Creamy Butternut Squash Soup is a delightful and comforting dish that highlights the rich and earthy flavors of butternut squash. This recipe takes a straightforward approach, aiming to create a velvety-textured soup that is both flavorful and easy to prepare. By utilizing the entire squash, including the seeds and fibers, in the cooking process, we extract maximum flavor from the squash and avoid the challenging task of peeling raw squash. The addition of heavy cream adds a luxurious creaminess, while a touch of brown sugar and nutmeg balances the soup’s earthy sweetness. This Creamy Butternut Squash Soup is a perfect fall and winter favorite that can be served as a hearty appetizer or a comforting main course.
SERVES 4 TO 6
INGREDIENTS:
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces
- 1 large shallot, chopped
- 3 pounds butternut squash, quartered and seeded, with fibers and seeds reserved
- 6 cups water
- Salt and pepper
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon packed dark brown sugar
- Pinch of ground nutmeg
INSTRUCTIONS:
- In a Dutch oven over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the chopped shallot and cook until softened, which should take about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the reserved butternut squash seeds and fibers and cook until the butter turns orange, approximately 4 minutes.
- Stir in the water and 1 teaspoon of salt, then bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer, place the quartered butternut squash cut side down in a steamer basket, and lower the basket into the pot. Cover and steam the squash until it becomes completely tender, which should take about 30 to 40 minutes.
- Using tongs, transfer the cooked squash to a rimmed baking sheet. Let the squash cool slightly, then use a soupspoon to scrape the cooked squash from its skin, discarding the skin.
- Strain the cooking liquid through a fine-mesh strainer into a large liquid measuring cup. In batches, puree the cooked squash with 3 cups of the strained cooking liquid in a blender until it becomes smooth, which typically takes 1 to 2 minutes. Return the pureed soup to a clean pot and stir in the heavy cream, dark brown sugar, ground nutmeg, and remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Return the soup to a brief simmer, adding additional strained cooking liquid as needed to adjust the consistency. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste and serve.
VARIATIONS:
- Creamy Butternut Squash Soup with Fennel: Reduce the amount of squash to 2 pounds and add 1 teaspoon of fennel seeds to the pot with the squash seeds and fibers. Additionally, add 1 large fennel bulb, stalks discarded, bulb halved, cored, and cut into 1-inch-thick strips, to the steamer basket with the squash.
- Curried Butternut Squash and Apple Soup: Reduce the amount of squash to 2½ pounds. Add 1 large apple, peeled, cored, and quartered, to the steamer basket with the squash. Substitute 2 teaspoons of curry powder for nutmeg.
- Southwestern Butternut Squash Soup: Substitute 1 tablespoon of honey for brown sugar and ½ teaspoon of ground cumin for nutmeg. Stir 2 tablespoons of minced fresh cilantro and 2 teaspoons of minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce into the soup before serving, infusing it with a delightful Southwestern flair.
