Cream Of Butternut Soup

Cream of Butternut Soup, also known as the Creamy Butternut Soup or the Creamy Squash Soup, is a very thick and rich soup made with butternut squash as the main ingredient. The soup owes its smooth and creamy texture to the use of heavy cream, milk, butter and oil as essential ingredients. These are often used in combination with each other. Butternut squash is essentially a variety of squash. A more general Cream of Squash Soup can be made from any type of squash.

 

At times, the soup is made even thicker by adding egg yolk, cheese or cornflour. The preparation is popular for its mellow and delectable taste and it is also very nutritious.

 

 

Cream of Squash Soup Recipe Overview

 

Ingredients Used: General ingredients used in the preparation of the Creamy Squash Soup include the butternut squash (fresh), broth (most chicken and preferably homemade), heavy cream, milk, oil, butter, bouillon and a light seasoning of salt and pepper. Vegetables that complement butternut squash are often added to the soup to make it more filling. Onion, tomato, leeks, potato, peas, corn, celery mushroom, etc., are some of the most popular additions. Some recipes call for the use of meats as well, chicken and ham being the most popular. The preparation is often spiced with various kitchen herbs and spices like rosemary, thyme, pepper, paprika, garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, etc.

 

Preparation: Cream of Butternut Soup is a fairly easy preparation and it takes about 30 minutes to make 3 to 4 servings. The butternut (and other vegetables and/or meats, if used) is cleaned, chopped as required and stir-fried in oil or butter for a few seconds. The cream, butter, milk and oil are combined together and then mixed with the fried ingredients. The mixture is blended for a few seconds and then put in a cooking pot along with all the other ingredients. The soup is cooked over direct heat till it is done.

 

Popular Cream of Squash Soup Recipe Variations

Creamy Butternut Soup is a very versatile preparation and there are many variations of the same. The general variations include the Vegan version of the soup, the diet version and the lactose intolerant-friendly variation. To make the soup suitable for consumption by those who are lactose intolerant, it is made without any milk or milk products. Coconut milk and olive oil are used instead. Similarly, the vegan version is also made without any dairy products (replaced with coconut milk) and there is no use of meat and meat products as well. To make the creamy soup fit for consumption by those on a diet, the calorie and fat contents are drastically cut down by using light cream, margarine, skimmed milk and baked or boiled ingredients instead of heavy cream, butter, regular milk and fried ingredients.

 

Often, the Cream of Butternut Soup is made into a local variant by simply adding a regional herbs and spices, like the Thai version is made with Thai chili paste, the Indian version wil always feature Garam Masala and the Chinese variant makes use of soy sauce, vinegar, etc.

 

Serving Suggestions

The Creamy Butternut Soup is often served as a starter while it is still piping hot. Toasted, buttered bread makes a good accompaniment and the cheese and croutons are popular toppings. The soup is often garnished with snipped parsley or chopped chives. At times, the preparation is chilled beforehand and served cold. Fuller versions of the soup are often a part of the main course or even an even meal.

 

Creamy Butternut Soup Nutrition

An average 200 gram serving of the Cream of Butternut Soup has about 212 calories, 10 grams of fat and 32 milligrams of cholesterol, making it healthier than most other creamy soups. It is rich in vitamin C, calcium, iron and protein.