Squash Soup Finished with Herbs

Squash Soup Finished with Herbs keeps the shopping list focused on roasted butternut squash, roasted kabocha squash or Blue Hubbard, and vegetable stock 32 ounces. It serves 6 bowls.

Count on 15 minutes of prep, 40 minutes of cooking, about 55 minutes from the first measurement to the plate.

Ingredients Method

What goes in the bowl

• 3-4 cups roasted butternut squash
• ½ roasted kabocha squash or Blue Hubbard
• 4 cups vegetable stock 32 ounces
• 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary finely minced
• 1-2 tablespoons fresh sage
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme picked
• 1 small onion small dice (finely chopped)
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• kosher salt to taste
• black pepper to taste

For the spiced pepitas

• ½ cup raw pumpkin seeds pepitas
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional, for heat
• ½ teaspoon brown sugar
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

How the cooking goes

How to roast butternut squash for soup

1. Heat the oven to 350°F.
2. Cut the top and bottom off the butternut squash with a large chef’s knife. Stand the squash upright on the bottom – you just cut a nice flat surface, which will make a solid base to slice the squash in half. Use the chef’s knife to cut the squash in half lengthwise, pushing down from the top of the knife, keeping your fingers clear of the blade!
3. Portion out the seeds and either throw them out or set them aside to clean and roast.
4. Prepare a sheet pan with a piece of baking paper and place the squash cut side up on the baking pan. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. Flip them over, cut side down. Poke some holes using a fork or the tip of your knife (carefully!) up and down the length of the squash.
5. Place it in the oven then bake until they are soft when pressed with your finger or provide no resistance with a paring knife. The roasting time will vary greatly by the size of your squash! Expect anywhere from 25 – 40 minutes.
6. Portion all the soft, roasted butternut squash flesh from the skins and keep it to one side or cool and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

How to roast kabocha or Blue Hubbard squash for soup

1. Warm the oven to 350°F.
2. Cut the top and bottom off the kabocha squash with a large chef’s knife. Stand the squash upright on the bottom – you just cut a nice flat surface, which will make a solid base to slice the squash in half. Use the chef’s knife to cut the squash in half lengthwise, pushing down from the top of the knife, keeping your fingers clear of the blade! Kabocha have thick rinds, so this might take some force; you can also pick the whole thing up and bang it down on the cutting board while keeping your fingers clear of the knife blade!
3. Portion out the seeds and either throw them out or set them aside to clean and roast.
4. Working one half of the squash at a time, cut strips about 2 inches wide. Then cut each of those strips into 2 inch pieces. This is approximate. It really doesn’t matter, you just want them to be of a similar size. Repeat with the other half, if you have one!
5. Place all the pieces skin side down (cut side face up!) on a baking paper lined sheet pan. They can all be crammed together; don’t worry about it. Sprinkle with a little kosher salt and cover with another piece of baking paper and then a large piece of aluminum foil. Seal the edges down around the squash by curling the foil around the rim of the baking pan.
6. Oven-bake in a preheated oven until the squash is soft and can be pierced easily with a cake tester or pairing knife. This typically takes me around 25 minutes. Take it out of the oven and remove parchment and foil from the top.

How to Make Roasted Squash Soup

1. In a medium sauce pot add 2 tablespoons olive oil, the onion and herbs. Turn the heat to medium-low and sweat the herbs and onion until almost translucent.
2. Put the minced garlic to the pot. If the onions stick even on low heat, add a little more olive oil. Continue to sweat until the onions are transparent.
3. Put the squash & half of the stock. Simmer over medium-low to allow the squash to break down into the stock.
4. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup while still in the pot, adding a little stock at a time until the resulting soup is smooth, pourable but viscous, or where you want it!
5. Taste the soup for seasoning and add fresh ground black pepper and kosher salt until the seasoning suits the pot.

How to make the roasted pepitas

1. In a medium bowl, toss the pumpkin seeds with olive oil, salt and spices. Spread onto a baking pan lined with a piece of baking paper.
2. Mix or toss the seeds frequently either while roasting in the oven or pan. Once they look matte (no longer shiny) and have started to turn a deep gold, remove them to cool on the sheet pan.
3. Serve in bowls with pepitas and/or croutons sprinkled on top.

After it comes off the heat

Cool the pot before it goes into the refrigerator. It reheats gently on the stove the next day.

If you want another plate from Soups and stews, open The French Onion Soup Finished with Herbs and Italian Sausage Soup Simmered for the Bowl.