Butternut Squash Carrot Soup
A simple and healthy butternut squash carrot soup that can be prepared in just over an hour!
Before I attend to the main crux of this post, I first want to thank you all for your well wishes about my big culinary school reveal! I’ve been holding the news in for about two months from when I first applied and a month ago, when I officially got accepted. It feels great to finally get it out there and it makes it that much more exciting.
But before I officially don my chef’s whites and clog shoes, I have another breaking development to share with everyone. I’m moving…over Christmas…voluntarily. Our new building also many perks, which I am looking forward to, including an on-site gym, a bigger kitchen to practice all of my new skills, and a great view.
Since the next ten days will be filled with moving, cleaning, and more dreaded moving, I’m more and more inclined to make easy dinners. Heck, I think I’m always inclined towards those types of meals, but having little time to spare makes them that much more appealing.
Soup can be time-consuming, but it doesn’t always have to be. Especially when you pick ones that involve few, but flavor packed, ingredients and that require short prep and cooking times. This latest creation was adapted from a new favorite cookbook addition, The Whole Foods Market Cookbook. The book is filled with fresh and healthy recipes that can be made any night of the week.
I chose to skip a few ingredients from the original recipe, parsley and orange peel, and instead added a few of my own additions to take it over the top. The small addition of heavy cream gave it a hint of richness to make it more filling and hearty (but without being too noticeable) and fried sage leaves are fantastic.
But really, this soup could easily be adapted depending on what you have on hand. For example: substituting other winter squash, giving it some heat with curry powder or cumin, or adding additional vegetables. I served this soup hot for dinner, but it would also taste great served cold as a first course.
Butternut Squash Carrot Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon (15 mL) extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon (15 g) unsalted butter
- 2-3 lb whole butternut squash peeled, seeds discarded, and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 3 large carrots peeled and chopped
- 1 large onion chopped
- 1½ quarts (6 cups) low-sodium chicken broth
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2-3 tablespoons (30 - 45 mL) heavy cream
Fried Sage Topping (Optional):
- extra virgin olive oil for frying
- fresh sage leaves
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil and butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly translucent. Add the cubed butternut squash and carrot and continue to cook, stirring often, for 4 to 5 minutes.
- Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the squash and carrots are cooked through.
- Using a high-powered blender, such as a Vitamix, or immersion blender, puree the until very smooth. Season with ground nutmeg, salt, and pepper to taste. Before serving, stir in heavy whipping cream.
- Prepare Topping: Heat roughly ¼ cup (60 mL) olive oil in skillet over medium heat until shimmery. Carefully add sage leaves, they should sizzle immediately once they hit the oil, and fry. Transfer to paper-lined plate, sprinkle with salt, and serve.
4 Comments on “Butternut Squash Carrot Soup”
Thanks so much! I took this on a Sunday, after I made it Saturday night. Another reason why I love soups, because they are easier to photograph later when the light is right. Sometimes I can’t do anything about it though! Your photos have been great!
Ahh LOVE that last picture Laura! I’m jealous of your natural light! I’m always working during the day time so my pictures turn out looking bad at night 🙁
Hi Meredith! That’s so nice of you. I have a couple tricks that I use to help make my pictures sharp–I love a tripod (this is the most helpful, because you can lower the shutter speed without worrying about camera shake), only use natural light, and have been shooting in RAW lately. I’m still working on my composition/styling, which I think is the trickiest thing to learn, in my opinion. I try to shoot in morning/afternoon light, because its softer and use foam boards to bounce light (and decrease shadows). I also suggest getting the book “Plate to Pixel”–by Helene Dujardin, it’s great and has lots of tips and advice for improving food photography.
Also–patience! Which is sometimes hard, but it helps to set aside time to take a bunch of shots and see what’s working best 🙂
Hope this helps!
Laura
I love your photography! How do you make your pictures so sharp? Any advice on lighting, lenses, or composition? Thanks!