5-6cups(about 880g) peeled and cubed butternut squash
2(65g) shallots, halved
1½tspsmoked paprika
1tspgarlic powder
½tspcumin
½tspsea salt
Black pepper, to taste
Chili flakes, optional and to taste
2tbspFilippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus extra for garnish
4cuplow-sodium vegetable broth
Vegan cream, for garnish
Olive Oil Garlic Toast
4slices of sourdough bread
4tbspFilippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4garlic cloves, grated using a microplane grater
Sea salt, to taste
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Soup
5-6cups(about 880g) peeled and cubed butternut squash
2(65g) shallots, halved
1½tspsmoked paprika
1tspgarlic powder
½tspcumin
½tspsea salt
Black pepper, to taste
Chili flakes, optional and to taste
2tbspFilippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus extra for garnish
4cuplow-sodium vegetable broth
Vegan cream, for garnish
Olive Oil Garlic Toast
4slices of sourdough bread
4tbspFilippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4garlic cloves, grated using a microplane grater
Sea salt, to taste
Soup
Step 1
Preheat oven to 400ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 2
Arrange butternut squash and shallots on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with spices (feel free to add as much or as little chili flakes as you like) and drizzle with oil. Toss to coat. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the butternut squash is fork tender. Let cool for 10 minutes.
Step 3
Transfer the butternut squash and shallots to a blender alongside 3 cups of vegetable broth. Blend until smooth. If you want a runnier soup, add up to 1 extra cup of vegetable broth. Warm up in a large pot.
Step 4
Divide amongst 4 bowls. Top with vegan cream, a drizzle of olive oil, and chili flakes. You can also use black pepper instead for less heat. Serve with Olive Oil Garlic Toast.
Olive Oil Garlic Toast
Step 1
Heat a cast iron pan to medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil along with 2 toasts. Toast on both sides until golden brown and starting to char. Remove from the heat and spread 1/4 of the grated garlic onto each toasts. Sprinkle with salt. Repeat for the other 2 toasts.
Step 2
Enjoy immediately with the soup.
Recipe created in the context of an Instagram partnership with Filippo Berio.
Growing up, one of the dishes that was regularly on rotation in my mom’s kitchen was her creamy soup (or potage in French). Every time she made an iteration, it was never exactly the same as it featured whatever vegetables needed to be used up.
Sometimes it had sweet potatoes, lentils, broccoli. Other times, it featured cauliflower, yellow potatoes, carrots, celery. But I have to admit that one of my favorite of her variations was whenever she included butternut squash.
I loved the added sweetness from the squash, the fact that it blended into the most luxurious, silky soup, and that it was a wonderful base to be elevated by any spice combination.
This Smokey Butternut Squash Soup is a little bit of an ode to one of my mom’s soups. It’s super satisfying, rich, wonderfully creamy and brings me right back to my mom’s kitchen and all of us kids huddled around the table on a chilly day, slurping on soup.
My version features a little extra luxury: a perfectly toasted garlic sourdough toast. Decadent, tangy, bright, salty, it is the best dipping companion to this soup, while not overshadowing any of the soup’s complex aromas.
When it comes to the ingredients used in this recipe, below are the ones I used.
For any modifications, refer to the Common Questions & Swaps section.
Butternut Squash: Flavourful, lightly nutty, and delightfully creamy when blended, this root veg is the star of this soup. It is a perfect base for the additional spices and olive oil, while giving this soup a very distinct yet subtle sweetness.
Shallots: Delicate in flavor and lightly sweet when roasted, they add a lovely depth to this creamy soup.
Spices, including smoked paprika: The blend of spices in this soup gives it a warming, smokey quality that enhances and elevates the flavor of the butternut squash.
Sea salt: A key to bring out the the various spices and flavors of the vegetables.
Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil: With its rich taste and subtle notes of olive, it helps truly highlight the texture and flavors of all the elements of this soup. I love using it in roasting the vegetables as well as a garnish for an additional olive oil kick.
Low-sodium vegetable broth: I always suggest opting for a higher quality broth as it can really take a simple soup to new levels of flavor. As in most blended soup recipes, the broth here helps loosen up the butternut squash, making it extra silky and scoopable.
Vegan cream: I love topping my creamy vegetable soups with a touch of cream to add a little extra luxury and creaminess. I tend to opt for a soy or oat based cream as they are the easiest to find in stores.
There is something quite special about recreating childhood classics and this one truly hit the spot. I even got to test the recipe with my mom at home with me and my daughter. The 3 of us sat around the table together and created a new set of memories around this special dish.
I hope you give this simple yet impactful and flavorful recipe a try and get a little glimpse into my childhood flavors.
If you make this recipe, I’d appreciate it if you left a review above in the recipe box and shared about it on social media. Don’t forget to tag me (@muriellebanackissa).
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