Try this now: Butternut Squash and Leek Soup

Butternut Squash and Leek Soup is complex, velvety, and topped with bacon… What more could you want? This soup is simple to put together and only has 9 ingredients. Most of which you probably already have in your house. This dish is great for entertaining, not just because it is delicious, but because it is even better the second day. So you can make this ahead of time and just warm it up for your guests.

Ingredients

You only need eight ingredients to make Butternut Squash and Leek Soup, most of which you probably already have in your cupboard. The main stars of this dish are the butternut squash and the leeks. They’re so important that they’re named individually in the recipe title. It used to be that these ingredients were seasonal to the late winter and early spring, but my local grocer seems to have these two on the shelves most of the year. For the best taste though, try to get them in season and sourced locally. If you’d like to make this dish vegetarian or vegan, feel free to substitute diet compliant ingredients for the butter, broth, and bacon.

• Butternut Squash- a vine growing winter squash with a sweet nutty taste
• Leeks- This scallion cousin has a distinct taste. The edible part of this plant is the “stalk”, which is actually a tightly bound sheath of leaves.
• Butter- Because everything is better with butter
• Broth- Chicken or vegetable, depending on your dietary needs
• Garlic- Did you even cook if it didn’t involve garlic?
• Thyme- Cousin to oregano, thyme is indigenous to the Mediterranean
• Cayenne Pepper- Just a touch of heat to offset the sweet
• Bacon- Totally optional if you’d like to keep it vegetarian, but well worth the calories if you’re not.

How to Make Butternut Squash and Leek Soup

The hardest part of this recipe is not that hard at all and you get it out of the way on the first step: peel and cube your butternut squash.

Next you will chop your garlic then clean and chop your leeks. The edible portion of the leek is the lower half that looks like a stalk or stem. This is a tightly bout sheath of leaves, not a stalk, but I digress…

Now you will melt the butter in a large stock pot over medium heat and sauté the garlic and leeks in it. Let them cook for a couple minutes until they soften and become fragrant. Once this is achieved, add your butternut squash and then add enough chicken (or vegetable) broth to completely cover the squash cubes.

Reduce the heat to a simmer and let everything cook for 40-50 minuets, until the squash is fork tender. Once the squash is tender, carefully move the contents of the stock pot to a blender and pulse until smooth. Depending on the size of your blender, you will likely need to work in batches. This is not a problem, just be careful while transferring all the hot liquids. Alternatively, if you have an immersion blender, save yourself the trouble and put the stick to use.

All that’s left now is to sprinkle your butternut squash and leek soup with bacon serve it.

How to Serve It

This soup is great hot or cold. This recipe uses winter ingredients, so it makes sense to serve it hot. But don’t be surprised by how much you like the soup cold when sneaking a couple spoonfulls before reheating leftovers.

Speaking of leftovers, this soup is actually better the next day. The extra time for all the flavors to distribute and mix throughout the pot really adds a level of complexity to the flavor profile. This is a real win for entertainers, meal preppers, and left over lovers. You can prepare this dish in advance, then rewarm it when you are ready to serve without losing quality. This soup also freezes well, which is a real plus for those of us eating alone or meal prepping.

I like to serve Butternut Squash and Leek Soup with toast made from a hearty bread. I was able to find a rosemary and olive oil loaf at my local bakery and it was a perfect pairing!