Butternut Squash just happens to be one of the healthier things you can eat, and this recipe is totally delicious!
I think of this soup as, “Comfort Food to the Max”, because it warms me somehow to the bone and makes me feel awesomely nourished.
This squash is harvested from early fall through winter and can be found at most grocery stores and farmers’ markets. I easily find it at my local organic grocer all year round (remember to always look for organic). It’s very high in fibre, very low in calories but absolutely delicious in taste. It also can prevent a host of ailments and chronic diseases with it’s supercharged anti-oxidants and vitamins and minerals.
(Did you know – It’s actually a ‘fruit’ because it contains seeds?)
Here’s why you want to eat this incredible vegetable:
- Fight cancer and more: Just a little bit of this squash will release the power of beta-carotene. Your body converts this super-nutrient to vitamin A. Just one cup of butternut squash provides nearly five times the USDA’s daily recommended dose of 3,000 IU. Some of the benefits are the power to ward off skin disorders, bone health, Vitamin B6 , age-related vision loss and even leukemia. Butternut squash may also have anti-inflammatory effects because of its high antioxidant content. Incorporating more of this hearty winter staple into your diet could help reduce risk of inflammation-related disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis and asthma.
- Reverse smoking damage (but who smokes anyway??): A cancer causing agent in cigarettes creates a vitamin A deficiency that can lead to emphysema, but eating foods rich in vitamin A, like butternut squash can reduce your chances of developing the disease. It appears to help with the formation and maintenance of healthy hair, skin, nails, and scalp and it also helps us with our vision and to see in dim light. In poorer countries where there is a shortage of healthier foods, you will see children with very compromised eyesight and malnourishment would be the culprit. Vitamin A is also necessary for proper and optimal bone growth and tooth development.
- Maintain heart health and more: Fibre and potassium protects against heart disease and high blood pressure. Just one cup of this amazing veggie provides nearly 3 grams of fibre (makes it exceptionally heart-healthy) and more than 10% of the USDA’s daily recommendation potassium (4000 mg). It is also a good source of folate, which has been linked to fewer heart disease deaths in a recent American Journal of Cardiology study and folate also protects against birth defects such as spina bifida.
Butternut Squash Soup
Ingredients:
(makes enough for 10+ people)
2 large squash, (cut in half length wise like the picture above) sprinkle the halves with cinnamon
4 tbsp olive oil
2 medium size yellow onions, diced
½ tsp hot chili flakes
2 tbsp grated fresh ginger- must be fresh!!!
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp sea salt
8 cups of veggie stock
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 cup coconut milk (more or less to suit your taste)
Preparation:
- Place squash halves in 2 13×9 pans. Spray pans with non-stick spray. Rub the squash with oil and then Sprinkle squash with cinnamon and baked covered with foil for about 45 minutes to one hour. Note: must be soft and mushy when tested. If not done, leave in longer.
- In a stockpot, over medium heat sauté the onions in oil for 5 minutes. Add the chili flakes and sauté for 5 minutes more. Lastly add ginger, garlic, salt and sauté for 2 minutes more.
- When squash is ready in oven, let cool for a bit so you don’t hurt yourself, scoop out the squash. It should very easily be removed from the skin. If not, you didn’t cook it long enough. Add Squash to the stockpot with the sauteed onions and other spices and along with the 8 cups of veggie stock. Simmer for about 15 minutes to allow flavours to combine and deepen. Add the maple syrup.
- Put the soup in a blender and blend until smooth (for me I love it the smoother the better- just like velvet)
- Then add coconut milk after it has simmered. Coconut milk can ‘break’ if boiled and that can hurt the look of your soup.
- Return to the pot and warm again and serve
(that ‘s a drizzle of coconut milk swirled in the centre)
Note: You can freeze this soup and when you don’t have time to cook in the kitchen – you’ll have a quick healthy dinner. Freeze in smaller containers so you can literally put the frozen soup in a pot. (Never use a microwave – a microwave kills food and changes the genetic composition of it)
Enjoy!
