Creamy squash soup recipe
I tried a recipe on Friday night that was such a giant pain in the ass I told myself that no matter how the meal turned out, I would never make it again.
Then I ate it, and totally changed my mind. It was so good, it was actually worth the ass-pain involved, and thus I feel compelled to share it with you.
Here’s what you’ll need:
• 1 squash (the original recipe called for butternut, I used acorn. You could probably use delicata, whatever), peeled, seeded and cubed
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 cups of chicken stock (Perhaps you have a freezer full of carefully prepared servings of homeade stock, from the weekends you spend simmering giant pots of bones and vegetables. I do not, and therefore I bought a container of Wolfgang Puck’s stock-in-a-cardboard-box. Campbell’s chicken broth in a can would probably be just fine.)
• Half a cup of cream
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• Brown sugar, some amount thereof
• Salt & pepper
• Cinnamon
By the way, the peeling is what killed me here. You can’t peel a squash like a carrot, you have to cut off the thick rind with a knife, and maybe all my knives just really suck but this took FOREVER. I suggest asking some nice person in your household to do this for you while you “prep” the other stuff (IE flip through a People magazine while listening to the frenzied cursing coming from the kitchen).
Okay! Now: saute the onion and garlic long enough to get soft and translucent, but not to the point of browning. Put your peeled, cut-up squash pieces in a pan, add the onion and garlic (or take out the garlic now that the onion has soaked up the flavor), pour in your 2 cups of stock/broth and bring it to a boil.
Cook until the squash is mushy, then mash it up with a spoon. You could puree it in a blender, but this way it’s thick and goopy. Mmm…goopy.
Add the cream, curry powder, and brown sugar – I used about a tablespoon of the sugar, but the natural sweetness of the squash varies so I’d go by taste. Stir, then season with salt and pepper and just a dash of cinnamon.
SO. GOOD. This made two enormous servings with a little left over. I tossed a few bleu cheese crumbles from my salad into my soup, and it made it even better – the bite of the sharp cheese was wonderful with the sweet, aromatic squash flavor.
This soup is like a warm, comforting, seasonally-appropriate bowl of edible bliss. Huck some oyster crackers on top, fire up the DVD player, and eat it until your pants don’t fit any more.
Posted: October 14th, 2006 under Cooking/Food, Personally recommended by Linda.
Comments: 48
Comments
Comment from honeybecke
Time: October 14, 2006, 11:54 pm
Just when I thought you couldn’t possibly get any better and you’d hit the high mark on the neat-o-meter you go and talk about recipes. Ohh yah!
Can I just say how excited I am that you are hitting a recipe review on the buzz? Squash soup is amazing. You’ve reminded me that I must make some soup again from my hacked up jack-o-lanterns in a couple of weeks. Yum!
Your recipe is awesome, I’ll try it with the pumpkin.
Comment from mika
Time: October 15, 2006, 5:15 am
I love squash soups. There are two ways to make this recipe easier if the peeling is what sucked. 1 — buy frozen pieces of squash in a bag (Martha would be horrified but I don’t care). 2 — Cut the squash in half and roast it in the oven (cut side down on oiled baking sheet at like 400 degrees till soft). Then just scoop it out and plop into the recipe.
Comment from nancy
Time: October 15, 2006, 9:15 am
I’m with mika, I made a soup like this last year after trying some that a co-worker made. She told me to just buy frozen squash pieces. Before that I didn’t even know they sold frozen squash pieces. She also put in random other veggies that were hanging out in the crisper. Yummy and fast.
Comment from h. wren
Time: October 15, 2006, 9:48 am
Your recipe sounds delicious — I love squash soups. Since peeling the acorn squash sucked, next time you might want to try a butternut. Because of their smooth sides, I usually find that my peeler can successfully take on the butternut-preparation job. I gave up on acorns a long time ago…
Comment from C
Time: October 15, 2006, 1:03 pm
Just what I need for my new lifestyle change requiring soft easily digested foods. See you this weekend and hoping for squash.
