Creamy Butternut Squash Soup

This is THE BEST creamy butternut squash soup. It’s so simple to make yet tastes absolutely luxurious. Loaded with so much flavor and finished with crisp apples, sunflower seeds, and bacon.

Soup – is it a meal or a side?

Now we are a house divided on this very topic. For me, soup can very well be a meal. Serve it with some crusty bread or crackers, add on a few toppings and it’s a meal for me.

Mr. Fantabulous on the other hand – it’s like a salad. It’s meant to ‘augment’ the meal. It’s a side and never main. What do you think?

Grab Your Ingredients

This soup is something that I make at least 1-2 times a month in the fall and winter months. It’s so luscious and creamy. It’s even, dare I say, decadent.

• Veggies – cut and cubed butternut squash, carrots, onions
• Fats – oil and butter
• Seasonings – kosher salt, pepper, nutmeg, fresh thyme
• Liquids – stock (chicken or veggie) and cream
• Toppings – yes, these make the meal… see below

Let’s Make Soup!

Now for this pot, I use a Emile Henry 6qrt Dutch Oven. What I love about this pot is not only can it go on the stove top, and into the oven, but can also be used on a bbq grill! And for someone that’s had 4 major hand reconstruction surgeries, it’s light enough for me to pick up.

1. In the Dutch Oven, add the carrots, onions, and carrots. Toss in the salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
2. Pour in the stock and stir to combine.
3. Bring the mixture to a boil and stir. Boil for roughly 15-18 minutes or until the veggies are fork-tender. *Depending on the size you cut your squash it can take 10 minutes and it can take up to 30 minutes.

Blend Away!

4. Turn the heat off and, using an immersion blender, blend the mixture until smooth and creamy. If you don’t have one, you can pour the mixture carefully into a blender (do not close the lid) and blend it in batches.
5. Pour the mixture back into the pot, turn the heat back on to medium, and pour in the cream. Stir to combine. Add in the fresh thyme leaves and allow to cook for 5 minutes.

Pure Comfort Food

It’s been a long time since I ate my food right away versus an hour later after I’ve completed the photoshoot and cleaned up.

But this… my friends, this was something I was not, could not, wait on.

Toppings

I’m not sure when this became a thing toppings for soup but I freaking LOVE it! I’ve tried a bunch of different toppings and this was by far my favorite combination.

• Toasted Sunflower Seeds
• Crispy Bacon
• Apples – I did both cubed small and shaved. I actually preferred the shaved better but I didn’t have the time to re-do the pic with shaved apples

Creamy, Luscious, Total Bliss

Yes, I’m gushing over this soup. It’s THAT good my family!

I plated 2 bowls – one for the shoot and one for me. I absolutely ate mine first. I had to y’all! The smell alone was intoxicating!

Chef Tips – How To Cut Butternut Squash

1. Lay the butternut squash on a cutting board, and, with Chef’s knife, cut off the top and bottom of the squash (about a 1/2″).
2. Using a “Y” shaped peeler, peel the skin off the squash starting at the top and going down. Discard the peel.
3. Once peeled, lay it on its side and cut the squash in half at the curvy part (right above where it starts to curve out).
4. Then, slice each piece in half down the center vertically – splitting the squash open.
5. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and pulp. *Note you can roast the seeds like pumpkin seeds if you wish.
6.  Once scooped out, cut the squash into cubes. I go with 1/2-1″ cubes.

Recipe Substitutions & Additions

• Cream – you can go with half and half, whole milk, coconut milk, or vegan products
• Roasted Veggies – you can absolutely roast the veggies in the oven for about 15 minutes then add to the stock for a different flavor profile
• Herbs – you can use rosemary, sage, or herbs de Provence in lieu of thyme
• Toppings – roasted garlic, crispy sage, onion straws a drizzle more of cream, hot honey, croutons

Freezing & Reheating Creamy Butternut Squash Soup

You need to read this carefully and plan accordingly if you plan on freezing the soup.

Freezing

1. Make the soup WITHOUT the cream if you plan on freezing it. Freezing cream-based soups can sometimes “break” when you thaw them out causing them to turn grainy in texture.
2. So make this soup up until the step after you puree it. Do not continue to add the cream or thyme.
3. Allow it to cool completely, portion accordingly and freeze for up to 3 months.

Reheating

1. To reheat allow the soup to thaw in the fridge over night. If you can’t wait, you can use a microwave or stovetop pan but heat it slowly.
2. When the mixture is fully thawed, bring it back up to a low boil. Add in the cream, thyme and stir. The cream will combine into the soup making it luxurious and decadent without being grainy.

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