I finally hit on a perfect recipe for one of our favorite soups. This Butternut Squash soup recipe evolved over the years, but clearly came from researching a couple old Kentucky cookbooks. The “roasting” preparation technique makes all the difference once my slow mind realized that many of the great forgotten cooks took the time to slow roast vegetables rather than simply boiling them, or sautéing them at high heat.
Why do I think it is perfect? Well, we have tasted butternut squash soups for over 50 years, all over the country. More importantly, my wife Debbie just told me she wasn’t hungry at all, since we had a late breakfast. After I handed her a small bowl of the soup I said, “just take a spoonful and I think you’ll change your mind”. Two minutes later, the entire bowl was gone. She also asked how I made it so sweet without adding any sugar or sweetener (many recipes call for brown sugar or maple syrup), since I’m on a low carbohydrate diet while trying to win a family bet at an upcoming family reunion. The roasting was the key, as a slight caramelization of the “naturally” sweet squash, carrot and Granny Smith apple were roasted.
Of course, this recipe is a great fall warming soup but here in Kentucky it came about because we just harvested our first butternut squash from our Kentucky garden, along with fresh sage. Anyway, I strongly suggest you try this and follow the recipe. You won’t be disappointed, and coincidentally it fits very well with my Keto diet. (Yep, I had a family reunion bet with 3 other old Grandfathers, and lost 34 pounds in two months….I hate to lose a bet you know.)
And just for grandson Pryce Jordan, I made the following video of this recipe. I did it by myself and it’s not a great video, and it’s hosted by an old Grampa, but the good news is that it’s short (5 minutes). Also, if you want to make this recipe remember that the exact measurements and the recipe itself is contained in this post. Such is life.
”ButternutSquashSoup”
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Butternut Squash (about a 2 -3 pounder will do)
1 Granny Smith Apple
1 Carrot
1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder
1 Tablespoon Onion Powder
2 Teaspoons of Salt
1 Teaspoon of Pepper
1 Cup Chicken Stock
1 Cup Vegetable Broth
2 Tablespoons of Fresh Chopped Sage
2 Tablespoons of Fresh Chopped Basil
1/4 Teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper
1/8 Teaspoon of Ground Cinnamon
1/8 Teaspoon of Nutmeg
1/2 Teaspoon of Smoked Paprika
3/4 Cup of Heavy Cream
Directions
- Peel squash and be sure to peel off any green veins.
- Cut squash in half, remove all seeds, and clean.
- Dice the squash.
- Peel and dice the carrot.
- Peel the Granny Smith Apple, remove the core and then dice it.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Spread the oil on a baking sheet.
- Place the diced squash, carrot and apple on the baking sheet.
- Mix the baking sheet items with the oil.
- Sprinkle the salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder on all the baking sheet items, and mix them up again.
- Spread the squash, carrot and apple in one layer on the baking sheet.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes but watch them roast. Once they are just slightly caramelized, remove them from the oven, and place them in a large soup pan.
- Pour the stock and broth over the roasted squash, carrot and apple mixture.
- Add the chopped sage, chopped basil, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg and smoked paprika.
- Bring the soup to a boil.
- Then use an immersion blender to blend all the soup ingredients.
- The soup should be thick at this point but still liquid. If necessary, add a little more vegetable broth if needed.
- Add the cream and then “warm” the soup on very low heat to your desired serving temperature.