Your father-in-law
Comment from helen
Time: October 15, 2006, 5:56 pm
I feel like some sort of SundryBuzz stalker. I just finished a huge bowl of this delicious easy soup (butternut squash submitted to the peeler) and now my new brown Old Navy slouch pants are a little tight. Maybe I’ll go brush my teeth to supercleaness with my new Sonicare toothbrush!
Keep up the good work, I so much need the helping hand!
Comment from Daily Tragedies
Time: October 15, 2006, 9:08 pm
Trader Joes is nice enough to sell chunks of already-peeled-for-you squash in the produce section. I tossed a bag into soup I made last weekend and it was delightful! I’m sure it’d work great in this receipe, too.
Comment from deanna
Time: October 16, 2006, 2:46 am
im both [a] lazy and [2] a butternut squash fan. i long ago gave up peeling and cutting a butternut squash when i discovered that there was a much easier way to do it.
cut the squash in half length-wise, throw it in the oven with the cut side up at 350 or so until soft. this can take anywhere from about 45 to 90 minutes, depending on how big your squash is. when the insides are good and soft, scoop out your seeds and then scoop out the flesh right into your pan and voila–soft, cooked skinless! butternut squash WITHOUT the cutting.
this also has the added bonus of making your entire house smell, well, autumnal. and if im feeling REALLY martha stewart-ish, ill throw some cinnamon sticks and cloves and dried apple slices into a pot of simmering water or whatever on the stove top and let the smell permeate the house. then im thouroughly in the mood to carve pumpkins and rake leaves 
Comment from Eilis
Time: October 16, 2006, 5:33 am
My pumpkin soup recipe is pretty similar…but with pumpkin. The peeling made me crazy at first, now I cut the fresh pumpkin into cubes and boil it first…then the “rind” comes right off with barely any effort.
Comment from Rene Porritt
Time: October 16, 2006, 7:25 am
Yeah, definitely roast the squash. WAY easier. Also, I add the curry and cinnamon to the onions & garlic & butter at the beginning. Smells awesome. Did Riley like the soup? My kids don’t. Of COURSE. Bah! Actually, not “bah”. More for me. Yay!
Comment from Shu
Time: October 16, 2006, 7:49 am
I’ve found peeling a butternut squash with a peeler to be the easiest way to do it (roasting didn’t work for me, it took over an hour-and-a-half and by the time the squash was done I was just over the whole thing…then again, I’m a fairly impatient cook). Thanks for the recipe, I was just thinking that I needed to make some soup as the cold weather sets in!
Comment from Jen
Time: October 16, 2006, 9:28 am
Mmm–sounds great! I make a similar soup, but with two alterations–I add a chopped, peeled apple along with the squash, and I throw the whole thing in the Crock Pot in the morning (after sauteeing the onions, garlic & spices), so I come home to a great-smelling dinner.
Comment from Amy
Time: October 16, 2006, 9:36 am
I made a similar soup this weekend except I used butternut and though it was hard to peel, it was not horrible. My recipe went like this: 1 onion chopped into large pieces and 2 cloves of garlic peeled and minced sauteed in olive oil. While this is cooking, peel and chop 1 butternut squash, a medium sweet potato, a honeycrisp apple, and about a dozen baby carrots. Add 2 cans of chicken stock and all chopped veggies to sauteed onions and garlic. Add 2 tsps ground ginger, cumin, and curry powder and cook whole thing for about 20 minutes or until veggies are fork tender. Then blend/puree in batches with 1/4 cup buttermilk and 1/4 cup milk of your choice. Cook pureed mixture until warm or do what I do and put it all in crockpot and put in fridge to cook the next day. Serve with a crusty artisan bread. Yum!
