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creamy butternut squash and tortellini soup

October 22, 2010 by 5 Comments
I decided to take a break from my pumpkin craze and explore another fall produce: butternut squash.  While I made the butternut squash gratin a couple of weeks ago, I was really itching to use it in a creamy pureed soup.  While I love the idea of creamy soup, I always find myself needing more substance with it.  Whether its croutons, a piece of crusty bread, a sandwich (can you tell I like carbs?), I’ve got to have some chew with my soup!  This time I went a different carb-route and chose to put pasta in my soup…specifically, tortellini!  

I really can’t rave enough about this soup.  While I was eating it, Marc happened to call me in the middle of the bowl.  Our conversation went like this:

Ring.  Ring.  

Me: “Oh my god.”

Marc: “What?? Are you okay?”

Me: “Oh my god this soup is SO good!”

Marc: “Oh geez.  I thought something bad happened!”  

Nope, nothing bad happened.  Just amazing soup.   

The creaminess of the soup was unbelievable which I am positive is due to the addition of cream cheese.     I barely used any, about 1/3 of a log, and it added an amazing creaminess while keeping it thick.  I’m sure you can tell from the pictures that I like my pureed soup pretty thick, but you can certainly add more chicken broth to it to thin it out.  While the spices of the soup (nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves) lent a sweetness to the puree, the cheese-filled tortellini and cumin rounded it out so the soup was more savory than sweet.  

Here is my trick to making this a quick weeknight meal: roast the vegetables a day in advance, store them in an air-tight container in the fridge, and then when you come home from work (exhausted and hungry), all you have to do is heat up the broth and the veggies, make the tortellini at the same time, and puree it all together for a delicious, comforting, and filling bowl of soup!  



Creamy Butternut Squash and Tortellini Soup


2 medium butternut squash, peeled and diced into 1″ cubes
1 onion, sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt
5 cups chicken/vegetable broth (more or less to how thick you want the soup)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp cloves
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cumin
1/3 cup cream cheese 
salt and pepper to taste
1 package tortellini
Parmesan cheese, to top


Directions:


Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Place diced butternut squash and onion onto baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.  Drizzle with olive oil and toss around to combine.  Sprinkle with kosher salt.  


Roast in oven 35-40 minutes. Then set aside.  This can be done one day in advance to make for a quick weeknight meal.  


In large saucepan, bring chicken/vegetable broth, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and cumin to a boil.  Season with salt.  Add butternut squash and onion, and let simmer about 5 minutes.  Add cream cheese and puree with an immersion blender until completely creamy.  


In a separate pot, prepare tortellini as directed on package.  Add to soup.  Top with parmesan cheese, and enjoy!

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Filed Under: butternut squash, cinnamon, main dish, onion, soup, vegetarian

Comments

  1. Joanne says:
    October 22, 2010 at 11:35 am

    I actually moaned when I saw this recipe. Bookmarked. Instantly.

    Reply
  2. aldean.edwards says:
    October 22, 2010 at 5:29 pm

    we’ve been asked to be part of a dinner club…need you home immediately please! :)

    Reply
  3. claire says:
    October 22, 2010 at 6:04 pm

    yum! I am not sure how I feel about butternut squash, but I would be willing to take a shot with this recipe!

    Reply
  4. Jan says:
    October 22, 2010 at 9:29 pm

    This looks great! I love squash…and I have never been disappointed by one of your recipes! Have a super weekend! (:

    Reply
  5. Kat says:
    October 26, 2010 at 10:33 pm

    Wow…that looks amazing. I love squash, so this is sure to be a hit.

    Reply

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