Soup! The official warm up, get well, comfort food of tummies the world over and these frigid winter months call for plenty of it. This Maple Roasted Squash Blender Soup is perfect for Sunday supper. It is easy, requires only a handful of ingredients, nutritious and bursting with flavour and colour. The perfect cure for a frigid, grey winter day.
We make lots of soups over the winter. Our preference being thick, hearty colourful soups. Squash and root vegetables provide such vibrant colours and flavours that I feel are required to fill the sunshine void to get us through these frigid, dark, dismal months. This past week alone has brought us temperatures well below the freezing mark. I'm talking minus 35 degrees when you factor in the windchill - BRRRRR. The silver lining, although bone-chilling cold, such days are often sunny and bright!
Much like this bowl of sunshine, whose star ingredient was once referred to as 'the apple of God'. Butternut squash is packed with Vitamin A, providing over 400% of the recommended daily allowance, is virtually fat, cholesterol and sodium free and a good source of fibre, folic acid, potassium, magnesium and Omega 3's. It's a superfood with a sweet, nutty taste that can be prepared and enjoyed in a number of ways. We have roasted it, mashed it, added it to soups, blended into soup and smoothies and baked it into desserts. And don't discard those seeds, they are a great snack when roasted and were once believed to increase fertility.
To save time, you can roast the squash before hand and store in an airtight container in the fridge. For a quick weeknight meal, add the already roasted squash, broth and seasoning to your blender and VOILA!, a nutritious, delicious meal in less than fifteen minutes from blender to bowl! Look at that colour! Does that not warm your soul on sight? And for those with special diets, this soup is dairy-free and vegetarian!
We used half the squash for our Maple Roasted Squash Blender Soup and the other for a dessert I'll share later this week.
On Sundays, we like to make a big pot, or pots of soup (one with meat and one vegetarian for the Dude) to enjoy during the week. It's such a great way to enjoy a blend of power foods like pumpkin, sweet potatoes, squash and the like, in one bowl. Warm up to a mug, bowl, pot or cauldron. Hot, cold, thick, thin, sweet or savoury, soup is just, well...super!
What is your favourite comfort food?
More Savoury Sundays:
Ingredients
- ½ butternut squash roasted
- coconut oil for brushing
- 33 g dark maple syrup 1 ½ tbsps
- 1 small onion sliced
- 4 garlic cloves crushed with a mortar and pestle
- 15 ml coconut oil 1 tbsp
- 355 g vegetable broth 1 ½ cups
- salt to taste - I used a chipotle himalayan pink salt blend
- sun-dried chili peppers and spicy roasted chickpea to garnish optional
Instructions
Prepare the squash:
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Wash the squash and cut in half, lengthwise. Use a large, sharp knife, as the skin can be difficult to cut.
- Scoop out the seeds with a spoon or ice-cream scoop. Save the seeds for roasting/garnishing, if you like.
- Brush a little coconut oil over the flesh of the squash, drizzle with 1 tablespoon maple syrup and turn face down onto the parchment.
- Roast for 45-60 minutes, depending on the size of your squash. Turn the pan halfway through the roasting time for even cooking.
- The squash is ready when tender to the touch, the flesh is bright orange and easily comes away from the skin.
- Remove from the oven, flip over and allow to cool.
Make the soup:
- While the squash is cooling, brown the onion and garlic in a teaspoon of oil and the remaining maple syrup.
- Pour the vegetable broth in a powerful blender and add the caramelized onions, garlic and oil to the broth.
- Use a spoon to scoop out the still warm squash and add to the blender.
- Cover and blend for five to seven minutes until smooth. If you prefer a thinner consistency, add a little more broth.
- Add salt to taste and serve warm.
- Garnish to your liking. I used spicy roasted chickpea and sun-dried chili peppers. Roasted squash seeds would work great, as well.
Medha @ Whisk & Shout says
It is frigid and grey here, too! This is such a perfect soup and I love how easy it is to make 🙂
I Sugar Coat It! says
So easy and so very nutritious and DELICIOUS! Stay warm, Medha!
Goreti says
I'm always looking for new recipe ideas for butternut squash. I'm actually 1/2 of one right now. Might make this right now. Made oven fries with the other half. Hubby doesn't like it so it's just for me. yummmmm
I Sugar Coat It! says
Save some for me! I love roasted squash. Let me know if you try it - it's always a big hit here.
Diane@aplanforcooking says
This looks fantastic. I love the idea of roasting it ahead for a quick lunch during the week. It looks so vibrant and delicious.
I Sugar Coat It! says
Thanks, Diane! It is so convenient to have the already roasted squash on hand for a quickie meal!
Deb|EastofEdenCooking says
Oh the aroma of the maple syrup and coconut oil have captured my attention! I adore the idea of making the soup on the weekend to have ready for Monday night. Now that is the proper way to begin the week!
I Sugar Coat It! says
Hear, hear! 🙂
Regina @ Leelalicious says
Mmm...this looks like heavenly comfort food. I have a big butternut squash waiting to be used since fall. I have plans for part of it. Great to have this lovely recipe handy for leftovers
I Sugar Coat It! says
Give it a try! Maybe Olivia could partake! 🙂
Paula says
I'm not as huge a fan of soups as my husband but butternut squash is one of my favourites. Yours looks great.
I Sugar Coat It! says
Thanks, Paula! I love it for its taste, but the colour is pretty enticing, as well!
Kelly - Life Made Sweeter says
This soup looks so comforting and incredible! I love blended soups and the flavors in here sound amazing!!! It's perfect for the cold weather and I totally want a giant bowl of this right now!
I Sugar Coat It! says
One of my faves! Making some more today.