Description
A creamy and comforting Butternut Squash Soup made with sautéed vegetables, fresh herbs, and smooth pureed squash, perfect for a cozy meal or appetizer.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, diced (about 1 3/4 cups)
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
- 1 large (about 3-pound) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch chunks (about 8 cups)
- 1 (32-ounce) carton low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth (4 cups)
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh sage, thyme, or rosemary leaves (from about 2 sprigs), plus more for garnish
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Heavy cream, crème fraîche, or coconut cream, for drizzling (optional)
Instructions
- Sauté vegetables: Melt 3 tablespoons unsalted butter in a medium Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion, peeled and diced carrots, and crushed garlic cloves. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened and lightly browned in spots, about 8 minutes.
- Add squash and broth: Stir in the chopped butternut squash, low-sodium vegetable broth, finely chopped fresh sage leaves, smoked paprika, and kosher salt. Bring the mixture to a boil.
- Simmer the soup: Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Partially cover the pot and cook until the squash is tender and starting to fall apart, about 30 minutes.
- Puree the soup: Turn off the heat. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup directly in the pot until creamy and smooth. Alternatively, blend in batches in a stand blender. Taste and season with additional kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper as needed.
- Serve: Ladle soup into bowls and drizzle with heavy cream, crème fraîche, or coconut cream if desired. Garnish with more finely chopped fresh sage leaves and freshly ground black pepper.
Notes
- Use olive oil instead of butter for a dairy-free version.
- For a vegan version, use vegetable broth and coconut cream instead of chicken broth and heavy cream.
- If you don't have fresh herbs, substitute with 1 teaspoon dried sage or thyme.
- The soup thickens as it cools; add more broth or water when reheating if needed.
- To speed up the peeling of butternut squash, microwave it for 2 minutes before peeling.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 350 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg
