Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup – Legend of the Fall

This roasted butternut squash soup is probably my favorite fall soup of all time, which is why I’m so shocked we haven’t posted a video for it before. It’s cheap, easy, nutritious, and absolutely delicious; and should probably go into the once-a-week rotation for a few months at least.

As I mention in the video, there’s really no great reason to simmer this for an hour like I did, but I think it does help harmonize the flavors, not to mention humidify your home. A cold, rainy day just looks better through steamed-up windows.

If you’re feeling like something a bit more substantial, try this topped with a handful of crispy bacon. Of course, I wouldn’t say no to some diced ham either. Add a hard roll, and you can’t get a better autumn meal. I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!


Ingredients for 6 portions:
For the sage brown butter:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
6-8 large sage leaves (or a lot of tiny leaves like I used in the video)
For the soup:
3 1/2 pound butternut squash
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 chopped onion
1 cup sliced carrots
6 garlic cloves, peeled
sage-infused brown butter
2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
6 cups chicken broth, plus more if needed
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (or other vinegar)
cayenne to taste
creme fraiche and chive to garnish

44 comments:

Kristin RAD said...

I made this last night! I roasted apples and onions with my squash then added some paprika and cinnamon for a fall flavor. I will definitely try this one next time.

Lisa from Indiana said...

Ah..the cayenne blessing!
I've got a squash on my counter waiting for this recipe!

Jasen said...

Look forward to trying this version. When prepping the squash i also trim the bottom of the squash so it stands flat on the cutting board when slicing downwards

Azi said...

Chef, my wife keeps kosher - so which of these will work better?
Sage infused duck fat
Or
Vegetable broth and all the saucy products mentioned
Thanks!
AG

s00p said...

Just a tip. If you wanna impress your friends make some extra sage butter for people to add themselves on top of their soup for some heterogeneous flavour kicks. Just had green pea soup with mint flavoured olive oil on top following the same principle and it was very exciting.

Unknown said...

Chef John, I just made this and it turned out amazing. My roomates loved it too. Thank you!

qwerty3729 said...

Chef John; for a more "beefy" flavor, can I swap the chicken stock for beef stock? (is this recommended?) Thanks!!

Unknown said...

Wonderful but some flavor was left out.
Take "guts" the seeds and fibers you scraped out and saute them in a little butter then add water and simmer for awhile. Strain and use that broth as the "water".

in_jin_jo said...

Chef John,

I made this last night and it was truly restaurant quality soup. The flavors were deep and complex. I was worried about the brown butter part but I did it. But because I didn't have an emersion blender, putting it into a conventional blender took some skill. I think you should show this step to folks who don't know how to safely blend hot soup. Otherwise it was a really delicious recipe.

Anonymous said...

I made this tonight and it was delicious! All your recipes bring joy to my household!

Unknown said...

Making this now . . . did you cover while simmering?

Chef John said...

I didn't cover. For future reference, if I did I would have shown that in the video for sure. Enjoy!

Unknown said...

Thanks! Although I burned some of the carrots and onions, my wife said "it tastes like Fall! Fall in my mouth!"

Chef John said...

Some of the veggies are supposed to burn! So, well done. :)

tracyoga said...

Do you recommend a specific type of Maple syrup?

Anonymous said...

This was amazing! I did have to adjust some due to a smaller squash. I may leave the vinegar out next time. I will be making this for thanksgiving. More soup equals less calorie laden side dishes.

Angela said...

Just made this recipe and it is one of the best I have had. Definitely going on the Thanksgiving dinner menu.

Unknown said...

Awesome soup Chef! Quick question. I have been thinking about buying a new immersion blender (my current one is not really getting things to the consistency that I am looking for). Do you have any recommendations? Thanks!

Chef John said...

Sorry, but i don't do recs! Going by the highest rated on Amazon is usually a safe bet.

sierra said...

Can you use any stainless Stella pan if it's all stainless?

Unknown said...

Every recipe I have tried of yours gas bwen a winner. Made this today and it was delicious. Thank you!

Chelsea Schorr said...

