Why we love this autumn classic
When fall or winter descends, doesn’t it make you more open to soups? The warmth, comfort, and simplicity can be everything on a cold day or when you’re feeling under the weather. We’ve got this herbed butternut squash soup just for you!
If I’m being honest, soups never used to be a big thing for me. If someone offered it or it came with a meal, it mostly sat in the refrigerator until I threw it out or someone else would eat it. Soups just seemed a little boring compared to some of the more substantial, filling dishes. I couldn’t have been more wrong.
My husband whipped up this hearty, thick, creamy, herbed butternut squash soup. I immediately fell in love. I wanted tubs of this soup so that I could have access to it at any given moment. We want to warn you ahead of time though, this isn’t some side dish. This butternut squash soup will make you FULL. We learned that the hard way folks. You’ll get your vegetables in easily. On top of that, butternut squash soup is high in vitamin B6, which helps reduce the risks of depression (WebMD). What could be better?
A Herb Bouquet You Say?
Another term for this is bouquet garni. The key to making this soup so flavorful is putting together one of these with sage, thyme, and bay leaves. We’ve got you covered if this is your first time making one of these. Check out the steps below from beginning to end on this soup:
- First things first, let’s get your station ready. Preheat the oven at 425℉/ 218℃. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Peel and cube butternut squash with a chef’s knight. See the FAQ below if you need help with a tough butternut squash! Quarter a yellow onion. Place on the baking sheet and toss in 1 ½ TBS olive oil, 1 tsp salt, and ½ tsp pepper. Roast the squash and onions for 30-40 minutes or until it can be pierced with a fork.
- Peel and dice a granny smith apple and dice a celery stalk. Throw them in an 8-quart pot with 1 ½ TBS of remaining olive oil and 1 tsp each of salt, cinnamon, ground ginger, coriander, ground sage, and cayenne. Cook until these soften.
- Time to make that bouquet garni! Wrap the sage, thyme, and bay leaves in a cheesecloth and tie it off with twine. Add the bouquet of herbs, 3 cups of vegetable stock, roasted butternut squash, and onions to the pot with the granny smith apples and celery stalk. Reserve an additional cup of vegetable stock in case the soup is too thick. Simmer for 45 minutes.
- Use an immersion blender or scoop the contents of the pot into a blender (do this in batches if needed). Blend the ingredients together. If the soup is too thick, add an additional cup of vegetable stock and blend again. Add the remaining butter and salt. Serve and enjoy the herbed butternut squash soup!
Got Questions? Here’s some Answers!
How do you cube butternut squash?
If the butternut squash is too tough to handle, try microwaving it on a microwave-safe dish for 5 minutes at a t. Cut the ends of the squash so that you can stabilize it when you hold it upright. Peel downward to get rid of the skin. Wear kitchen prep gloves to avoid the sap of the squash being stuck to your hands. Cut lengthwise and scoop out the seeds before cubing.
Do you need the bouquet garni?
We think this gives the butternut squash soup an extra flair from your typical soups. Using the bouquet also makes it much easier to remove the leaves before you blend the soup.
How do you store the herbed butternut squash soup?
Refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container.
Herbed Butternut Squash Soup
Equipment
- Baking sheet lined with parchment paper
- Peeler
- Chef's knife
- Cheesecloth
- 8 Quart pot
- Twine
Ingredients
- 1 Butternut squash peeled, seeds removed and cubed (see tips above)
- 1 Yellow onion quartered
- 3 TBS Olive oil and/or coconut oil divided
- 1 Celery stalk diced
- 1 Granny Smith apple peeled and diced
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- 1 tsp Ground ginger
- ½ tsp Ground coriander
- ¼ tsp Cayenne
- ¼ tsp Ground sage
- 5 Sprigs of fresh thyme
- 4 Sage leaves
- 1 Bay leaf
- 3-4 Cups Vegetable stock
- 1 tsp + 1 tsp + ¼ tsp Salt divided
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 2 TBS Butter
Instructions
- Gather ingredients and preheat oven to 425℉/ 218℃. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside
- Peel and cube butternut squash (see tips above) and quarter onion. Place these on the baking sheet
- Season squash and onion with 1 ½ TBS olive oil, 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper
- Roast the squash and onions for 30-40 minutes or until soft and can be pierced with a fork
- Peel and dice the granny smith apple and dice the celery stalk
- Sauté the granny smith apple and celery stalk in an 8-quart pot until soft with 1 ½ TBS of remaining olive oil and 1 tsp each of salt, cinnamon, ground ginger, coriander, ground sage, and cayenne
- To create a herb bouquet, take a cheesecloth and wrap it around the sage, thyme, and bay leaves. Tie it off with twine (see the picture above for more details).
- Add the bouquet of herbs, 3 cups of vegetable stock, roasted butternut squash, and onions to the pot. Simmer for 45 minutes
- Use an immersion blender or scoop the contents of the pot into the blender in batches. Blend the ingredients together. If the soup is too thick, add an additional cup of vegetable stock and blend again.
- Add butter and remaining salt
- Serve and enjoy your herbed butternut squash soup!
How did it go?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below if you made this herbed butternut squash soup! If you’re interested in another soup recipe, check out our beetroot soup.