Creamy roasted butternut squash soup

This low-fat recipe is rich in flavor and easy to customize.

Contributed by Leslie Wilkof, MD


Creamy roasted butternut squash soup

This nutritious soup is easy to prepare and has wonderful flavor and is high in anti-oxidants. Because it’s made without frying any of the ingredients it’s almost fat-free. I actually use the same recipe with a variety of vegetables—sometimes I add or substitute carrots, celery root, or parsnips. Cauliflower is also a nice addition.

You can design your own combination and trust that it will always come out delicious. A food processor, immersion blender, or a powerful stand blender all work well to puree the vegetables. If you like, you can garnish the soup in the bowl with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil or some chopped parsley.

Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 1 butternut squash, about 2 pounds
  • 1 large yellow onion
  • 1 whole head of garlic
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried thyme
  • 3 to 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  
  2. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat, parchment paper, or aluminum foil. 
  3. Wash and then prep the vegetable: Cut the squash in half vertically. Scrape the seeds out and discard. Cut each half into about 4 chunks for a total of 8 pieces. 
  4. Cut the unpeeled onion in half vertically. 
  5. Cut half an inch off the top of the garlic head, exposing the cloves. 
  6. On the prepared baking sheet, arrange the garlic, squash, and onion, cut side up.
  7. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with thyme. 
  8. Cover dish tightly with foil and bake until the squash is tender when pierced with a knife, about 45 min to 1 hour. 
  9. After vegetables have cooled enough to handle, scrape squash off of the skin and discard the skin. Peel the skin off of the onion and trim the root.
  10. Separate 9 to 12 of the garlic cloves and squeeze the soft garlic out of its skin. 
  11. In a food processor or blender, combine the squash, onion, and garlic. Add any juices that have collected in the baking pan. 
  12. Add 3 cups of the broth and puree the mixture until smooth.  
  13. Add extra broth as needed to achieve your desired consistency. 
  14. Transfer soup to a 4- or 5-quart soup pot, and heat over medium heat. 
  15. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Nutrition information (per serving)

  • Calories: 200
  • Total fat: 8 g
  • Saturated fat: 1 g
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg
  • Sodium: 410 mg
  • Total carbohydrate: 33 g
  • Dietary fiber: 5 g
  • Total sugars: 8 g (0 g added sugars)
  • Protein: 4 g