In the winter, when days are shorter and nights are colder, the stars of seasonal produce are leafy greens and squash. With that reality, the easiest recipe to make is a butternut squash soup with sauteed mushrooms and leafy greens. This one only has a few ingredients, so it's easy to pull together on a weekday evening.
This recipe is inspired by the Moosewood Cookbook, written by Mollie Katzen many years ago. I remember reading it when I was in college. Even back then, I was curious about eating fruits and vegetables - of all colors - and tried recipes from many different resources - the popular magazines, cookbooks written by the "earthier" chefs, friends, and of course my Mom.
Ingredients
The list of ingredients for this soup is relatively short and straightforward. Besides the squash and other veggies, you probably already have many of them in your pantry already. If you don't, now you will.
Butternut Squash Soup Vegetable Ingredients
- Butternut squash: Butternut squash has a slightly sweet, nutty taste when cooked, and has a creamy texture. When I made this recipe, I happened to also have a couple of kuri squashes in the pantry so I added them too. They have a flavor that's similar to the butternut squash, maybe a little nuttier.
- Onion: Red onions are versatile, so I used one for this soup, but white on yellow onions are perfectly fine.
- Garlic: Garlic is an ingredient I really like, so I say add it to everything, not only for the flavor but for its health benefits. (Anti-microbial and anti-viral properties provide immune support. It promotes healthy digestion and supports building healthy gut microbiota. And, it contains compounds that may reduce inflammation, among others benefits).
- Celery: Celery is a great addition to this recipe because overall squash can be sweet and celery's bitter flavors help moderate that as the soup cooks down.
- Mushrooms: I used shitaki mushrooms here but you could use button mushrooms or creminis. Use the ones you like the best.
- Escarole: Escarole is a leafy green that's part of the chicory family. It has broad, green leaves and, like the rest of the chicory family is considered a "bitter" green, although escarole tends to be less bitter than some of its relatives. I like putting leafy greens like escarole in soups because they wilt into the soup while keeping their texture and flavor, and adding color and nutrients while they're at it.
Butternut Squash Soup Flavoring Ingredients
- Orange juice: Use a juicer to make fresh orange juice if you can. If not, just make sure you're using orange juice with no added sugar.
- Olive oil: Always use the best quality cold-press virgin olive oil if you can. There are so many great producers. I like this one from Bragg these days.
- Ginger: Use fresh ginger root, not the powder. Since you'll probably have some left over, you can use it to make this herby citrus salad dressing or put it in fresh cold-pressed green juice.
- Cumin: Cumin gives a warm earthy flavor to the soup with just a hint of citrus.
- Coriander: Coriander is another earthy spice with floral and citrus notes.
- Salt: Salt is the great flavor balancer and definitely manages that task here balancing the sweetness of the squash and orange juice.
- Cinnamon: Cinnamon adds a spicy warmth to the soup. Make sure your cinnamon is fresh. I buy mine from The Spice House in small quantities.
- Dry mustard: Dry mustard is one of my favorite spices because it's spicy hot - in the best way. Don't worry, you can't taste it, it melds with all of the other earthy, warm, floral and citrus flavors.
- Cayenne (optional): Now, if you do want to taste the spicy hot flavors of chiles, add some cayenne.
- Lemon juice (optional): I prefer Meyer lemons because they're just the perfect amount of tart and sweet. Here, they can lift the soup flavors if they get too earthy. Optional, but a nice add.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Butternut Squash Soup
There are a few steps to follow here, but all are pretty straightforward. Let's jump right in.
Step 1: Bake the Squash
- Cut the squashes in half and place face down on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
- Bake until very soft. Then, cool.
- Scoop out the insides and add them to a blender with the orange juice.
- Puree until smooth. Transfer to a soup pot and add the remaining orange juice.
Step 2: Saute the Vegetables
- Heat olive oil in a pan and add the vegetables and spices.
- Saute over medium heat until the onions and celery are soft and the mushrooms have browned.
Step 3: Stir the Vegetables into the Squash Mixture
- Add the saute to the squash mixture scraping the pan to salvage all the little bits of flavor.
- Stir into the squash mixture until combined. Add cayenne and lemon juice to taste.
At this point, the soup is ready to serve. Tear leaves of escarole into large pieces. Add to each bowl and let the leafy greens melt into the heat of the warm soup.
Variations
I love this soup as is, but, as with many recipes, there are always opportunities to customize it to make it sing just for you. Here are a few ideas:
- Spicy: Add red chile flakes to the soup to add some heat.
- Extra veggie: Add extra vegetables to add heartiness and fiber. I love adding cooked broccoli, roasted red peppers, or even some roasted cauliflower to the soup.
- Curry style: Curry is another spice that pairs well with butternut squash. Add curry powder and coconut milk to make it into a richer, more pungent version.
Equipment
You will need a few kitchen tools to make this recipe, and all of them are basics that you need to make most cooked food. All are good investments.
- Cutting board: Protect your knives by using a good cutting board. While there are new materials coming on the market all the time, the two traditional choices are between plastic and wood. Plastic is less expensive and requires less maintenance, but needs to be replaced from time to time. A wood board is a bit more of an investment but will last a long time if it's cared for well.
- Chef's knife: If you're going to cook with vegetables, you'll need a good chef's knife. I've been using this hollow edge 8" knife from Henckel's.
- Half sheet pan: A half sheet pan comes in handy for a million kitchen tasks. You can roast just about anything on it. A must have.
- Blender or food processor: If you're going to get a blender, buy a Vitamix. It's an investment for sure, but it lasts for a long time and is a powerhouse on every task. I use mine every day. There are many good food processor brands out there. I personally use this one from Breville and love it.
- Sauce pan or stockpot: You will definitely need a good sauce pan or stockpot to make soup or stock.
- Serving bowls: I am a total soup nerd and because I love soup, I'm always looking for new beautiful bowls. I like these from Le Creuset and also these from Year & Day.
Storage
This soup stores well in airtight glass containers in the refrigerator for about a week. If you want to keep it longer, I like to freeze it in serving size containers.
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Butternut Squash, Shroom & Greens Soup
Ingredients
- 2 medium sized butternut squash
- 3 ½ cups orange juice
- 1-2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup minced onion
- 2 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- ½-3/4 pound mushrooms, sliced
- cayenne to taste
- lemon juice to taste
- 2-3 stalks celery, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°
- Split the squash in half lengthwise, remove the seeds, and place face-down on parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake until very soft (40-45 minutes)
- Cool, then scoop out the insides and add to a blender or food processor with 1 ½ cups of the orange juice and puree until smooth.
- Transfer to a sauce pan or stockpot and stir in the rest of the orange juice.
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Add onions, mushrooms, celery, garlic, ginger and saute over medium heat until vegetables are softened.
- Stir in all of the spices until they are incorporated in the mixture, adding in a few tablespoons of water if needed to keep the spices from sticking.
- Stir the mushroom mixture into the squash and orange juice, scraping the skillet well to salvage all of the bits of flavor.
- Serve immediately or allow to cool and store in an airtight container
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