As the outside temperature drops there is nothing better than curling up with a warm bowl of soup, and this one is pure fall comfort. This butternut squash soup brings out the squashs natural sweetness by roasting it first, alongside a whole head of garlic until everything turns soft, golden, and deeply flavorful. From there it gets built up with sauteed onion and ginger, simmered with rosemary and sage, then blended silky smooth with broth and finished with a touch of nutmeg. The best part? The toppings are unsweetened whipped cream, pumpkin seeds, and parsley - creamy, crunchy, and pretty enough to feel little fancy without being fussy.

What is the history of butternut squash?

Butternut squash is one of those foods that feels ancient but the version most of us picture today is actually pretty modern. Squash as a whole has been cultivated in the Americas for thousands of years but butternut squash specifically (the smooth, tan, bell shaped one) was developed in Massachuttes in the 1940s when grower Charles Leggett crossed squash varieties to create something sweeter, more tender, and easier to cook than the huge, hard winter squash people were growing at the time. That Waltham Butternut style caught on fast because it stored well, traveled well, and had a naturally creamy texture that basically begs to be roasted and blended into soup.

How to make butternut squash soup?

Start by preheating your oven to 400f. Place butternut squash cubes and garlic head on a sheet pan and brush with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and bake for about 50 minutes until tender. In a large pot or dutch oven saute ginger and onions in 4 tbsp of olive oil for 6-8 minutes until soft. Stir in rosemary and sage, then pour in 4 cups of broth and bring to boil. Add the cooked butternut squash and squeeze in the garlic cloves and discard the peel. Simmer for 10 minutes, then using an immersion blender puree the soup until smooth (add more broth if needed). Season with grated nutmeg, salt and pepper. Using a mixer whip cream until stiff peaks form. Garnish with the whipped cream, pumpkin seeds and parsley.

Tips

If the soup is too thick add more broth. If the soup is too runny simply keep simmering until it reduces own to your desired consistency.
For a beautiful presentation pipe the whipped cream on the soup when plating instead of just adding it with a spoon!
Do not use premade whipped cream as they usually have added sugar and will be too sweet for the soup.