Creamy Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup

Roasted butternut squash and carrots combine with fresh thyme and bay leaf in this creamy autumn soup. Warm, comforting, and surprisingly healthy.

We’re only one week away from Thanksgiving! I can’t wait to indulge. But until then, I’m cooking a little lighter for my family. We don’t need our pants to already be tight before the big feast. On that note – ladies, how great are leggings? Leggings, a tunic, and some cute boots are the perfect Thanksgiving outfit. Comfy enough to camouflage your food baby, but still cute enough to look socially acceptable. Heck. Yes. Bring on the stuffing, potatoes, and desserts!

Anyways, let’s talk about soup. We are fairly healthy eaters in our house. Although this blog gives the impression that we live off of sweet treats – we actually do not. I try to feed my family a balanced diet, with all things in moderation. I’ve found that one of the easiest ways to increase the quantity of veggies that we eat is to make vegetable-based soups. Lately, we have been enjoying this butternut squash and carrot soup. It’s creamy and comforting – perfect for the cold weather months.

Aside from being nutritious, this recipe is souper (ha!) simple. I start by roasting the butternut squash and carrots in the oven. This intensifies their flavor and makes for a richer tasting soup. After roasting, the squash and carrots are added to sauteed onion, thyme, and bay leaf, and everything simmers gently in chicken stock. The soup gets pureed and finished with a little cream and topped with the garnish of your choice. This soup will become one of your Fall and Winter go-to recipes. Healthy and comforting – it doesn’t get much better than that!

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Creamy Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup

Roasted butternut squash and carrots combine with fresh thyme and bay leaf in this creamy Autumn soup. Warm, comforting, and surprisingly healthy.

Course Main dish

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Servings 6

Author Allison - Celebrating Sweets

Ingredients

• 2 pounds peeled and seeded butternut squash chopped into 1-inch pieces
• 1 pound carrots chopped into 1-inch pieces
• 1 medium yellow onion diced
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 cups chicken broth I prefer low sodium
• 1/4 cup heavy cream or half and half optional
• Extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper
• Optional garnishes: pepitas, sour cream, chives, crumbled goat cheese, or chopped bacon bits

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Place squash and carrots on a large rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and a large pinch of black pepper. Toss to coat. Roast in the oven for 35 minutes, tossing once halfway through the cooking time.
2. Meanwhile, in a large pot, saute onion in 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat, for about 10 minutes, until softened and light brown. Add carrots, squash, thyme, bay leaf, chicken broth, and 1 cup of water to the onions. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes until vegetables are tender and the liquid has reduced slightly.
3. Using a stand blender or immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. Add additional water, if needed, to thin it out. Stir in cream and season to taste with salt and pepper.