23 Comments
Sounds delicious! Can't wait to try it out =)
TOTALLY MAKING THIS!!!
Made this (twice!) for mother’s day this year. . . and it was amazing!!! Added a bit more ginger and coconut milk (as suggested) and it turned out great. Super easy to make, and everyone (even some reluctant family members) loved it! Thanks for the recipe, and can’t wait to try out some more 🙂
Made this for the family and it was a hit!! I added a bit more ginger as well, and it was delicious. I’m making more today 🙂
I made this squash soup yesterday, and it turned out very tasty, it is a great recipe. Sometimes I bought the squash soup from the restaurants or from stores, but you can’t compare to this home made squash soup. Thank you Kelly, for this super recipe.
Fantastic! Delicious, deep flavour and velvety texture. A nice heat, without being spicy. Other squash soups I’ve made remind me of baby food…this could never be mistaken for a bland puree!
It would go well with fish or seafood, serve beautifully as a light first course or for lunch every day at work. This was a big hit with my family. Thank you, I just found my go-to recipe for butternut squash season!
Pingback: The Best Butternut Squash Soup Ever | Sarah Remmer Nutrition Consulting
Just made this. How many calories and serving size?
Made this soup twice although I cut it in half since it’s just too of us. It’s absolutely delicious I’m so happy I found this recipe, I’ve also been sharing it with friends.mi also toasted the seeds with a bit of olive oil and spices for an extra treat or garnish for the soup!
This is some of the best butternut squash soup I’ve ever had- better than some I’ve had at restaurants. What an amazing recipe. I followed it exactly but added only 3/4 cup of coconut milk and a tad more maple syrup for sweetness. Thanks for sharing!
I absolutely love this soup. My mother-in-law & I are the only ones who eat it, so we freeze it. Still just as tasty. Thanks so much for a great recipe!
I made this this past weekend and have shared it with 5 people with very different pallets and everyone loved it. Definitely the best butternut squash recipe i’ve made to date.
Oh and love that your from Southern Ontario. Thanks.
You are more than welcome! Good stuff comes from Southern Ontario 🙂
xo
I didn’t see a temperature for baking the squash in the recipe and was wondering what you recommend?
I bake it at 375F – hope this helps! Sorry of the omission. 🙂
Just made it and it’s absolutely delicious!!!
Very yummy 🙂 I put in more ginger like many said in the comments but its too much for me. Added 3 tbsp of maple syrup instead of 2 and used whipping cream instead of coconut milk as i dont like coconut. The cream i added before the blender and did it just a bit at a time to taste. I would also leave out the chili flake next time.
So delicious! I’m setting aside my old squash soup recipe and giving this one it’s proper prominence.
I noticed your comment about microwave ovens. Would you share your research on this subject? Perhaps in a future blog post?
I love this soup, but I think my next batch will have 1/2 the ginger. My freshly ground ginger was an overwhelming taste and we lost some of the squash flavour. This is such a great add-on for lunches and I will definitely freeze portions of the next batch for later. The last batch didn’t last long enough to bother freezing (it was consumed with great enthusiasm!).
How awesome is that! Thank you for sharing…..xo
Not every ‘fresh’ ginger is created equal. 🙂
Hi,
I’ve made this soup a couple of times and have really enjoyed it – thank you for sharing the recipe! However, I always struggle to know what weight “2 large squash” would be, as this can be subjective. I buy large butternut squash from a farm (about 10lbs), and they’re so much larger than any you would find in a grocery store!.
Thank you.
Great point 🙂 I would suggest 2 x 2lb butternut squashes. That’s about the size I use.
10 pounds must be massive! It’s funny!! I have never measured it once cut as I eyeball it pretty accurately.
I hope I’ve answered your question and I’m going to make a point of measuring the squash once I cut it up.
Thanks!
Kelly
Thank you 🙂