And now for the details…

Hi there friends! Here comes a new soup recipe your way, this time using butternut squash. Does anyone else call butternut squash “buttnut squash” for short, is that just me and some of my friends? And yes, we giggle like 11-year-olds after we say it. I may technically be an adult, but that does not mean I have matured, people.

I love this soup because it is so easy. Seriously. The most difficult part of making the soup is peeling and removing the guts from the squash. And being a teensy bit patient while waiting for it to cook.

This particular recipe is one that I have been making for years. It is actually roughly based off a recipe I found online a long time ago. I went a-hunting to find that recipe to credit it, but could not find it anywhere. So here is my version; I hope you enjoy!

Butternut squash is one of my favourites. It is a great vegetable that keeps extremely well, even at room temperature. While it is technically spring, here in Canada, we are not quite seeing the spring veg roll in, so using a winter squash like butternut is still in full force. Why are they considered winter squash? It is definitely not because they grow in the snow! Winter squash have that name because they get harvested in late fall, and last through the winter while they are stored away in a cool, dark place. Rich, sweet and satisfying, butternut squash is great cut in pieces and roasted in the oven or made up into a mash. In this particular recipe, though, we are going to add a few more ingredients and turn it into soup!

One element I like about this recipe is the addition of the sweet potato. It gives the soup that bright, orangey colour, as well as adding sweetness. The apple balances out the flavour by providing a little tartness. Finally, we are not going to be adding a sweet spice like cinnamon or nutmeg, oh no! We will be spicing lightly with some cumin to get a hint of earthiness to round this dish off, and a lil dash of cayenne to elevate the heat-from-inside feeling, perfect for a chilly, slushy spring day.

To start off, we peel and chop all the veg. Like I said earlier, prepping the butternut squash is the hardest part of this recipe. The squash, though very soft once cooked, is quite firm when raw, and its skin is thick and hard as well. There a quite a few different tips and tricks out there on how to peel the squash, find one that works for you! Don’t forget to scoop and toss the guts 🙂 Cut the different veg into large chunks, maybe about 2-3cm in size.

I am extra cautious at this step of cutting the squash… A few years ago, I was cutting butternut squash and a piece fell on the ground. Our Scottie swooped in, grabbed the piece of veg, and raced off with his prize. I usually do not think twice when he does something like this. He eats raw veg all the time (fun fact: kale stalks are one of his favourite treats) and so when he ran off, I continued on with my cooking. Then, a few minutes later, I heard this soft, mournful croon from the other room that I had never heard him make before. When I went to check on him, he was lifting his little nose in the air, making the crooning sound, then would bring his head down and pant quickly, as if he could not breathe. I am not proud to say that I panicked. I was so worried he was allergic to the squash and his little airway was closing. Long story short… a bit of panic, a sleepover at the vets, and an expensive vet bill later, Moz got sent home in great spirits, with the unchewed piece of raw butternut squash that they had pulled out (it had lodged itself into his esophagus, just before his tummy). Thanks bud. CHEW YOUR FOOD.

Anyhow… back to the soup. Once the squash, sweet potato, and apple have been peeled and cut into chunks, it is time to start cooking. Start by adding the oil, onion and garlic to a large pot on medium-high heat. Cook until the onion has softened. Add the wine and cook until the wine has reduced by about half. Add all the rest of the ingredients except the cream, stirring to mix fully. Lower the heat to medium, cover the pot and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the veggies are cooked through and soft.

To finish this soup off, we will be blending it to get that nice, velvety texture. If you have one, you can blend the soup right in the pot using an immersion blender. If you do not have an immersion blender, you can blend in a regular blender as well. You will likely need to do the soup in batches if using a regular blender, as it is a lot of soup! Also, be careful when blending in a regular blender, starting off on a low speed and gearing up, or you and your kitchen may end up wearing more soup than you eat! (Speaking from experience? I don’t wanna talk about it…)

Once blended, add the soup back to the pot and put over medium-low heat. Add the cream, stirring in completely and bringing the soup back up to temperature. Serve immediately. I like garnishing using nuts of some kind, like walnuts, pecans or hazelnuts, and drizzling with sour cream or an infused olive oil.

Happy Eating.