Description
A comforting, budget-friendly butternut squash soup with sage brown butter that comes together in about 45 minutes. It’s light yet savory, kid-approved, and perfect for weeknight dinners.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 large butternut squash (about 3–4 pounds / 1.5 kg), peeled, seeded, and cubed
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups vegetable broth (low-sodium)
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 10–12 fresh sage leaves
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Optional: 1 diced apple, ½ teaspoon cumin, pinch of nutmeg
Instructions
- Prep ingredients: Wash squash, cut in half, scoop seeds, peel skin, and cube into 1-inch pieces. Dice onion and mince garlic.
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook for 3-4 minutes until softened.
- Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until fragrant but not brown.
- Add cubed squash to the pot and stir to coat. Pour in vegetable broth to just cover the squash.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15-20 minutes until squash is fork-tender.
- Remove pot from heat and use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
- Stir in heavy cream and heat gently over low heat for 2 minutes. Do not boil.
- In a small skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and nutty (3-4 minutes).
- Immediately add sage leaves to the brown butter; they will sizzle and crisp. Remove from heat.
- Ladle soup into bowls and drizzle with brown butter and crispy sage leaves. Serve immediately.
Notes
For extra creaminess, add a tablespoon of cream cheese. Roasting the squash at 400°F for 25 minutes before adding to the pot adds deeper flavor. Ensure butter does not burn; it should smell like hazelnuts. Fresh sage is required for the topping to achieve the proper texture.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 8
- Sodium: 450
- Fat: 10
- Saturated Fat: 6
- Carbohydrates: 22
- Fiber: 4
- Protein: 4
Keywords: butternut squash soup, sage brown butter, budget meal, family dinner, fall recipes, vegetarian soup, easy weeknight dinner