Butternut Squash Soup Recipe

An “off the hip” recipe.  This is a new series of posts where I will share the recipes that I randomly create.  Most of these will be quite simple.   Unlike our show recipes or our cookbook, these have not been triple or quadruple tested.  They are  spontaneous in nature and intended to spur your creativity.  

This butternut squash soup recipe was a necessity because my recent run on butternut squash recipes for In Good Taste cooking school left me with an abundance.  I had to do something with the lovely roasted squash, so I did what any savvy chef would do…I made butternut squash soup.

Serve this soup by itself for a light starter or lunch, or add to it some kind of protein to make it entree worthy.  Think sauteed mushrooms, hazelnuts cooked  in butter, shredded roast chicken, cubed roast turkey, etc.  Finish with a swirl of heavy cream, creme fraiche,  greek yogurt, truffle oil, or a pile of sharp white cheddar.

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Yield:  My Batch made about 1/2 Gallon

1. Begin by roasting the butternut squash. Slice in half on its axis, scoop out the seeds, and rub the cut surfaces with a thin layer of oil. Roast cut side up, on a lined baking sheet,  in an oven set to 325 degrees for 1.5-2 hours, or until soft. Allow to cool before handling.
2. Chop the parsnip and onion to a fine dice. Crush or mince the garlic.
3. Sauté the parsnip, onion, and garlic until tender in butter. Sprinkle in the paprika at this time too.
4. As the aromatics sauté, peel the skin away from the flesh of the butternut squash.
5. Add the flesh into the pot, stir it around, then add enough stock to cover the squash two-fold. Reserve remaining stock, you might need it at the end.
6. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce to a simmer. Simmer for about an hour.
7. Puree with a stick blender, traditional blender, or food mill. Note: I had success with the stick blender. Everything is soft enough that it worked like a charm for me.
8. Pour the Soup through a fine mesh strainer to remove all chunks.  To make this easy, pour the soup into 1-2 Large Pitchers, then position the strainer over the stockpot.  Pour the soup back into the stockpot through the strainer.  Use the back of your wooden spoon to push chunks through.
9. Add the cream. Bring back up to a boil. Adjust the soup to your liking.

• Add Stock if too thick.
• Simmer for longer if too thin.
• Add salt and white pepper to taste (wait until the soup is as thick as you desire and still simmering to do this)
• Add a bit of balsamic vinegar to ‘brighten’ the flavor