A few years ago, a friend hosted a soup swap, where a bunch of us met and swapped quarts of soup. It was an impressive affair, with soups ranging from oxtail soup to clam chowder to Tom Ka Gai.
I was relatively new to cooking and had never really made soup before, so it took me a while to figure out what I could manage. I decided to go with butternut squash soup. I actually thought I was going fancy, because for me, peeling and cutting up all that squash seemed so labor-intensive! I packaged my soup with some “homemade Acme baguette croutons” on the side, hoping that it would convince people to PICK MINE!! 🙂
The event was pretty fun, and I came home with a nice variety of soups to sample. I did, however, decide that butternut squash soup was too much work to make, so I didn’t really consider making it again… untilllll…
I DISCOVERED PRE-PEELED AND CUBED BUTTERNUT SQUASH AT COSTCO!
Sweeeeeeeeeeet!!! It’s not organic, but I read somewhere that the skin is thick enough that this isn’t one of the veggies you really need to worry about. Now, butternut squash is part of my regular soup rotation! If you always thought these blended soups looked good but hard to make, this is a PERFECT one for you to start off with, especially if you have some pre-cubed butternut squash. This ingredient alone saves like 15 minutes of work and two dishes (knife and cutting board).
With the pre-cubed squash, this recipe is seriously easy to make. You just saute some onions and squash…
…simmer in some broth…
…and then blend, preferably in a Vitamix.
Side note: We invested in a Vitamix about eight years ago, and still LOVE it and use it all. the. time. If you like to cook and have the means, I would highly recommend it. I can’t imagine using any other blender now. It’s easy to use, easy to clean, extremely powerful, and results in a super smooth blend. Not only am I usually able to fit all of my soup in one whir, but it comes out super smooth and creamy every time. <3 Vitamix <3! They’re also durable– this bad boy has lasted us 8 years and counting!
Back to soup: After pouring it into bowls, you can top with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar for a sweet acidic note…
…or toasted pumpkin seeds for a little salty crunch…
… or both!
The soup is silky smooth, naturally sweet, and creamy and delicious. I also love that beautiful orange color for autumn.
If you’re a soup-making newbie, this is a nice and forgiving first recipe to try– especially if you can find some pre-cubed squash. I no longer find peeling and cubing butternut squash that laborious, but if it’s available for a good price, why not? 🙂 Enjoy!
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Silky Butternut Squash Recipe
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 pounds cubed butternut squash (not “2 lbs of butternut squash, cubed”)
- 3-4 cups chicken stock
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Melt butter in a large, heavy-bottomed pan. Once it’s foamy, add onions and saute until onions are translucent.
- Add squash and saute until browned.
- Add just enough chicken stock to almost cover the squash. Let simmer until you can pierce the squash easily with a fork, about 30 minutes.
- Ladle the soup into your Vitamix, cover, and blend until smooth and creamy.
(If you have a regular blender, do it in batches, trying to keep a consistent ratio of liquids to solids, and blend until smooth and creamy. I think you can also use your immersion blender to blend it (haven’t tried).) - Enjoy!
To serve: If you have them on hand, top with a light drizzle of balsamic vinegar, a sprinkle of toasted pumpkin seeds, or croutons on top! Yum!
16 responses to “Easy Peasy Butternut Squash Soup!”
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This might have been the first time I ever made soup and it was so easy with your recipe…and delicious!! ? Thanks for sharing, Jo!
Woohoo! So glad it was a success! Try the zucchini one too, if you get a chance. Just as easy and super delicious!