I know that butternut squash soup is typically a fall dish. But sometimes I get a bit fed up with the whole “Winter is for comfort food” and “Summer is for citrus” recipe stereotypes. I live in Canada. Rarely is citrus considered eating locally. Also, it rains a lot where I live. Soup is such a nice rainy day meal.
What’s even better is that I’ve discovered a way to take these typically autumn dish and turn it into a spring feast: minted sour cream! Trust me, this delicious little dollop of heaven takes any soup and gives it that fresh, cool feeling that we’re all looking for when the sun comes out. It’s a way to take our favourite recipes, and give them a little je ne sais quoi?!
I was wandering through the produce market when I saw these two little butternut squashes just hanging out. They looked a bit bored, so I decided to take them home and turn them into a soup.
I was a fool and thought I had red peppers at home. I didn’t. I had yellow. So roasted yellow peppers it was!
Before and after. There’s something about the sweet, satisfying taste of roasted vegetables. That caramelized sugar is delish!
The recipe below tells how to take this roasted bit of goodness and transform it into a fabulous soup, but first, I have to show you something:
This is my little mint patch! It’s chocolate mint, to be exact. It doesn’t smell like chocoate, but smells unlike any other mint I’ve had. It beats spearmint by a long shot. This stuff is fab in your tea, and is even better in your sour cream. Trust me.
I was pretty impressed with my presentation when I whipped this up. Sure beats the typical grilled cheese sandwiches that are usually on my lunch plate.
Don’t have butternut squash in your local produce market? (and fair enough, it’s June) – you can substitute sweet potatoes or carrots in this recipe. Fork your sweet potatoes and then wrap them in tin foil before you roast them (it should take an hour). Carrots can be chopped (into “coins”). Roasting should take 1/2 hr to 45 min.
- One large butternut squash (or two smaller ones)
- 1 pat of melted butter (approx 2-3 tbsp)
- One red or yellow pepper
- One cooking onion, diced
- Two cloves of garlic, minced
- 4 medium baker potatoes, in 1" chunks, steamed or par-boiled
- 2 cups of vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 tsp of cumin
- Salt and pepper to taste
- For garnish
- 1 cup of sour cream
- 2 tsp of fresh mint, minced
- Optional: 1/4 tsp cumin
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
- Cut squash in half and scoop out seeds
- Brush squash with melted butter and season with salt and pepper
- Place squash and whole peppers on pan lined with tin foil
- Roast vegetables for approximately 45-1 hr. Pepper skins should be blackened.
- Place peppers in bowl and cover with tin foil; leave to cool
- Scoop squash from skin and set aside
- Once peppers are cooled, remove skin and seeds. Chop up remaining pepper.
- In large pot, melt butter and saute onion and garlic
- Once onions are transparent, add squash and pepper
- Saute for approximately five minutes, then add broth and par-boiled potatoes - retain extra broth - if any - for pureeing
- Bring to a boil, then turn down to simmer for approximately 15 minutes
- While soup simmers, combine sour cream, mint and cumin (if desired)
- Refrigerate sour cream mixture
- Using an immersion (or stick blender), puree the soup until smooth. You may need to adjust the broth levels here.
- Garnish and enjoy!
- This minted sour cream can be used on a variety of soups. Allow at least 15-20 minutes of sitting time, so that the cream can take on the minty flavours.
Add this minted garnish to all of your favourite pureed soups. And tell me if you do! I’d love to know if you love it as much as I do.
My favourite part of making this recipe was Lila’s expression at the soup. “Mom, are you really going to eat that leaf? Why are you putting trees on your soup?”
Sweetie… it’s about presentation. And also, I don’t really know.
9 comments
Nancy Davis
Love this recipe that I will need to try soon. I think my Chocolate Mint smells like chocolate too. Maybe it’s the name…lol
Tara
Oh yes, please do try this and let me know what you think! The minted sour cream is heavenly! And I love my chocolate mint plant – I can’t wait to use it in more recipes!
Amy of while wearing heels
Yum. It’s been raining here all day and this would have been a perfect dinner. It looks so pretty. And, I love that Lila looked on in horror asking if you were going to eat a leaf :). And, I am impressed with your mint patch.
Tara
Lila was pretty horrified that I would put a piece of nature right onto my soup! It was delicious though. I’m going to try a carrot soup (eventually from my garden, but that may involve me sneaking out in the night and jamming store-bought carrots into the ground) with the sour cream and see how it goes!
Things have been rainy here. It’s like Spring is going out with a big bang!
Adrianne at Happy Hour Projects
That does it. I think we need to be neighbors. This looks so fabulous!!
Tara
Adrianne – you could make me bracelets and I’d make you soups and weird bread-machine creations. If only you DID live in my neighbourhood! 🙂
Krista @thehappyhousie
I looks so delicious Tara, you did an amazing job on presentation! I will have to pin this recipe! Squash soup is a favourite, and the minted sour cream sounds super enticing!!
Tara
Oh lady, you have to try it! The minted sour cream is soooo good. I will be adding it to all of my pureed soups!