Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

I adore autumn. I love the leaves changing colour, I love the whole colour palette that fall is, I am mesmerized by September & October skies (how are they always so stunning!?), and I cherish the scents and flavours associated with fall.

I also adore soups. It's wonderful that fall is on the cusp of winter, because as temperatures drop, my appetite for soup increases. This is probably my favourite negative linear correlation.

The ultimate autumn soup is butternut squash soup, in my opinion. We already associate squash and pumpkin with fall, and soups are a welcome warming presence in these cooler months, so what better than a marriage of these two delights?

Here is my all-time favourite butternut squash soup recipe. It is a real crowd-pleaser, thick and creamy. Please dive in to the recipe below!

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Serves: 4-6 | Preparation Time: 50-60 minutes | Cooking Time: 1-2 hours

Ingredients:

- 3 Tbsp olive oil

- 1 large onion, sliced (approximately 1.5 cups)

- 1 large carrot, sliced (approximately 2 cups)

- 8 whole garlic cloves, peeled

- 1 whole butternut squash

- 2 tsp salt

- 2 tsp poultry seasoning

- 1/4 cup butter

- 8 whole sage leaves

- 8-9 cups chicken broth

- 2 Tbsp maple syrup

- 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

- 1 tsp cayenne pepper

- 1 tsp each salt & pepper

- 1 tsp nutmeg

- 1 tsp dried powdered sage

Garnish:

- bacon bits

- pine nuts

- heavy cream

- parsley, finely chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Slice the butternut squash in half, remove the stem and scoop out the seedy innards. Discard. Sprinkle poultry seasoning and salt on the inside and place butternut squash face down in a pan. Prick the skin with a fork to allow for steam to escape. Drizzle with olive oil and roast until soft, approximately 1 hour.

2. Peel the garlic and slice the carrot and onion. Toss in a bowl with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with poultry seasoning and salt. Spread on a baking sheet and roast for approximately 15-25 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.

3. Melt the butter in a pan until it foams and begins to change to a golden brown colour. Reduce heat and add sage leaves. Continue to stir until the butter is a richer brown hue (be careful not to burn it). Strain out sage leaves.

4. Once the butternut squash is baked, scrape out the flesh and discard the outer shell. Place all of the vegetables and squash into a large pot and simmer with chicken broth, brown sage butter, and maple syrup. Reduce heat and allow soup to gently simmer for 30-45 minutes.

5. Once the flavours have melded together, use a blender to pulverize the soup until all the lumps have disappeared and the soup is creamy. Stir in apple cider vinegar, salt, pepper, nutmeg, cayenne, poultry seasoning, and sage. Feel free to adjust to your tastes.

6. Garnish with heavy cream, pine nuts, finely chopped parsley, and bacon bits. Serve while warm, preferably with crispy garlic bread. Enjoy!