There are so many Butternut Squash Soup recipes out there that I was honestly not planning on sharing another one. However, we love this soup so much that I have been wanting to make it for a while. It turned out so good and so easy that I had to share it. The fact that the soup ended up with an incredible color did not hurt either – something that was super exciting and challenging to photograph.
You can perfectly use store-bought cubed butternut squash (why not?), I use them all the time. Still, I prefer to use the whole fresh butternut squash when I have the time to cut it in halves and roast it. And yes, the only tricky part here is to cut it.
How to cut and make Butternut Squash Soup
I learned how to cut butternut squash by watching a video of Alton Brown and added another layer of safety by using a kitchen towel to preserve all my fingers.
- Preheat the oven to 400° Fahrenheit (200° Celsius).
- Cut both ends of the squash and then rest it sideways on a kitchen towel, over a cutting board – that way, it won’t swing or roll. Mark the way through with a very sharp chef knife (one with also a strong blade), then push and use the help of a rubber head hammer to cut all the way through.
- Remove the seeds with a spoon, brush the flesh of the squash with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
- Bake face down for 30 minutes, or until fork-tender.
- Saute the onion with the garlic, add the herbs, deglaze the pan with wine and place the mix in the blender. Scoop the roasted butternut squash and add it to the blender with the broth, cream cheese, spices, fresh ginger, and process.
- Transfer the soup to the pot to warm up and it is ready to serve.
Ingredients and substitutions to make Butternut Squash Soup
- Olive oil
- Butternut squash
- Chicken or Vegetable broth
- White wine or Marsala Wine (optional)
- Sweet onion
- Garlic
- Fresh Ginger
- Sage
- Thyme
- Cardamom or Cinnamon – I prefer Cardamom
- Cream cheese, heavy cream, or Creme Fraiche
- Salt and pepper
I don’t use maple syrup or brown sugar in my recipe – have tried it and for me, it is not necessary. However, the use of fresh ginger makes all the difference. The fresh ginger enhances the sweetness of the squash. The addition of cardamom gives some warmness to the soup. Fresh thyme and fresh sage infuse all those fall flavors we love so much.
Serve with a splash of greek yogurt, sage-infused croutons, and pumpkin seeds.
I am so into soups this fall. I have been craving my roasted parsnip soup so much, it is so good this season!
Remember to leave a comment below, tag me here or here so that I can see what you’re making this fall guys!
Butternut Squash Soup with Ginger and Cardamom
Sweet and warm, and comes together so quickly. You will love welcoming soup season with this easy Butternut Squash Soup!
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp of Olive oil, divided
- 1 medium Butternut Squash - about 3 lbs or 1.5 kg whole
- 1 sweet onion. chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 to 4 cups of vegetable or chicken broth - I used 3.5 cups
- 6 leaves of fresh sage, julienned
- 1 tsp of fresh thyme
- 1 tsp of fresh ginger, grated
- 1/2 tsp of cardamom, ground
- 1/4 of a cup of white wine or Marsala wine (optional)
- 3 tbs of cream cheese - I used 1/3 less fat
- 1/2 tsp of salt to taste
- 1/2 tsp of white or black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400° Fahrenheit.
- Cut the ends of the butternut squash with a sharp chef knife. Rest it sideways on a kitchen towel - so it won't roll or swing, over a cutting board. Mark the way through with a very sharp chef knife (one with also a strong blade), then push and use the help of a rubber head hammer or a mullet to cut all the way through. Remove the pulp and the seeds with a spoon.
- Brush 1 tsp of olive oil all over the flesh of the butternut squash and season with salt and pepper.
- Place the halves of the butternut squash on a baking sheet face down, and bake for 30 minutes or until fork-tender.
- Heat 1 tbs of olive oil at medium-high heat and add the onion, saute for a couple of minutes, add salt, pepper, and garlic. Stir and add thyme and sage. Cook until fragrant and onion is translucent. Add the wine, if using, to deglaze the pan and remove the bits of the bottom.
- Place the onion mixture in the blender, scoop the roasted butternut squash, and add the broth. Process for a few seconds and add cream cheese, fresh ginger, and cardamom. Process in the hot soup cycle, if using a high-performance blender. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if necessary. If using an immersion blender, add the broth, scoop the butternut squash into the large saucepan. Add the freshly grated ginger, cardamom, and cream cheese. Process until smooth or until you obtain the desired consistency. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if necessary.
- Transfer the soup to the pan and reheat when ready to serve.
This soup is delicious as is or even better if served with a swirl of plain yogurt, pepitas (pumpkin seeds), sunflower seeds, and brown butter sage croutons. Recipe for the croutons in the notes.
Notes
For the brown butter-sage croutons: heat a couple of tbs of unsalted butter at medium-low heat with 3 chopped sage leaves and a pinch of thyme leaves (you can add a pinch of red pepper flakes to add some heat).
Heat the butter until fragrant, starts to foam, and turns light brown. Remove from heat and pour into a small bowl, add 1 tsp of olive oil and a pinch of salt, and mix.
Spread the bread on a baking sheet - I used half a Tuscan loaf and tore it into crouton pieces (about 1.5 to 2 cups of bread croutons) add the brown and herbs butter and mix until evenly coated. Bake at 350° Fahrenheit for about 15 minutes. Try not to eat them all before you serve the soup.
Nutrition Information
Yield 6 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 348Total Fat 5gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 3gCholesterol 8mgSodium 729mgCarbohydrates 63gFiber 19gSugar 16gProtein 12g
We made this soup today and it is perfect. You are amazing.
Hi Pat, you are! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know! Means a lot! So happy you enjoyed the recipe! 💕💕