Spiced with nutmeg, Alton Brown's honey-ginger butternut squash soup is a comforting fall dish that's easy enough for a weeknight dinner.

Course: Soups & Sandwiches

Keyword: Appetizers, Butternut Squash Soup, Comfort Food, Fall, Holidays, Soups, Thanksgiving, Vegetarian

Butternut Squash Soup

Name: Butternut Squash Soup
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 6 cups (about 2 large) butternut squash, seeded and cut into 2-inch chunks; Melted butter, for brushing; 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more to taste; 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper, plus more to taste; 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock; 1/4 cup honey; 1 teaspoon minced ginger; 4 fluid ounces heavy cream; 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Two bowls of honey-ginger butternut squash soup.

ACTIVE TIME: 10

TOTAL TIME: 50

Yield: 4 servings

Most cooks have one recipe that they break out to truly herald in a particular season and, for fall, butternut squash soup is mine.

It’s not just the color (which is pretty darned autumnal, you must admit), it’s the warmth and comfort that come from roasted and caramelized butternut squash spiced with ginger and nutmeg. This soup is my favorite sweater, I guess you could say, only in a bowl. You wouldn’t want to actually wear it, though.

This recipe first appeared in Season 5 of Good Eats.

Photo by Lynne Calamia

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Software

6 cups (about 2 large) butternut squash, seeded and cut into 2-inch chunks
Melted butter, for brushing
1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper, plus more to taste
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon minced ginger
4 fluid ounces heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Specialized Hardware

Immersion blender

ACTIVE TIME: 10

TOTAL TIME: 50

Yield: 4 servings

Procedure

Heat oven to 400°F.
Brush the squash cubes with a little butter and season with 1 tablespoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper. Place the squash on a sheet pan and roast until the flesh is nice and soft, 30 to 35 minutes.
Combine the roasted squash with the stock, honey, and ginger in a large pot. Bring to a simmer and puree using an immersion blender. As the blender is running, slowly add the cream and return to a low simmer. Add the nutmeg, season with additional salt and pepper, to taste, and stir to combine.