UPDATED BUTTERNUT SQUASH, ORANGE & GINGER SOUP: Vegetarian, dairy-free option, easy, prep-ahead, wallet-friendly

Warming Butternut Squash soup tantalises with Christmas flavours  but work equally well for Hallowe'en & Nov 5th.(Update)

                                                                                                                  first posted 2020; updated 2024

Hints of ginger & orange in this full-bodied party soup 

A bowlful of this luscious Butternut, Ginger & Orange soup is a delicious treat, sliding down like warm silk.  

It'a vegan, make-ahead, easy and wallet-friendly -- a boon for cooks as well as health-conscius family and guests.

If you can find a Golden Butternut squash (instead of standard gourds) the flavour of the soup is ambrosial. Grown in Greece, Golden Butternut Squash is promoted as having richer, sweeter and fuller flavour, intensified by roasting the squash in advance  

If Golden Butternut isn't available, a regular one will still tastes lovely. Fresh ginger adds warmth without heat, and fresh orange juice  adds a lovely citrus backdrop.

The recipe makes a very generous portion of thick rich soup base, too much for most households unless you're entertaining a crowd.  67 recommends freezing half the base for another time.   

Soup as a first course is always a wise dinner choice from a budget point of view -- soup satisfies hunger pangs without dampening the appetite but cuts down on demand for expensive mains.  

Cost: min £3.75'ish (9/24)

Makes: almost two litres

Ingreds

   1 good-sized (about 1kilo/2 pounds) butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed, in large bite-size pieces (see how to cut and peel a butternut squash from The Kitchen)

   2 handfuls cooked brown rice (adds fibre) OR 2 potatoes, peeled

   2 tbsp olive oil

   pepper & salt

  scant 1/2 cup white & light green bits of spring onions

              OR 1 med onion, coarsely chopped (FODMAP, see Tips)

  2 decent-sized stalks celery, peeled, chopped

  2 large carrots, washed and coarsely chopped

  1 tb olive oil

  scant tbsp dairy or plant butter

  1 quart/2.5 cups chicken or good vegetable stock (67 uses Marigold vegan granules)

Ingredients for each half recipe of base:   

   1.5 tb finely grated peeled ginger

   zest and juice of a medium orange (about 1/2 cup)

   slug olive oil

   min 1/2, max 1 litre good stock, depending on how thick you like your soup 

Garnishes:

• finely chopped chives
• Memorable Crunchy Croutons
• vegan bacon bits

Method:

1. The soup can be started the day before needed
2. Preheat oven or air fryer to 170C/400F
3. Peel and de-seed squash.  Cut into large bite-size chunks.  Place in a large pan lined with greaseproof paper; drizzle over olive oil, season with salt and pepper; toss.  Place in upper half of oven/air fryer; bake 25 mins, turning once
4. Meanwhile in a large heavy-bottomed pot over med-high, sauté onion, celery & carrot in olive oil & fat a few mins; reduce heat to med low; partially cover, sweat 20 mins, stirring frequently  
5. When squash is cooked, add to pot with any juices from the pan,  stock and cooked rice/potatoes
6. Bring to a boil; turn heat down so soup gently bubbles - med low will probably do it; partially cover; cook 20 min
7. Cool; blend - the result will be a thick puree
8. Set aside one half of the base and freeze  (see Tips below) for another dinner OR refrigerate the remainder for the following day OR continue the recipe
9. On the day of serving, in a large pan, saute ginger and orange zest in a tsp olive over med heat until toasy and smelling delicious.  Add 1 cup soup base plus orange juice; whizz till completely combined.  Add the rest of the reserved soup base along with 1/2 to 1 litre good stock, depending on how thick you like your soup 
10. Bring gently to the boil; turn heat right down and keep warm till ready to serve.  
11. Add whatever seasonings you like: rosemary, vegan/dairy cream. Or garnishes: meatballs, ham shards, crispy bacon OR vegan bacon bits, vegetarian frankfurters, Memorable Crunchy Croutons

Comments:

'The orange and ginger gives a pop of gorgeous flavour to a lovely autumnal soup.' Retired writer

Tips:

• This soup is perfect as a Christmas first course
• Serve in Demi-tasse cups at a buffet or canapé party
• Leftovers:  (a) Base: freeze in a large container; when ready to use, defrost overnight and cook following instructions 9 to 10       (b) Soup: Portion up in freezer bags appropriate to the size of the household: 1/2 cup, 1 cup etc; freeze flat; stack in freezer. When needed, defrost overnight.  Reheat gently before serving.  Check seasoning.  Add garnishes of choice (step 10)
• Fodmaps: replace onion with onion infused oil ( slice onions & cover in olive oil for 2 hours & strain  OR sauté onions over mod heat in olive oil to infuse the favour, then remove all the onions OR use bottled onion-infused oil from supermarkets) OR the green tips of spring onions or leeks (tie together; remove when dish is cooked); OR fresh or dried chives  

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This recipe has been developed by B  Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission.