Butternut Squash Soup – A Winter’s favourite

butternut-squash-soup

 

I love butternut squash soup and I always order it at western restaurants or cafes whenever I see it on the menu. It is perfect for the fall season when it starts to get chilly outside and you just want to warm yourself up with a hot bowl of soup. Most of the restaurants charge at least $6-8/bowl of butternut squash soup since it is quite labour intensive and time consuming to make. If you want to save some money and eat a little healthier, it is definitely do-able! This is a perfect addition to your lunches and it is actually quite simple to make! The best part is, you can use simple and healthy ingredients which will boost your immune system. You know what you’re putting in your food so you won’t have to worry, especially when you’re a health nut like me!

I always prefer making my own lunches since it is less costly and trust me, the bills add up if you dine out all the time. Saving a few extra dollars every week adds up and you can easily put it aside to use as rainy day funds too.

If you’re looking for something simple and delicious, this soup will not disappoint at all! It is absolutely delicious and ohh.. sooo….smooth!

PREP TIME: 45 MINUTES     ||     COOKING TIME: 90 MINUTES

Ingredients:

Vegetable Broth:

1 tbsp of olive oil or canola oil

1 medium sized sweet onion (diced into small pieces)

2 – 3 cloves of minced garlic

2 medium red or orange bell peppers (diced into medium pieces)

2 medium yellow bell peppers (diced into medium pieces)

2-3 medium – large sized carrots (chop into smaller pieces – 1/2 inch thick and 2 inches long)

5 cups of water

salt and pepper to taste

Butternut Squash:

1 large butternut squash (chop it in half)

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp salt (sprinkle onto both halves)

1 tsp pepper (sprinkle onto both halves)

 

Cooking Instructions: 

Butternut Squash:

  1. Preheat the oven to 435 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. chop the large butternut squash in half vertically so you have 2 large pieces.
  3. drizzle olive oil on the flesh part of the squash and spread it evenly on both of the halves.
  4. sprinkle salt and pepper on top of the olive oil even on the flesh of the squash.
  5. line the oven tray with parchment paper and place the butternut squash “face down” so the flesh is facing the parchment paper.
  6. Now, put the squash into the oven and let it bake for 45 minutes.
  7. When it is done baking, place the squash onto the cooling rack and let it cool for about 10-15 minutes (until the skin is warm enough to touch).
  8. When it has cooled down, peel all the skin off of the squash then cut it into large chunks.
  9. Set the chopped squash chunks aside until your soup is ready.

Vegetable Broth:

  1. In a large pot, set the stove to medium-high heat and pour 1 tbsp of olive oil. Throw in the onions and stir fry until it turns transparent. Then, throw in the garlic and give it a quick mix with a wooden spatula. (don’t let the garlic overcook).
  2. Throw in the red/orange and yellow bell peppers into the pot and mix everything together continuously on medium heat for 5 minutes (place the lid on). Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste. Then, throw in all the carrots and mix well for 5 minutes (keep lid on).
  3. Now, pour in 5 cups of water and let it simmer on medium heat for 15-20 minutes (keep lid on) until the vegetables soften and the flavours soak into the veggie broth.

Butternut Squash SOUP:

  1. Combine the veggie broth and chopped butternut squash chunks in the large pot and simmer for 15 minutes (keep lid on) on low-medium heat until squash is softened.
  2. When the squash is soft, use a hand blender and blend everything together in the pot until smooth.
  3. Continue stirring the blended soup for 5 minutes to create a desired texture and thickness.
  4. Now, scoop the soup into bowls and sprinkle a hint of dried parsley to create a nice balance to this savory soup.

 

Tips: Once you let the butternut squash soup settle, then it will produce a bit of moist and additional hydration in the soup. The soup becomes less thick and runny. All you have to do is mix the soup together a few times and the excess moisture will go away and the soup will become thicker.