Is it just me or did we skip Fall and go straight into the dead of Winter? Either way, it’s starting to get a little too cold for my liking. Thankfully, some dishes are best enjoyed during these winter days! I’m talking about a steaming hot bowl of Roasted Butternut Squash Soup. And we’re not talking about just any bowl here! We’re talking about a bread bowl, because the combo of soup and bread is like having a nice and warm belly hug. Plus, you get to save some dishes since, you know, you get to eat the bowl!

Now, let’s talk about some important notes in regards to this recipe. First off, for the bowl, you’ll need high-quality bread with a nice hard crust, such as sourdough. This is no time to be stingy! That hard crust is necessary to keep soup from leaking out of your bowl. Secondly, your bread bowl will soak up a lot of moisture from your soup, so you’ll need to make your soup just a bit more water-y than usual. Keep these two points in mind and you’ll have a fantastic cold-weather meal to keep you warm.

This Roasted Butternut Squash Soup is aromatic and packed with flavor. Served in a bread bowl, just makes this dish all the more better! Do yourself a favor and make this dish to help you get through any cold harsh days.

JD Raymundo

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes

Total Time: 2 Hours

Ingredients

2 Medium Sourdough Loaves, or 1 Large Sourdough Loaf
1 Medium Butternut Squash
1 Cup Red Onion, chopped
1/2 Cup Carrots, chopped
2 Tbsp of Olive Oil, or oil of your choice
4 Cloves of Garlic, peeled and whole
4 Tbsp Vegan Butter
2 Tsp Dried Rosemary, or 1 sprig of fresh Rosemary
4 Cups Veggie Broth
3 Cups Water
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/4 Tsp Nutmeg
1/4 Tsp Cumin
1/4 Tsp Black Pepper
1/2 Tsp Cayenne Pepper

Directions

Preheat your oven to 400F. Line a medium baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut your butternut squash in half, lengthwise, and scoop out seeds.
Prep your bread bowl by simply cut off the top of your loaf and using either your hands or a spoon, hollow out the bread. Don’t remove too much as you want to leave some bread in there to soak up the soup. Don’t throw the scooped out bread! You can make breadcrumbs or croutons with them, or use them to snack on as you make the soup!
Add your chopped onions, chopped carrots, and cloves of garlic to the baking sheet. Drizzle over your olive oil and toss around until it’s all coated. Lay your butternut squash halves on the baking sheet with the veggies, skin side down. Bake for 1 hour or until your butternut squash is soft enough that a knife easily slides in.
Remove baking sheet from oven and let it cool. While it's cooling, add your butter in a small saucepan. Melt your butter over low-medium heat. Once melted add in your rosemary. Swirl around and let it simmer in there for 1-2 minutes. Set aside.
Once your butternut squash has fully cooled, scoop out the flesh into a large pot. Add your roasted veggies, veggie broth, and water to the pot as well. Bring a bowl and turn heat down to a simmer. Let this simmer for 30 minutes.
Using an immersion blender, blend everything together until smooth and there are no more chunks of veggies left. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can use a regular blender. Just be sure to blend it in batches and not all at once.
Using a strainer, pour your butter rosemary mixture into the soup. Add in your salt, nutmeg, cumin, black pepper, and cayenne pepper as well. Stir it in until well combined. Taste for any seasoning adjustments.
If you want your extra smooth, pour it through a strainer to remove any small bits that can’t be blended.
Ladle your soup into your bread bowl, garnish with a light drizzle of coconut milk, fresh herbs, and pumpkin seeds. Enjoy!