Creamy, Cozy Butternut Leek Soup

Creamy, cozy, and nourishing, this bright, silky Butternut Leek soup is a true hug in a bowl!

Soup season is officially ON, and we’re simmering up all the gourdgeous squash we can get our hands on. Pumpkins may be autumn’s iconic curcurbits, but Butternut may be my favorite to cook with. This easy, versatile beauty is pure autumn harvest sunshine.

For this recipe, I like to work with whole roasted butternut squash. The bake time makes preparation deceptively long, but it may just be my favorite go-slow-to-go-fast “shortcut”. All you need is hands-off waiting time. Once your butternut is thoroughly baked and cool enough to handle, peeling is a breeze, so actually you’re saving precious time in the long run. And, big bonus, you can roast up to five days in advance, letting that plump, meaty marvel sit in the fridge until you’re ready to pull out the stockpot. From there it’s a mere matter of sautéing, blending, and simmering, all with ease. Of course, if you’re in a pinch or whole roasting squash just isn’t for you, you can absolutely peel, seed, and chop, roasting the resulting chunks in half the time.

One thing I love about soups—and especially squash soups—is how really all you need is one vegetable and broth. That said, for this recipe I like to pile in the extras for extra depth of flavor and a bolder nutritional profile: onion, leek, carrot, fresh rosemary and sage. Lots of butternut and similar squash soups incorporate coconut milk for creamy richness, and they are deeeelicious. For me, going heavy on the coconut milk ends up being overly filling, however. Here, just a half cup spread between four or more bowls as a finishing swirl hits just right. If you want to go a little richer, though, stir the half cup of coconut milk into the soup at the end, warming through, then add an additional half cup or so for swirling on the top—or, just add in as much to the pot as you like. I personally recommend saving just a touch for decoration, though. There’s something about a swirl that just buoys happiness, especially when sprinkled with chopped fresh herbs and pumpkin seeds. :)

Swirls make me smile, but I’m not sure they can compete with the bubbling, nostalgic delight that the Curcubit family brings. Morning runs have been taking me past fields of pumpkins and other squash, their rounded shapes giving the appearance of bobbing cheerfully as I run by. Up close, they are probably soft now, covered with frost and caving in on themselves. From a distance, they’re robust and joyful. They stretch out across the fields like a wave, reminding me, soon we’ll be gone. Enjoy us while you can.

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Creamy, Cozy, Vegan Butternut Leek Soup

Yield: 4-6

Author: Wendy McMillan

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 1 H & 20 MInactive time: 1 HourTotal time: 2 H & 30 M

Creamy, cozy, and nourishing, this bright, silky soup is a true hug in a bowl!

Ingredients

• 1 medium to large butternut squash (about 3 pounds or more)
• 3 cloves garlic in skin
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 2 leeks, white and light green parts, sliced
• 1 medium carrot, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
• 1/2 Tablespoon diced fresh ginger
• ½ Teaspoon black pepper
• 3 ½ Cups vegetable broth, low-sodium or homemade
• ½ Cup+ coconut milk
• Additional herbs and roasted pepitas for garnish, optional

Instructions

1. Prepare the squash: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place whole squash on a baking sheet and roast until the skin is papery and a fork inserted into 2 or 3 different spots reveals very tender flesh, about 1 hour. Set aside until cool enough to handle and peel away the skin, discarding the seeds. (Note, this can be done up to 5 days in advance, storing the cooked squash in the fridge.)
2. Heat a large pot coated lightly with water over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, leek, carrot, herbs, ginger, and pepper and sauté, stirring occasionally, approximately 5 minutes, until carrots are becoming tender and the onions transluscent.
3. Peel and seed the roasted squash and cut into chunks.
4. Working in batches as needed. combine the vegetable mixture, butternut squash, and broth in a high speed blender and blend until smooth. Return to the pot and bring to a simmer, cooking covered (or mostly covered) approximately 20 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. To serve, divide into bowls and serve with a swirl of coconut milk and a sprinkle of fresh herbs and pepitas as desired on top. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Calories

202

Fat

7 g

Sat. Fat

6 g

Carbs

36 g

Fiber

6 g

Net carbs

29 g

Sugar

8 g

Protein

5 g

Sodium

32 mg

Cholesterol

0 mg