Description
Cozy up to this warm recipe for butternut squash soup. With just 5 required ingredients this simple recipe is sure to get you excited for colder seasons.
Ingredients
Scale
Soup:
- 2 large butternut squash
- 2 cups apple cider
- 1 cup chicken stock, vegetable stock or water
- kosher salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
- 2–4 tablespoons heavy cream, optional
Garnish:
- 4 tablespoons sour cream
- 1–2 tablespoons apple cider (to taste)
- croutons, optional
- smoked paprika, optional
- chopped parsley, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
- Cut the squash in half down the middle. Then, stand each half on the flat end and cut down the middle again. Place cut-side down on a sheet pan.
- Place squash in the pre-heated oven and roast until fork-tender, anywhere from 40 minutes to 1 hour. Check for doneness by stabbing the squash with a fork both in one big bulbous end and one of the neck ends. Fork should pierce the squash very easily.
- Remove tender squash from the oven, use a spatula or tongs to flip each piece, then let squash cool slightly, just until it’s easier to handle.
- In the mean time, make your apple cider cream. Scoop sour cream into a small bowl, add 1 tablespoon of apple cider and stir until well combined. Check taste and consistency. If you want it more sweet or more drizzle-able, add a little more cider.
- For homemade croutons, add about 1 tablespoon of olive oil into a saute pan. Warm over medium-high heat, then toss in cubed bread. Season with salt and pepper, then toss to coat with the oil. Cook until bread is golden and crispy, tossing or stirring every minute or so to prevent burning. Once done, transfer to a clean dish.
- Once squash is cool enough to handle, use a large spoon to scoop the insides into a food processor. Work in batches, adding about the half the squash. As you scoop out the flesh, you can remove the seeds too. You can save these to toast like pumpkin seeds, if desired.
- Turn on the food processor and as the squash purees pour in apple cider and stock (or water) through the top. Season with salt and pepper, then stop the machine and check for taste and texture. Is the soup smooth enough? Is it thinned out enough? You can turn on the food processor and add more liquid as necessary to get your desired end result. The quantities in the ingredient list are guides, but the true amount necessary will depend on the amount of flesh you get out of your squash and your own personal taste.
- As you finish the first batch, transfer soup to a pot and set over medium-low heat to keep warm while you puree the next batch. Add the next batch and stir until hot again. Ladle soup into bowls, top with apple cider cream and toasted croutons or other preferred garnishes. Serve warm, or refrigerate for later! Also great for freezing.
Notes
- Recipe is intentionally written for leftovers. Perfect for freezing! You can easily cut the recipe in half.