Butternut Squash Soup with Cornbread Croutons and Spiced Pepitas
Course: SoupsDifficulty: Easy6
servings20
minutes40
minutesThere are many ways to make Butternut Squash Soup. In the past, I would scrape all the innards from the squash to make a squash broth to use in the soup, but as a working Mom, I have simplified the process to make the preparation and clean up of my Butternut Squash Soup as easy and fast as possible. Some people roast the whole squash intact then scrape it into the pot, but I personally think it’s faster to roast the squash already peeled, so I don’t have to wait for it to cool before I can handle it.
Sometimes I roast the butternut squash ahead of time (in the morning, for example) so that this Butternut Squash Soup feels like a legitimate 30 minute meal. The garnishes are completely optional, but highly recommended. If you don’t have time to make both the Spiced Pepitas or Cornbread Croutons, the Butternut Squash Soup is lovely with some crusty bread on the side, or some brown rice stirred into it.
About the Cornbread Croutons: I used my favorite cornbread recipe, but any cornbread will do! I prefer to make my Cornbread Croutons with day (or 2) old cornbread, so the croutons really hold their shape. The process is easy. Melt butter, add sage, then croutons, and voila. Addictive flavor bombs to top your soup (also amazing on chili).
Spiced Pepitas fall into my favorite category of food: food that looks impressive, but is really simple to make! If you’ve never heard of pepitas, maybe you know them as shelled pumpkin seeds. With a few minutes and a short list of spices, you can turn raw pepitas into a craveable snack. Spiced Pepitas are amazing on their own, as a soup garnish, or tossed into a salad.
Ingredients
1 medium butternut squash
1 large onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 ribs celery, diced
6-8 cups chicken stock
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp grapeseed oil (or your preferred neutral oil)
1/4 cup heavy cream
Kosher salt
freshly cracked black pepper
- Cornbread Croutons
2 cups cubed cornbread (1 or 2 day old works best, cubes should be 1 inch around)
2 tbsp butter
5 sage leaves
Kosher salt
- Spiced Pepitas
2/3 cup raw pepitas (also known as shelled pumpkin seeds)
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
scant 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp granulated garlic
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400° (F). Peel and cut butternut squash into 1/2 inch cubes. Toss with grapeseed oil and season with 1/2 tsp Kosher salt and a few cranks of freshly cracked pepper. Roast until starting to brown, about 25 minutes.
- Melt the butter in a large, heavy-bottomed stockpot or Dutch oven (at least 4 quart) over medium heat until foaming. Add the onion, celery, and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent, about 5 minutes. When squash is done roasting, add to pot. Add the stock and 1 teaspoon salt to the pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Remove pot from heat and purée soup using immersion blender. Stir heavy cream into soup. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer soup for 15 minutes. Season to taste with Kosher salt and black pepper. Ladle into bowls and top with Cornbread Croutons and Spiced Pepitas. (In the photo above, I also added a small dollop of sour cream).
- Cornbread Croutons
- Melt butter in a 10 inch nonstick pan over medium heat then add sage leaves. Immediately add cornbread cubes in a single layer. Using tongs, flip cornbread cubes to brown all (most) sides, then remove from pan and season with Kosher salt. Serve immediately or allow to cool on a paper towel lined plate until using. Don’t toss the sage as it makes a lovely and edible garnish.
- Spiced Pepitas
- In a small bowl, combine salt, sugar, granulated garlic and smoked paprika. Heat olive oil in a 10 inch nonstick pan over medium heat and add pepitas. Stir to coat pepitas in oil and cook until pepitas start to brown and crackle a little (about 4-6 min). Remove pepitas from pan and toss with spice mixture. Allow to cool on a sheet tray or heat safe plate.
Recent Comments