As we were working out the Thanksgiving menu this year, my sister-in-law said she’s been really into butternut squash so she was going to make butternut squash soup. As you may have ascertained from my recipe collection, I am a soup fan. I love that I can make a big pot on Sunday or Monday and it provides quick and healthy meals for the next few days. I’m always looking for new soups to add to my rotation and, as soon as I tasted this soup, I knew I would want to add it.
My sister-in-law sent me the link to a recipe, but she had already made modifications and then I made some of my own modifications. The printable recipe for the butternut squash soup I made is at the bottom of this post, so you can scroll down if you want to skip the chitchat.
I started my recipe in a Dutch oven (THIS is the one I have) with cubed aromatics – celery, parsnips, onion, and a tart apple. I picked parsnips because they aren’t as sweet as carrots and I figured they’d be a nice balance to the sweeter butternut squash. What I’m looking for in this mix is a depth of flavor to add to the butternut squash.
I bought cubed butternut squash so it would be quick and easy and roasted it in a 400° oven to bring out even more flavor before adding it to the soup.
Here is how the aromatics looked after sauteeing…
…and then I stirred in the roasted butternut squash.
The liquid I used for this butternut squash soup recipe is white wine (I always add wine to soup), low-sodium chicken stock (you could use vegetable stock), and heavy cream. I also added the spices at this point and let it all simmer together to let the flavors mingle.
You could serve this butternut squash soup “chunky style” if you prefer, but it’s traditional to puree butternut squash soup so I hit it with the immersion blender. As usual, I put it in jars to cool and then store in the fridge.
My sister-in-law served the soup with an assortment of optional toppers, so I made and bought some for my soup as well – roasted & salted pumpkin seeds, sour cream, cheese, and sauteed apples. I add flat-leaf parsley to pretty much everything, so I sprinkled some in as well. I imagine croutons or bacon would be a nice addition, too.
I have enjoyed this soup so much! This butternut squash soup recipe was very easy to make and is wonderful to eat for a meal with a sandwich or salad or to have in a mug as a healthy snack.
Butternut squash soup
Equipment
- 1 dutch oven or large soup pot
Ingredients
- 3 parsnips
- 1 large sweet onion
- 2 celery stalks
- 1 granny smith apple
- 3 16-ounce bags cubed fresh butternut squash
- extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 4 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp curry powder
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- dash cayenne pepper
- pepper to taste
- optional toppings - sauted apples, roasted pumpkin seeds, sour cream
Instructions
- preheat oven to 400. Arranged cubed butternut squash on a cookie sheet. Toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast for about 30 minutes or until soft and browning at the edges.
- While squash is roasting, peel and chop parsnips, apple, and onion. Clean and chop celery. Add all four to a dutch oven with about a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Saute until softened.
- Once butternut squash is roasted, add to dutch oven to mix with other vegetables. Add white wine, stock, and spices, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and add heavy cream.
- Puree with an immersion blender. Taste and adjust seasoning to preferred palette.
- Top with roasted and salted pumpkin seeds, apples sauted in butter, and/or sour cream.
I do not drink at all, can I substitute something else for the wine?
Usually in recipes you can substitute wine for more broth.
I don’t drink at all either! I just love the flavor wine gives to sauces and soups. The alcohol cooks out completely. If you don’t want to add it, you can simply omit it without any substitutions.
I would love to make this. I am just wondering what brand cubed butternut squash you use please? I have only used it once and did not care for it but maybe your brand is better.
It was Market Fresh from Walmart.
That soup looks delicious and I’m all about soup now that winter is here. But if I add the heavy cream, even if the soup is just simmering, won’t it curdle?
I usually turn soup to low heat and then add cream once it’s not too hot. I haven’t had problems with it curdling on low heat.
How do you maintain the fresh parsley until you use it?
I store it one of two ways. Most of the time, I keep it in a jar with fresh water by the sink, like a bouquet. Sometimes I’ll wrap it in a damp paper towel, put it in a ziplock bag, and store it in the fridge. Both ways work well.
In terms of Butternut squash, there is a new player in town, it’s called the Honeynut squash. An organic chef with his own garden asked his gardener to breed a Butternut type squash for flavor instead of shelf life. It’s a cross between Butternut And Buttercup squash. It is just wonderful. They are very cute and small, they fit in your hand so one can make a meal for one or sides for two. The flavor is incredible, like Butternut only stronger. I roast mine with just salt and butter. With Butternut I add maple syrup or extra spices. I think you’ll like it. It’s so good and it’s a gardening triumph.
I made this a few days ago and it is delicious 😋. The only change I made was using canned coconut milk as we are dairy free. Thank you for a great holiday soup, or everyday.