Description
Butternut squash soup delights palates with rich, creamy goodness from Mediterranean-inspired ingredients. Hearty vegetables and warm spices mingle in this comforting recipe perfect for cool evenings you’ll savor to the last spoonful.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 large butternut squash (about 2 lbs / 907 g, peeled, seeded, and cubed)
- 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 medium apple (peeled, cored, and chopped)
- 1 medium onion (chopped)
- 2 medium carrots (peeled and chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- 1 cup coconut milk or heavy cream
- 1 tbsp maple syrup or honey
- Toasted pumpkin seeds
- Drizzle of coconut milk or heavy cream
- Crusty bread
- Fresh thyme or parsley (for garnish)
Instructions
- Layering: Arrange butternut squash, apple, onion, carrots, and garlic in the crock-pot, creating a harmonious base of seasonal ingredients.
- Seasoning: Cascade broth over the vegetable medley, then dust with salt, pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg to infuse warming aromatics throughout.
- Slow Cooking: Seal the crock-pot lid and allow ingredients to simmer and meld on low heat for 6-8 hours or high heat for 3-4 hours until vegetables become supremely tender.
- Texture Verification: Pierce squash and carrots with a fork to confirm a soft, yielding consistency ideal for luxurious soup preparation.
- Blending Technique: Pulverize cooked vegetables into a silky puree using an immersion blender or carefully transfer in batches to a standard blender, ensuring a uniform, creamy texture.
- Enrichment: Incorporate coconut milk or heavy cream, gently stirring to develop a luscious, velvety dimension to the soup.
- Flavor Balancing: Drizzle maple syrup and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to harmonize the taste profile.
- Presentation: Ladle the warm soup into bowls, garnishing with crunchy pumpkin seeds, an artistic coconut milk swirl, or a sprinkle of fresh herbs for visual and gustatory appeal.
- Serving Suggestion: Accompany with crusty bread or a golden grilled cheese sandwich to complete this nourishing, comforting meal.
Notes
- Optimize Vegetable Cutting: Uniformly chop vegetables into similar-sized pieces to ensure even cooking and consistent texture throughout the soup.
- Prevent Blending Splashes: Allow cooked soup to cool slightly before blending to reduce risk of hot liquid splattering and potential burns during pureeing process.
- Enhance Flavor Depth: Roast vegetables briefly before slow cooking to develop deeper, caramelized notes and intensify the soup’s overall taste profile.
- Adjust Dietary Needs: Substitute dairy cream with plant-based alternatives like almond or oat milk for vegan-friendly version, maintaining creamy consistency while accommodating different dietary preferences.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 6-8 hours
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 300 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg