HOLY GOURD! It’s officially “Sweater Weather” here in Canada and that means welcome back soup season! This roasted garlic and butternut squash soup checks all the cozy autumn boxes for me. Drizzle a little chili oil over top and bring that warm comforting hug factor to the dish.
Now go on and make this show stopping soup. If you’re feeling like you need a little crunch, check out my crispy sour dough bread crouton recipe. Enjoy!
Roasted Garlic And Butternut Squash Soup
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Serves: 6
Author: Mary Mammoliti / Kitchen Confession / kitchenconfession.com
INGREDIENTS
1 large butternut squash halved, seeded and scored
1 honey crisp apple, halved
1 vidalia onion, peeled and quartered
2 heads garlic, tops cut off
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to drizzle over garlic.
3 sprigs thyme, stems remain ved
1 tsp paprika
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
3 tablespoons salted butter
5 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup of heavy cream
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
To a baking dish or rimmed sheet pan add the squash, onion, garlic to the baking sheet, cut sides facing up. Brush the cut sides of the vegetables with olive oil and season with paprika, salt, pepper and thyme.
Cut the tops off your garlic bulbs and place them onto of a piece of aluminum foil (large enough to warp the garlic). Drizzle some olive oil over top, a pinch of salt and pepper then fold all corners together and twist to seal the package. Place the two garlic parcels onto the baking sheet.
Turn the squash and apple cut-side down onto the sheet pan and roast for 30-40 minutes, until the squash is fully cooked. If the onion and garlic are roasted before the squash, remove them from the sheet pan and return the squash to the oven and allow it to cook for an additional 10 minutes if needed.
Remove from oven and allow to the squash and roasted garlic to cool. Then scoop out the roasted squash, squeeze out the roasted garlic, remove the peel from the apple and add everything including the onion into the bowl of a food processor or powerful blender (I used my Vitamix). Blend until smooth.
In a large stockpot, pour in the squash puree, add butter, ginger, nutmeg, and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil and simmer gently for 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in the heavy cream.
Garnish with a dollop of sour cream, a drizzle of spicy chilli oil, and a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds and serve immediately.