Mom’s Curried Butternut Squash Soup

Come fall and winter, there’s nothing better than a big bowl of hot soup. After just one spoonful, you instantly feel warmed to the bone and “hugged” from within. Especially with my tiny, blonde, yoga-loving mother 3000 miles away, I could definitely use the feeling of her hug now and then.

Instead, though, I have her regular calls, emails and shared recipes to cling to when she’s not in person for a real embrace. This butternut squash soup recipe was one she recently shared during one of our 30-minute “quick chats”, and since I had been craving a hearty, cozy soup, I knew I had to make it right away. After all, if your mom says it’s good, you KNOW it’s good.

Not only was this butternut squash soup good, it was very simple and only required a handful of the most basic, fresh ingredients. Plus, no heavy cream required and only 1 tbsp. of butter, so it’s not all that bad for you!

The aroma was something else: Fragrant, musky curry powder mixed with caramelized onions, butter and fresh ginger turned my little apartment into a sweet-smelling shangri-la. And, once the butternut squash joined the party, I could hardly help myself from dipping a finger right into the pot.

Topped with a swirl of sour cream, if you wish, or maybe some crispy cooked bacon and freshly grated Parmesan, this soup is one you’ll want on your list in the oncoming colder months!

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

Yield: 8

Ingredients

  • 1 Tablespoon butter
  • 1 cup chopped onions
  • 1 teaspoon curry powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
  • 3 pounds butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-1/2 in pieces (about 6 cups)
  • 2 14.5-oz. cans chicken broth
  • 2 cups water
  • 3 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
  • 1/3 cup half-and-half or heavy cream

For topping (optional):

  • Crispy cooked bacon, crumbled
  • Chopped scallions
  • Grated Parmesan cheese
  • Sour cream or plain yogurt

Instructions

  1. Melt butter in a deep soup pot set to medium heat. Add onions and cook until caramelized, 7-8 minutes. Stir in curry powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and cayenne pepper toward the end; cook 1 minute, until fragrant. Stir in squash, broth, water, ginger, salt, and pepper. Increase heat to high, boil, then reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes, until squash is tender.
  2. Remove and puree squash mixture in batches (or blend in the pot with an immersion blender); transfer back to pot. Simmer for 20 minutes, adding more liquid to thin the soup if necessary. Just before serving, stir in half-and-half or cream.
  3. If desired, top with crispy cooked bacon, scallions, Parmesan, and/or sour cream. Serve with salad and warm crusty bread.
  4. Enjoy!

Did you make this recipe?

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Join the Conversation

  1. I’m so love this blog, already bookmarked it! Thanks.

  2. I am totally obsessed with fall soups right now. Thanks for sharing! Your mom sounds fabulous by the way! :)

  3. Liz Blogisthenewblack says:

    I just made this soup this weekend! Well, a similiar one. And my post said the same thing- nothing better than a bowl of soup in this weather. Yours looks so tasty! :)

  4. Yum! I’m making this for dinner tomorrow night, it sounds absolutely divine!

  5. Oh yum, I just recently made a pumpkin soup with curry powder – I know this tastes great

  6. Ohh this looks so yummy!! I LOVE that you put crispy bacon and parmesan :) Genius!!

    xoxo
    Ai

  7. Wendy (The Weekend Gourmet) says:

    Confession time: I’ve always been intimidated by butternut squash! Are they hard to cut if you have a good knife? This looks so good!!

  8. This made me miss my sweet mom! It is wonderful that even though we may live hundreds of miles apart from our mothers, we can still connect with them through conversation and food. This soup looks comforting and flavorful. Perfect for a fall evening. Thank you for sharing, love. May peace shower down!

  9. I love that this soup doesn’t call for heavy cream like so many soup recipes do. Bookmarked for a cold day!

  10. Jenn's Food Journey says:

    That looks so incredibly creamy and good! The perfect soup for a cold night! A little curry to give it a bit of a kick… YUM!!

  11. Hi Lauren,

    I actually meant to mention that in the post – Thanks for reminding me. I hope you do try this soup on a cold day… It really warms you up!

    Thanks for stopping by!

  12. i woul love to make this for my family this holiday:) it sounds just delicious..thanks for sharing.

  13. I just had some butternut squash filled ravioli’s the other day and now I’ve been craving that amazing flavor! This soup looks so good.

  14. Great idea with the pesto! I always have some on hand, so I’ll have to try that next time. Thanks for stopping by, Annalise!

  15. This soup looks so tasty. Mmmm.

  16. Baking Serendipity says:

    Curry sounds like perfect kick to this soup! What a great meal to curl up with on a cool evening :)

  17. Cakeduchess says:

    I love butternut squash soup. Your recipe looks and sounds delightful. It’s fun to talk food with mom….now I do it with my little girl. Hope you are having a wonderful week Georgia.

  18. Mmm this soup looks incredibly comforting. Love the vibrancy of the orange!

  19. I love butternut squash soup, and the curry makes is sound so comforting!

  20. Marla {family fresh cooking} says:

    This soup looks awesome & I am linking to it in my Thanksgiving Round-Up!!

  21. I’m so lucky to have my mom only an hour away. :) Two of my boys however live half way across the country, and one reason I started my own blog was to share recipes with them. That soup looks so healthful and delicious- it’s the perfect “virtual hug!”

  22. Yum! I’ve been wanting to make something similar with pumpkin (surprise…). Love the squash and spices of fall! :)

  23. butternut squash soup is one of my favorites. i love the addition of curry powder. I will be making this.

  24. Oh, Wendy, no need to be intimated about cutting the squash – it’s easy! Here’s a video of exactly how I did it: http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-cut-butternut-squash

    Just don’t put the peels down your garbage disposal, if you have one. I learned that the hard way and ended up with a stopped up sink!

  25. I had this recipe last night for dinner! I LOVE all things butternut squash, and you just can’t beat a good hearty soup. The curry adds a nice flavor too. I also like to put a swirl of pesto in mine and top with parmesan. Delicious!

  26. I am loving the flavors in this soup and it’s beautiful too!

  27. I’m doing this tonight with goat cheese and maple bacon on top! So excited

  28. Yum, I love butternut squash and am currently addicted to soup! perfect!

  29. Very yummy food is really good for us.
    very nutritious and very cheap to prepare.. :D

  30. Thanks for sharing your recipe..i will try to make it this night..

  31. Hello there! I could have sworn I’ve been to this blog before but after browsing through some of the post I realized it’s new to me. Nonetheless, I’m definitely happy I found it and I’ll be book-marking and checking back frequently!

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