With a velvety-smooth mouth feel, subtle nuances of rosemary & ginger & the abundance of winter squash, Creamy Butternut Squash & Ginger Soup makes a perfect autumnal meal to make ahead & freeze or enjoy warming bowls with buttered artisan toast right now.
Ginger & rosemary together work brilliantly in recipes from cocktails to soups. They might not seem like an obvious pairing but believe me, together they work. I think because they both have a somewhat piney, astringent taste. I used both fresh & ground ginger in the recipe because their flavors are quite different. My rosemary has survived the several frosts we’ve had over the last several days. One week we had the air conditioner on, the next week the furnace. I’m not complaining though, I love this time of year & the cooler weather.
The squash also survived the sudden change in temps. My veggie garden was sadly neglected this year. Finn, my bestest buddy in the whole world, became ill with kidney disease at the start of summer & died at the end of July. My grief was, & still is, crippling. I just left the garden to do what it wanted. I had no interest in anything. I still have beets & carrots growing. And butternut squash. Lots of them, their tangle of vines marching across the lawn. I’ve given some squash away but still have this giant bowl & more. It was my first year growing winter squash. It won’t be my last. Apparently they’re very low maintenance. And once harvested they last for ages. Perfect as I decide what to do with them all. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Creamy butternut squash soup is nothing new. I’m sure most of us have made it at one time, more have eaten it. This is a really lovely soup recipe, one that I hope you’ll try. My hubby isn’t so keen on blended soups but even this got rave reviews from him. The subtly of the rosemary & ginger & the love & care of making sure it’s blended until it is so smooth, makes this soup winner. Now I’m back from my hiatus, I will chat to you very soon okay?! And if you have any squash recipes that you love, please send them my way. Toodles,
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cups chopped onion
- 6 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 tablespoons peeled & chopped fresh ginger
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 4 lbs (2kg) butternut squash (pumpkin), peeled, seeded and chopped*
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
- a good pinch of salt
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus extra for garnish
- 1/2 cup heavy cream, plus extra for garnish
- buttered toast, to serve, optional
- Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until softened.
- Add the garlic & fresh ginger; cook for 1 minute or until fragrant.
- Add the ground ginger, broth, squash, rosemary and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes or until the squash is very tender.
- Add cream. Remove from heat. Use an immersion blender to blend until very smooth (be patient, this soup is meant to be so smooth & velvety. An immersion blender works so well for this). Or put the squash mixture in a blender in batches and blend until very smooth. Return to the same pot; stir over medium heat until hot. Makes 2 quarts/2 liters
- * A melon baller or ice cream scoop works well for removing the seeds & stringy membranes from the squash
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