Description
A creamy, slightly sweet butternut squash bisque made in about 20 minutes. This one-pot meal is perfect for busy weeknights, featuring warm spices and topped with crunchy toasted pepitas.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4–5 cups cubed butternut squash (about 1 medium squash or 1 pre-cut bag)
- 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth (low-sodium)
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup heavy cream or full-fat coconut milk
- 1/4 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
- Optional: Croutons or crispy onion for garnish
Instructions
- Prep ingredients: Dice onion, mince garlic, and measure spices. If using whole squash, peel, seed, and cube it.
- Sauté aromatics: Heat olive oil and butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook for 3-4 minutes until soft and translucent. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add squash and broth: Stir in cubed butternut squash to coat in the onion mixture. Pour in broth, ensuring squash is covered. Add cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Simmer: Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes until squash is tender and easily pierced with a fork.
- Blend: Remove from heat. Use an immersion blender to blend the soup directly in the pot until smooth. Alternatively, let cool slightly and blend in batches in a standing blender.
- Add cream: Stir in heavy cream or coconut milk. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt or pepper if needed. If too thick, add a splash of broth; if too thin, simmer uncovered briefly.
- Toast pepitas: In a small skillet over medium-low heat, toast pepitas for 2-3 minutes, shaking frequently, until golden brown and popping. Watch closely to prevent burning.
- Serve: Ladle hot soup into bowls and top with toasted pepitas. Drizzle with extra cream or olive oil if desired. Serve immediately with crusty bread.
Notes
For a deeper flavor, you can roast the squash cubes at 400°F for 20 minutes before simmering. This soup tastes even better the next day as flavors meld. It can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months (texture may change slightly due to cream). To make it vegan, use vegetable broth, olive oil instead of butter, and coconut milk instead of cream.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 12
- Sodium: 450
- Fat: 14
- Saturated Fat: 7
- Carbohydrates: 35
- Fiber: 6
- Protein: 6
Keywords: butternut squash bisque, squash soup, 5pm dinner, easy weeknight dinner, one pot soup, vegetarian soup, gluten-free soup, fall recipes, comfort food