A chilly night and a warm cup of this soup will make your winter feel a bit warmer. After a couple of test tries, Sue Paist and I nailed it with this pot of absolute perfection. This recipe yields about six cups. Delicious and the perfect meal by the fire.
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Ingredients
1 large butternut squash (about 3 pounds) cut into medium sized cubes
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 tablespoon turbinado sugar
½ cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon salt
2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
2 teaspoons maple syrup
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 to 4 cups (24 to 32 ounces) chicken broth, as needed
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons of ½ and ½ cream
Pepitas or dried cranberries for topping.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place the butternut squash cubes on a sheet pan. Drizzle olive oil to lightly coat the squash. Sprinkle the turbinado sugar on the oiled cubes and toss. Sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Roast until tender and completely cooked through about 18- 20 minutes.
Set the squash aside until it’s cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large soup pot, warm 1 tablespoon olive oil and butter over medium heat until shimmering. Add the chopped onion and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring often, until the onion has softened and is starting to turn golden on the edges, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for about one minute.
Add the butternut squash, maple syrup, nutmeg, and cinnamon and a few twists of freshly ground black pepper to the blender. Pour in 3 cups vegetable broth. Cook until warm.
Add the warm soup to the blender. Securely fasten the lid. Blend on high (or select the soup preset, if available), being careful to avoid hot steam escaping from the lid. Stop once your soup is creamy. Place back in the pot. Add the half and half cream.
Continue to warm until fully heated.
Serve in individual bowls and top with pepitas and/or dried cranberries.
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