When it comes to soups, stews and chili, I’m typically in the camp of eaters who likes things chunky.
If I can’t have a soup be chunky, then by golly it’d better be thick. I don’t know about you but I like to feel like I’m actually eating when I’m eating something. And for whatever reason, runny soup just doesn’t leave me feeling satisfied, like EVER.
My experience with butternut squash soup outside of the 1-2 times I’ve made it in my home kitchen has not been the best —it’s either too runny or too sweet. Seriously, I think Panera must put 1/4 cup of sugar into their soup because it tastes like you are drinking a savory dessert!
So when a friend recently invited me over to her house to cook butternut squash soup with her, I was excited to make something better.
The sad thing was while we were cooking, I got carried away with talking and forgot to write down the ingredient measurements for the recipe! After one bite of the soup we both agreed it was the best Roasted Butternut Squash Soup we’d ever tasted, and so I remade it later that week in order to share the recipe with you.
If you’re a fan of thick flavorful soups, then you are going to love this recipe! My advice is: Don’t go overboard with the honey and almond milk, otherwise it will end up tasting like Panera’s version.
- 1 large butternut squash (about 10″ long), halved
- 1/2 loaf Canyon Bakehouse Focaccia Bread, cut into 1″ cubes
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 small sweet onion, chopped
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sage
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/2 cup sweetened almond milk
- Preheat oven to 400˚ F. Place butternut squash halves on a large baking sheet flesh side up and brush lightly with olive oil. Roast for 25 minutes or until tender. Spoon the squash out of its skin and set aside.
- For the croutons, toss focaccia cubes in olive oil and roast in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until bread is golden and crisp.
- Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, celery and carrots and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the squash, broth, and sage and bring to a boil. Cover, lower the heat and let simmer about 10 minutes.
- Working in small batches, puree the soup In a blender or food processor until smooth. Return the soup to the pot and stir in the cinnamon, honey and almond milk. Ladle soup into bowls and top with croutons.