Butternut squash is probably one of my favorite winter vegetables because there are so many ways to prepare it. One of my favorite ways to prepare it is soup! It's tasty, super simple to make, and the color is so vibrant...perfect for brightening a gloomy, winter day!

And to be honest, I did not discover the yumminess of butternut squash until culinary school. Yeah, I know right? I was missing out all that time!

So let's get you on board so you're not missing out!

Ingredients FAQ:

Butternut squash: usually, a 2.5 pound squash will make you around 6-7 cups of soup.
Stock: either chicken or vegetable stock will be perfect! And as our chefs always told us, the better your stock is, the better your soup will be! *wink wink* If possible, making your own stock will make any soup superb 😊
Garlic: once the garlic cloves are roasted, the flavor changes entirely! It becomes sweet with a very mild garlic flavor that adds a little savoriness to the soup.
Salt and spices: I prefer to only slightly season my soup so that the butternut flavor shines. The cinnamon and pinch of nutmeg pairs really well with the squash, and it gives the soup another depth of flavor.

Let's make the soup!

Preheat the oven to 375 F.
Prepare the squash. Peel and deseed the butternut squash. Cut it into 1 inch cubes (it doesn't have to be perfect, just close in size so that it can roast evenly).

In a large mixing bowl, toss the diced squash and garlic cloves with oil and pour it onto a parchment lined baking pan. Spread the cubes out to one even layer. Use another sheet pan if needed.
Roast the squash. Roast the squash and garlic for 40 to 50 minutes or until it is tender and slightly caramelized.
- The sides of the squash that's touching the pan will be darker than other but should not be black or burnt.
- The reason I roast my butternut squash is simply to retain as much flavor as possible. The caramelization is an added bonus of additional flavors and sweetness.
  - You could simmer the squash in the stock until tender, but I find the flavor of butternut squash to be less intense.
Heat up the stock while you are waiting for the squash to roast. We want to take advantage of keeping everything hot so that we won't have to reheat the soup after blending.
Blend. Once the squash is tender and caramelized, transfer it immediate to a blender.
Add salt, white pepper, spices, and 3 ½ - 4 cups of the heated stock. Blend until the soup is smooth.
- If you prefer a thick soup, 3 ½ cups of stock is plenty, you could even push for 3 cups. You may want to also adjust the salt and cinnamon if you are reducing the amount of stock added.
- For a thinner soup, add all 4 cups.
Serve and enjoy!

Optional garnishes:

This soup is naturally sweet and tasty so not much is needed. However, if you'd like, add creme fraiche for a nice touch of acidity along with creaminess. Also, candied bacon is a great garnish for the soup. You know what they say about sweet and salty combos - they're like ying and yang!

Storing:

Butternut squash soup will stay good in the fridge for a week or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Cook with love!

Mei ❤️

Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients FAQ:

Let's make the soup!

Optional garnishes:

Storing: