Summer gets all the glory for sure, but who doesn’t love a cozy Fall or Winter night snuggled up with a hot meal made with fresh seasonal produce? Mother Nature has us covered as always, and this recipe that celebrates the bounty of a Fall harvest will have you begging for seconds. Butternut squash is cropping up at local farmers’ markets and farm shares everywhere, and I for one couldn’t be happier. Last week, I was ODing on this delicious roasted pumpkin salad with feta and spinach, and this week I’m totally obsessed with this super easy butternut squash soup.
We all know that good things happen when you pair sage and butternut squash, but straight up magic comes from pairing butternut squash with sour cream and cider. Say whaaaaaat?!! I’m not joking. I first spotted this recipe on Food52 and I’m kicking myself for not making it and sharing it with you sooner! This soup comes together in less than half an hour, tastes amazing, and you can pour the leftovers onto anything from focaccia to your favorite pasta. This is totally going to be your new Fall favorite. You must try this!!!
Butternut Squash + Sour Cream + Apple Cider Soup
Ingredients
Serves: 4
- 1 shallot, sliced
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
- 3 cups peeled, seeded, and cubed butternut squash
- 1/2 cup vegetarian broth, homemade or canned low-sodium
- 3/4 cup apple cider
- 1/4 cup light sour cream
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 unpeeled Honeycrisp or Granny Smith apple, cored and finely diced
- Cracked black pepper
Directions
- Heat a medium-size saucepan over low heat. Add the shallot, garlic, and 1/4 cup water. Cook until the shallot and garlic are softened, being careful not to let them burn, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the squash and the vegetarian broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the squash is soft, about 20 minutes.
- Carefully pour the mixture into a blender. Holding the top down with a towel, blend until smooth. Sidebar: instead of all of the fuss of transferring your mixture to a blender, you can use a hand blender right in your saucepan. I got this hand blender as a gift (Thanks, Valerie!!!) and I seriously can’t live without it. It’s upped my smoothie and soup game to expert level.
- Add the cider, sour cream, and salt. Continue blending (or hand blending) until well combined. The soup can be made ahead up to this point. If you want to save some for later, now’s the time. You can store it in mason jars and refrigerate/freeze for later. When ready to eat, place in a clean saucepan over low heat until heated through. Season with additional salt if needed.
- Ladle the soup into 4 bowls. Garnish with the diced red apple and cracked black pepper. Serve immediately.