With a combination of butternut, acorn and kabocha squash, this silky winter squash soup is perfect for the holiday season and beyond!
It’s hard to get through the Fall and winter season without eating your fill of winter squash in one form or another. The markets are filled with them and the fact that they keep for long periods of time, can be made a variety of ways and pair well with all kinds of herbs and spices makes them a favorite this time of year. One of the most frequent ways I enjoy this fall favorite though is by making winter squash soup.
While butternut is probably the most common, other varieties like acorn and kabocha are becoming increasingly easy to find so I like to combine them all into a velvety soup. It’s cozy, warming and a great make-ahead option for special holiday meals as well as everyday lunches and dinners.
Winter Squash Soup
This winter squash soup is the kind of soup that’s satisfying without being heavy, and silky without the addition of dairy or cream. In fact there aren’t even any of the typical squash soup additions of fruit, or spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. This is a strictly a savory squash soup, flavored with sage, savory and thyme in a base of celery, carrots, garlic and shallots. Here’s what you’ll need to make it:
Ingredient Notes:
(Here are a few notes about the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe. As always find the full list of ingredients and directions in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.)
- Winter Squash – I like a combination of butternut, acorn and kabocha squash for this soup but you can use your favorite combination of squash instead if you’d prefer.
- Olive Oil – Use a neutral flavored olive oil for sautéing the vegetables.
- Shallots and Garlic– Using shallot instead of onion gives the soup a more delicate flavor and pairs well with the garlic.
- Carrots and Celery - Finely chopped carrots and celery are sautéed with the other aromatics to create the base of the soup.
- Fresh Herbs – We’ll be using a combination of fresh thyme, sage and savory but if savory is hard to find you can just substitute more thyme and sage.
How to Make Winter Squash Soup:
(Here are the basic steps and some helpful tips on how to make the recipe. Find the full directions in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.)
- First the shallot, garlic, carrots, celery and herbs are sautéed together in the olive oil in order to coax out the flavors without browning or caramelizing them.
- Next you’ll add your the squash and water to the pot and bring everything to a boil.
- After a good simmer on the stove, the soup is ready to blend and serve. Discard the herbs and puree the soup in a blender until very smooth and silky. Serve warm garnished with additional fresh herbs if desired.
- The soup can easily be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge for a few days until needed.
Simple yet nourishing, this is the kind of soup that will keep you cozy and warm through the holidays and beyond.
More Soup Recipes:
Winter Squash Soup
This silky and brightly colored cold-weather winter squash soup makes for a cozy and warming addition to any meal.
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon/15ml extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium shallot, finely chopped
- 2 small garlic cloves, finely minced
- 2 small or 1 large carrot, finely chopped
- 2 small or 1 large celery stalk, finely chopped
- Few sprigs of fresh thyme
- Few sprigs of fresh sage
- Few sprigs of fresh savory
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ⅛th teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- ¼ of a medium butternut squash, peeled cubed
- ½ a medium acorn squash, peeled and cubed
- ½ a small kabocha squash, peeled and cubed
- 4 cups/960ml filtered water
Instructions
- Cook olive oil, shallots, garlic, carrot, celery, herbs (leave whole) and salt in a large pot over medium-low heat stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned (about 5 minutes).
- Add squash and water, increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover partially and simmer until squash is very tender (about 20-25 minutes).
- Discard herbs and puree soup in a high speed blender until very smooth and silky. Serve warm garnished with additional fresh herbs if desired. (Can also be made ahead of time and stored in fridge, then re-warmed just before serving.)
Notes
Variations:
Use a different combination of winter squash varieties.
Omit savory and replace with more thyme and sage.
Storage:
Soup can be made ahead of time and re-heated as necessary.
Dietary Info:
Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Vegetarian, Vegan, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Nut-Free, Paleo
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 123Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 302mgCarbohydrates: 23gSugar: 5gProtein: 2g
Sylvie Shirazi is the recipe developer and food photographer behind Gourmande in the Kitchen. For the last 10 years she's been making eating more healthfully easy and accessible with gluten-free, grain-free, paleo and vegan recipes that are free from processed ingredients.
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