Comment from Melis
Time: October 16, 2006, 11:30 am
at the risk of sounding like a Retarded Rachel Ray, this soup sounds YUM OH! I am willing to give squash another chance (spaghetti squash, contrary to what EVERY DIETER ON THE PLANET told me, isn’t “just like pasta” when you put sauce on it. f’ing liars) and the little man loved loved loved squash when he was on pureed baby food-enough that he turned a lovely Ernie-esque color. I think I just may try this sometime this week!
Comment from Linda
Time: October 16, 2006, 12:03 pm
Comment from Sarah
Time: October 16, 2006, 1:05 pm
I had a similar soup the other night at a restaurant - to make it even healthier/tastier, they had cranberries and roasted walnuts added to the soup - it was delicious! I remember thinking I wanted to ask for the recipe - thanks to you I don’t have to!
Comment from Serror
Time: October 16, 2006, 2:06 pm
I love squash soup. My favorite is to do up a batch just like your recipe, but then make it hearty/meal like with frozen peas, some brown rice and a cut up apple. Sounds wierd, I know, but is soooo very tasty with the curry. I also top it with yogurt or sour cream!
Comment from aab
Time: October 16, 2006, 4:38 pm
I made this recipe last week and it came out very well:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/15657
In the reviews people give lots of tips for dealing with squash. I took the easy way out by using frozen squash and it was still very good.
Comment from JennyJ.
Time: October 16, 2006, 7:35 pm
Oooh Sundry! I just made your soup for dinner and it was SO GOOD! I cheated a little bit, though, and used the fresh squash pieces Trader Joe’s sells in the produce section that someone else mentioned.
Thank you for a yummy dinner idea! I even sprinkled a little bleu cheese on top, too, and you were right. That flavor combo was rockin.
Comment from Amy
Time: October 16, 2006, 8:08 pm
Dude. Just buy the already peeled, cubed butternut squash you can find in the produce department of most grocery stores. (and definietly Trader Joe’s). The peeling & chopping of raw squash is TORTUROUS.
(I didn’t read through the comments, sorry if I duplicated.)
(I live in Southern California; therefore, I am required to start each comment with “dude”.)
Comment from Michael
Time: October 21, 2006, 4:52 pm
Do none of you own microwave ovens? 
We make all sorts of yummy things out of squashes and pumpkins (not just soups, but also pasta dishes, pastries, breads, scones, …) and the trick to peeling them is this:
1. Poke some holes in the squash with a fork.
2. Put it on a paper plate
3. Microwave it for awhile (varies by size and type of squash; sometimes 10-20 minutes, sometimes 5 is enough).
4. Pull it out of the microwave and let it cool a bit.
5. Slice it in half with a sharp knife, and cut away the peel. If it doesn’t cut easily or the peel doesn’t separate easily yet, go back to step 3 (you didn’t cook it long enough).
Putting it in a convential oven accomplishes the same thing, but isn’t as fast.
Comment from Katie
Time: October 24, 2006, 9:16 am
I made this soup on Sunday and it was absolutely delicious. I used a potato masher to mush it up and it was perfectly gloopy and textured. Made a double batch and we’ll be eating it for a couple days. Thanks for posting this!
Comment from Sara
Time: October 25, 2006, 8:07 pm
This soup is friggin’ awesome. I FINALLY tried it and holy hell, my tastebuds thank ya kindly. 
Good stuff, all warm and goopy and healthy-like. Will make it again for sure!
Comment from orangepeacock
Time: October 26, 2006, 5:19 pm
DOOD. NPR totally stole your idea! 
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6370960
Comment from justmouse
Time: October 31, 2006, 9:10 pm
ya, i tried that whole “peeling a squash” thing once. just once. then i cut it in half and roasted it in the oven and scooped the flesh out once squishy. i’ve done that with everything from acorn squash to huge-ass pumpkins. tastes just as good, and less hassle. the recipe sounds awesome. now…if only i wasn’t the only person in my house who would actually TOUCH a squash…
Comment from Shu
Time: November 2, 2006, 8:21 pm
Okay, I just had to return to this post to tell you that I made this last night and it was DELICIOUS. I usually try one squash recipe a year and so far, they’ve all sucked, so this is a welcome change.
