This is a fantastic soup made with one of the varieties of squash. Butternut Squash soup is thick, creamy, rich soup with tons of flavors. Preparing this dish is super easy, quick and a great way to use squash. Butternut squash has an excellent natural orange fleshy pulp which tastes similar to pumpkin.
When cooked, it gives a pleasant color, superb velvety and sweetness to the soup. This is a very filling soup with a mild fiery afterglow with a subtle garlicky flavor. This squash is one of the most popular and widely available forms of winter squash.
Butternut squash soup with a good chicken stock and seasoned with fennel, bay leaves, onion and garlic gives an exceptional kick to the super creamy dense soup. A good seasoning brings out the nutty, sweet flavor of the squash. Once you’ve mastered this recipe, you can also create different variations to this soup as per choice.
As said earlier too, Butternut Squash comes from the gourd family, native to the Western Hemisphere. There are two kinds of squash: summer and winter. Butternut Squash is a winter squash and is hard, thick skin and it is filled with seeds. It can range in size from 8 to 12 inches long, and about 3 to 5 inches wide, weighing up to 3 pounds.
The color of the Butternut Squash ranges from a yellow to a light tan. Inside, the flesh is orange and has a sweet flavor. It is available in early Fall through winter; you will want to choose a squash that is heavy with few blemishes and moldy spots. Butternut squash can be stored longer than summer squashes because their skin is so hard and thick.
Butternut squash not only tastes good, it is also a well-balanced food source that is rich in complex carbohydrates and low in saturated fat and sodium. Also, it contains a lot of vitamins A and C and a good source of beta-carotene, magnesium, manganese, calcium and potassium.
There a list of wonderful recipes that one can prepare with these squashes such as Roasted Butternut Squash with Indian Spices, Butternut Squash Delight, Long Squash Curry, Sorakaya Garelu (an Indian white pumpkin fritter) and so on. There’s nothing like making a good, exotic and appetizing Butternut Squash soup to usher the winter days.
Cooking this dish is incredibly impressive, simple preparation method and very short list of ingredients. Inclusion of milk makes in for an exceptionally creamy texture. With the list of soups that we see at the menus in most of the restaurant, this soup actually doesn’t have a place at all, but it still stands a star in most of our kitchens for its simplicity, full bodied flavor and a smooth, velvety texture. And while we still may look for fancy variations of our own, this one still hit the spot.
It makes a spectacular look with gorgeous color and luscious flavor that gives a soothing and refreshing touch to the palate. Squash soups typically rely on a blender to give them a luxuriously creamy consistency, yet this version achieves richness without being pureed to a pulp.
Small cubes of butternut squash are cooked in a milky-sweet broth, and they hold their shape all through cooking. The soup becomes creamy by way of milk, which contributes a rich flavor without weighing it down. Fennel, bay leaves, garlic, and salt spike the broth just enough to accent the squash without masking its natural flavor, but it’s the pepper that brings a warm, unexpected undertone to the dish.
To prepare the Butternut Squash soup, firstly skin, cut and deseed the squash into half. Make into small pieces and set aside or cut into half, deseed and bake in a moderate oven at 180 degree C for 45 minutes. Scoop out flesh and set aside. Heat butter in a saucepan and when it gets hot, sauté finely chopped onions, fennel, garlic and a pinch of salt. Add bay leaves, butternut squash, chicken stock and mix.
Cover and simmer on medium heat until the squash is cooked. Now add cream or milk, salt and pepper to taste. Adjust to soup consistency and serve in soup bowls. Serve hot with crusty breads.
Tip: Serve garnished with sour cream and fresh dill, or other garnishes as desired. You also can stir in spices of your choice to add a bit of flair – curry powder, cumin, coriander, chipotle powder – the sky’s the limit! It’s a soup that sits in limbo somewhere between creamy and brothy, sort of the best of both worlds. Milk makes magical soups. Smoothness in a can and great for coercing strong flavors into place! Check on Butternut Squash soup for detailed recipe.
Enjoy Cooking!