Butternut Squash Soup

in butternut squash, Freezer Friendly, Lighter & Healthier, Soup, Stew, and Chili, Starches, Vegetarian, Veggies

I don’t really like to shop, but I do like to impulse buy. And it usually gets me in trouble. I’m the person who goes into HEB with two items on my list and I leave with those two items. Plus 8 more. And half of those are usually last-minute additions from the magazine rack. I’m a sucker for pretty food. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve grabbed a magazine because I wanted to eat the picture on the cover. I get the mag home, make the one recipe, and then nothing else in the magazine appeals to me. $5 for 1 recipe… not the most efficient way to spend money.

My last score at the register paid off really well, though. I picked up a copy of Better Homes and Garden’s Italian fall edition because of the – surprise – yummy bowl of pasta on the cover. After cooking 5 or 6 items from its pages, my copy now looks like it’s 5 years old – creases, stains, wrinkles, drip marks… the sign of a good issue!

We love having soup for dinner. There’s something really comforting about huddling over a bowl of steamy soup.

This recipe freezes wonderfully. It’s also fairly light with only 1 Tbsp of butter and no heavy cream. I made a full batch knowing full well that I would be the only member of my house to eat it. I portioned the soup into quart-size freezer baggies and froze flat. I also froze the ravioli, pre-cooked, in a baggie and cooked up only a handful at a time while the soup was rewarming.

Butternut Squash Soup with Ravioli and Sage-Roasted Walnuts

A light and healthy butternut squash soup garnished with ravioli, roasted walnuts, and molasses.

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 lbs butternut squash
  • 32 oz vegetable broth
  • 1/8 tsp cayenne
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided
  • 1/2 cup walnuts, rough chopped
  • 1 Tbsp fresh sage, chopped
  • 1 9-oz package cheese ravioli, cooked and drained
  • Molasses, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Make the soup: Peel the squash, halve lengthwise and scoop the seeds. Dice squash into 3/4 inch pieces.
  2. In a large sauce pan, combine squash, broth, cayenne, cinnamon, and salt. Cook covered over medium heat until squash is tender, about 30 minutes.
  3. Transfer 1/3 of the squash mixture to a blender/food processor and puree until smooth (I don't have an immersion blender... if you have one, this would be a great time to bust it out.) Repeat with remaining squash. Return squash mixture to the pan. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 10 minutes. Whisk in 1 Tbsp butter. Taste for seasoning and adjust - I thought it needed a generous pinch of salt. (To freeze: cool the soup and then divide it among 6 freezer bags and freeze flat in the freezer.)
  4. Make the walnuts: Preheat oven to 325. Rough chop walnuts and spread on a small baking sheet. Roast until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Melt 2 Tbsp butter in a small sauce pan over medium heat. When the butter begins to brown, add sage and remove from heat. Toss sage browned butter with toasted walnuts.
  5. Serve: Ladle soup into individual bowls. Divide cooked ravioli between the bowls. Drizzle with molasses, top with walnuts, and sprinkle with sea salt if desired.

Notes

Yields: 6 servings

Adapted from Better Homes & Garden, Fall/Winter 2008

Estimated time: 1 hour

22 comments… add one
  • What a wonderful soup you have created. I love butternut squash.

  • I really like the idea of using the ravioli in the soup because of portion control! It seems like you could easily stick to the right-size serving (as opposed to eating a larger portion covered in sauce). I never buy ravs because I’m afraid I would want to eat too many, but now I just might because this sounds great!

  • What beautiful pictures, you know I don’t care how many times I make butternut squash soup you can do so many things with it it is really different every time. This looks like a great variation.

  • Thanks!

    Cara – you’re so right. I put 4-5 in each bowl. The salty cheese filling makes the soup heartier but still so much better for you than a big bowl of raviolis. Saves room for dessert 🙂

  • I think those are the best pictures of squash soup I have ever seen! And the color is not as bright orange; it has an almost caramel color to it. If it were not for the ravioli and the post title, I would have thought this was a dessert!

  • Butternut squash soup is one of my all time favorites, and the ravioli makes for such a beautiful presentation

  • This looks like a nice big bowl of COMFORT!

  • I definatly have the impulse to try your soup recipe… the pictures look mouth watering… thanks for posting..

    Andy
    http://www.recipebuddys.com

  • I like to shop and to impulse buy, which I’m ashamed to say means, that I’ve got stuff in my cupboards that I hardly ever use. It also means though that this morning when I went out for eggs and bread I picked up a butternut squash, so this time my impulse buy means I can try your wonderful looking soup!

  • I like the idea of topping the soup with ravioli! Very clever 🙂

  • Beautiful pictures! I could eat soup 3 times a day, everyday!

  • this looks great. and I usually don’t like soup 🙂

  • Ok, this soup looks fantastic!! I love the ravioli addition!

  • Lovely color on the soup! It’s too bad my husband hates squash — grrrrrr. I have to make it when he’s away for business trips. I’m intrigued by the addition of ravioli, it sounds yummy!

  • that’s how all of my cookbooks look too- drip marks and smeared food all over them. that’s what good food looks like though. i always end up having to hold the pages down with a salt&pepper shaker or a bag of sugar. it rarely stays open haha

    this soup sounds really luxurious and smooth. i like the ravioli in it.

  • Wow! That sounds like me. I always go into HEB with a list of things I need and come out with double the amount of things listed.

    That magazine was sure worth it though. That soup looks too good to be true!

  • I made this tonight and it was fantastic. I had to use chicken broth though because I didn’t have vegetable broth and it was still good! 🙂
    yay!

  • Question – Will the soup be impacted much by omitting the molasses? I’ve never really had it in anything except cookies… I’m trying to decide if I should splurge on it or skip it all together (or maybe sub in balsamic vinegar instead?) What do you think?

    Thanks!

    • The molasses adds a sweet, rich touch to the soup. I say spring for the small jar – and then make cookies with the leftovers 🙂 A good quality balsamic reduction would be a completely different – not objectionable, just different.

  • Sonya M

    I don’t eat pasta, so any other suggestions to make the soup heartier without the ravioli? I have been looking for a butternut squash soup recipe that didn’t call for heavy cream or loads of butter and flour…this one is it!!! Thank you!

  • Linda Lefferts

    This recipe looks like a good alternative to my usual butternut squash soup. If you don’t want to peel the squash, which can be dangerous, just split the squash in half, roast it in a pan with about 1 inch of water until browned (about 1/2 hr @ 375 deg). This makes it so much easier to scoop out the pulp for soup! Another suggestion…I usually add a half teaspoon of very finely minced jalapeno. Garnish with a dollop of sour cream! There are so many ways to enjoy butternut squash soup. Thanks for the suggestion of the purchased ravioli!

  • Perfect!! Sounds so refreshing and delicious.

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