Butternut Squash Soup

One of my favorite butternut squash soup recipes.

Nov 1, 2006

Celery, leeks and Granny Smith apples flavor this hearty butternut squash bisque.

Feel free to play around with the spices in this butternut squash soup to satisfy your own tastes. The apples, cinnamon and nutmeg make it a sweet soup. If you prefer something more savory, increase the amount of garlic and cut back on the cinnamon and nutmeg.

It's easy to make this soup a vegetarian recipe. Just substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth. But don't omit the sherry. It really brings out the soup's flavor.

Many supermarkets now sell pre-peeled, cubed butternut squash in 20 oz. packages. It's a great timesaver. Just be sure to cut the cubes into smaller, bite-sized chunks, so they cook evenly.

I make this soup in my favorite dutch oven. If you're looking to buy a new dutch oven, check out my article on shopping for dutch ovens for my best recommendations.

Butternut Squash Soup

2 Tbsp. olive oil
5 cups peeled, seeded, cubed butternut squash
1/4 cup diced celery
1 medium onion, diced
1 leek, cleaned and diced
1 Tbsp. butter
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and chopped
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
4 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
1/2 cup sherry
1 cup half and half (or whole milk)
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add butternut squash, onion, leek and celery, stirring gently until squash is soft and browned, about 8-10 minutes. Add butter and garlic to saucepan. Stir in apples, spices and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, approximately 30 minutes.

Using an immersion blender, puree soup (or transfer to a blender to pureee in batches). Return soup to pot and mix in sherry, half and half, salt and pepper. Heat until warm. Garnish with chopped walnuts if desired.

Serves 8.

Per serving: 248 calories, 14 g fat, 15 mg cholesterol, 531 mg sodium, 27 g carbohydrate, 5 g fiber, 6 g protein, 194% Vitamin A, 40% Vitamin C, 12% calcium, 11% iron.