If you’ve ever read any of my Shabbat menus on Facebook, you know I’m all about the roast-roast-roast. And I don’t mean a couple of pounds of meat. I’m talking about drizzling stuff with olive oil, salt and pepper and sending it for some browning action in a steaming hot oven.
The thing about roasting is – it concentrates flavors in the most delicious way possible, caramelizing veggies into nature’s candy. I know you can taste the difference because every time I serve up my roasted butternut squash pie, people don’t stop asking me what I do different that makes it tastes so good. I’m telling you people. You gotta try it for yourself. Roast. Roast. Roast.
To get the most flavor out of this soup, I roast the squash along with shallots, for amazing natural sweetness. Give it a try and and you’ll never go back to boiling your veggies again!
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
approximately 3 lb butternut squash
3 shallots
1 tbsp olive oil
salt & pepper, to taste
1 honeycrisp apple, peeled, cored and diced
4 cups vegetable stock
1 tsp chinese 5 spice powder
1-2 cups coconut milk (I use original Coconut Dream)
Method:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. With a knife, cut a few slits around the butternut squash (this allows heat to escape and keeps it from exploding) and roast for about 1 hour, turning half way through. Peel the shallots and place on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast with the butternut squash for about 30-45 minutes, until caramelized and tender.
Once the butternut squash if fork-tender, remove from the oven and slice in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds and scoop out the flesh. Add flesh and roasted shallots to a pot, along with diced apples. Add the vegetable stock, Chinese 5 spice, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until apples are tender. Blend with an immersion blender. Stir in 1-2 cups coconut milk, until desired consistency/thickness is reached.
NOTE: I love the natural sweetness in this soup, but if you’d like it a little sweeter, add a drizzle of honey.
SUBSTITUTION: Chinese 5 spice powder is a mixture of 5 spices used in Chinese cuisine. If you don’t have it, you can use a pinch of any/all of these ground spices: szechwan pepper, star anise, fennel seeds, cloves and cinnamon.
Other Butternut Squash Recipes:
butternut squash fries
butternut squash latkes
stuffed roasted butternut squash
What are Chinese Spices please? Yum looks delicious.
Chinese 5 spice powder is a mixture of 5 spices used in Chinese cuisine. If you don’t have it, you can use a pinch of any/all of these ground spices: szechwan pepper, star anise, fennel seeds, cloves and cinnamon.
Buttnernut Squash is one of my favorite things! I love when fall comes around. Those roasted shallots look amazing. Such a great and simple soup.
This looks so amazingly creamy! I love adding candied pecans to the top of these soups.
Roasting makes everything better. I love the use of apple to add sweetness. This is on the menu this week for sure.
I make a similar soup; squash is so perfect, thick and rich for soup. Never used 5-spice powder though. Food for thought. Thanks!
Those roasted cloves of garlic just look heavenly.
They are shallots, but close! :)
Love butternut squash soup and I can never have too many soup recipes. It looks fantastic, awesome pictures!
I just went out to get the ingredients make this soup for Shabbas! I plan on doubling it and freezing some. Should I freeze it with the coconut milk, or is that something you add when serving? Thanks.
Either way should be fine.
The soup came out DIVINE!! Really rich and lots of flavor. The chinese 5 spice and shallots really compliment the natural sweetness of the squash. What other apple could you swap the apple crisp for if the store didn’t have it?
I’m so happy to hear! Use any apple that’s not too tart like gala or fuji.
I’ve been on a roasting kick lately, I will definitely try this soon!
Can I use frozen butternut squash and how many ounces?
Yes I think that would work. The recipe calls for 3lbs. of squash so that amount.