I love this recipe because unlike most squash soups, you roast your squash first, which adds a lot of depth and richness to the flavor. Also, there is no cream, so it's very low in fat and calories, yet super creamy to the pallet. You can even make it Vegan without compromising any of its rich flavor. The perfect Wintertime soup!
Makes 4 Bowls, or about 6 Cups
INGREDIENTS
- About 3 pounds of Winter squash. Skin peeled with a veggie peeler, then seeded and cubed in 1-2 inch cubes. (you can use butternut, kabocha, acorn, delicata, whatever you like!) As you can see, I have many to choose from!
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- ½ cup chopped shallot or onion
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Up to 4 cups (32 ounces) vegetable broth
- 1 to 2 tablespoons butter, to taste (substitute olive oil for dairy free/vegan soup
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and use a little olive oil on a sheet pan to keep it from sticking. Place the squash in a bowl and toss with about 1 tbsp of olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Place squash on baking sheet and roast until it is tender and completely cooked through, about 30-35 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a medium skillet (or large soup pot, if you’ll be serving soup from that pot), warm 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the chopped onion and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring often, until the onion has softened and is starting to turn golden on the edges, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, stirring frequently.
- If you have a high performance blender like a Vitamix (if you are using an immersion blender, as I do, see notes at bottom), transfer the cooked shallot and garlic to your blender. Add the reserved butternut, maple syrup, nutmeg and a few twists of freshly ground black pepper. Pour in 3 cups vegetable broth, being careful not to fill the container past the maximum fill line (you can stir in any remaining broth later). Secure the lid and select the soup preset. The blender will stop running once the soup is super creamy and hot.
- If you would like to thin out your soup a bit more, add the remaining cup of broth (I used the full 4 cups, but if you used a small squash, you might want to leave it as is). Add 1 to 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil, to taste, and blend well. Taste and blend in more salt and pepper, if necessary.
- Serve immediately (I like to top each bowl with a little more black pepper). Let leftover soup cool completely before transferring it to a proper storage container and refrigerating it for up to 4 days (leftovers taste even better the next day!). Or, freeze this soup for up to 3 months.
NOTES
IF YOU ARE WORKING WITH AN IMMERSION BLENDER, add the reserved squash to the pot, then add the broth, maple syrup, nutmeg and a few twists of freshly ground black pepper. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes so the flavors have a chance to meld. Carefully use your immersion blender to blend the soup completely, then add 1 to 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil, to taste, and blend again. Taste and blend in more salt and pepper, if necessary.