This is one of my all time favorite soups. It’s the perfect soup to warm you up on a cool Fall or Winter day with its hint of cayenne. And since it’s puréed, it’s my favorite soup to drink out of my thermos while working on the farm. If you’ve never tried buttercup squash before you are missing out.
Buttercup squash is a beautiful sweet winter squash. You can recognize it by it’s dark green striped squatty exterior and it’s characteristic bump on the bottom. It is very similar to Butternut squash in both taste and color but it has a softer and more velvety texture when cooked.
My brother introduced me to this variety of squash and has grown it in his home garden for years, but I have seen them recently at many grocery stores and farmers markets. Butternut squash can easily be substituted for buttercup squash in this recipe if you can’t find it at your local market.
Buttercup Squash Soup
Recipe is adapted from: allrecipes.com
Ingredients
- buttercup squash
- 1 yellow onion
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 4 cups chicken broth or stock (1qt)
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
- 1/3 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1 (8oz) package cream cheese
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Half the butternut squash and scoop out the seeds. Place both halves cut side down in a baking dish and fill with a 1/4 inch of water. Bake until tender for 45 mins. Remove the halves to let cool so they are easier to handle.
- Dice the onion. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat and saute the onion until translucent. Once tender, add the basil, marjoram, cayenne, salt and pepper. Then transfer to a blender.
- Scoop out the flesh of the cooled buttercup squash and place it in a blender or food processor. Add the cooked onion and spices, cream cheese, and enough broth (~1cup) to blend easily. This may be done in two batches depending on the size of your blender. Then blend until smooth.
- Add the remaining broth to the saucepan. Mix in the pureed squash and onion mixture into the broth stirring frequently. Warm until just heated through, but not boiling.
Tips & Tricks: Butternut squash can be substituted for the buttercup squash. Lower fat cream cheese can also be used successfully in this soup. Fresh basil can be used instead of the dried. And thyme can be substituted for the marjoram if desired. The amount of cayenne can also be adjusted to your specific liking.
