Description
A luxuriously creamy (but dairy-free!) butternut squash soup that is loaded with veggies while still allowing the butternut squash to shine! An optional sweet and savory topping of caramelized onions, sweet apples, and salty bacon kicks up the tasty factor even more.
Ingredients
Creamy Butternut Squash Soup
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 large cloves garlic, peeled
- 1–2 medium carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped (approx. 1 cup)
- 1 medium onion, chopped (approx. 1 cup)
- 1–2 stalks celery, chopped (approx. 1 cup )
- 1 large parsnip, peeled and coarsely chopped (approx 1–2 cups)
- 1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed (approx. 7 cups)
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth for vegan option)
- 1 can (14 oz) unsweetened coconut milk (*see notes below)
Sweet & Savory Topping (Optional)
- 4 slices uncured, sugar-free, thick-cut bacon, diced
- 3/4 cup onion, diced
- 1/2 large Honeycrisp apple, diced
- 2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped
Instructions
Creamy Butternut Squash Soup
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
- Once the oil is hot, add garlic, carrots, onion, celery, and parsnip. Sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add butternut squash, salt, and pepper. Stir to coat.
- Add broth and bring to a low boil. Then reduce heat to low, cover, and allow it to simmer for 20 minutes or until the squash is fork-tender.
- Transfer the soup to a blender (or use an immersion blender) and puree soup until smooth.
- Return soup to the pot and add coconut milk. Continue cooking for a few more minutes over medium heat.
- Serve as is or garnish with Sweet & Savory Topping (see instructions below) and a little drizzle of coconut milk.
Sweet & Savory Topping (Optional)
- Preheat a skillet over medium heat.
- Add bacon and onion to skillet and sauté for about 5-10 minutes or until bacon is crispy, its fat has rendered, and the onions are soft and slightly caramelized.
- Drain off the grease and return the skillet to stovetop.
- Add apple and sauté an additional 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Remove from heat. Add parsley and stir until just combined.
- Serve as a topping on a bowl of luxuriously creamy butternut squash soup.
Notes
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Coconut milk: For a lower calorie, lower-fat option use lite coconut milk in place of regular coconut milk (the soup will not be as thick and the flavor will be affected slightly). You can also omit the bacon from the topping and instead sauté the onion and apple in a small amount of olive oil.
What is the white drizzle on top of the soup? It’s coconut milk! If you’d like to add that pretty drizzle of coconut milk to the top of your soup, reserve a little bit from the can when adding the coconut milk to the soup. This will save you from needing to open up an additional can of coconut milk.
Storage: This soup freezes really well and will keep for months in the freezer. Allow the soup to cool before placing it in a freezer-safe container or freezer bags. When you’re ready to eat it, place the frozen soup in a pot and allow it to thaw on low heat. If you substituted some type of dairy in place of the coconut milk you may notice some separation occurring as you reheat the soup. If this is the case just put the soup back in the blender for a minute or two and it should come back together.
- Category: Soup
- Method: Simmer
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
