French Onion Butternut Soup
I don’t always love traditional butternut squash soup. It’s often times too sweet and bland for my liking. When I set out to make butternut squash soup, I thought to do a french onion base to deepen the flavor. I also add in tomato paste to give it a little acidity and color.
To keep things even MORE exciting: I top it with an equal parts mapley and salty tempeh bacon, cilantro crema to brighten it up, and toasted pepita seeds to tie it all in!
The tempeh bacon was a new addition the last time I made it. I’ve been trying to eat more ~protein~ and this gives it the perfect, fun, bite! Plus the mapley, salty, butternut squash vibes couldn’t be more fall?!
OH, you could leave the soup as is for an unblended version, more french onion style at Step 7. Either way, it’s delicious. Just depends on if you’re in the mood for brothy or creamy.
So, here’s how you make it:
Butternut Squash Soup Ingredients:
1 large butternut squash
4 small red or yellow potatoes, quartered with skin on
1 large carrot, skinned and diced
1 jalapeno, de-seeded and chopped, optional
1 large yellow onion, halved then sliced in thin half circles
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 + 2 tbsp cup extra virgin olive oil
6 cups vegetable broth (or 6 cups boiling water + 6 tsp vegetable bouillon)
Soup Steps:
1.) Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2.) In a saute pan, heat olive oil on medium heat. Add sliced onions and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until caramelized. Stir often to prevent burning. Transfer to a heat proof measuring cup or bowl.
3.) Slice butternut squash in half. Drizzle with olive oil and place face down in a baking dish. Add 2 tbsp water to baking dish. Bake for 40 minutes. When done, scoop out seeds from squash and discard. Scoop the butternut squash into a bowl and set aside. On a separate pan, bake quartered red potatoes on baking pan and drizzle with olive oil.
4.) Drain onion infused olive oil into a large pot and set aside the caramelized onions that remain. Sauté carrot, jalapeno, and 2 tsp in the onion infused olive oil for five minutes until softened.
5.) Add potatoes to veggies and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and 1 cup of veggie broth and cook for 2 minutes.
6.) Add remaining veggie broth, caramelized onions, and butternut squash to the soup. Cook with lid on for 15 minutes.
7.) Keep about two cups of soup in the pot, and blend remaining soup in batches until mostly smooth.
8.) Add the blended soup back to the pot with the remainder of the soup and stir on low heat. Add lime juice and additional salt if needed.
Cilantro Lime Crema Ingredients:
1/2 cups raw cashews (soaked in water overnight or in boiling water for 30 minutes)
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup water
3 cups fresh cilantro leaves
Cilantro Lime Crema Steps:
1.) Drain cashews. In a food processor or blender, blend the cashews, lime juice, salt, and water until completely smooth.
2.) Add the cilantro leaves and blend until leaves are somewhat broken down, with little leaf bits still visible.
Pepita Seed Ingredients:
1 cup pepita seeds
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp salt
Tempeh Bacon:
1 package tempeh
1/4 cup grapeseed oil
1/4 cup water
2 1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp liquid smoke
Instructions:
1.) Boil whole package of tempeh bacon in large pot for 20 minutes to get bitterness out. Using tongs, remove from water and place on a plate with paper towels.
2.) Stir together all marinade ingredients until smooth.
3.) Slice tempeh in half crosswise. Then, lengthwise, slice tempeh into thin slices. Arrange in a casserole pan. Pour marinade over. If not baking right away, store in airtight container in fridge for up to 3 days.
4.) Arrange marinated tempeh on baking sheet. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook tempeh for 20 minutes, flip over, then cook for 10-15 more minutes. Add pepitas, top with olive oil, and bake for the last 5 minutes of baking time.
Assemble:
1.) Ladle butternut squash soup into a bowl. Swirl the crema in, top with tempeh bacon, and sprinkle with toasted pepita seeds.