Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Amanda StansfieldOkay, this is truly the best butternut squash soup! It’s both super simple to make, dairy and gluten free and SO incredibly delicious! Which was a bonus today, as it’s raining outside and I have very little food left in my fridge.
I’ve provided 2 different cooking instructions, the first involves roasting the butternut squash. The second option is a no fuss approach — both taste equally divine!
I’ll admit while we are all having to practice social distancing, grocery shopping is not as much fun as it used to be. Our local supermarket asks everyone to wear a mask and provides big sloppy disposable gloves when touching produce. They also have a rule to walk in one direction down the aisle… Needless to say, I can’t wait until I can slowly peruse the aisles again, checking out all the new in season goodies.
This Butternut Squash is rich and creamy without the heaviness from cream.
- 1 large (about 3-4lbs) butternut squash halved vertically, and seeds removed
- 1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 1 large carrot, peeled & chopped
- 1 granny smith apple, cored and roughly chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 1 sprig fresh sage
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- pinch cinnamon
- 1/2 cup canned, unsweetened coconut milk
Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the butternut squash on the sheet and drizzle each half with a splash of olive oil. (just enough to lightly cover each half) Rub the oil over the inside of the squash and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread the chopped carrots onto the parchment paper.
Turn the squash face down and roast until tender ~ 40 minutes. (the flesh will have slightly browned) Set the squash aside.
While the squash is baking, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Stir onion, sage and apple chunks, cook until soft and onion starts to turn golden on the edges ~ 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant ~ 1 minute, stirring frequently.
Use a large spoon to scoop the butternut squash flesh into a blender. Discard the skin. Add roasted carrots, apple onion garlic mixture, vegetable broth, maple syrup, coconut milk, salt and fresh black pepper (be careful not to fill container past the maximum fill line, work in batches if you need to). Blend until creamy smooth. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper as needed.
If you soup is piping hot after blending, serve immediately topped with your garnish of choice and some extra fresh black pepper. If not, pour it back into your soup pot and warm the soup over medium heat, stir often until it's steaming. Then serve with your garnish of choice and fresh black pepper.
Peel and remove all seeds from squash, then chop into inch size squares.
In a large pot, stir in onion to 1 tbsp olive oil, cook until soft and starting to turn golden on the edges ~ 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant ~ 1 minute, stirring frequently.
Add vegetable stock, chopped squash, apple and carrots to pot. Stir in sage, cinnamon salt and pepper. Cook on medium-high heat until the broth forms a simmer. Then, cover, reduce heat to medium-low, an simmer for 20-30 minutes until all veggies are soft and mash easily with a fork.
Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth. (or transfer to a high speed blender and puree until smooth). Stir in the coconut milk before serving. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper.
Serve immediately, topped with your garnish of choice and fresh black pepper.
Garnish with either: extra coconut milk, paprika, toasted nuts, chives, fresh cilantro, thyme, sage etc.
Equally delicious served with a handful of sautéed greens, such as kale, chard & spinach.
Sore leftover soup in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. (leftovers taste even better the following day). Or, freeze for up to 3 months.