Butternut Squash Soup

by Micah Gray

I first made this super easy squash soup one night when I had no idea what I was going to feed my family for dinner, and then…I remembered that I had some butternut squash from my farm share. We were eating in less than an hour, and most of that “cooking” time was unattended! It serves 4, but you can scale it up or down to your liking – you’ll get about 2 servings from each squash. Pop any leftovers in the freezer for a night when you don’t feel like cooking. For vegan preparation, substitute coconut milk for the whole milk, and soy sauce for the worcestershire. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 medium butternut squash
1 quart vegetable or chicken stock
1 cup whole milk, or coconut milk
2 TB pure maple syrup
1 tsp worcestershire
2 TB olive oil, plus more for garnish 1 TB parsley, roughly chopped
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Chili flake, to taste

Method:

  • Pre-heat oven to 400F.

  • Split each squash in half lengthwise. Remove seeds and membrane – optional for garnish: separate the seeds

    from the membrane, toss the seeds in a bowl with 1 tsp of olive oil, salt, pepper (and any other seasonings

    desired), spread them out on a baking sheet and roast for 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp.

  • Coat the flesh of the squash halves w/ olive oil, and season with salt, pepper, and optionally korean (or other

    mild) chili flakes.

  • Turn the squash flesh-side down onto a parchment- or foil-lined baking sheet, and roast in the oven at 400F

    for 30-40 minutes, or until the flesh is soft and can be easily pierced with a knife, with little resistance.

    Remove squash from the oven, flip flesh-side up and allow to cool for 10 minutes.

  • Hand-blender method:

    Using a large spoon, scoop the flesh out of the squash skins and into a large pot, along with any juices that accumulated in the baking sheet. Add the stock and milk to the pot, and blend with a hand-held blender on medium speed until a smooth purée is formed. Add the maple syrup and worcestershire, and stir to combine.

  • Stand-blender method:

    Using a large spoon, scoop the flesh out of the squash skins and into a stand-blender, along with any juices that accumulated in the baking sheet. Add the maple syrup and worcestershire, and blend on medium speed until a smooth purée is formed. Transfer the purée to a large pot on the stove top.

  • Bring purée to a boil on the stove, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve in bowls and garnish with chopped parsley, roasted seeds, and a drizzle of olive oil.

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