Pingback from Super Squarsh Soup « Distracted by Something Shiny
Time: November 14, 2006, 4:58 pm
[…] I made yummy-but-healthy butternut squash soup last week. I was inspired by this recipe, but when I showed it to my Mom, she gave me some extra hints which were VERY helpful. Here’s the breakdown: […]
Comment from Jill Wilson
Time: November 25, 2006, 1:31 pm
It’s easier to cut the butternut squash in half, scoop the seeds with a grapefruit spoon, put it in a microwave suitable bowl, cover with plastic sealer and nuke it for 8 minutes. Let it cool, then scoop out the squash.
Comment from Kurt
Time: November 27, 2006, 5:06 pm
The soup was delicious, try finding a heavier duty vegetable peeler. I have a OXO and I had no trouble peeling the skin off the butternut squash. Once again it was delish!!
Comment from Karen
Time: January 8, 2007, 5:11 pm
I finally tried this soup, and it’s AWESOME. I highly recommended the frozen cubed butternut squash. All I had to do was thaw it out in the microwave before adding it. The whole soup was ready in less than 20 minutes. Also, I added fat-free half-and-half instead of cream (because that’s how I roll), and I’m still calling it awesome!
Comment from Karen
Time: January 8, 2007, 5:14 pm
Oh, also, I used a hand blender to bring everything together before adding the half-and-half because I was looking for a more even-textured soup. Even with the blending, it took less than 20 minutes!
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Time: January 27, 2007, 1:47 am
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Time: July 3, 2007, 12:36 pm
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Comment from Cass
Time: October 3, 2007, 12:05 pm
My husband calls me the lazy gourmet…I have a very similar recipe to yours for the Squash soup. Following direction is not my strong suit so what I do is I cut the tops and bottom of my 2 squashi (plural of squash is…I don’t know) I rid them of seed. I cut two small onions in half and peel. I stick one half of onion in each hole in the squash and I roast at 375 for about 40 minutes. Then I let cool for about 15 minutes peel back the skin (which is really easy at that point) and blend, add the other stuff and I have soup.
Comment from Dotti
Time: October 10, 2007, 1:39 pm
Whenever I need squash in a recipe, I just poke several holes in it and microwave it for 5 minutes or so. It’s easy to peel then. I especially like to use this method when I’m cooking acorn squash that I want to bake on the “half shell.” After microwaving the whole squash, it’s very easy to cut it in half, scoop out the “guts” and finish the baking in the regular oven.
Comment from Gay
Time: October 25, 2007, 4:35 am
This sounds like every thing I try to cook in the pain in the ass-ed-ness. I like this woman. The last comment about the pants was right on.
Comment from Eileen Davis
Time: November 1, 2007, 8:14 am
We grew butternut squash this summer and had an abundant harvest. I choose to slice the squash lengthwise, remove seeds. Use large skillet and place on round rack or steamer with water in bottom. Steam on low for about one hour or until meat is soft. Then just scrap meat from shell - no peeling.
Comment from sylvia
Time: November 11, 2007, 10:46 am
I just made it with a few additions. I sauted minced ginger with the garlic and then added the garam marsala for the curry. Possibly the best thing I have ever made.
Comment from Nicole
Time: November 15, 2007, 7:49 am
I am sooooo eager to try this. I had a recipe that I loved and lost it in a move so I have been searching for a new recipe. Today I was in Whole Foods and saw butternut squash already peeled and cubed, its worth the money. So I have to run to get started on my soup.
Comment from Tanya
Time: December 14, 2007, 4:31 pm
Yum…I just made this today for our work Christmas gathering. It was a huge hit, but I would definately double it next time. Also, I realized I was out of brown sugar, so I used real maple syrup. The soup was incredible! You definately need preparation time though…so don’t start this if you are in a hurry unless you buy the bagged, peeled, and cubed squash. I am now looking forward to my parents butternut squash harvest next year. I may become an squash soup addict!
