Description
Butternut squash soup offers a luxurious embrace of autumn’s warmth, blending silky roasted squash with aromatic herbs and creamy texture. Comfort flows through each spoonful, inviting diners to savor seasonal richness that warms from within.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables and Squash:
- 2 large onions (sliced thin)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- ½ large butternut squash (cooked, mashed)
- ½ large acorn squash (cooked, mashed)
Liquids and Dairy:
- 1 can chicken broth (14 ounces / 414 milliliters)
- 1 can evaporated milk (14 ounces / 414 milliliters)
Seasonings and Garnish:
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon sage
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- 1 pinch cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- Olive oil (for sautéing)
- Sea salt
- Fresh ground pepper
- Few slices of bacon (cooked crisp and crumbled)
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over low heat. Add minced garlic, fresh thyme, and sage, releasing their aromatic essence while seasoning with salt and black pepper to enhance the foundational flavors.
- Incorporate roasted butternut squash puree into the pan, stirring carefully with whole milk and chicken broth. Dust the mixture with ground nutmeg and ground cinnamon, creating a complex flavor profile. Blend ingredients thoroughly and allow the soup to simmer gently for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching.
- Simultaneously, prepare caramelized onions in a separate skillet. Drizzle olive oil (15 milliliters) and cook onions over medium-low temperature. Sprinkle a teaspoon (5 grams) of granulated sugar while seasoning with salt and pepper. Cook until onions transform into golden, translucent strands with slightly crispy edges.
- When serving, ladle the velvety soup into individual bowls. Garnish generously with the caramelized onion strips and crisp bacon pieces, adding textural contrast and rich, savory notes to this comforting autumn dish.
Notes
- Carefully roasting butternut squash beforehand concentrates its natural sugars, creating a deeper, more complex flavor profile for the soup.
- Experimenting with different herbs like rosemary or thyme can transform the soup’s aromatic complexity and personal signature.
- Achieving the perfect soup consistency depends on slowly simmering ingredients and periodically tasting to balance seasonings.
- Topping the soup with crispy bacon bits and caramelized onions adds delightful texture and unexpected crunch to each spoonful.
- Storing leftover soup in airtight containers allows flavors to meld and develop even more intensely over the next few days.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 210 kcal
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 400mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 7g
- Cholesterol: 15mg