remove the kettle from the heat and stir in the heavy cream. If it is too thick for you, just add more cream or milk. I use my immersion blender to puree the soup and make it a smooth as possible. If needed, you can let the soup cool a bit, then puree it in batches in a regular blender. Just be very careful because hot soup can burn!
- Taste and season as needed with additional salt and pepper. You can drizzle a bit more cream over the top to make it pretty if you like and garnish with a few shreds of sage as pictured. We like ours served with some shredded Romano Cheese which just adds a real flavor punch!
- Thanks for stopping by today friends. In these troubling times we all need a bit of comfort and a bowl of homemade soup fits the bill. For me, a bowl of home made soup and a loaf of homemade bread makes the world spin a bit slower and a whole lot kinder. I share a lot of what I cook with an elderly neighbor and her 66 year old son who cares for her. It warms my heart to help them out and takes no effort on my part at all except to drive up the hill.
- Until next time, Journey On! Hugs and much love from me, Karen, TJG
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Thank you SO much for taking the time to do all of this! I, LOVE, butternut squash soup!
I am going to print this out and put it into your cookbook!