with all the beautiful squash & pumpkins surrounding us at the farmer's market, a squash soup is one of my go to october dishes to make. it is so cozy & results in such a beautifully fall coloured soup. i know a lot of us are always looking for ways to use butternut squash & pie pumpkins, so look no further! while i used butternut squash, this soup will work just as perfectly with roasted pie pumpkin or a mixture of the two. adding the tartness of the granny smith apples helps bring all the flavours together & offset the sweet roasted squash. i think the apple is the secret ingredient that sets this soup apart from all the other fall soups.
i like to garnish this dish with a touch of heavy cream, pepitas & a sprinkle of chili flakes for a little heat. however, if you want to make this soup vegan, use an unsweetened almond/coconut based creamer such as nut pods. the little touch of cream is what really gives this soup that silky smooth texture.
to make this soup i used the strate by cristel stew pan & guess what? i am giving one of these versatile pans away on instagram!!!!! the strate line is a french made collection of stainless saucepans & cookware with a modern design. all of cristel's pots & pans offer removable handles & grips, so not only can you switch it from a sauce pot to a double handled pot, but you don't need to add the handles until you are ready to remove the pot from the stove! this means no more reaching for oven mits or burning your hands on hot handles. you can just serve this soup straight from the pan! to enter my giveaway, head on over here. trust me, this pan is a game changer in your kitchen.
p.s. don't forget about the stovetop beef bourguignon i made last month! with the current weather, these two recipes will warm you from the inside out.
ingredients
- 1 medium butternut squash, peeled & diced
- 2 granny smith apples, diced
- 2 tablespoons + 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon + 1 teaspoon thyme
- salt & pepper, to taste
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 3 celery sticks, chopped
- 2 medium carrots, chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
- 1/4 cup heavy cream, plus more for serving
- pepitas, for serving
- chili flakes, for serving
directions
- in a large mixing bowl toss together the butternut squash cubes, apple cubes, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of thyme, salt & pepper.
- transfer mixture to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. roast at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
- while the vegetables are roasting, prepare the soup base. in a saucepot over medium heat add the olive oil, onion, celery, carrots, garlic & thyme. cook until the vegetables begin to soften, about 10 minutes.
- add the roasted squash mixture to the pot, season with salt & pepper.
- add the vegetable stock & bring mixture to a simmer. with the lid on, simmer for 25-30 minutes. remove the pot from the heat.
- using an immersion blender puree the soup until smooth. if you do not have an immersion blender, use a regular blender & puree the soup in batches. be very careful not to burn yourself!
- once pureed, whisk in the heavy cream.
- when ready to serve, drizzle soup with additional cream. finish off with a sprinkle of pepitas & chili flakes.
