I love when I find a new ingredient to adore in the kitchen. I have started a mad love affair with butternut squash and I can’t wait to share with you a delicious dairy-free butternut squash soup that tastes creamy and sinful while actually be healthy for you. It is a butternut squash soup that will convert any squash hater into a lover of this fabulous and frugal ingredient.
It can be very easy to make a flavorless butternut squash soup. Without the right balance of spices and ingredients, it can taste a bit like indulging in a jar of baby food. What sets this soup apart from other recipes is the heat from a little curry, the warmth of nutmeg, a creamy addition of one potato, the depth of flavor from a leek, the lightness of the chicken broth, and the unexpected crunchy topping of toasted pecans on top. This unexpected list of ingredients truly yield a complex soup that offers layers of flavors that will have your guests wondering just what exactly is in the soup that can create such depth.
One investment that I have made into my kitchen is an inexpensive handheld immersion blender. Transferring soup to my blender usually ends in catastrophe and the immersion blender has paid for its space in my kitchen over and over again while preparing my favorite fall drinks and soups in my kitchen. I can’t recommend this little gadget enough- it is a game changer for soup preparation!
What makes this soup less labor intensive than other butternut squash soup recipes is the simple preparation of preparing the butternut squash with the skin on (be sure to check out my tutorial) and roasting the potato alongside the squash for your soup. Minimal blending and cooking will have to be done once these have been roasted and it makes the soup come together more quickly for an easy weeknight meal.
I have never become more quickly addicted to soup than I have to this one. I guarantee that this is the perfect soup to add to your soup rotations in the Fall and provides just the right warmth in your belly on these chilly Fall nights.
| Butternut Squash Soup With Toasted Pecans |
- 1 large leek
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 potato, cooked and cubed
- 4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
- Freshly ground black pepper and sea salt, to taste
- 1/8 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
- 1 small pinch of curry powder
- 1/3 cup toasted pecans, chopped
- Heat oven to 400 degrees. Pierce the skin of the squash and the potato with a fork a few times. Place them on a cookie sheet and roast them for one hour. Pull them from the oven and set them aside to cool.
- Halve the leek lengthwise, rinse thoroughly and chop the white and light green parts only. Discard the tough dark green parts. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add leek and sauté until they start to turn golden, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Add chopped garlic to the pot and sauté for one more minute.
- Grab your potato and squash from the cookie sheet.
- Peel the skin from the potato and dice. Set aside. Next, cut your squash in half. Scoop out the seeds and discard. Using a spoon, gently spoon out your squash for your soup. The squash should easily pull away from the skin.
- Add your squash, potato, broth, and seasonings to the pot and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for ten minutes. Let soup cool slightly. In a food processor or with a handheld immersion blender, purée the soup until smooth or to your own desired texture. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Toast pecans at 350 degrees on a baking sheet for five minutes. Watch carefully to not burn them.
- Scoop soup into soup bowls and top with a sprinkling of toasted pecans.
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One of our family’s favorite weeknight meals is a big batch of our favorite weeknight chicken enchiladas. The first recipe I ever tried instructed me how to make my own homemade enchilada sauce to go along with our yummy enchiladas. I had never made enchiladas before so I assumed that a homemade enchilada sauce was the only way to make this recipe. Once I made and realized how easy it was to make my own sauce though, I never once considered buying my enchilada sauce.
Hip-Hip-Hooray! Tailgating season is finally here and today I wanted to showcase to you twelve great dishes you can take with you to your next tailgating event. After all, what tailgating event would be complete without a great dish to share with friends?
