While you may be thinking to yourself in a sarcastic voice, "just what we need need, another butternut squash soup!" I urge you to think of this more as inspiration and less as a direct soup recipe. Take your butternut squash soup recipe and jazz it up. Add some spices. Use a sauce. It doesn't have to be boring!

Squash for days

On any given week, I have some kind of puree hanging out in the refrigerator. It’s a staple that can easily be used in soups, fillings, sauces, or porridges. When I don’t feel like cubing squash, it’s into the oven, sliced in half, and roasted cut-side down with a bit of water to help steam/cook. Once the squash is tender, it’s time to get to work on a few recipes.

Butternut Squash Soup

One of the easiest ways to use squash puree is in soups. Add it to a few cooked onions, stock, and herbs. This recipe is built on my base butternut squash soup recipe (usually without the spices and lime juice). However, this version is great when I have chimichurri on hand (which is most weeks!)

Chimichurri, make it weekly

I have a rotation of sauces that I make depending on what I have on hand already. Chimichurri is a great way to use those herbs in the fridge (or a great reason to buy herbs regularly or even try your hand at growing). This chimichurri was actually leftover from this adobo acorn squash dish (I can never get too much squash!)

Go vegan

This recipe is about as easy as it gets to take it vegan. Drop the heavy cream and replace it with your favorite vegan-cream sub (cashew cream, oat milk, etc). I’ve also been known just to leave it out. The butternut squash makes for a fairly creamy soup.

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Spiced Butternut Squash Soup with Chimichurri

3 to 4 small servings

Take your basic butternut squash soup recipe and give it a bit of zing with the help of herbs and spices.

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Soup

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ large yellow onion (minced)
• 3 cloves garlic (minced)
• 3 cups butternut squash puree (1 pound worth of puree)
• 2 to 3 cups vegetable broth
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon salt
• Juice from one lime
• ¼ cup heavy cream

Topping

• ¼ to 1/3 cup chimichurri
• Feta/Cotija for topping
• Toasted buckwheat (if desired)

1. Heat a medium pot over medium-low heat. Add the olive oil followed by the minced onion. Cook until translucent and fragrant, 8 to 10 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook for about a minute more.
2. Next to the pan, add the squash puree, vegetable broth, cumin, coriander, salt, and lime juice. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until hot, about 10 minutes. Puree in a blender or leave in the pot and puree with an immersion blender. Once smooth, transfer back to the pot.
3. Return the heat to low and and the cream. Cook until the soup is hot. Divide the soup and top with spoonfuls of chimichurri, feta (or cotija), and buckwheat if desired.

Notes

To toast buckwheat, heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Add the buckwheat and cook, shaking the pan frequently, until the grain has depend in color and is fragrant.

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time :30 minutes minutes