This easy butternut squash velouté recipe is awesome and quick to make. It’s a French bistro style soup which requires minimal ingredients and results in a delicious smooth, creamy soup.
In the Autumn and deep Winter months there’s nothing better then a hot bowl of vegetable soup. Served with grilled pain de campagne, it’s a delicious light lunch or starter. It’s one of my favourite things to make on a Saturday morning when squash season starts and in Paris we have a lot of different varieties of squash on offer. So read on if you want to discover how to make a healthy, light butternut squash velouté.
The Ultimate Butternut Squash Soup Recipe
This butternut squash soup recipe is a fantastic base for customisation. I’ve left it deliberately simple and the steps allow you to change the thickness and ingredients to your liking. It’s easy to add spices, ginger, herbs and even coconut milk using this method.
The first step is to prep the squash which is generally the most time consuming part. I prefer to use a knife to remove the skin as I generally find that it’s quicker. Once the skin and seeds have been removed it’s time to slice it thinly. It really doesn’t matter how you cut it but you want to aim for slices that are 0.5cm/ 1/4 inch thick so they cook at the same time. If you have significant differences in thickness you can end up with a lumpy velouté.
Next the aromatics need to prepared. For this recipe I’ve kept it super simple by just using half a white onion and a clove of garlic. Here’s where you can play with the flavours by adding ginger, fresh turmeric, lemongrass or whatever you want! The onion and garlic and cooked on a low heat in butter or olive oil until soft and translucent. The next step is to add the sliced butternut squash and immediately add the stock and a lid. As the squash is sliced thinly it won’t take too long to cook – around 10 minutes.
Once a knife can easily pierce the squash then you know that it’s ready to blend. Instead of blending it all in the pot like many recipes call for, we take the solids out with a slotted spoon and place it directly into the blender. By doing this you can easily alter the consistency to your preference. Simply add 2 ladlefuls of stock into the blender and blend. If it’s too thick add a bit more until you get a perfect velouté consistency. It’s also where you can add coconut milk if you want to!
What You’ll Need
To make a smooth, quick butternut squash velouté you’ll need the following:
- Squash: I’ve used Butternut Squash for this recipe but you can use any variety of squash! Buttercup, Kabocha or Delicata squash all work really well.
- Aromatics & Onion: This recipe keeps it really simple by only using white onion and garlic. Red onion won’t work that well for this but you can shallots if that’s what is available.
- Stock: Vegetable or chicken stock work great for this recipe. If you’re using chicken stock, use low sodium store-bought stock.
- Cream & Olive Oil: Cream and olive oil for finishing are great if you want added luxury. If you want to keep this soup vegan then omit the cream and use coconut milk instead.
- Optional Ingredients: Spices such as curry powder, tumeric or cumin work really well with this soup – just add them to your liking just as you finish sweating the onion and garlic. Ginger is another aromatic that works super well and that can be added with the garlic at the start. Finally coconut milk could be added when you blend – just make sure to add less stock to ensure the soup isn’t too thin.
Ingredients
Makes enough for 4 portions.
- 750g of squash
- 1/2 onion, sliced thinly
- 1 clove of garlic, sliced thinly
- Stock, as required
- Heavy Cream, as required
How to Make Butternut Squash Velouté
- Start by slicing your butternut squash into two and remove the seeds. Peel or use a knife to remove the skin. Slice the flesh into 0.5cm/1/4 inch slices and reserve.
- Place the slice into a sauté pan or pot on a low heat with melted butter. Cook until soft and translucent, stirring regularly to avoid browning. Add the sliced garlic and cook for a few more minutes.
- Add the sliced butternut squash and enough stock to cover. Cover with a lid and cook for 10 minutes. Use a sharp knife to check if the squash is cooked – it should go through the thickest slice with ease.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove the solids (squash, onion and garlic) and place into a blender. Add two ladlefuls (around 240ml or 1 cup) of liquid into the blender and blend on high for 30 seconds. Add more liquid depending on the consistency desired. A traditional velouté has the consistency of thick/heavy cream.
- Serve immediately with a drizzle of cream, olive oil and grilled bread.
Butternut Squash Soup with Coconut Milk
Butternut squash soup works really well with coconut milk. By using coconut milk instead of cream it turns this soup vegan. It’s also a fantastic flavour combination if you use curry powder, ginger, chilli or any other Asian style ingredients!
Is Butternut Squash Soup Healthy?
Yes butternut squash soup is very healthy! Butternut squash (and other varieties of squash) are high in fibre, low in calories and contain lots of minerals and anti-oxidants. If you want to keep the calories down, use low-calorie cooking spray and omit the cream – it’ll still be delicious.
Is Butternut Squash Soup Keto Friendly?
Yes this butternut squash soup is keto friendly. This as due to the fact that as this is a velouté style with no carbohydrate thickener such as flour, rice or potatoes. You can increase fat content by adding more butter and cream which will enhance the creaminess of the soup.
Can Butternut Squash Soup Be Frozen?
Yes this soup freezes very well. Simply pour the room temperature soup into a zip lock bag and lay it flat with the zip-lock end pointing up. Use your hand to push any air out whilst closing at the same time. By keeping the bag flat it’ll freeze and defrost quickly whilst taking minimum space in your freezer.
