Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
This creamy-smooth fall recipe is tweaked from the vegetarian food blog, Cookie and Kate. Instructions for using either a Vitamix blender or an immersion blender are included.
Emily Brown suggests a variety of toppings such as a swirl of honey, plain yogurt, chevre cheese, brown sugar or toasted nuts. She serves it with a fall salad — she might put sliced apples in the salad — and warm bread. Makes 4 bowls or 6 cups 1 large butternut squash (about 3 pounds), halved vertically and seeded
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1⁄2 cup chopped shallot (about 1 large shallot bulb)
1 teaspoon salt
4 garlic cloves, pressed or minced 1 teaspoon maple syrup or honey
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Up to 4 cups vegetable broth
1 to 2 tablespoons butter, to taste (substitute olive oil for dairy free/vegan soup)
Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place squash, cut side up, on pan and drizzle each half with just enough olive oil to lightly coat squash on inside (about 1 teaspoon each). Rub oil all over inside of squash and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Turn squash face down and roast until it is tender and completely cooked through, about 45 to 50 minutes. Set squash aside until it’s cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes. Then use a large spoon to scoop the squash flesh into a bowl and discard tough skin.
Meanwhile, in a medium skillet (or large soup pot, if you’ll be serving soup from that pot), warm 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add chopped shallot and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring often, until shallot has softened and is starting to turn golden on the edges, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
If you have a high-performance blender like a Vitamix, transfer cooked shallot and garlic to the blender. Add reserved butternut squash, maple syrup and nutmeg and a few twists of black pepper. Pour in about 3 cups of vegetable broth, being careful not to fill container past maximum fill line (you can stir in remaining broth later). Secure lid and select soup preset. Blender will stop running once soup is super creamy and hot.
If you would like to thin soup a bit more, add remaining cup of broth. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of butter or olive oil, to taste, and blend well. Taste and blend in more salt and pepper, if necessary.
Serve immediately. Leftover soup can be frozen in freezer container for up to 3 months.
Note: If using an immersion blender, add reserved squash to pot, then add broth, maple syrup, nutmeg and a few twists of freshly ground black pepper. Bring mixture to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes so flavors have a chance to meld. Carefully use your immersion blender to blend soup completely, then add 1 to 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil, to taste, and blend again. Taste and blend in more salt and pepper, if necessary.