- I'm gonna show you how to make the coziest autumn soup.
It's so simple and totally taste gourmet.
Using this humble squash, check this out.
(upbeat jazz music)
(grunts) Hey everybody!
It's Natasha of NatashasKitchen.com.
Today, we are making creamy butternut squash.
It is velvety smooth without any cream in it.
So delicious.
And is gonna become your new favorite soup for fall.
You'll see.
Also, we're playing a game.
Let me know if you spot Sharky,
and tell me where you see him in the comments.
And if you haven't already,
make sure, make sure you subscribe.
And when you do,
hit that little bell icon
so you'll get notifications every time we post a new recipe.
And I'm totally craving the soup
so let's get started. (drumming hands)
Wah! Whoa!
First, I'm gonna show you how to peel
and cut a butternut squash.
And if you've never done this before,
don't be intimidated
because it's easier than it looks.
To start out,
you'll need a potato peeler or a vegetable peeler.
Peel off the thick skin.
Once you're done peeling the skin,
use a knife to slice off the bottom and top of the squash.
This creates a stable base for the squash to sit on,
so you can stand it up and cut it in half.
I like to start by cutting into the side of the squash,
then stand it up and cut all the way through.
Take your time
and safely work your knife through that squash
because it can be pretty tough.
Once you have that cut in half,
use a large spoon to scoop out the seeds and strings.
I do like to scrape inside the cavity,
just to make sure I've gotten rid of all of the strings.
You can keep and toast those seeds or discard them.
Once you've scooped out the seeds,
it's time to chop up that squash.
Start by cutting the squash into one-inch thick strips.
Again, take your time and work safely
as you chop up your squash.
Once you have your one-inch thick strips,
turn those to the side
and continue cutting into one-inch thick pieces.
They don't have to be perfect
but you do want them to be roughly one-inch thick
for even roasting.
Transfer those to a large rimmed baking sheet.
(drumming carrots)
Next, peel and slice two medium carrots.
Cut those into one-inch chunks as well.
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Next, you'll need one medium yellow onion.
Cut off both ends and peel the onion,
then cut it into eighths or about one-inch chunks.
Separate the onions into smaller segments,
and transfer them to the baking sheet.
You'll also need four garlic cloves.
Cut off the ends,
then smash them with the side of your knife
to make them easy to peel.
Add those to your baking sheet
along with the rest of your veggies.
I love to toss the veggies with oil and spices,
directly on the baking sheet
to save myself some dish cleanup.
Drizzle those with extra virgin olive oil,
then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
(upbeat jazz music continues)
Now, my favorite tool for tossing vegetables,
and really, it's the best tool we have in the kitchen,
is my hands.
Toss until all of your veggies are evenly coated
in seasonings and oil.
Way too much fun. (laughs)
Spread your veggies into a single layer for even roasting,
and transfer to a preheated oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
You'll wanna bake those in the center of your oven
for about 35 to 40 minutes,
or until the veggies are fork-tender
and golden at the edges.
Also, since we're using these roasted vegetables for soup,
and we're going to cream them anyways,
we don't have to flip them halfway
so it saves a step.
Once your veggies are fork-tender,
remove them from the oven,
and it's time to blend.
Transfer the roasted veggies to a blender,
and we're gonna do this in batches,
making sure you don't go beyond the max fill line.
I like to start with adding half of the roasted veggies
and half of the chicken broth.
Also, this is a blender
that we have used and loved for years,
and I will leave a link to it in the notes.
Cover the mixture with the lid
and blend until it's completely smooth and creamy.
I think this soup is best when it's silky smooth.
Also, if your mixture gets too thick
or has difficulty blending,
just add a little more chicken broth.
Once that's perfectly smooth,
transfer your purée to a dutch oven or a soup pot.
(upbeat jazz music continues)
Now, repeat that process,
adding the rest of your veggies
and chicken broth to the blender,
and blend until creamy smooth.
