Canada's food guide
Spiced-up butternut squash soup
This creamy soup will fill your kitchen with autumn-like smells and keep you feeling cozy. The hint of curry and cilantro takes this recipe up a notch, making it a family favourite.
Prep time
15 min
Cook time
30 min
Servings
6
Ingredients
- 1 medium butternut squash (about 1.125 kg/2 ¼ lb)
- 5 mL (1 tsp) vegetable oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 10 mL (2 tsp) mild curry powder or paste
- 750 mL (3 cups) vegetable or chicken broth
- 30 mL (2 tbsp) chopped fresh cilantro or parsley (optional)
- 1 mL (¼ tsp) ground black pepper
- 85 mL (⅓ cup) 0% plain Greek yogurt (optional)
Directions
- Peel squash using a vegetable peeler. Cut squash in half crosswise, then cut each half in half lengthwise. Remove seeds. Chop squash into equal pieces (about 2.5 cm/1 inch); set aside.
- In a soup pot or large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat and add onion, garlic and curry powder. Cook, stirring for about 2 minutes or until starting to soften. Add chopped squash, broth and cilantro, if using. Bring to a boil. Once at a boil, reduce heat to a gentle simmer, cover and cook for about 25 minutes or until squash is very tender.
- Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Ladle into the blender in batches and puree soup until smooth. Be sure to hold the lid with a kitchen towel to ensure it doesn’t pop off. Alternatively, use an immersion blender and puree in the pot.
- Stir in pepper and serve with a dollop of yogurt if desired.
Learn about food safety.
Recipe developed by Emily Richards, P.H. Ec. for Health Canada and the Heart and Stroke Foundation.
Tips
- Save some soup for lunch the next day. Add canned, drained and rinsed chickpeas to the soup to keep you energized all afternoon.
- You can substitute in other vegetables to transform it into a brand new soup. Try 1.5 L (6 cups) chopped broccoli or cauliflower or 2 sweet potatoes instead of butternut squash.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months.
