Creamy Butternut Squash Sage Pesto Soup.

The coziest bowl of Creamy Butternut Squash Sage Pesto Soup. With golden brown butter, sage, and crispy bacon too! YUM! Roasted butternut squash, sweet yellow onions, garlic, fresh sage, and thyme are roasted with butter until soft and caramelized. Puree this into a creamy soup with a touch of cream, pesto, spices, and sharp cheddar cheese. SO delicious! A little bit of bacon on top makes this even yummier!

I know I say this repetitively, but this is really the most special time of year. The weather, the lighting, the yummy food, warm drinks, sweet desserts, the engaging TV shows (Gilmore Girls on repeat), and the excitement for the looming holiday season—there is so much to love.

I really am happiest this time of year. I find I have the most inspiration and excitement during the autumn months. Even with all the back-to-back travel and busy schedules, I feel so happy and excited to share everything with you all, from the new cookbook to new product launches and recipes!

Today, I have the most special soup. I made it mostly because my mom loves a bowl of soup, and she’s been feeling a little off since returning from Europe. Soup is so comforting and often a great healer.

Mom usually loves broccoli cheddar or creamy chicken noodle soup. Or, actually, when I was a kid, she would make a creamy rice soup and put popcorn on top. She loves that. She’s such a pro, and when it comes to fall foods, she knows what’s best.

I suggested a butternut squash soup to her weeks ago, but last week finally felt like the time to make it. Our weather has been the most perfect: sunny days with mild temperatures and then cold at night. And the colors are magical right now—similar to this soup, actually!

I made this soup, and we all fell in love. It’s a great soup to make all season long. I may even add it to my Thanksgiving menu!

Here are the Details

Ingredients

• salted butter or olive oil (but I like butter best)
• butternut squash
• onions
• fresh sage and thyme
• whole garlic cloves
• bacon (omit if vegetarian)
• broth (I use bone broth)
• chipotle chile powder, smoked paprika, and nutmeg
• maple syrup
• heavy cream
• basil pesto
• flour or cornstarch

Equipment

• food processor, blender, or immersion blender
• soup pot
• sharp knife and cutting board too, of course!

Step 1: roast the squash

Take a butternut squash and cube it. Or cut into wedges as I did. I want to note that I only did this for photos and find it easier to roast the squash as cubes.

Toss the butternut squash with butter or olive oil. Add onion wedges, whole sage leaves, fresh thyme leaves, salt, and pepper. Then add whole garlic cloves. Roast until the squash is tender and the garlic is golden and caramelized.

Step 2: cook the bacon

While you have the squash in the oven, get the bacon crispy on the stove. Do this in the pot you plan to simmer the soup in. No need to create extra dishes!

Set the bacon aside for topping.

Step 3: puree the squash

When ready, puree everything on the sheet pan in a food processor or blender. Scrape any butter left on the pan into the food processor—this will add even more flavor!

Puree until creamy, then pour the squash puree into the soup pot.

Step 4: finish the soup

Add broth, chipotle, paprika, cayenne, and maple to the butternut puree. Once it’s steamy, mix in the cream and pesto.

Now, toss shredded cheddar cheese with cornstarch and add it to the soup. The cornstarch will prevent the cheese from clumping.

Step 5: serve

You can start serving once the cheese is melted and the soup is steamy! Ladle the creamy soup into bowls. You can swirl with cream or add cheddar to the top of the soup. We love a handful of sharp cheddar. It melts over the soup and is perfect with the crispy bacon!

Then Mom says she recommends beer bread. We believe every soup and chili recipe should be served with beer bread in the fall. It is a Gerard staple. It is our favorite.

I’m looking forward to having this soup stashed in the freezer and possibly even adding it to my Thanksgiving menu this year!! I was so happy with how YUMMY it turned out. If you’re serving this for dinner, definitely add my harvest salad to your menu!

Looking for other butternut squash recipes? Here are a few ideas: 

Creamy Roasted Garlic Butternut Squash Pasta

Rosemary Roasted Butternut Squash Pizza

Roasted Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna

Butternut Squash Pasta Carbonara with Rosemary Bacon

Fall Harvest Roasted Butternut Squash and Pomegranate Salad

Hasselback Butternut Squash with Sage Butter and Prosciutto Breadcrumbs

Lastly, if you make this Creamy Butternut Squash Sage Pesto Soup, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!

@halfbakedharvest

Creamy Butternut Squash Sage Pesto Soup – the bacon top is not needed but wow so good!

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