Butternut Squash Soup is one of my favorite fall recipes. It's creamy, nutty, "squash-y", and so wholesome! I love it as a main course with some crusty garlic bread, but it works equally well as an appetizer or soup to accompany a Thanksgiving dinner.
Looking for easy soup recipes? You'll love my homemade chicken noodle soup (pro tip: you can use this recipe for leftover turkey!)
About This Recipe
Every October, my wife and I visit our local pumpkin patches to pick up pumpkins for carving and decorating, and also some squashes for cooking! My wife is always getting the most random pumpkins. Like you know those weird, ugly pumpkins that are lumpy and oddly shaped? Those are the ones she gets. Last year, she even got this completely grey one that looked like a stone.
For me, all I care about is getting my butternut squash. I always get a craving for butternut squash soup, and nothing is better than a homemade version using squash from your local farms.
When I first started making butternut squash soup, I followed a pretty simple recipe. It was essentially butternut squash, garlic, onions, and chicken stock. It tastes fine, but later on, I figured out you can add coconut milk, and oh maaaaan... the flavor is amazing. It's so creamy, and the coconut just amplifies that nutty "squash-y" flavor that I love.
Key Ingredients
Butternut squash: You will need to peel and remove the seeds. The skin is pretty thick, but you can use a vegetable peeler to peel it off.
Olive oil: For sauteeing the vegetables.
Onions and garlic: Add savory depth to the soup.
Carrots: I like adding carrots because it gives the soup a beautiful orange color and a little bit of sweetness.
Vegetable broth: I'm using Campbell's vegetable broth, which tastes great in my opinion! I recently had a reader go off on me because I use premade broth instead of making it myself. Fun fact: not everyone has time to sit around making broth.
Seasonings: Just a pinch of cayenne pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Coconut milk: I used full-fat coconut milk. You can add this to your own taste. If you like it less creamy, then add less. You can also use butter or heavy cream.
Instructions
STEP 1: Peel and remove the seeds from the butternut squash, then cut it into cubes.
STEP 2: Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the oil, onions, and garlic. Sauté for 4-5 minutes until softened.
STEP 3: Add the carrots and squash and keep cooking for another 3-4 minutes.
STEP 4: Add the vegetable broth, cinnamon, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20–25 minutes or until the squash is tender.
STEP 5: Use an immersion blender (or transfer in batches to a regular blender) and blend until smooth. Stir in the coconut milk and lemon juice. Taste and add more cayenne pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, or pepper to taste. Enjoy!
Butternut Squash Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion (diced)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 medium butternut squash (about 3-4 lbs)
- 2 medium carrots (diced)
- 3 cups vegetable broth (or chicken broth or water)
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon and nutmeg
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup coconut milk (or 3 tablespoons butter or ½ cup heavy cream)
- 1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 4-5 minutes until softened.
- Add the butternut squash and carrots. Continue cooking for another 3-4 minutes.
- Add the vegetable broth, cinnamon, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover with a lid, and simmer for 20–25 minutes or until the squash is tender.
- Use an immersion blender (or transfer in batches to a regular blender) and blend until smooth.
- Stir in the coconut milk and lemon juice. Taste and add more cayenne pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, or pepper to taste. Enjoy!
Leave a Reply