Hello Chef John! I am a long time follower and lover of your videos and recipes. I am anxious to make your butternut squash soup, however, I have a dilemma- I cook dinner for a kosher family and was hoping to pair this soup with a roasted chicken. Since kosher rules are inherently against combining dairy and meat, would it be possible to substitute the butter in this soup for a margarine (or coconut oil)? I am well aware of the goodness butter imparts but was hoping to hear your opinion. Thank you! And as always...

Unknown said...

It came out too dark, thin, and too tart. :(

Becky512 said...

OMG - the is an awesome soup! My family LOVED it and I will be making it again soon since we only had a small amount of leftovers and everyone is fighting over them. Once again Chef John delivers a terrific recipe. This is my go-to site when looking for an awesome recipe to try. Thanks again Chef John!

Grey Lensman said...

My wife has been on a liquid diet(post surgery) for a month. We made this together today because tomorrow is the first day for soft foods. Celebrating the next stage. This soup is balanced, delicious, and is our lunch tomorrow The bit of vinegar takes it to a higher plane. I will make this again. Very good. Watch the oven because the vegies were done before the squash.(too fine a chop?) Excellent!! I am looking forward to trying something new.

James said...

Another "Hit out of the ballpark"! Now that the cold weather is upon us in the midwest, I'm tending to prepare more soups for dinner and this was a real hit with the family. I only doubled up the recipe to feed six, but it was the best I've ever done. Thank You so much for your recipes (and videos), they have helped me become a better provider for my family!

Areta said...

Thank you, Chef John! I followed your recipe and the soup was delicious.

Anonymous said...

Absosouply gordgeous

Cristopher said...

I just tried out this recipe and it turned out great. I am happy to see that more people are using butternut squash in their daily meals, it really is one of my favorite vegetables. I love using seasonal ingredients and now that it is almost winter this soup is what I turn to most of the time. Thank you for posting this yummy recipe!

Cristopher @ Lamoraga Restaurant

S/V Blondie-Dog said...

Greetings Chef! I'll has ya' done knows dat' I done made me my first butternut squash soup and it was awesome! It was so good that it even made my finicky lady-friend's toes curl up tight on multiple occasions it was dat' darned good. Thanks! You're da' best! And my lady-friend thanks you as well!

Unknown said...

Just made this soup exactly like you did, and by exact I mean I changed several things because I am the Duke of my Soup.

~AKG~ said...

Just made this soup, the first of your recipes that I've tried, and this is excellent! I will be trying your other recipes in the future. I added some green onions to the roasting. They got pretty dark, but after straining, it was just fine. Great recipe, Chef!

Unknown said...

This looks so good, I remember my mother making this very same soup when I was a kid, and I loved it

Easy Tomato Soup Recipe

Unknown said...

Debbie, Chef John doesn't post the nutritional values for his recipes. I did plug this into myfitness pal though since I would like to make it again sometime soon. Not including the creme fresh but doubling olive oil listed (looks like more than 1 tbsp in the video), it breaks down to this per serving:

286 calories
11 grams of fat
46 grams of carbs
6 grams of protein

Rain Check said...

Thank you CJ, you got me cooking with a smile again. MR

NJones said...

Hi Chef John,

Can this be made the night before? I plan to make this the night before and reheat/season the next day on the stove. Will the taste/texture suffer if I do that? Huge fan of yours!

nicomima said...

Another delicous recipe, I made this a tonight for dinner. Impressed the hubby as usual. Served with naan bread hummus pizzas with roasted veggies on top. Went fancy on soup and simple on entre. Your recipes are the best, I know I can follow them to a T and they will turn out amaizing.



Todd Little said...

This is the best butternut squash soup I've ever tried. Hands down, the best.

JKS said...

I made this tonight and we are about to eat it! Tastes good to me - I hope my husband and 16 year old daughter like it!

Unknown said...

I am officially on a chef John recipe roll, haha! Yesterday I made cheater perogies which were a hit and today it's this soup paired with wild greens salad. Simply delish

Unknown said...

Do you remove sage leaves before using the butter?

Unknown said...

Do you remove sage leaves from the butter before using it?

Anonymous said...

So yummy! I also added some thyme as well. Thank you!

Unknown said...

Can anyone tell me how this soup handles as leftovers in the fridge or freezer? At most I cook for a max of two people but I really want to make this.