6 New Ways To Dress Up The Perfect Butternut Squash Soup Slideshow
The Main Attraction
Butternut squash is the star of the show here, known for its sweet and nutty taste. When shopping for the winter squash at the store, look for ones that are firm and without blemishes for the best results. For this recipe, you'll need a bulky five- or six-pounder to get the ideal squash flavor in your soup.
Butternut Squash's Sidekick
No noble sidekick goes unmentioned, and in this recipe, butternut squash's is the potato. The root vegetable not only adds flavor to the soup but uses its starchy qualities to thicken the soup to the best consistency.
The Flavor Making
Now comes our favorite part of the recipe, where we develop the base flavors of the soup. To do this, we sauté onion and garlic together with three spicy additions: turmeric, coriander, and red pepper flakes, and then add vegetable stock. Now we have a flavorful stock to boil the squash and potato in.
The Finishing Touches
For the finale, we blend everything together to yield a creamy and smooth soup. Once it's blended, we put it back on the heat and add just a dash of heavy cream to finish the soup. Now that you have the best butternut squash soup, here are some new ways to enjoy it...
For the Sweet Tooth
Butternut squash is great with sweet additions such as brown sugar or cinnamon, so try enjoying it with a few slices of tart Granny Smith apple for a healthier bite that gives the same sweet and savory result.
For Those Who Need Bacon in Everything
Just as bacon goes with everything else, it's not surprising that it goes well in butternut squash soup.
For the Artistic Folks
Get creative and use a little extra heavy cream to design your own fall mural on your soup. We only add ½ cup to the recipe, so we don't hate the addition of a drop or two more.
For the Cheesemonger
We're always looking to add cheese to everything, so we loved the idea of adding a goat cheese-smothered toast to the top of our soup. Once the warm soup softens the toast, you can break it up with your spoon to let the flavors of the goat cheese meld into the dish.
For the Resourceful
Save the seeds when you're peeling the squash and give them a little nuttiness by toasting them. They're the perfect crunchy topping to your soup.
For the Entertainer
Feeding a crowd? Serve the soup in shooter glasses for an easy, one-handed bite to serve your guests. Fried sage leaves are not only a delicious addition but make them pretty look at, too.