If it's still getting too thick
and you need more liquid,
feel free to add that extra half a cup of water
that we'll add to the soup later.
Once everything's blended,
transfer it into the pot,
making sure to get every drop.
Now, set the pot over medium heat.
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I like to add half a cup of filtered water
just to thin it out a little bit.
Also, season with cinnamon and nutmeg.
Stir that together to combine,
then bring it to a light boil.
Stir occasionally,
and you'll wanna keep it partially covered
while it's coming to a uniform boil.
Otherwise, a creamy soup tends to squirt and spur,
and it can kind of make a mess of your stove.
Once you see it's come to a uniform boil,
we're gonna add some butter and maple syrup.
Continue stirring until the butter is melted into the soup.
The butter adds a luxurious creaminess to the soup,
and you don't need to add any kind of heavy cream or milk.
Now, last but not least,
season to taste with salt and pepper if needed,
and take it off the heat.
Your creamy roasted butternut squash is ready to serve.
(upbeat jazz music continues)
Ah! (laughs)
I'm excited because I'm so hungry
and totally craving this soup.
Here we go.
Here's the moment we've all been waiting for.
Dun, dun, dun! (sighs)
And this soup really is just silky, silky smooth.
Check this out.
And without any cream in it.
So it's actually a pretty healthy creamy soup.
Look at that, look at that.
Silky, silky and so satisfying.
It tastes fancy.
And wait till you see the toppings
because the toppings take this over the top.
All right, let's load this up 'cause I am hungry.
I think I picked too small a ladle. (laughs)
I'm way too impatient for this ladle. (laughs)
I did pick the cute one.
It's probably more like a gravy ladle than a soup ladle.
So if you're serving company,
do not use this size of ladle. (laughs)
Unless everyone's on a diet.
Now topping this off,
you have so many options here.
One of the popular ways to do this is,
well, in every situation,
you wanna add a little bit of maple syrup drizzle
over the top
because just that little bit of sweetness,
oh, it's just such a good combination.
Remember, we put maple syrup into the soup
to sweeten it up slightly.
It's beautiful and really good,
so make sure you don't skip that.
And then you can either use pepitas which are pumpkin seeds.
And I've toasted these just real quick on a dry skillet
for a few minutes,
tossing them frequently
until they're golden and fragrant.
Or my personal favorite,
to top it with some bacon.
We've got some browned, crispy bacon bits here.
I sautéed these on a skillet,
stirring frequently just until they're browned
and crispy and golden,
then transferred them to a paper towel-lined plate,
and you've got your topping.
So I'm gonna do bacon because I cannot resist.
I've been munching on this since I made it. (laughs)
Like half of it's gone. (laughs)
All right, here we go.
Just sprinkle, sprinkle that on.
Be generous.
It's good to have a lot of bacon.
Okay, and then also add a little bit of parsley
'cause that little pop of color is beautiful over soup.
And tasty too.
Okay.
And last but not least,
a little crack of freshly ground black pepper.
So pretty, oh my gosh.
Ah! (laughs)
I cannot wait.
I love that this is staring back at me.
All right, I'm just gonna dig into this because mm!
All right.
Ah, okay, sorry.
I'm too excited.
(upbeat jazz music continues)
It's probably hot.
(upbeat jazz music continues)
(sighs) Truly tastes like a gourmet soup.
Like something you would order in a nice restaurant
but you just made it in your own kitchen.
And please, please, please do not skip the topping.
There's just something so irresistible
about that combination of sweet and salty,
with the bacon and the maple syrup.
Ooh, it'll make your day. (laughs)
It's really simple.
So delicious.
I really think this is gonna become a new favorite for you.
And if you've never cooked with a butternut squash,
I think you'll be impressed.
One of my absolute favorite creamy soups for fall.
Total comfort food.
And that's a wrap.
Let me know where you guys spotted Sharky in the video,
and we'll see you in the next video!
(upbeat jazz music continues)
Mm, tasty.
I love butternut squash. (laughs)