Roasted Butternut Squash, Garlic and Tomato Soup
Posted on: October 21, 2015 by Neal Miller
Making soup at home from scratch is such a delight.
On those lazy weekend days, or when you have some time to putter around while doing other chores, making soup feeds the soul. This roasted vegetable soup is very easy to make. All of the vegetables are roasted in the oven and the broth is added on the stovetop. Roasting the vegetables gives the soup a robust flavour that simply can't be found in a can of soup!
This hearty soup has almost no fat, very little salt and is packed with nutrients. Make this big pot of soup for delicious fall lunches or serve with a salad and crusty whole wheat bread for a fulfilling dinner.
Roasted Butternut Squash, Garlic-Tomato Soup
- 1 medium size butternut squash cut in half, seeds removed
- 6-10 Tomatoes (depending on the size) cut in half. No need to remove the seeds
- 1 head of garlic
- 2 onions, cut in quarters
- 1 bunch of thyme
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Chili flakes (optional)
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger (optional)
- 1 900ml package of no salt chicken broth, vegetable broth or 4 cups of home-made broth
- 2 baking sheets
- 1 heavy pot
- 1 hand immersion blender
Pre-heat the oven to 350°
Cut the butternut squash in half and remove the seeds. Brush a little olive oil on the cut side of the squash and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place a couple of sprigs of thyme on the cut side of the squash, and place face down on the baking sheet.
On the same baking sheet, add the onion quarters that have been tossed in a little olive oil and salt and pepper.
Slice the tomatoes in half and toss them in olive oil and a little salt and pepper. The skin should stay on the tomatoes to give the finished soup added texture. Arrange on a separate baking sheet with the cut side up. Throw a few thyme sprigs on top of the tomatoes.
Take a head of garlic and cut off the bottom off. Place on a square of tinfoil and add a small amount of olive oil. Wrap in the tinfoil and place on one of your baking sheets.
Place all of the baking sheets in the oven. Bake for 1 hour. This will allow the squash to become soft and tender and for the tomatoes to get a slightly charred texture. Don't worry if the tomatoes or onions look a bit burnt.
Remove the vegetables and allow the butternut squash and the garlic to cool long enough that you can handle it by hand. With a spoon remove all of the flesh from the squash and discard the skin. Squeeze the head of the garlic from the top to remove the squishy roasted garlic. Add the squash and the garlic to a large, heavy pot. Remove the sprigs of thyme and take all of the roasted tomatoes and onions and add them to a large pot.
Add the chicken or vegetable stock and bring to a simmer. Add 1 tablespoon of thyme leaves, 1 tablespoon of grated fresh ginger and a pinch of chili flakes. With an immersion blender, blend the soup to be coarse and chunky. Taste the soup for seasoning and season to your taste.
Serve with whole wheat toast or crackers and enjoy!