Butternut Squash Soup

What could be more satisfying than a warm bowl of soup on a cool day? This scrumptious roasted butternut squash soup isn’t just a great way to warm up, it’s also an amazing combination of fall flavors that will satisfy your craving for flavor. When it comes to comfort food, this butternut squash soup is just what you need!

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Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

This roasted butternut squash soup is perfect for cooler weather. It's so easy to make, yet the flavors combine to make a bowl of soup that is bursting with flavor. It's lusciously smooth and creamy, but don't hesitate to add some bacon or ham if you want something a bit more substantial.

Servings

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 cup sliced carrots
• 3 whole garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 tsp Kosher salt, divided (or to taste)
• 1 3-1/2 pound butternut squash, halved lengthwise, and seeded
• 6 cups chicken broth + more if needed
• 2 Tbsp maple syrup
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup creme fraiche
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh chives or rosemary, for garnish
• 1 Tbsp pumpkin seeds, for garnish

Servings Ingredients 1 Tbsp olive oil 1 onion, chopped 1 cup sliced carrots 3 whole garlic cloves, peeled 2 tsp Kosher salt, divided (or to taste) 1 3-1/2 pound butternut squash, halved lengthwise, and seeded 6 cups chicken broth + more if needed 2 Tbsp maple syrup 1 pinch cayenne pepper 1/2 cup creme fraiche 1 Tbsp chopped fresh chives or rosemary, for garnish 1 Tbsp pumpkin seeds, for garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400° F.
2. In a large roasting pan, drizzle the olive oil. Add onion, carrots, whole garlic cloves, and a pinch of Kosher salt. Toss until everything is coated with the olive oil. Place the squash halves, flesh side up, on top of the chopped vegetables. Sprinkle squash with some additional Kosher salt.
3. Place roasting pan in the preheated oven and roast until the butternut squash is just tender, about 1 hour. It should be easy to pierce it with a fork or tip of a knife. Remove from oven and let the vegetables cool a little.
4. When the butternut squash is cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh and place it in a large stock pot with the other roasted vegetables. Add the chicken broth and maple syrup. Over high heat, bring the pot to a simmer. Reduce heat to low; simmer slowly about 45 to 60 minutes to allow the flavors to blend. Remove from heat.
5. With an immersion blender, blend soup until very smooth. You can also use a stand blender by working in batches. After blending, pass the soup through a fine mesh sieve to remove any fibrous bits.
6. If the soup seems like it's too thick, simply add a bit more water or chicken broth to bring it to the desired consistency. Stir in a pinch of Kosher salt to taste, and the cayenne pepper. Serve soup hot with a dollop of crème fraiche and some chopped fresh chives or rosemary. Sprinkle with a few pumpkin seeds.

Recipe Notes

*Before adding the maple syrup, taste the soup to see if it needs any sweetener.

You can purchase crème fraiche in many grocery stores, but you can also make a pretty good mock crème fraiche with a few simple ingredients you probably already have on hand. Homemade crème fraiche is easy to make, and when using it to top a scrumptious soup, like this Roasted Butternut Squash Soup, it can add an extra touch of flavor that will complement the soup perfectly.

Homemade Crème Fraiche

• 1 tablespoon buttermilk
• 1 cup heavy cream (preferably not ultra-pasteurized cream)

Warm the heavy cream to about 85° F, then stir in the buttermilk. Place this mixture in a glass jar with an air tight lid. Let the jar sit in a warm spot in your kitchen until the mixture thickens. This should take about 12 to 24 hours; then, give the mixture a stir. When your mock crème fraiche is done, it should have the consistency of of sour cream (after it’s been stirred). The amount of time it takes to thicken will depend on a number of factors, including the type of cream you use as well as the temperature in your kitchen.

If the crème fraiche is too thin, place a piece of cheesecloth in a fine mesh sieve over a bowl; pour the crème fraiche into the sieve, and place the entire bowl and sieve into the refrigerator and let the mixture sit until it reaches the desired consistency. If you use ultra pasteurized cream, you’ll likely need to do this step.

Crème fraiche is a rich, slightly tangy cream that is delicious with fruit desserts, over fruit on waffles or pancakes, as a garnish in soups, or even stirred into pasta dishes.

This mock crème fraiche can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.