Comment from AmyC
Time: January 25, 2008, 8:13 am
Forget peeling, chopping, or oven-roasting (takes too long and messes up a pan, which has to be washed, ugh).
Here’s what you do for squash, acorn OR butternut: wash off the outside, cut it in half and scoop out the seeds, put it cut-side-down in a microwaveable pie plate with about a quarter cup of water, put some plastic wrap over it (leave a little vent hole at the side for the excess steam) and put it into the microwave on high for 5 minutes or so. Viola! tender cooked squash, ready to scoop right out of the skin and use. Let it cool a bit first, though, or you’ll scorch your digits. Then you can just add the cooked squash to the broth you have heated up, mix it all up with a blender, or mash it up, and you have great soup. Mmmmmm…..squash soup.
Comment from R
Time: May 9, 2008, 3:48 pm
One thing that’s been left out here about roasting the squash. It doesn’t just make the prep easier, it makes the soup taste better. If you’re going to go to the trouble of making soup, it should taste as good as it can, roasting the squash is a win-win as it makes the soup taste better and easier to make.
Comment from Kris
Time: June 17, 2008, 4:24 pm
This soup is perfect! I had a squash in the fridge that I never ended up using, and this was the best solution for an “out of the ordinary” way to cook it! I had no trouble peeling the squash (I used acorn) and simply peeled it with a knife, not a peeler. May have wasted a little squash that way, but it was worth it to make the peeling easier. Also, when I cooked the onions and garlic I threw in some ground ginger, which ended up tasting really GOOD!! Thanks for the recipe!!!
Comment from Madalyn
Time: August 11, 2008, 4:40 am
I am a huge fan of Butternut Squash Soup or Bisque ! All the recipe variations above sound good and on my own I have tried the majority of them. I wholeheartedly recommend microwave cooking the squash after cutting in half and de-seeding it! When making it sweet form I use Cary’s Sugar Free Maple Syrup and when making a more spicy version I add lemon grass as well as cinammon, curry, ginger, fresh ground white pepper (black may be substituted) . Granny Smith apples and dried cranberries ..let your imagination and intuition run wild… must be made in ample portions and served to please hearty appetites.
Comment from mary mccauley
Time: November 29, 2008, 11:51 am
I am so pleased to read all these great ideas. Since I am not much for peeling, dicing, slicing, etc, I’ll use frozen squash, frozen diced onions. I’ll put that and the other items in my crockpot. One thing I like to add before eating, but I add it to my bowl, is a few drops of salad vinegar. Don’t know what it is about that addition but I really like it.
Thanks for all the good info.
Comment from judi larson
Time: March 27, 2009, 11:56 am
Love squash soup, and can understand why you thought it was such a pain since you used acorn in place of butternut. I have been using a different recipe that calls for carrots, but since my husband doesn’t like cooked carrots, and your recipe also has brown sugar and cinnamon, yours is the next one to be tried–but with butternut because it si easier to peel!
Comment from Thomas
Time: March 30, 2009, 4:21 pm
OK, so I stumbled unto this recipe and it’s delicious!
Just wanted to chime in because I didn’t see this anywhere else in the comments: Does anyone else use frozen “cooked squash” for recipes like this?
It’s sold in blocks at every supermarket I’ve ever been in and it makes squash soups really fast and easy. No peeling or chopping, plus it’s pre-cooked and pre-blended…I frickin love the stuff!
Comment from Amanda
Time: September 25, 2009, 11:36 pm
I love the idea of the last minute bleu cheese!!!! Mmmmm….
Bleu cheese makes anything better. I am making this for my family tomorrow night. I will roast the squash just because I got nothin but time and I think it brings out the nutty flavor. Thank you for this recipe!! I LOVE it.
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