Awhile back, I posted about roasting the butternut squash we grew in our garden with olive oil, salt, and thyme. In the comments of that post, my lovely friend Maggie shared her family’s recipe for roasted butternut squash soup. It sounded so good, I had to try it. And not surprisingly, if you know Maggie, it was unbelievable. With her permission, I repost (though she claims she cannot take credit for its origins… I say, yeah, right):
Maggie’s Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
- 4 lbs (or 2 large) butternut squash
- 1 lb light brown sugar (I found this to be 2 1/2 cups of solidly packed brown sugar)
- 1/4 tsp cayenne
- 1/4 tsp chipotle powder
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp allspice
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 3 Tbsp minced garlic
- 2 Tbsp minced ginger
- 2 cups diced onions
- 2 cups diced carrots
- 1 quart (2 pints) veggie stock*
- 1 quart (2 pints) heavy cream
- salt & pepper
Preheat oven to 300. Cut squash in half and remove seeds.
Wipe a rimmed cookie sheet liberally with olive oil (I used 2 Tbsp). Combine half the brown sugar with the spices; sprinkle evenly over cookie sheet.
Place the squash on the cookie sheet cut side down; prick the squash a few times with a fork and roast for 50-60 minutes (one of my squash was very large, so it took a bit longer).
Scoop out roasted pulp and reserve, along with any liquid from sheet (if you do not own an immersion blender, take this time to puree or blend the liquid with the pulp and set aside in a large bowl).
Heat olive oil in a large (and I mean LARGE) stockpot and sauté garlic and ginger over medium high heat until fragrant (3-4 minutes- being careful not to burn). Add carrots and onion and sauté until soft. Add squash pulp (or again, if you do not own an immersion blender, blend the carrot and onion mixture with a bit of the blended pulp until smooth and add back to the rest of the squash mixture), roasting liquid, and all other ingredients except the salt. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer 5 minutes.
Allow soup to cool and puree with immersion blender (if you haven’t blended it all together already). Season with salt and pepper.
Serve with crusty bread and enjoy the complex flavors. The perfect winter meal! Thanks again, Maggie! Also, this makes a lot of soup. I shared mine with a friend, which made us both feel good!
*If you enjoy a thicker soup, omit half the stock… but trust me, it’s fantastic as is!
Yum! Butternut soup is a favorite of mine too, excited to try this version. I wish W was better with soups. I love them, he just makes a mess and whines about them.
Its true; it makes hoards of soup. I think you can halve the recipe to fine results. Or have your block over for dinner! You’ve got to try this watermelon soup recipe I have for summertime. It’s amazing!
What perfect timing! I’ve been staring at a butternut squash in our kitchen for over week, non committal as to how to use it. Thanks for helping me decide:) Can’t wait to try it!
After some digging, i found the watermelon soup recipe!
3 cups watermelon cubes
2 cups strawberries
1/2 cup orange juice
1.5 tsp lemon juice
1TB cornstarch
2TB granulated sugar
1 tsp lemon zest
1/4 tsp each cinnamon and allspice
1/8 tsp each ground ginger and mace
3/4 cup buttermilk
In blender, purée melon and strawberries. This may take two batches. Strain mixture into medium saucepan. In small bowl, combine orange and lemon juices with cornstarch. Stir into fruit mixture. Add remaining ingredients except buttermilk.
Heat, stirring, until mixture comes to a soft boil. Continue to stir and cook for a minute more until mixture thickens and clears. Remove from heat. Stir in sugar. Whisk in buttermilk. Cover and chill for at least an hour, best overnight.
Serves 6. 85 calories a bowl. Great with frisée salads and grilled meats.
I made this soup (halved it) and it was Fabulous! The watermelon soup recipe sounds fun too. Thank you Maggie and Lauren!
Technical question. Does the whole lb of brown sugar end up in the soup? I’m wondering how sweet the soup is.
Yes, Emily! It is a very sweet soup! It would be just as wonderful with about half the sugar, I think!
Great! Thanks!
I made this using your recipe and it is delicious — thanks!
Erika! So good to hear from you! And I’m really glad you liked it 🙂
Merry Christmas to you and your beautiful family!