My friend, Erin, gave me a gorgeous butternut squash a while ago and it has been staring me in the face, begging me to turn it into something delicious. I love butternut squash, but I have only cooked with it maybe once or twice and I wasn’t sure what to do with it. After finding some carrots and celery in my fridge, I decided to turn it into soup. I found this recipe online a while ago, and decided to add a few ingredients to it to make it my own. It’s surprisingly flavorful despite its simple ingredients. What I like about it is that it’s not too sweet. I’ve had butternut squash soups in the past that were a little too sweet thanks to added brown sugar, and I would get tired of eating them after only a few bites. But I found myself devouring two bowls of this soup for lunch. It’s definitely a keeper!

Also, please be careful when cutting the butternut squash. The outer layer is extremely tough and requires a sharp knife and a steady hand. (I say this after slicing my fingers not once, but twice.)

Butternut Squash Soup

Serves 4 + leftovers

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped (optional)
4 carrots, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
1 large butternut squash, peeled and chopped
5 cups vegetable broth (I used 5 tsp of Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Base with 5 cups water)

1 tbsp dried sage
1 tbsp curry powder
1/2 cup vegan cream cheese or non-dairy creamer

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat and sauté the onions and garlic for about 3 minutes. Add the carrots and celery and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the butternut squash, broth, sage, and curry powder and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to medium and simmer for 25 minutes. Using an immersion blender or standard blender, blend the soup until smooth and creamy. Add the cream cheese or milk and blend again to incorporate.

Enjoy!