Description
This rich and creamy Butternut Squash Soup recipe is perfect for a cozy meal, featuring tender roasted squash blended with cream cheese for a smooth texture. Enhanced by sautéed onions and garlic, this comforting soup is paired with fun black-dyed bowtie pasta shaped into bats for a festive touch, making it ideal for Halloween or any autumn gathering.
Ingredients
Scale
Soup Ingredients
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups butternut squash, cubed
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 4 oz cream cheese
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
Pasta Ingredients
- 1 cup bowtie pasta
- ½ cup water
- Black food coloring
Instructions
- Heat and sauté: Heat 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven. Add 1 cup of chopped onion and sauté until tender and transparent, about 5 minutes. Then add 3 cloves of minced garlic and cook for an additional minute to release their aroma.
- Simmer squash: Add 4 cups of cubed butternut squash and 3 cups of chicken broth to the pot. Cover and let it simmer for 25 minutes or until the squash is tender and easily pierced with a fork.
- Puree the soup: Allow the soup to cool slightly, then transfer it in batches to a blender or food processor and purée until smooth and creamy. Return the pureed soup to the Dutch oven.
- Finish the soup: Heat the pureed soup gently on the stovetop. Stir in 4 ounces of cream cheese until fully melted and combined. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper to taste, stirring well.
- Cook pasta: Prepare 1 cup of bowtie pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool it down.
- Dye pasta: Place the rinsed pasta in a large ziplock bag, add ½ cup water and black food coloring, then swish and shake until the pasta is evenly coated. Let it sit in the dye for 5 minutes.
- Rinse dyed pasta: Drain the dyed pasta in a strainer and rinse thoroughly under cold water until the water runs clear, preventing excess coloring.
- Create pasta bats: Using leftover cream cheese and peppercorns or pieces of pasta, decorate the bowtie pasta to resemble bat eyes and pupils for a fun presentation.
- Serve: Ladle the warm butternut squash soup into bowls and top with the black dyed pasta bats immediately for a festive, spooky effect.
Notes
- You can substitute chicken broth with vegetable broth to make this recipe vegetarian.
- If you prefer a smoother soup, strain the purée through a fine mesh sieve.
- Adjust salt and pepper to taste depending on your broth’s saltiness.
- Use gel-based or natural black food coloring for a less watery dye.
- The pasta bats can be prepared ahead of time but add them just before serving to maintain texture.
- For a richer soup, add a splash of heavy cream in place of cream cheese.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl with pasta
- Calories: 250 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg
