Butternut Squash Soup with Thyme and Parmesan

Butternut squash is one of my favorite vegetables: it’s slightly sweet, has a great texture and can be cooked in just about any possible way. I’ve roasted it, sauteed it, added it to curries and stir-frys – but I had never made butternut squash soup until just a few days ago.

I was inspired by the holiday season and Thanksgiving being just around the corner. To me, Thanksgiving is all about getting together with family and friends, being warm, and eating amazing food. I have great memories of this holiday, because one of my very close family friends always has a huge potluck lunch on Thanksgiving at her house where all of the families and kids I grew up with reunite and catch up.

The potluck lunch is our Thanksgiving tradition. I grew up in the Bay Area with a bunch of “family friends” that my parents befriended when they moved here from India in 1978 (before I was born!). Since all of my parents and their friends’ biological families lived in India, this group of close-knit family friends became like their family in the Bay Area. All of us kids spent our childhoods together – meeting through countless dinner parties, birthday parties and get togethers.

Of course, once we graduated from high school we all went our separate ways – and many of the “kids” don’t live in the Bay Area anymore. But Thanksgiving is the one time everyone comes together, it’s the one “dinner party” left that the kids still come to on a regular basis. And it’s always really great to see everyone!

This year, I’m actually going to two potlucks – one is our traditional Thanksgiving day potluck at my family friend’s house. The second is a “virtual” potluck that Food Network is hosting! I’m really excited to be a part of “The Communal Table” for Food Network’s first virtual Thanksgiving.

While I’m bringing a salad to my family friend’s potluck, I’m bringing this soup to The Communal Table. The recipe was amazingly easy, and turned out to be super flavorful and delicious. I ate it for leftovers for a few days after I made it because it was so good!

The Ingredients

• 1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic
• 3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4-1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• salt & pepper to taste

The DirectionsaStep 1: Cook the onion, garlic and thyme in the olive oil until the onion has softened, about 5 minutes. Add the squash and saute for another minute or so.aaStep 2: Add the vegetable stock, bring to a simmer and cook until the squash is tender – about 30 minutes. Season with cumin, nutmeg, cinnamon, black pepper and salt, and stir to combine. Let simmer a few minutes more and then remove from heat.aStep 3: Using a hand blender, puree the soup into a creamy, smooth consistency.aaStep 4: Return to heat, and let the soup warm through.aaStep 5: Serve in bowls and top with freshly grated parmesan cheese.aaThe husband loved this soup. He said it was rich and creamy, and very warming. I served it with some fresh grilled crostini to soak up all that butternut squash goodness.a
This would be the perfect starter to a Thanksgiving dinner – it’s hearty but not too filling, delicious, and healthy. I hope you enjoy this as much as we did!a