Butternut Squash Soup with Pumpkin Butter
Butternut Squash Soup with Pumpkin Butter
Butternut Squash Soup with Pumpkin Butter

Butternut Squash Soup with Pumpkin Butter

David Venable

This three-step recipe (roast, blend, simmer) is virtually foolproof. And, the soup's so good, it just might become your new favorite fall recipe.

Ingredients

  • Vegetable oil spray
  • 1 2-lb butternut squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
  • 2 cups homemade chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp dried marjoram
  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme
  • Pinch of grated nutmeg
  • 1 cup milk or half-and-half
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 (10-oz) jar pumpkin butter (optional garnish)
  • Chopped pistachio nuts (optional garnish)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray 9" x 13" baking dish with the vegetable oil spray.
Place the squash halves, cut-side down, in the prepared dish. Pierce the skin sides several times with a fork. Bake until the squash is tender, about 45 minutes. Set aside until cool enough to handle.
Using a large spoon, scrape the flesh from the cooked squash into a food processor. Discard the skins. Add 1-1/2 cups of the chicken broth, the cinnamon, marjoram, thyme, and nutmeg and purée until smooth. Transfer the purée to a large saucepan. Whisk the milk into the soup over medium heat. If you prefer a thinner consistency, add the remaining broth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Ladle the soup into warmed bowls. Top with a dollop of pumpkin butter and sprinkle with chopped pistachios nuts, if desired, before serving.

Cook's Notes

For a savory treat, add strips of bacon across the squash so that as it cooks, the fat from the bacon enters the squash.|Another popular idea is to dice the squash into pieces and roll them in oil and cinnamon. Spread them out on a sheet pan and sprinkle with brown sugar and bake. This creates small, sweet pieces of squash that enhance the soup when pureed.|Substitute crème fraiche or dollop of sour cream instead of pumpkin butter.

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