Best Ways for you to use Butternut Squash Soup

It is autumn and we are welcoming all things orange, yellow and warm. If you too want something like that but want the comfort to touch you, what is better than food, right? Here is the best fall vegetable, that can also extend to winter. 

If you want to picture what this fleshy orange vegetable might taste like, just think of a regular pumpkin and add sweet and nutty undertones to it. 

The best part is, for butternut squash soup recipes, you don’t need to add a lot of fancy things. It is a wholesome vegetable that has a lot of potential on its own. No doubt it is extremely popular in vegan circles as well. You can use it as a replacement for potatoes as well. 

Here we have brought three recipes for butternut squash soup that you can try at home. Imagine yourself inside the comfort of your home this winter with a bowl of butternut squash soup, and feel the warmth to your bones. We have to say, butternut squash is all about comfort.

Butternut squash soup

Of course, no winter is complete without lots of soup, and now you have a new one to add to the roster. 

For butternut squash soup, you need the basic soup ingredients such as yellow onion, garlic, fresh sage and rosemary and other herbs according to your preference, ginger, vegetable or chicken broth and salt and black pepper. Of course, the star of the show is the butternut squash so you need to do that in ample amounts. 

Saute your onions and keep adding the remaining ingredients. Add the broth last and then cook it until it is soft. This will take about 20 minutes. When it is done, add it to the blender and mix until it’s soft and creamy. Enjoy!

Roasted Butternut Squash

If you are looking for a fancy side to your regular weeknight dinners or an accompaniment that will spice up your boring meals, you have to try the roasted butternut squash. 

For roasted butternut squash, you will need the following ingredients – 

1. 1 large butternut squash
2. 1 ½ tbsps. extra virgin oil
3. 1 ½ tbsps. maple syrup 
4. 1 ¾ teaspoons kosher salt, reduce the quantity if using regular table salt according to your preference 
5. ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
6. ½ teaspoon ground black pepper 
7. 1 tablespoon freshly chopped rosemary 

How to make roasted butternut squash

1. Set your oven to 400 F and coat two baking sheets with non-stick spray. 
2. Place your cubed squash in a large bowl and drizzle all the mentioned ingredients on top of it. Toss the diced and cubed pieces in such a manner that all of them are uniformly coated.
3. Make sure all the excess liquid is removed and then place the cubed roasted butternut squash on the baking sheet.
4. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Take the pan out and flip the butternut squash cubes. 
5. Continue baking until the pieces are tender. Make sure they are not too soft, so baking them for 10-15 minutes again will be enough.
6. Sprinkle rosemary on top and serve it warm. 

If you are wondering what will be the perfect accompaniment for butternut squash soup when it’s roasted, we have the following suggestions –

1. Chicken – You can serve the roasted butternut squash with rosemary chicken thighs or even maple Dijon chicken. Can you tell that we are very excited about the fall?
2. Pasta – Yes it’s true. The possibilities when it comes to pasta are endless. You can add it to your slow cooker beef stroganoff or other spicy pasta and it will be a well-rounded meal.
3.  If you are having a huge family dinner with everything from roast chicken to roast ham or even prime rib, your family will love this new addition to the table. 

Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad

If you are looking for healthy alternatives for the use of butternut squash soup, then we have the fulfilling butternut squash quinoa salad. The butternut squash adds that subtle sweet taste to the salad along with a very fulfilling texture. Quinoa is a rich source of protein and fibre. Adding herbs such as fresh thyme will give the salad the needed bang. Using dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds will give the salad the right texture and leave you wanting more. 

The ingredients include –

1. ½ small red onion
2. ½ teaspoons maple syrup 
3. 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
4. ½ teaspoon black pepper 
5. 1 ½ cups reduced chicken stock; you can replace it with vegetable stock as well
6. ¾ cups uncooked quinoa 
7. ½ cup reduced cried cranberries
8. ½ cup toasted pumpkin seeds
9. 2 tbsp. fresh thyme; make sure it is fresh 

When you will make the dressing, you will need the following ingredients – 

1. 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2. 1 ½ tbsps. apple cider vinegar
3. 1 tbsp. maple syrup 
4. ½ tbsp. kosher salt; you can use regular salt but make sure you taste it while you make it
5. ¼ teaspoon black pepper 

How to make the Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad 

1. Place the rack in the centre of your oven and preheat it to 400 F. 
2. Place the red onion in some water and place it aside. 
3. Take a large-rimmed bowl and add your chopped butternut squash to it. Add olive oil, maple syrup, salt and pepper.
4. Place it in the oven after tossing it evenly. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until it is tender enough. 
5. While it is being baked, boil your broth along with quinoa. Put it on simmer until it is cooked properly. 
6. Combine all the dressing ingredients in a jar or a bowl. 
7. Drizzle the dressing on warm quinoa and mix it carefully.
8. Take your butternut squash out and mix it with everything else. Serve warm or at room temperature.

This is one of those recipes that will bring you comfort on cold autumn days. If you are looking for a new comfortable vegetable for the coming winter, you need to try butternut squash. Also known as butternut pumpkin in New Zealand and Australia, it is a type of pumpkin grown on vines.