This wonderful butternut squash based soup with vegetables and spices is packed with flavor!
It just happened I had a butternut squash and some great vegetables on hand to make this soup and boy was it satisfying! Butternut squash is such a great base for a soup as it give a nice and creamy texture with a bit of sweetness.
I happened to have a couple of red beets handy which enhanced the color to a beautiful dark orange!
What do you need for this butternut squash soup?
Butternut squash: This squash has a great taste and is perfect for a rich and creamy soup.
Red Beets: The beets add to the flavor and color profile.
Leeks: Leeks add flavor to the soup in a similar way onions would. You only need the white portion of the leeks.
Ginger: Ginger brings a bit of heat to the soup and give a nice warming feeling for a colder weather day!
Garlic: A couple of garlic cloves to add to the flavor profile.
Potato: The potato adds to the richness and texture of the soup.
Apple: The apple adds to the sweetness profile of the soup.
Spices: I went in with North African spices whic hgo very well with butternut squash. Coriander seeds and cumin.
Vegetable or Chicken Broth: Try to get your hands on homemade or organic broth if you can which is richer than what you would find at the supermarket.
How to make it?
The nice thing about this butternut squash soup is that its pretty easy to make!
Prep your ingredients
Peel your butternut squash, potatoes and apples.
Remove the seeds from the squash, core from the apples and roughly chop everything in similar sized 1 inch cubes.
Cut up the white part of the leeks in 1 inch thick pieces.
Peel you garlic and ginger and slice them up.
Cook the soup
Heat up your pot for the butternut squash soup and melt butter. Cook your leeks over low heat for 4-5 minutes and then add your ginger and garlic for a minute until fragrant.
Add your spices, chopped fruits and vegetables and finish with the broth until you fully cover the ingredients.
Bring to a boil, cover and set to low heat for 30 minutes.
Your final step is to blend your soup in batches and season with salt and pepper.
Dressing up the soup
There are many options to garnish your soup. Here are a few options:
Toasted nuts: I particularly like to toast pine nuts or almonds in a pan as a garnish. It adds a nutty flavor which combines really well with butternut squash.
Yogurt, sour cream or cream: Adding a dollop of yogurt, sour cream or a bit of cream balances out the heat of the ginger. You can mix it with lemon and lemon zest prior to serving.
Fresh chopped herbs: In this case I used chives but parsley will also do nicely.
Nut oil: I’ve dressed this soup with almond or hazelnut oil in the past which pairs really well with the butternut.
Ingredients
- 1 tsp of cumin
- 1 tbsp of peeled and sliced ginger
- 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 1 tbsp of coriander seeds
- 1 apple, roughly chopped
- 2 potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and roughly chopped
- 2 red beets, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp butter
- 3 leeks, white part chopped in 1 inch slices
- 5 cups of vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 tbsp of chopped chives
- 1 tbsp of pine nuts
- 1/4 cup of Greek yogurt for garnish
- Salt and Pepper
Instructions
- Peel your butternut squash, potatoes and apples.
- Remove the seeds from the squash, core from the apples and roughly chop everything in similar sized 1 inch cubes.
- Cut up the white part of the leeks in 1 inch thick pieces.
- Peel you garlic and ginger and slice them up.
- Heat up a cooking pot for the soup and melt butter.
- Cook your leeks over low heat for 4-5 minutes and then add your ginger and garlic for a minute until fragrant.
- Add your spices, chopped fruits and vegetables and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add broth until you fully cover the ingredients.
- Bring to a boil, cover and set to low heat for 30 minutes.
- During that time, get a small skillet to medium heat and toast pine nuts. they should be
- Browned slightly. Keep a good eye on them as they can burn easily.
- Turn off heat and blend your soup in batches
- Season with salt and pepper.
- To dress up the soup, add a dollop of yogurt in the middle of your bowl and sprinkle your toasted pine nuts and chopped chives.
Nutrition Information
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
