The first time Somer McCowan had butternut soup, she was living in Australia. That was the first time she’d eaten any orange squash in any dish that wasn’t sweet or associated with pie. It was like a revelation, eating this mostly savory, slightly sweet vegetable soup. She hasn’t been able to stop making it since, and she shares her Cozy Roasted Butternut Soup recipe in her book The Abundance Diet. This Cozy Roasted Butternut Soup will keep you warm on cold winter days.
Cozy Roasted Butternut Soup
Cozy Roasted Butternut Soup will keep you warm on cold winter days.
Ingredients
- 1 whole head garlic
- 1 large butternut squash, halved lengthwise, seeds left in
- 2 medium onions, halved lengthwise, skins removed and left intact
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1/4 cup dry sherry, optional
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
- Dash of cayenne
- 1 1/2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1/4 cup raw cashew pieces, optional
- 1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 425°F. Wrap the head of garlic in aluminum foil. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Arrange the squash halves cut side up on the prepared baking sheet, along with the onions cut-side down, and the foil-wrapped garlic. Roast the vegetables for 45 to 60 minutes or until everything is soft and lightly browned. About 20 minutes before the vegetables are finished, combine the vegetable broth, dry sherry (if using), thyme, cayenne, and nutritional yeast in a large soup pot over the lowest heat.
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Once the vegetables are fully roasted, remove the baking tray from the oven and set aside until the vegetables are cool enough to handle. Now you can easily scoop out the butternut seeds with a large spoon or ice cream scoop and discard them or set them aside for toasting. Scoop the roasted butternut squash out of its shell. Roughly chop the roasted onions into 1-inch pieces. Cut the top quarter off the roasted garlic and squeeze out all the roasted cloves. Add the roasted squash, onions, and garlic to the simmering broth. Warm the soup over medium heat.
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Once the vegetables are heated through, puree them completely with an immersion blender (or in batches through your regular blender). If using cashews, blend 1 cup of the hot pureed soup with the cashews in a blender until smooth, then return it to the pot and stir until combined.
Recipe Notes
You can throw this soup together quickly on a weeknight if you use frozen or fresh pre-cut butternut squash. The onions, garlic, and squash can be chopped and sautéed in broth rather than roasted to cut off additional time. The result will still be delicious, but will have a little less depth than the original recipe.
Recipe from The Abundance Diet, © 2015 by Somer McCowan. Photo by Ann Oliverio. Used by permission from Vegan Heritage Press LLC.
