Creamy Butternut Squash Soup

This easy butternut squash soup is a great addition to a cold winter evening!  Add a nice piece of warm, crusty bread and a salad for the perfect winter meal.

Mmmmm…..soup!  In the winter, a nice warm bowl of soup is always a welcome addition to a cold evening.  For lunch or dinner a bowl of soup, combined with a nice warm piece of bread and something green create a quick and easy meal.  Butternut squash is a really great ingredient for fall and winter dishes.   I’ve been experimenting with it more often, and have come up with a couple of recipes that I’m really excited about including this Sheet Pan Chicken & Butternut Squash dinner and this Butternut Squash Tart.

This is a fairly traditional butternut squash soup and I’m keeping the ingredients relatively simple so you get a nice, rich squash flavor.  Personally, I prefer butternut squash soup to be a little thicker, so I added some milk to give this version a nice creamy texture.  You can always leave that out if you prefer a thinner soup or need to avoid dairy.

For the most part, I like my soups to be more pureed, so you’ll notice that I often use a blender or immersion blender to get a smooth texture.  If you like your soup a bit more chunky, you can always blend a little less!  One super important kitchen tip, if you are using a regular blender to puree soup (or anything that’s hot) be sure to take the centerpiece out of the top before you puree the soup.  This lets the steam vent while you are pureeing.  Just be safe, cover the opening with a paper towel to keep the soup from splattering and making a huge mess in your kitchen!  Yes, I have had this happen to me before – not fun!

Can I make this soup ahead of time?

Yes, you can make it a day or two before and reheat it in a pot on the stove.  If you are planning to make this ahead of time I recommend stopping after you puree the entire batch.  Store the soup in the refrigerator for a day or two and then you can pick up at step #5 by adding the milk and remaining ingredients while you are reheating it.

What’s the best way to toast nuts?

Toasted nuts are one of my favorite toppings for soups and salads.  Nuts are really easy to toast. No need to turn on the oven, just heat a small, preferably non-stick pan over medium-low heat. Once the pan is hot, throw in a handful or two of nuts. I typically do at least two handfuls, as I find toasted nuts to be a little addictive!  Shake the pan occasionally to ensure the nuts get evenly toasted.

This vegetarian soup is an easy version of a classic winter soup.  If you are looking for more soup ideas check out this Tuscan White Bean Soup and this Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup. Enjoy!!

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things you may want for this recipe

Good Blender –  While a Vitamix is certainly a good choice they are also pretty pricey so if you are not juicing or making smoothies every day something like this Cuisinart blender is a great choice for most home cooks.  It gets the job done and will last for a long time.  I had my last one for over 10 years!

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