Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup- An absolutely delicious, healthy, vegan, gluten-free and very easy to make soup. Perfect for winters!

Cold and cloudy days are back here in London and I can’t stop myself making soups; they’re so easy, quick, comforting, delicious & nutritious… isn’t it? Recently I started making this butternut squash soup and it became my new favourite, which is why I couldn’t resist sharing it in my blog! I’m in love with this Fall-inspired soup these days, and what else gives more fall-vibes than a bowl full of Roasted Butternut Squash Soup? It’s like autumn in a bowl. It’s smooth, creamy, easy to make, packed with nutrients and full of delicious and amazing flavours that give us a reason to look forward to this beautiful time of year. 

Butternut has a sweet, nutty taste similar to the pumpkin. It has tan-yellow hard skin and sweet, orange pulp with a compartment of few seeds in the bottom. When ripe, it turns into deep orange colour, and becomes sweeter and richer. It is a good source of fiber, vitamin C, magnesium, and potassium; and it is a source of vitamin A. Unlike pumpkin, butternut squash are available all year. It can be baked, boiled, roasted, stewed, or puréed, it's so incredibly versatile that it finds its way into soups, curries, casseroles and even in desserts too. Roasting the squash, rather than boiling it in a pan, really brings out the flavour too. Roasting them in the oven has two added benefits- first that you don’t have to do hard work peeling the tough skin and chopping; and second it fills the kitchen with a delicious aroma! 

Most of this soup’s flavor comes from the cooking method. This soup needs no cream to improve its velvety texture. This super creamy roasted butternut squash soup recipe is a great make-ahead option. In fact, it tastes even better the next day. This comforting soup will leave you feeling warm and cozy. 

Butternut Squash Soup is a popular Thanksgiving dish in the United States. I have tried one more variation of butternut squash soup which contains roasted garlic. I’m sure you will love that as well. The soup I’m talking about is Roasted Garlic & Butternut Squash Soup. I will share the recipe for that very soon. 

Benefits-

Butternut squash soup is one of the healthiest soups that you can add into your diet plan. The nutrition and health benefits of butternut squash are a plenty, below are eight great reasons to add it to your regular menu-

-Good source of fibre, Vitamins A, C, E and B.

-Good for eye health

-Helps to support the natural function of the immune system

-Prevents high blood pressure

-Good for bone health

-Helps in weight loss

-Reduces inflammation 

-Provides healthy skin 

Read through this recipe and see if you find it interesting enough to try. I am sure you would love this recipe. If you try this healthy and delicious soup recipe, I would love to hear from you! Leave a comment, rate it, or share a photo…. Can’t wait to see your photos!

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More Healthy Soups-

For some more yummy, easy and healthy soups, try my:

Broccoli & Carrot Creamy Soup, Tomato and Carrot Soup, Red Lentil Soup, Mushroom Soup, Khow Suey Noodle Soup 

Serve- 4

Course- Soup
Cuisine- American

Preparation Time- 15-20 minutes

Total Time- 1 hour

Ingredients-

1 medium sized butternut squash cut into halves vertically

1 large onion, roughly chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

2 garlic cloves

Couple of sprigs of thyme

1 bay leaf

2-3 tablespoon olive oil

2 inch piece of ginger root, peeled and chopped

1 liter water or vegetable stock

1 green chilli or red chilli finely chopped

2 teaspoon lime juice

Salt and pepper as per taste

Handful pumpkin seeds for garnishing

How to make Soup-

Step 1- Pre-heat the oven to 180°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

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Step 2- Cut the top part of butternut squash and cut it into half vertically. With the help of a spoon, deseed the butternut squash.

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Step 3- Now drizzle each half with just enough olive oil (1 teaspoon per each halve) to lightly coat the squash on the pulp side. Rub this oil on the pulp with your fingers.

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Step 4- Now sprinkle over some salt and pepper.

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Step 5- Put butternut squash pulp side up on the baking sheet and roast until it is tender and completely cooked through, about 40 to 45 minutes.

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Step 6- While the butternut squash cooks, warm 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat in a large saucepan, then add bay leaf, chopped onions, 2 thinly sliced garlic cloves, chopped celery, finely chopped ginger, thyme and chopped chilli. Cook stirring often, until everything is fragrant and soft (around 4-5 minutes). Turn off the heat and let it cool down.

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Step 7- Once butternut squash is roasted, take the squash out of the oven and let it cool down enough to handle, about 5-7 minutes. Then use a large spoon to scoop out all the pulp into a blender jar and discard the tough skin.

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Step 8- Transfer the cooked onion, garlic mixture into your blender also with a couple of spoonful of the water/vegetable stock and blend the mixture into a smooth puree.

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Step 9- Now pour over the blended mixture into the same pan in which you have sautéed the onion and garlic.

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Step 10- Depending on how thin or thick you like your soup, you can now add the remaining water or stock and gently reheat.

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Step 11- Now season it with salt and pepper and check the seasoning if it’s perfect. Let it simmer for 3-4 minutes and then turn off the heat.

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 Step 12- Lastly add some lime juice into the soup and stir well. I like this soup little sweet and tangy that's why I add lime juice into my soup but this is totally optional; you can skip this step. 
Soup is now ready to serve. Ladle the soup into serving bowls, garnish it with some pumpkin seeds and serve hot with garlic bread or croutons. Enjoy!

Recipe Note-

If you find that you have put too much stock in, it isn't a problem, just place the soup into a saucepan and slowly boil until the soup has reduced to the consistency that you want.