Description
A comforting and nutritious butternut squash soup packed with protein, perfect for chilly evenings.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup full-fat small-curd cottage cheese
- 1 medium butternut squash (about 2 1/2 pounds) or 2 pounds pre-cut squash
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- Freshly-ground black pepper
- 1/2 bulb garlic (bottom half only)
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme, plus leaves for garnish
- 1 (15-ounce) can white beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Pinch cayenne pepper
- 1 (32-ounce) box low-sodium vegetable broth (4 cups), divided
- Toasted pepitas, for serving
- Crusty bread, for serving
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 425°F. Place the cottage cheese on the counter to come to room temperature.
- Peel and seed the squash and cut into 1-inch cubes. Transfer to a large Dutch oven. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the oil, season with 1 teaspoon of the salt and several grinds of pepper, and toss to coat.
- Nestle the garlic half into the center of the squash. Scatter the thyme sprigs on top and drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of oil. Roast, covered, until the squash is very tender, about 45 to 55 minutes.
- Remove the pot from the oven; discard the thyme sprigs. When cool enough to handle, remove the roasted garlic and squeeze the cloves into the pot.
- Add the beans, cottage cheese, maple syrup, nutmeg, and cayenne. Pour in 3 cups of the broth. Blend until smooth, adding more broth as needed.
- Re-warm the soup over medium-low heat. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and garnish with toasted pepitas, fresh thyme leaves, and a drizzle of oil. Serve with crusty bread.
Notes
For an extra creamy soup, blend in heavy cream or crème fraîche. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 55
- Category: Soup
- Method: Roasting and Blending
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 400mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 10g
- Cholesterol: 15mg