butternut squash soup
Soups

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Velvety. That’s the word I would use to describe this if I had to sum it up in just one word. Given a few more I’d say buttery and rich are the other adjectives that could be used.

Oh, and it’s just pretty freaking awesome. If you’ve ever had Panera’s Autumn Squash soup, this is very similar. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE their soup – but this one may actually beat theirs, amazingly enough.

The only thing that makes Panera’s better is the roasted pumpkin seeds… but alas, I haven’t needed a pumpkin yet this year and wouldn’t want to buy one just for the seeds. So mine is missing that little bit of salty crunch on the top. 

Other than that, this soup has it all for me: sweet and silkiness, rich, deep flavor, a hint of spice but not too much, and a bit of texture with the Orzo.

The inspiration comes from GimmeSomeOven’s butternut squash recipe, but hers is targeted to a vegan style whereas this one uses chicken stock and a bit of variation on the spices.

I hope you enjoy this one!

 

butternut squash soup

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

This butternut squash soup is loaded with vegetables and vitamins, as well as flavor, comfort, and a little bit of texture.

Inspired By: GimmeSomeOven

Ingredients

  • 3 cups chicken stock
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 carrot, chopped
  • 1 apple, peeled, cored and chopped
  • 1 medium (about 3–4 lbs) butternut squash, peeled, seeded and halved
  • 1 white onion, chopped
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/4 tsp sage
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • fresh ground pepper, to taste
  • sprinkle of white pepper
  • sprinkle of cayenne pepper
  • sprinkle of turmeric
  • 2 sprigs of fresh thyme, or 1/4 tsp dried thyme
  • pinch of ground cinnamon and nutmeg
  • 1/2 cup orzo or rice, optional
  • 1/2 cup canned (unsweetened) coconut milk or half and half

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil.
  2. Peel, halve, and de-seed your butternut squash. Coat halves with olive oil and salt and pepper.
  3. Place squash halves inside down on cookie sheet and place in oven.
  4. Cook for 40 minutes or until browned. (Optionally, add the carrots half way through roasting the squash for a roasted carrot flavor.)
  5. While the squash is cooking, prepare the rest of your vegetables - cutting up the onion, carrot, apple, and mincing the garlic.
  6. Add olive oil to a large stock pot and cook your onion for 5 minutes on med-high heat until sauteed.
  7. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
  8. Add chicken stock and all the rest of the ingredients except for the orzo and lower heat to a simmer.
  9. When squash (and carrots if roasting together) is finished roasting, cut up and add to the rest of the vegetables.
  10. Use an immersion blender or transfer to a regular blender - blend until smooth.
  11. Pour back into stock pot and return heat to a low boil.
  12. Add orzo or rice and cook for another 20 minutes or as per instructions on rice/orzo to cook until done.
  13. Add coconut milk or half and half before serving.

Notes

Garnish with the toppings of your choice - you may use roasted seeds or top with cheddar cheese, croutons, coconut milk, or herbs.

Serve with a nice, crusty bread.

Nutrition Information
Yield 4 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 269Total Fat 7gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 5gCholesterol 9mgSodium 551mgCarbohydrates 41gFiber 4gSugar 11gProtein 10g

This nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although alteredrecipe.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.

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