Butternut squash soup can be made with sauteed cubes of squash, or, roast the squash whole in the oven then cut and scoop. Roasting whole saves the possibly risky task of cutting the hard squash with a sharp knife. Plan extra prep time if roasting. Either way, this is a super simple soup.
Prep Time15 minutesmins
Cook Time45 minutesmins
Ingredients
1butternut squash, 2.5-3lbs
3Tbsp.butter or olive oil
1leek, trimmed and slicedor about 3/4 cup diced yellow onion, plus 1-2 cloves chopped garlic
1-214.5ozcans chicken or vegetable broth
garnishsour cream or plain yogurt, optional
Instructions
Cut squash into cubes, or roast un-cut squash on a baking sheet in 400F oven until soft. Depending on size of squash, this will take 45-75 minutes. Roast until the skin browns and starts to separate from the squash and the flesh is soft to the touch. Cut in half lengthwise; remove seeds and discard. Scoop flesh from the skin and skip to sauteing leek or onion.
To cut raw squash, first cut off the long neck part of the squash. Cut the bulb part in half and scoop out the seeds with a sturdy metal spoon.
Use the heavy knife to slice vertically down to remove the skin, or use a heavy vegetable peeler. Cut into 3/4-inch cubes.
To slice leek, cut off the root end. Cut the leek lengthwise with a sharp knife; rinse well to remove dirt between layers. Slice again lengthwise into quarters. Then cut cross-wise about 1/4-inch slices.
Melt butter or heat olive oil in large (5-6qt) pot. Add leeks (or diced onion) and cook over medium heat until softened.
Add cubed or roasted squash to pot. Stir in enough broth to cover the squash. Bring to a boil; cover pot and simmer until squash is very tender, 15-20 minutes for cubes. If using roasted squash, cook until mixture is hot, breaking up the squash first with a spoon.
Remove from heat and cool slightly. Puree with hand-held immersion blender or carefully in a blender jar (never fill blender more than half with hot liquid; hold lid down and start on low speed as liquid may burst to the top when warm.)
Add additional broth or water to desired thickness. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with dollop of sour cream or plain yogurt.